Becton handed me metal tweezers that he kept handy in his breast pocket. “Flip it over for all the vital stats. Just like those Topps baseball cards we used to collect as kids. At least we did in Portland.” I figured that Becton had collected a lot more than baseball cards in his life and times. I carefully turned over the photo.
A neatly handwritten legend was on the back. It reminded me of the way Nana Mama identified every single old photo in our house. “Sometimes you forget who people are, Alex. Even people in photographs with you,” she told me. “You don't believe me, but you'll see as time passes you by.” I didn't think that Will Rudolph was likely to forget the person in the picture, but he had handwritten a legend all the same. My head was spinning a little. We finally had an unbelievable break in the case. I was holding it right under my nose with crime-scene tweezers.
Dr.: Wick Sachs, the handwriting on the photo read.
A doctor, I thought. Another doctor. Imagine that.
Durham, North Carolina, the legend continued.
He was from the Research Triangle area. He was from the South.
Casanova, Rudolph had written.
Part Four Twinning
Alex Cross 2 - Kiss the Girls
CHAPTER 76.
NAOMI CROSS was awakened by rock music blaring from the wall speakers.
She recognized the Black Crowes. The overhead lights flashed on and off. She jumped out of bed and quickly pulled on wrinkled jeans and a turtleneck and ran to the door of her room.
The loud music and boldly flashing lights signaled a meeting. Something terrible has happened, she thought. Her heart was in free fall.
Casanova kicked open the door. He had on tight jeans, engineering boots, a black leather jacket. His mask was painted with chalky streaks that resembled lightning. He was in a frenzy. Naomi had never seen him look this angry.
“Living room! Now!” he shouted as he grabbed her arm and yanked her out of the room.
The floor of the narrow corridor felt damp and cold under Naomi's bare feet. She had forgotten to put on her sandals. It was too late to go back for them.
She fell in step with a young woman. The two of them walked nearly parallel to each other. Naomi was surprised when the woman quickly turned her head and stared at her. The eyes were large and deep green.
Naomi had given her the name Green Eyes.
“I'm Kristen Miles.” The woman spoke in a hurried whisper. “We have to do something to help ourselves. We have to take a chance. And soon.” Naomi said nothing in response, but she reached out and lightly grazed the back of Green Eyes' hand.
Contact was forbidden, but just to touch another human inside the horrifying prison was necessary now. Naomi looked into the woman's eyes and saw only defrance. No fear. That made her feel so good. Both of them had kept themselves together somehow.
The captive women in the hallway glanced furtively at Naomi as they shuffled in silence toward the living room in the strange house. Their eyes were dark and hollow. Some of them didn't wear makeup anymore and their appearance frightened Naomi. It was getting worse every day, ever since Kate Mctierman had managed to escape somehow.
Casanova had brought a new girl to the house. Anna Miller. Anna was breaking the house rules, just as Kate Mctiernan had done. Naomi had heard the woman's cries for help and Casanova might have heard them, too. It was difficult to figure out when he would be away. He kept very odd hours.
Lately, Casanova was leaving them without any contact for longer and longer periods. He wasn't going to let them go. That was one of his lies. Naomi knew it was getting dangerous for all the women.
Naomi sensed something desperate in the air. She could hear cries of alarm up ahead, and she tried to calm her own mounting fears and panic.
She had lived in the projects of Washington. She'd seen horror before.
Two of her friends had been murdered by the time she was sixteen.
Then she heard him. His voice was strange and high pitched. He was a madman. “Come right in, ladies. Don't be shy. Don't stop in the doorway! Come in, come in. Join the party, the swinging soiree.” Casanova was yelling above the testosterone rock '' roll that blared through the halls. Naomi closed her eyes for a brief moment. She tried to collect herself. I don't want to see this, whatever it is, but I have to.
She finally entered the room. Her body began to shake. What she saw was worse than anything she remembered from the projects. She had to push her fist into her mouth to keep from screaming out.
A long, slender body twirled in lazy circles from the ceiling beams.
The woman was naked except for silver-blue stockings running up her long legs. A blue high-heeled shoe dangled from one foot. The other shoe had dropped to the floor and lay on its side.
The girl's lips were already purplish-blue, and her tongue protruded sideways from them. The eyes were stretched wide with terror and pain.
