What was he talking about? She didn’t have a decade. She might not have any time at all. She buried her head in his shoulder, trying to get past the horror of the box and face an even greater horror.
'He said that—' She couldn’t go on. Not yet.
Her name is Jane.
'It’s all bullshit,' Joe said flatly. 'Reincarnation?'
'Did he sound as if he believed in it?' Spiro asked Eve. 'Not really.'
'Then he could have been manipulating you.'
'He’d like me to believe it.' She smiled bitterly. 'That could make it very entertaining for him.'
'He knows you’re too intelligent to fall for that crap,' Joe said. 'He also knows I care about children.' Her hands clenched on her lap. 'And bones aren’t enough for him. What if he’s chosen his next victim? What if he can make me a part of the kill, make me the cause of it?'
'Clever,' Spiro murmured.
'It’s nice to be so detached,' Eve said unevenly. 'I’m not finding much to admire in the bastard.'
'I’m not admiring him, merely assessing his capabilities. And this is all supposition on your part.'
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'He went to a great deal of trouble to bring me that box.'
'And it gave you a great deal of pain. He may regard that as enough return.' She shook her head. 'It’s just the opening gambit. He hit me with Bonnie. He hit me with the threat to another little girl. And he tried to tie the two together in my mind.'
'And did he succeed?' Spiro asked. 'Of course not.'
Spiro’s gaze narrowed on her face. 'Not even a little?' She looked down. 'I wouldn’t let him do that to me.”
“I hope not.'
'We have to find her. We have to find that little girl.”
“She may not even exist,' Joe said.
'She exists.'
'If she did exist, he may already have killed her.' She shook her head. She wouldn’t believe that. 'I don’t think so.' Spiro said, 'I’ll rush the analysis of the contents of that box and get back to you.'
He turned to Joe. 'I want to know how Dom got that close to the house.'
“Don’t you think I’ve asked myself the same question a million times? It shouldn’t have happened. But it did. Eve needs more guards.'
'This lake curves around like a snake. There’s nothing to stop anyone from taking a canoe into one of the inlets and making his way to the cabin. I’d have to set up a two-mile chain of agents to monitor all that lake front.'
'At least get a truckload of equipment out here and trace his calls to Eve.”
“I don’t know how much good it will do,' Spiro said. 'But I agree that—”
“No,' Eve said.
They both looked at her.
'If he finds out we’re trying to trace the calls, he may not call again. I have to talk to him.'
Joe muttered a curse.
'You know I have to do it, Joe.”
“Oh, yes, he’s got you, dammit.'
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'And what if he doesn’t call you?' Spiro asked.
'He’ll call again. Soon.' She lifted her head. 'He wants me to know who the girl is.'
'You know who she is. He already told you her name and her age.”
“That was just a tease. Enough to make me worry but not enough for me to find her. We have to find her.'
'Then it’s your responsibility to convince Dom to tell you more,' Spiro said. Her responsibility.
That was what Dom wanted, for her to be responsible for the life of that child. For her to try to save a little girl she didn’t even know.
Her name is Jane.
And she was only ten years old. Too young to know how to fight the monster stalking her.
Just a little girl. She’d be helpless…
’s fist landed squarely on Chang’s nose and blood spurted. 'Give it back.'
