Isabel held the knife so tight her knuckles went white and her fingers tingled, but she didn't dare to loosen her grip. Susan's face had gone purple against the wall as she choked and gasped for air.
"You're killing her," Lily shrieked.
"She was going to kill me," Isabel said.
"No," Lily said. "We weren't going to kill you. I swear. We just wanted to scare you."
"Oh, you mean like those men who attacked me in the alley?" Isabel asked. "Were they just going to scare me too?"
"Think of your own life," Lily said. "If you kill her you're going to spend the rest of your life in jail. Not even Howard Denmark can help you then."
Isabel pressed even harder against Susan's neck, feeling the girl's throat constrict under her arm. She had no intention of killing Susan—she just wanted to t
