'Are you sitting down?'
'I am.'
'Two hours from Page.'
'Here Page?'
'Arizona, yes. Someplace called Long Valley Junction. Between Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon.'
'He was only two hours ahead of J. T. and me at six this morning?'
'It would appear so, yes, but the route he's taking remains a mystery.'
She gasped into the receiver.
'You okay, Jess?'
''Any leads from the call? Anybody know what the hell he means by Charon and now by calling himself Ness- it, Ness-what?''
'Nessus, and no, but we do know he paid for the call with Chris Lorentian's phone card.'
'Why doesn't that surprise me?'
'I'm flying up there.'
'Not on my account.'
'This business began in my jurisdiction. I've got every reason to pursue it with you.'
She unnecessarily shrugged. 'I've never known you to do anything but what you intended. If you intend coming, come ahead. I won't argue, but it's getting a bit crowded here.'
'What do you mean, 'crowded'?'
'The Arizona guys, Karl Repasi, J. T., me, and now you.'
'Oh, yeah. I see what you mean.'
''Repasi says he has your blessings coming here to Page… claims he simply wants to help us out, forensically speaking. Then he attacks me.'
'Out to prove himself better than you or something? I'm sorry. I had no idea.'
''J. T. warned me to be wary of him. J. T. questioned Karl's motives from the start.'
'And you?'
'Right now I've got my hands full with a killer. I can't worry about what's in Karl's head.'
'Just the same, I'm going to join you as soon as I can.'
'As I said, you're quite welcome here.'
'I've listened to every one of the tapes Harry Furth created from your phone tap, Jess, and this guy scares the hell out of me. Just listening to him… and me in a safe, well-lit office… Well, it honestly has taken its toll on me. Harry and I have listened to the tapes at every speed, and Harry has separated out the back-scatter noises in the earlier tape.'
'And?'
''Harry tells me that much of the back-scatter noise before the roar of the fire engulfs every other noise is of two distinct sounds.'
'Yes, go on, Warren.'
'One is of a… a moaning, groaning as if of a sexual nature and a click-zip, click-zip sound, a noise we've duplicated as-'
'A camera, the self-developing kind, right?'
'Yeah, but how did you know?'
'Found a scrap of processing paper at the El Tovar scene.'
'Jess, this madman could be there in Page, in the lodge with you right this moment. You may want to sleep with that Browning of yours tonight, but I'm flying up first thing in the morning.'
'One consolation,' she said.
'What's that?'
'We're closer on his trail than I'd thought. And if he figures I'm on his trail, if he knows I'm here, perhaps he'll make the mistake of coming back this way to make contact with me again.'
'You need to get that phone bugged.'
'I will, as soon as possible.'
When she hung up, Jessica felt her heart sink. Just moments before, she'd felt safe here at the Wahweap Lodge, subconsciously telling herself, At least the creep won't be telephoning you anymore. He can't know where you are.
Jessica had been feeling both relief and guilt- over the fact that she would not be getting another phone call from the Phantom. If and when he did call again, someone else, the actress hired by Bishop and Furth in Vegas, would be having to deal with it, answering the phone calls of a maniacal killer. But now she didn't even have this cushion.
These thoughts flowed through her weary mind riverlike when suddenly the phone under her fingertips shrieked to life. She didn't want to answer; didn't want to chance its being the monster.
She no longer felt safe at her bedside here at Lake Powell's Wahweap Lodge.
Finally, on the third ring, she said aloud to herself, 'It's got to be Eriq Santiva or someone else connected with the case.'
She lifted the receiver and tentatively spoke into it, saying, 'Hello, this is Dr. Coran.'
'Jess?' The voice instantly put her at ease. It belonged to psychic and coagent, Dr. Kim Desinor, calling from Quantico, Virginia.
'Kim? It's so wonderful to hear from you!' Kim hadn't any idea how wonderful, she thought.
'I'm just reassuring myself you're all right out there. I'm astonished about what's going on out there, and frankly, I don't like it, not one damned bit.'
'Eriq forwarded your reading of the situation. It's much appreciated.'
'I have my good days; others, the well seems dry, the source gone, you know.'
'In any case, it's great to hear from you. How's Ginger?' Jessica always asked after Kim's calico cat.
'Never mind Ginger. I want to caution you about what you're dealing with. Santiva's just as concerned over this madman's obsession with you. We're both very worried. How do I know Santiva's worried? Easy! He came straight to me for my input on this creep, and I've become increasingly worried, too, so look-'
'I'm all right, Kim, really.'
'Listen to me. There's no worse a fanatic lunatic than a religious nut, and it feels to me as if this guy has some religious quest he's on, and you, dear, are at the heart of it all. Obviously enough.'
'The hardest part is knowing that others are dying because of me,' Jessica replied.
'Stop it right there, kiddo. You mustn't and cannot ever blame yourself for this screwball's actions.'
Kim always knew precisely how to cut through the bullshit, Jessica thought now. 'I will try not to-'
'Don't try anything, just do it!'
'All right, I'll do as the Nike ads say.'
'I just had to make sure you're all right there, Jess.'
'Seems you're not the only one.'
'Really? Don't tell me, a new man?'
'No, nothing like that.'
'Well, dear, Ginger is fine, and it is quite late this side of the Rockies, so good night.'
'Night, Kim, and thanks for the support.'
'Always. Ciao.'
Jessica decided sleep wasn't going to come until she telephoned J. T. with the latest news on the whereabouts of the killer at the time he had called in his second kill. If the killer was as close by as she feared, J. T. had as much right to know as she.
She lifted the receiver and began dialing for J. T.'s room when she realized someone else was on the line. She heard breathing. It sounded like flames being fanned.
'You can't hide from me, Dr. Coran,' he said. 'Nor from the truth, from this!' Jessica froze on hearing his now familiar voice, replaced now with a whining gibberish, as of someone attempting to speak through a gag- yet another fright-filled, slurred voice, the voice of a fourth victim on the other end, she surmised.
She desperately held on to her calm and resolve to learn more about the Phantom, this creature behind the awful string of fire murders. She recalled the calmness of the actress who'd played her, and grasping at straws, she
