The suite held dark wood, velvet furniture, and a half-empty champagne bottle. I stayed near the locked door and counted down from ten minutes.
The adjoining bedroom opened. The buyer came out without his tuxedo jacket, though the gilded mask still covered his face.
"I paid a great deal for compliance," he said. "Don't make the evening difficult."
He unbuttoned his cuffs as he approached. I backed away. Keeping my hands still would have taken more effort than letting them shake.
"Please."
He laughed and reached for the shoulder of my gown.
I let my knees fold. He caught me by reflex and swore at my weight. Beneath the silver folds, my hand closed around the syringe filled with veterinary ketamine.
The needle went into his thigh. I drove the plunger down before he understood what had
