Her hand tightened on the phone. "If I were arrested, you would have no reason to kill Jane.
Your little scenario would be spoiled."
"But I gave my word," he said gently. "I always keep my word. So you have to be careful not to get caught, don’t you? That’s why I want you to leave Atlanta."
"Are you afraid I might find you if I stayed?"
"On the contrary, I like raising your hopes. The idea of you searching for me is wonderfully stimulating. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this much excitement. I was always so concerned about making the kill perfect and undetectable, I never realized I needed a certain amount of interaction."
"You won’t get it if I’m hiding away somewhere."
"I don’t want you to hide away. I just want you out of Atlanta. I think it’s time for you to take a trip to Phoenix."
"What?"
"I’ve always liked Phoenix."
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“I know. You’ve killed there.”
“You know that?"
"The FBI already has a fix on two murders you committed there years ago. So you’re not as clever as you thought. We’ll get you, Dom."
"Not from those kills. You won’t find any evidence. I was very careful, and time will have erased what I didn’t. It’s only lately that I may have been bored enough to make a mistake. You have a small chance of catching me if you find a fresh kill."
"What are you talking about?"
"I think it fitting that you find the woman who brought us together. She wasn’t very interesting, but that kill made me finally realize that there was something very wrong and eventually led me to you. She showed me the light, and then I showed her the light."
"In Phoenix?"
"Ah, you’re beginning to sound eager.”
“What was her name?"
"I don’t remember. It didn’t matter.”
“When?"
"Five or six months ago perhaps. I can’t remember. There was an earlier kill who gave me a hint of my problem, but she was the one who lit the way. It’s important that the way be lighted for us, isn’t it? Find her, Eve, and you may find me."
"Tell me where she is."
"You know better than that. You have to work for it." He paused. "She had a lovely voice, I understand. A soprano."
"She was a singer?"
"Go to Phoenix. Take Jane with you. Cling to her, nurture her… mother her. Did you find the bone?"
"Damn you."
He laughed. "You may have the complete set soon, and I’ll have to start again. Doesn’t Jane have an interesting bone structure?"
Don’t lose your temper. He wanted to flay her with words so he would get a response. "Scatter The Killing Game – Eve Duncan 02
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all the bones you please. They’re not Bonnie’s."
"You did that very well. I could almost believe you meant it. Go to Phoenix, Eve.”
“You bastard, why should I do anything you want me to do?”
“Phoenix. That’s my last word on the subject." He hung up.
The last word. How many last words had the son of a bitch heard over the years? How many screams, how many pleas?
Had the woman in Phoenix pleaded with him before he killed her? "It was him, wasn’t it?" Jane asked out of the darkness. Oh, shit.
"The man who killed Fay? Why did he call you?”
“It’s a long story, Jane."
"I heard you say he wanted to kill me. Why? I didn’t do anything to him. Neither did Fay."
"I told you he wasn’t sane."
"But why does he want to kill me?" Jane’s tone was fierce. "You tell me, Eve." Eve hesitated.
How much could she explain without terrifying the poor kid? "Tell me."
Forget trying to be kind and soothing. Jane needed to know the threat and where it was coming from. If she’d made Bonnie more knowledgeable about the beasts out there, maybe she’d still be alive.
“Okay." She turned on the light. "I’ll tell you, Jane."
"He didn’t write with his finger," Spiro told Joe, who waited by his car in the entrance to the alley. "That would have been too lucky. We found a stick with blood on one end behind the box. We’ll probably find wood particles in the blood on the box. We’ll examine the stick for fiber, since he probably wore gloves. What the hell was he doing here anyway?"
"I’ve no idea." Joe’s gaze remained fastened on the four agents who were still swarming about the cardboard box. "Eve didn’t confide in me. She just told me about the box and the bone."
"She must have been pretty shook up."
"No doubt." Joe got back in the car. "How fast can you process the tests?”
“Couple of days."
"Odds are the blood’s the security guard’s." He started the car. "Let me know as soon as you can."
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"Where is she, Joe?”
“I don’t know."
"Kidnapping’s a serious offense."
"I know that." He lifted his gaze to meet Spiro’s. "And you know why she took her."
"That’s not my business. It’s the court’s. It’s my job to catch her.”
“Your job is to catch Dom. For God’s sake, get your priorities straight." Spiro smiled faintly. "My priorities are straight. I want Eve because she’s my strongest lead to Dom." His gaze narrowed on Joe’s face. "Where is she, Joe?"
"I told you, I don’t know."
His brows lifted in surprise. "My God, maybe you don’t."
"But I’m going to find out." He looked away from Spiro and said stiltedly, "I’d appreciate any information you can give me."
"My, that was hard for you, wasn’t it? You must be desperate.”
“I have to find her."
"I was wondering why you didn’t try to talk your department out of issuing that APB on her. You want her found even if it means she gets tossed in jail.”
“You didn’t try to stop the APB either. You don’t want her running around or hiding someplace where you can’t contact her."
Spiro didn’t answer.
"Will you tell me if you find out anything?"
"Maybe." Spiro shrugged. "Okay. Not that I have any faith that you’d return the favor."
Joe started the car. "Don’t be too sure. Wherever Eve is, Dom is. I might need your help."
Spiro was still standing there as Joe drove off. He looked grimmer and more tired than ever in the harsh headlights. Would he call Joe if he got a lead on Eve? Joe wasn’t sure. So don’t trust Spiro to tell him.
All right, he had done all he could here. Now it was time to stop feeling and start thinking. And then go on the hunt.
"It doesn’t make sense," Jane said. "I don’t have anything to do with you. Neither did Fay."
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"I know."
“I hate it. I hate you."
Eve flinched. She should have expected Jane’s reaction. "I don’t blame you. But the fact exists that Dom is a danger to you. You have to let me help protect you."
"I don’t have to do anything."
"All right, you don’t have to do anything. You can run away and maybe Dom won’t find you. You can get yourself picked up by welfare and let the police protect you." She paused. "But you told me you don’t trust the police."
Jane glared at her.
"Or you can go with me and work with me to keep yourself safe.”
“I don’t want to go anywhere with you." She was silent a moment. "You’re going to Phoenix, aren’t you? You’re going to do what he wants."
"I don’t think I have any choice, do you? He has to be caught, Jane.”
“Yes." She lay as stiff as a stick in the bed. "He killed Fay. She never did anything to him and he killed her. I hate him. I hate the son of a bitch."