smiled. 'I remember thinking she must have been a gutsy little kid. She kept on giving those bastards hell.'
'What’s her name?'
She ignored Eve’s question. 'She was a smart kid. High IQ, did well in school. She probably figured they’d give her up as a meal ticket if she caused enough trouble.'
'You placed her with another family?'
'We had no choice. Most of our foster parents aren’t abusive. Sometimes we make mistakes.
We can only do our best.'
'Tell me her name.'
Eisley shook her head. 'Not without a court order. What if I was wrong?”
“What if you were right? She could die, dammit.'
'I’ve spent my entire life trying to help kids. Now I’ve got to think of myself.”
“Please.'
She shook her head again. 'I’ve worked too hard. I still work hard.' She paused. 'You’d think in my position I wouldn’t have to take work home.' She nodded at her briefcase beside her chair.
'But I had some old files on a computer disk to review, so here I go again.' Hope flared inside Eve. 'That’s too bad.'
'It goes with the territory.' She stood up. 'It’s been an interesting evening. Sorry I can’t help you.' She smiled. 'I believe I have to go to the rest room. I suppose you’ll be gone when I come back. I hope you find the little girl.' Her gaze narrowed on Eve. 'I just remembered, the kid The Killing Game – Eve Duncan 02
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reminded me a little of you. She stared at me with those big eyes and I thought she’d go on the attack any minute. Same tough little— Something wrong?'
Eve shook her head.
Barbara Eisley turned to Mark. 'Thanks for dinner. But I still haven’t forgiven you for quoting me in that story.' She turned and made her way through the tables toward the rest room.
'Thank God.' Eve reached for the briefcase. It was unlocked and there was only one disk in the leather pocket on the side. Bless Barbara Eisley. She tucked it in her purse. 'She wants us to take it.'
'You mean steal it,' Joe murmured as he threw some bills down on the table. 'Which puts her in the clear.' Eve turned to Mark. 'Do you have a laptop with you?'
'In the trunk of my car. I always keep it there. We can check the disk as soon as we reach the parking lot.'
'Good. You’ll have to drop into Barbara Eisley’s office tomorrow and leave the disk on her desk.
I don’t want to get her into trouble.' She stood up. 'Let’s go. We need to be out of here before she comes back. She might change her mind.'
'Not likely,' Joe said. 'It’s pretty clear you impressed her when you were a kid.”
“Or Jane did.' She started for the door. 'Or maybe she’s just a woman trying to do the right thing in a wrong world.'
There were twenty-seven records on the disk. It took Mark twenty minutes to scan the first sixteen.
'Jane MacGuire,' Mark read from the computer screen. 'The age is right. Four foster homes.
Physical description checks out. Red hair, brown eyes.'
'Can you print it out?'
Mark plugged a small Kodak printer into the laptop. 'She’s living right now with a Fay Sugarton who’s also foster parent to two other children. Chang Ito, twelve, and Raoul Jones, thirteen.'
“The address?'
'Twelve forty-eight Luther.' He tore off the printout and handed it to her. 'Do you want me to get out my street map?'
Eve shook her head. 'I know where it is.' Dom had said she would recognize the place. 'It’s in my old neighborhood. Let’s go.'
'You want to go see her tonight?' Joe asked. 'It’s almost midnight. I doubt if this Fay Sugarton The Killing Game – Eve Duncan 02
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will take kindly to being awakened by strangers.'
'I don’t care how she takes it. I don’t want—'
'And what are you going to say when you do see her?'
'What do you think? I’m going to tell her about Dom and ask her to let us keep Jane until the danger is over.'
'It will take some persuasion to make her do that if she cares anything about the kid.'
'Then you’ll have to help me. We can’t leave her in a place where—”
“You’re going to need Fay Sugarton’s cooperation,' Joe said quietly. 'You don’t want to get off on the wrong
