Linda had to suppress the tears from welling up in her eyes as the man spoke of Marcus and Cassius, and she fought to keep her face unmoved.
'Marcus who?' she asked, in a voice that would certainly have made him proud. 'I don't know any Marcus, and I don't have a son.'
The mere words were painful to speak, but necessary. She would not let this man hurt Cassius. He could kill her, but she could not let him use her against her only son.
She watched as the room transformed before her eyes and the fact that this man seemed to want her to be comfortable made her more frightened than anything else. Luckily, fear was an emotion she could afford. Gasping she feigned shock.
'What's going on? How? It's a trick, right?' she asked, praying he'd believe her act.