Read Online Chasing the Night by Iris Johansen - Free Book Online

growth process doesn’t complete until a person is twenty-five or older.”
    “So?”
    “The proportional changes in the amount of the lower face are fundamental. Young children’s faces grow downward and forward. The forehead changes from a bulbous look to an upright and flattened appearance. The lower half of the face drifts downward and either forward or outward. The upper and lower jaws are constantly increasing in size and changing form. They become more prominent and—”
    “You’re telling me all the difficulties. Can you override them?”
    “I can only try.” She opened the envelope and spread the photos on the table. “Which one was your husband?”
    “The man in the brown bomber jacket. He doesn’t look anything like Luke.”
    “I can see that.” The man in the photo was tall, broad-shouldered, and had thinning gray hair. “He was quite a bit older than you.”
    “Sixty-two, but age doesn’t matter.”
    Sixty-two to Catherine’s seventeen.
    “It doesn’t matter,” Catherine repeated. “Age is only a number. Venable sent me to Terry as a mentor when I first joined the CIA, and he taught me, guided me, he even saved my life once. He was very good to me. That’s the only thing that was important.”
    “Your relationship is your own business. I was just surprised.”
    “He was kind, we were partners, he gave me a child. Infinite riches. How could I ask for more?”
    Didn’t every woman deserve a young and heady passion at least once in her life? “He has a nice face.” She went to another picture. “Who is the child?”
    “Terry, at age six. The other picture is his mother, Gail. She doesn’t look like Luke either. So you may be stuck with me. I was four when that picture of me was taken in Shanghai. My mother had to furnish it for the entry papers.”
    Eve picked up the photo of Catherine. It was amazingly similar to the photo on the computer screen before her. The child Catherine was thinner, her manner solemn and a little defiant, but the resemblance was unmistakable.
    “Will it help?” Catherine asked.
    “Yes, I think it will. I don’t know how much.” She bent forward and began to run feature programs on the photo of Luke before her. “Let me go to work.”
    “I won’t bother you.” Catherine was once more gazing down at Cindy’s bones. “If I can do anything more to—”
    “I’ll let you know.” Eve was staring at the lower part of Luke’s face. Such an enchanting child, full of life and mischief. Some of the magic of early childhood would fade when she added years to his picture.
    Catherine had missed that magic, she thought suddenly. How she must have loved this child. She would have regretted every year that passed and cheated her of those beloved changes. Eve had had Bonnie for seven years, and she had memories of every single one. Catherine had nothing past that second birthday.
    Time to get to work.
    Eleven. She had to clear her mind of that wonderfully engaging two-year-old and think eleven…

    It was close to five when Joe walked into the cottage. Eve had called him back and explained briefly what had occurred since he had left, and he had been royally pissed. Now she took one look at his expression and murmured to Catherine, “You said you were ready to face responsibility for your actions? Here it comes.”
    Catherine sat up straighter on her stool, her gaze on Joe Quinn. “Will it upset you? I can handle him alone.”
    “Indeed?” Joe asked silkily.
    “It won’t upset me,” Eve said. “It will interest me.”
    Catherine slipped from the stool and moved across the room to stand before Joe. “You’re angry. I had to do it, you know. I had to get Eve alone to talk to her. You had to be removed.”
    “You’re damn right I’m angry. You interfered with my life and my job. You broke into my home. You somehow managed to brainwash Eve into doing your job. Get the hell out of here.”
    “If that’s what you want. But Eve is going to help me. We both