Jessica's street, the migraine bloomed fully. A car horn made him grip the wheel tightly, realizing he had been driving with his eyes closed.
He had to get to Jessica.
He parked the car, checked his weapon, and got out.
He was just a few blocks away.
The migraine surged as he turned his collar up against the wind. As he fought the gusts of rain, he knew that…
He is in the house.
Close.
He has not expected her to invite someone else inside. He wants her all to himself.He has plans for her and her daughter.
When the other man walked in the front door, his plans became…
74
FRIDAY, 9:55 PM
… altered, but not changed. Even Christ had his obstacles this week. The Pharisees tried to trap Him into uttering blasphemy. Judas had, of course, betrayed Him to the chief priests, telling them where Christ could be found. Christ was not deterred. I will not be deterred, either. I will deal with the intruder, this Iscariot. In this dark cellar I will make this intruder pay with his life.
75
FRIDAY, 9:55 PM
When they entered the house, Jessica pointed Drew to the basement.
'He's at the bottom of the stairs, and to the right,' she said.
'Can you tell me anything about his injuries?' Drew asked.
'I don't know,' Jessica said. 'He's unconscious.'
As the paramedic descended the stairs into the basement, Jessica heard him call in the 911 emergency.
She mounted the stairs to Sophie's room. She unlocked the closet door. Sophie was awake and sitting up, lost in a forest of coats and slacks.
'You okay, baby?' she asked.
Sophie remained unresponsive.
'Mommy's here, sweetie. Mommy's here.'
She picked Sophie up. Sophie put her little arms around her neck. They were safe now. Jessica could feel Sophie's heart beating against her.
Jessica crossed the bedroom to the front windows. The street was only partially flooded. She watched for backup.
'Ma'am?' Drew was calling her. Jessica walked to the top of the stairs. 'What's wrong?' 'Uh, well, I don't know how to tell you this.' 'Tell me what?' Drew said, 'There's no one in the basement.'
76
FRIDAY, 10:00 PM
Byrne turned the corner onto the pitch-black street. Fighting the wind, he had to walk around the huge tree limbs lying across the sidewalk and the road. He could see flickering lights in some windows, capering shadows dancing on the blinds. In the distance he saw a sparking electrical wire across a car.
There were no patrol cars from the Eighth. He tried his cell again. Nothing. No signal at all.
He had only been to Jessica's house once. He had to look closely to see if he remembered which house it was. He did not.
This was, of course, one of the worst parts of living in Philadelphia. Even Northeast Philadelphia. At times, everything looked alike.
He stood in front of a twin that looked familiar. With the streetlights out, it was difficult to tell. He closed his eyes and tried to recall. The images of the Rosary Killer obscured everything else, like the hammers falling on an old manual typewriter, soft lead on bright white paper, smeary black ink. But he was too close to see the words.
77
FRIDAY, 10:00 PM
Drew waited at the bottom of the basement stairs. Jessica lit the candles in the kitchen, then sat Sophie on one of the dinette chairs. She put her weapon on top of the fridge.
She descended the steps. The bloodstain on the concrete was still there. But Patrick was not.
'Dispatch said there's a pair of patrol cars on the way,' he said. 'But I'm afraid there's no one down here.'
'Are you sure?'
Drew flashed his light around the basement. 'Uh, well, unless you have a secret way out of here, he must have gone up the steps.'
Drew aimed his flashlight up the stairs. There were no bloody footprints on the treads. Wearing latex gloves, he knelt down and touched the blood on the floor. He slicked two fingers together.
'You're saying he was just here?' he asked.
'Yes,' Jessica said. 'Two minutes ago. As soon as I saw him, I ran upstairs and down the driveway.'
'How did he receive his injury?' he asked.
'I have no idea.'
'Are you all right?'
'I'm fine.'
'Well, the police will be here any second. They can give the place a good going over.' He stood up. 'Until then, we'll probably be safe down here.'
What? Jessica thought.
We'll probably be safe down here?
'Is your little girl okay?' he asked.
Jessica stared at the man. A cold hand squeezed her heart. 'I never told you I had a little girl.'
Drew peeled off the gloves, tossed them into his bag.
In the flashlight beam, Jessica saw the blue chalk stains on his fingers and the deep scratch on the back of his right hand, at the same moment she noticed Patrick's feet emerging from beneath the stairs.
And she knew. This man had never called in the 911. No one was coming. Jessica turned to run. To the stairs. To Sophie. To safety. But before she could move a hand shot out of the darkness.
Andrew Chase was upon her.
