Time sped by. All the while she went through her routine, Lilith wondered if Gabe had really given her the victory. When the class finally came to an end, the room cleared out fast. Lilith and Elena followed behind the others as they headed down the hall to the locker room.
“Carmen is a quick study,” Elena said.
“She’s not only smart, she’s determined. I just hope her parents see that and do whatever they have to so that she succeeds in getting through college.”
“She’ll find a way. She reminds me of you.”
Smiling, Lilith was about to say something when she had the oddest sensation that raised the hair on her arms. Feeling as if she was being watched, she glanced over her shoulder, and for a second thought she saw movement in the shadows under the stairwell.
She stopped dead in her tracks.
“Hey, come on, or there won’t be any hot water left.”
Though Lilith gave the stairwell an intent look, she didn’t see anything. Deciding her imagination was playing tricks on her, she nodded. “Right.” Then followed Elena into the locker room.
The showers were already running and the women not in the showers were in various states of undress. Lilith and Elena got to their lockers and started to strip.
“God, Elena, that felt good tonight. Like I finally do have some control, at least.”
“I’m glad things are better for you. Here you might be able to keep control. But at the club?” Elena shook her head. “I still think you should leave the investigation to the police.”
“This is my chance, Elena. I’ve learned the theory. I’ve trained. But I’ve never had the opportunity to prove myself before.”
“I thought this was about finding Hannah.”
Wrapping her towel around her, Lilith started. “It is. I mean…”
She swallowed and fell silent. Headed for the shower.
Elena followed. “I fear this is about you, Lilith. It’s too dangerous. You could be hurt. Or worse.”
They took adjoining shower heads. Elena soaped up, but, hands on the wall, Lilith leaned into the water, let it beat down on the back of her neck.
“Truthfully,” Lilith said, “I didn’t expect to be so… so scared.”
“Scared makes you smart,” Elena said. “Careful. Do the police have any idea of what you’re doing at the club?”
“Gabe does.” She lowered her voice. “The guy who was my human punching bag tonight? He’s the undercover cop I told you about.”
They finished their showers in silence. It wasn’t until they were drying themselves that Elena asked, “What’s it like? Working at the club?”
“I hate being thought available for whatever in a roomful of strange men. How did Hannah do it, Elena? How?”
“Maybe without thinking about anything but getting by.”
“Just like Mama.” Lilith wrapped her towel around her body and headed for her locker.
“What exactly do you think you can do, Lilith? What happens if you actually are able to finger the guy?”
Lilith tightened her jaw but didn’t say anything.
Elena frowned. “You’re going to go for him, aren’t you? You want to do more than find him.”
Lilith couldn’t deny that she’d had such thoughts. “In my dreams, maybe. I really don’t know what I would do. I keep thinking, what if the system doesn’t work? I fear he’ll walk.”
“Do you really want to know what you’re capable of, Lilith? If you don’t let the police bring the killer to justice, are you any better than he is?”
Lilith hadn’t really thought beyond finding her sister before it was too late.
And yet… if she got her hands on the bastard, could she really just do nothing but make a phone call?
“I’m scared for you, Lilith.”
“Yeah, me, too.”
As she reached into her locker for her underwear on the shelf, something fluttered down in front of her face. Lilith picked up what appeared to be a torn scrap of paper and turned it over. She swore it hadn’t been there when they’d gone into the shower. Her eyes widened as she got a better look at it, and the gorge rose in her throat. Clasping the towel to her breasts, she pressed her back to the locker and looked around wildly.
“Lilith, what is it?”
Breathing raggedly, Lilith handed Elena the scrap — the torn half of a glossy photograph of Lilith taken at the club. Lilith’s image was split from her forehead to her navel. And on the other side, the message Dance for me, if you want to see your sister alive.
“So he knows we’re related,” Lilith murmured. She hadn’t been sure that she’d gotten the point across.
Elena’s features reflected her own horror. “My God! What are you going to do?”
“Dance? I may not have a choice, if I want to keep Hannah alive..”
The killer really was playing with her, undoubtedly to whet his own appetite. He’d had more than one opportunity to take her, Lilith thought. To add her to his collection. He could have gotten to her last night. She looked at the ripped photo with the demand that she dance for him. No time frame.
If she couldn’t make herself do it, how long would Hannah be safe?
“I think we should celebrate this weekend.”
Lilith realized Carmen was there, already dressed, and looking at her expectantly. “What?”
“Tomorrow is Saturday. We should do something special.”
Shaken, Lilith knew she couldn’t do anything with Carmen until the killer was caught. Spending time with the girl could put her in jeopardy.
“I-I’m sorry. I can’t make it tomorrow.”
Carmen’s smile withered. “No.”
“I’m not sure when I can.” The words tumbled from Lilith quick and harsh sounding to her own ears. “Work. It’s an unusual situation.” She had to stay away from the girl for her safety.
“Are you quitting me?”
“No, of course not!” Of course a kid like Carmen would think that. “It just means I can’t see you for a while.”
“How long is a while?”
Running out of gas, Lilith said, “I-I’m not sure.”
“Yeah, right.” Her expression stricken, Carmen stormed out of the locker room.
“Carmen, please wait.”
The girl hesitated and looked back at her.
There was no helping it — she had to tell Carmen the truth. “I’m in a situation that could put you in danger. I want you to be safe.”
“What kind of situation?”
Lilith shook her head. She couldn’t tell Carmen the details, not about what she was doing to try to save her sister. “This is temporary; I promise.”
Without another word, Carmen simply left the locker room.
“Poor kid,” Elena said. “She doesn’t understand.”
“And I can’t tell her everything. She’s too much like me.”
Elena nodded. “She’d want to protect you.”
“That’s all I would need, to put her in danger, too. Let’s get out of here.”
Lilith finished getting dressed, all the while worrying that Carmen felt betrayed even as Hannah had.
FEARING PUCINSKI would do something to stop her from carrying through with her plan, Lilith didn’t call him about the message on the back of the photograph.
Was that from the killer?
Or from Gabe?
Having time to think about it after calming down, she’d realized it could have been a sick joke. Had Gabe decided to get back at her for winning their match by scaring her? It was possible, she told herself, unsure as to whether that would make her feel better or not.