'Well enough. We have an occasional drink together at Manuel’s. But he really chose me. He was camped out at Georgia State yesterday morning when I went to pick up the skull and made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.'
'And you can trust him?'
'We don’t have to trust him. As long as he thinks he’s going to get a payoff, I guarantee he’ll lay those red herrings all over the South.'
'I guess we can’t expect more than—'
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A knock on the door.
'Spiro.' Joe started across the room. 'You should have finished your sandwich, dammit.'
'Dictator.' She pushed the plate away as Joe let Robert Spiro in. He nodded politely. 'Ms.
Duncan.' He turned to Joe. 'I’ve been fending off the media all morning. They want to know how I knew there were two more skeletons in that gorge.'
'And what did you tell them?'
'That it was profiler instinct,' he said sourly. 'Why not? After all we’ve done to debunk it, they still believe there’s something spooky about our unit anyway.' Spiro turned to Eve. 'Is there anything you have to add to what Joe told me?'
Eve looked at Joe.
He shook his head. 'I told him everything.'
'Then there’s nothing else,' Eve said. 'Except that he’s going to call again.”
“Maybe.'
'He’ll call. And I want you to be ready for him. Can you bug the phone?”
“Hasn’t Joe arranged that yet?'
'I was a little busy last night. Besides, getting my department to do the bug will require finesse, because the Atlanta PD is fighting becoming involved.'
'Then they’re fighting a losing battle if those two boys are who you think they are.'
'Let me find out,' Eve said. 'Give me a skull.' Spiro was silent.
'Give it to me.'
'It could be dangerous to involve you any more.”
“I couldn’t be more involved.'
'Yes, you could be, if this man who called you is really the murderer of those people at Talladega. Right now he’s looking at you as a passive victim and feeling a wonderful sense of power. That might even be enough for him. But the minute you take aggressive action, he could become angry and desperate to reassert himself.'
'It won’t be enough for him.' She stared him in the eye. 'And I won’t be a passive victim. That son of a bitch has Bonn— that little girl’s bones. He killed her.'
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'Possibly.'
'Probably. He knew about those boys. Can you get enough DNA for an analysis?”
“We’re trying. The bones are pretty shattered and—'
'And then there will be another delay while the samples are analyzed. Give me a skull.'
Spiro raised his brows and glanced at Joe. 'Obstinate.”
“You don’t know the half of it. Better give her a skull.'
'Are you going to be responsible, Quinn? I’m not kidding about any initiative raising the ante.'
'I’m the only one responsible for me,' Eve said. 'Give me a skull.' He smiled faintly. 'I’d be tempted to do it if I didn’t know what a—' The phone rang.
Joe started toward the phone by the door.
'Wait.' Spiro nodded at Eve. 'Pick it up. Is there another extension?' The phone rang again.
'Kitchen,' Joe said.
Spiro ran to the kitchen, and Eve picked up the receiver at his signal. 'Hello.”
“Listen carefully.' The voice was unmistakable. 'I know you probably have this phone bugged by now, and I’m not going to stay on the line long. From now on I’ll call you on your digital phone.' He chuckled. 'Did you enjoy your trip to Talladega? Cold night, wasn’t it?'
He hung up.
She slowly hung up and turned to Spiro.
'He’s using a mechanical voice distorter,' Spiro said. 'Is that how he sounded before?'
