Comfort. Warmth. Laughter.
Remember, Daddy?
What the hell was happening? Imagination?
It didn’t matter. For the moment the pain was gone. That was all that was important. He closed his eyes and let the memories flow over him in a golden tide.
Memories?
No.
Nancy Jo . . .
“I’VE JUST TALKED TO YOUR Eve,” Jelak told Joe. “I was very upset that I couldn’t conclude my business with her immediately, Quinn. She reacted just as I thought she would when you wouldn’t speak to her.”
“So you came back to try to persuade me again,” Joe said. “Screw you.”
“There are persuasions and persuasions.” He checked the ropes binding Joe’s wrists and ankles. “I thoroughly enjoyed playing with you, but I’m too impatient to deal with your stubbornness. I’ve been waiting for Eve too long.” He smiled. “So we’re going to go to step two. I probably should have known that you’d respond to the mental, not the physical.”
“I won’t respond to you at all. You’re not worth it, Jelak.”
“You’ll change your mind,” he said softly. “I’m going to leave you for a while. Do you know where I’m going?”
“To hell, I hope.”
“If I did, I’d rule there.” Jelak smiled. “No, I was impressed by how concerned you were with my kills. Particularly Nancy Jo and Nicole. They appeared to touch you.”
Joe stiffened. “I’m a detective. Your kills aren’t any different from those of any other slimeballs I jerk off the streets.”
“I think they are. I’m willing to put it to the test.”
“What kind of a test?”
“I’m going to go and find a young girl, perhaps fifteen, or sixteen. It doesn’t matter that she’s not old enough to be interesting. I’m doing it for you, not me.”
“For me?”
“Yes, I’ll let you watch the ritual. You can decide if a young girl’s life is worth not speaking a few words on the telephone.”
“And those few words could mean that I’d be helping you get Eve here.”
“Yes, what a problem you’ll be facing. I’ll be interested to see how you handle it.” He turned toward the door. “What a responsibility. I must choose a very, very special girl for you, Quinn.”
The door closed behind him.
________
IT WAS ABOUT TIME.
Jane watched Caleb’s car pull into the driveway in front of the cottage and went down the steps to meet him. “Where have you been?”
“You missed me? I’ve only been gone a few hours.” He got out of the car. “I thought you’d call me if Eve heard from Jelak again.”
“Where have you been?” she repeated. “I didn’t miss you. But you’re the only one who knows how Jelak thinks.”
“And you need me.”
“I need to give Eve a little hope. She doesn’t have a large quantity of that commodity at the moment. Now where were you?”
“I went to talk to Megan.”
“For God’s sake, now? Is she going to look into a crystal ball and tell us where to find Joe?”
“Don’t be sarcastic. If she could, I’d ask her to do it. We don’t have many options.”
“Why did you go to see her?”
“I asked her to help me contact Nancy Jo.”
She shook her head. “You’ve lost me.”
“Eve told you about Quinn and Nancy Jo?”
“Yes.”
“What did you think about it?”
“I tried not to think about it. It was too bizarre when connected to Joe. I decided to file it away until Joe actually talked to me about it.” She looked at him. “Why?”
“I was there when Nancy Jo pointed Quinn to the motel where we found Jelak.”
