going to bring him?”
“He’s certain it’s going to give him everything that he wants in the world.” He took another sip of coffee. “It’s going to make him a god.”
“Even a nut like Jelak couldn’t believe that,” Joe said.
“He believes what he wants to believe. According to what the cult taught him, when he reaches his final transformation, he’ll receive powers beyond belief. There will be nothing that he can’t reach out and take. No one who will be safe from him.”
“Easy promises,” Eve said. “And ones that would appeal to a monster like Jelak.”
He nodded. “And like all gods, he’ll be invisible to mortal man.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake.”
“I never said that it wasn’t totally irrational. But you can see how that would make an unbalanced man try to gain all the rewards promised by the cult.”
Unbalanced? Eve thought. Jelak had to be totally insane to believe that he could make himself a supreme being by spreading this trail of blood and death. “And I can’t understand how he’d ever believe in that cult. It’s too outlandish. You said that he’d gone to several countries before he went to Italy and linked up with that group.”
“This one suited him,” Caleb said. “It told him what he wanted to hear. And the cult had the cachet of having been in existence for hundreds of years. I’m sure Jelak thought that he’d found the true stronghold of the vampire. There were all kinds of wild tales about how it started. It was believed to have originated back in the fourteenth century because the people of the village of Fiero had seen dark magic performed in their midst by two brothers who had recently come to their town.”
“What kind of dark magic?”
“Blood. Power. Death. The villagers were terrified. For decades they were made practically into servants by the Ridondo brothers and their descendants. But they were also fascinated, envious, and set about to study and copy them. Hence the cult was born.”
“You’re saying the Ridondo family were vampires?” Jane asked skeptically.
“I’m saying that the legend connects their dark arts with blood.” He shrugged. “And that Jelak believed the legend.”
“And you haven’t told us one thing that could help us nail Jelak,” Joe said.
“You understand him better now,” Caleb said. “You know he thinks he’s got to keep on killing to keep himself alive. You know he’s feverishly trying to reach his goal of resurrection now.” He paused. “You know he’s close to it.”
“How close?” Joe asked.
“Selkirk was a good find for him.” He reached into his pocket and brought out his digital camera. “I’m sure you noticed the goblet was different.” He handed the camera to Eve. “He knew right away that he’d found a gem.”
Eve looked at the viewer. At first it appeared the same as the other goblets but when she looked closer . . . “There are ten men sitting at the table instead of nine.”
Caleb nodded. “Margaret Selkirk was a step in the right direction. Her blood was strong enough not only to feed him but to give him a step toward resurrection. He only has two to go.” He looked at Eve. “I think that may mean your friend Patty may be off the hook.”
“Patty.” She immediately caught the omission. “Not Jane.”
He shook his head. “And not you. He has to have two that will be sure things. And quickly. He doesn’t have time to hunt down another quality kill. He got lucky with Margaret Selkirk.”
“If he doesn’t get his hands on either one of them right away, will he get reckless?” Joe asked. “If we do a stakeout, could we catch him?”
“Maybe,” Caleb said. “Or maybe he’ll keep killing to feed until one of you gets careless. That would be a form of triumph for him. How many deaths are you willing to give him?”
“None,” Eve said flatly.
“Then we’d better find a way to get him quickly. If he’s frustrated, then he’ll start killing randomly. To prove how smart he is, to prove he’s near to being a god right now.” He met Joe’s eyes. “What’s the best way to trap a tiger, Quinn?”
“Don’t even think about it,” Joe said.
“I can’t think of anything else. Can you?” He got to his feet. “We can make it safe.” He started down the steps. “You’re going to get angry now, so I’d better leave. I’ll call you in the morning.” He stopped as he reached the bottom of the stairs. “I see headlights up the road. It must be Jane.” He stood, waiting until Jane was dropped off by the squad car and came toward him. “Hello. Have a good evening?”
“Not bad. Charlie Brand is a good cook. Patty’s grandfather wasn’t unbearable and even seemed to like Charlie. Patty wasn’t too nervous about the killing.” She shrugged. “On the whole, it could have been a lot worse.”
“And how do you feel about the Selkirk murder?” Caleb asked.
“How do you think I feel?” Jane looked up at him. “You know damn well how I feel, Caleb.”
Eve suddenly tensed as she looked at the two of them. The bond between them was almost visible. What kind of bond? And how had it been forged? Whatever it was, she wanted it broken. She said quickly, “Jane, there’s coffee in the carafe.”
Caleb glanced at her and smiled. “Yes, give her a cup of coffee. It’s beginning to be a little chilly. Good night, Jane. I’m glad everything went well for you.” He smiled at Eve. “Good night, Eve. Thank you for bringing me into the fold. You won’t regret it.”
“I hope not,” Eve said. “But I’ve always found if I make a mistake, I can just smash it down and start
