trying so desperately to get away from you?”
He shrugged. “As I said, we know each other very well.” He turned back to Joe. “He’ll be making a move very soon. He’ll be angry with himself for running and want to prove his strength.”
“What kind of move?”
“Blood. That’s always primary for Jelak.” He paused. “If he feels a lack, then he goes back to the well.”
“Any well in particular?”
“The victim of choice isn’t always possible. Then he goes after whatever he can get.”
“Like Nancy Jo Norris?” Jane asked.
He nodded. “From what I’ve heard, she was probably a random. He saw her and thought she might do as a fill- in.”
“So he slit her throat,” Joe said harshly. “She was only nineteen, dammit.”
“And Maria Givano was twenty.” Caleb studied him. “You’re angry. I wouldn’t think a detective would be quite so involved. Why?”
“You mean your friend Renata Wilger didn’t tell you why I’m involved?” Joe asked sarcastically.
“No, Renata prefers to keep me at a distance unless it’s family business.”
“I wonder why,” Eve murmured.
“I can be . . . difficult.” Caleb added to Joe, “But then I imagine you can be too.”
“You bet your ass I can,” Joe said. “And I’m not hearing everything that I—” His phone rang and he glanced down. “The precinct.” He picked up. “Quinn.”
Eve stiffened as she watched his expression. Grim. Very grim.
“I’ll be right there.” Joe hung up and turned to Caleb. “I believe we may have your fill-in. A woman was found in Piedmont Park an hour ago. Throat slit. Naked. All the earmarks of a ritual murder.”
“Who?” Eve whispered.
“We don’t know yet. She’s brunette, in her twenties.” He headed for the bedroom. “I’ve got to shower and get over there.”
“I’ll go with you,” Caleb said.
“You will not. This is my case. Stay out of it.”
“I might be able to help.”
Joe looked back over his shoulder. “And you might get in my way. I don’t trust you worth a damn. I’ve got enough problems without having to worry about Megan Blair’s weird pack of relations.”
The door closed behind him.
“I may have a few problems with your Joe Quinn,” Caleb murmured. “He appears a little resistant.”
Jane snorted. “You don’t want to have problems with Joe. He’ll take you down, Caleb.”
“Will he?” He tilted his head. “Interesting. But I don’t have time to explore those possibilities.” He turned to Eve. “If you can persuade him, you might try to do it. I’m your best chance of getting Jelak before he damages anyone close to you.”
“Joe will use you if he thinks you can help,” Eve said. “And nothing I can say will alter that. He does what he thinks is right.” She paused. “He might have been more likely to accept your help if you’d had a chance to fill in Jelak’s background a little more.”
He smiled. “Or maybe not. He seems very much opposed to associating with weirdos like me.”
“He has his reasons. And are you a weirdo?” Eve asked.
He was silent a moment. “I have my moments.” His smile faded. “But I’m no danger to you. Unless you get in my way.”
“That’s not very comforting.”
“I’m not here to comfort you. I’m here to kill Jelak. Of course, that may be a comfort to you too.”
“And why did you think you might be able to help Joe at that crime scene?”
“I can feel Jelak when I’m close to him.”
Eve’s brows lifted. “Really?”
“Oh, yes.” He suddenly whirled toward Jane. “You believe me, don’t you?”
“I believe that it might be possible,” Jane said warily. “Actually, that’s only a step beyond primitive instinct. A lot of people have . . . feelings.”
He smiled. “Like you?”
She didn’t answer. “How certain are you that you’d know if Jelak was near?”
“Absolutely. As long as there aren’t too many people around to cause interference. I have problems in the middle of cities and with apartment buildings.” He shook his head. “But I’m not going to argue with your Joe about letting me come. I doubt if Jelak would be lingering about in Piedmont Park. He’s not the usual serial killer, who needs the kick of watching his victim found. He got his kick when he took the blood.”
“Kick?” Eve asked. “What do you mean?”
