'I’ll cooperate. But you have to give me something too. I want a profile on you, Eve.'
'You already seem to know a great deal about me.”
“Not enough. For instance, do you believe in reincarnation?”
“What?'
'Reincarnation. Millions of people do, you know. Such a comforting belief.' He chuckled. 'As long as you don’t come back as a cockroach.'
'What are you talking about?'
'But I don’t think God would let your Bonnie come back as a cockroach, do you?”
“Shut up.'
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'That hurt, didn’t it? I could almost feel it myself. Pretty little Bonnie…' It had hurt. The bizarre idea had stabbed her. Stupid to let him hurt her. Even stupider to let him know he’d hurt her.
'It didn’t bother me. Why should it? I don’t believe in reincarnation.'
“You should consider it. As I said, it could be very comforting. I’ve been thinking a lot about it lately. Are you familiar with the Bible?'
'Some.'
'It’s not my favorite tome, but there are some unique ideas in it. I found one particularly amusing. Genesis 2:22.'
'I don’t know what that is.'
'I’ll tell you. But first go to the front door and get my present.”
“Present?'
'It’s on the left edge of the porch. I couldn’t just come up to the front door and leave it with that FBI agent watching you so closely.'
She moistened her lips. 'What kind of present?”
“Go get it, Eve. I’ll hang on.'
'I’d be dumb to go outside just because you tell me to. You could be waiting for me.'
'You know better. You know I’m not going to hurt you yet.' He paused. 'But I won’t promise not to hurt Quinn if you call him. This is just between us. Go get the present.'
She moved toward the door. 'Are you doing it?'
'Yes.'
'Good. Now, let’s see. They say that the souls of victims of violence are troubled and return to earth as soon as possible. So Bonnie would have been reincarnated immediately.'
'Bull.'
'I killed her ten years ago, didn’t I? That means we’re looking for a ten-year-old child. Either a boy or a girl.' He chuckled. 'Since we’ve ruled out cockroaches. Are you at the front door yet?'
'Yes.'
'Check the window and you’ll probably see your stalwart guard sitting in his car by the lake.
That’s where he was when I left your package a few hours ago.' She glanced out the window.
Charlie wasn’t in the car, he was standing by the front fender, talking to Joe.
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'Are you on the porch yet?”
“No.'
'Are you afraid of me, Eve? Don’t you want to know what’s in the package?”
“I’m not afraid of you.' She opened the door. She was wearing only an old T-shirt, and the cold wind struck her bare legs. 'I’m on the porch. Where’s the damn package?'
'You’ll see it.'
She did see it, a small brown cardboard box on the very left edge of the porch. 'Quinn would say you’re foolish to go near it. It might be a bomb or maybe I put some kind of gas or poison in the box. But you know I don’t want you injured or dead.'
She did know it. She moved toward the box.
'Or maybe I do. I could be waiting in the shadow of the porch right now. Do you see any suspicious shadows, Eve?'
'No, where are you?'
'But it’s so dark on the porch you can’t see shadows, can you?' She stopped in front of the box.
