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Authors: Iris Johansen
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shoulder. “Don't push it,” he said softly. “I won't have it, Spiro.”
Spiro hesitated and then shrugged. “I guess it can wait. God knows, I have enough to do here.”
EVE SETTLED INTO the passenger seat. “You didn't have to make an issue of it. I could have talked to him.”
“Yeah, I know.” He stomped on the accelerator. “And you could have stayed up on that ridge, staring at those bones. Or gone back to look at that little girl's grave. How about leaping over tall buildings in a single bound? You don't need any more punishment to prove you're Superwoman.”
She leaned back on the headrest. God, she felt tired. “I'm not trying to prove anything.”
He was silent a moment. “I know. It would be easier if you were.”
“He told me the truth. There were two other children up there. He could have been telling the truth about Bonnie.”
“One truth doesn't guarantee another.”
“But it makes what he told me more plausible.”
Another silence. “Yes.”
“And if it's true, then he's been out there all along. Walking, breathing, enjoying life. When Fraser was executed, at least I had the comfort of knowing Bonnie's murderer had been punished. But it was all a lie.”
“You're jumping to conclusions.”
But she had a terrible feeling she wasn't. “There were two preteen boys Fraser admitted to killing. John Devon and Billy Thompkins.”
“Yes, I remember.”
“We have to identify only one of them to form a link between Fraser and the caller. I want you to persuade Spiro to give me one of those skulls to reconstruct.”
“There may be some red tape. The FBI has their own way of doing things.”
“You know Spiro. You were in the FBI. You can get him to cut through the tape.”
“I'll try.”
“Do it.” She smiled mirthlessly. “Or you'll find another skeleton missing. If I can't have Bonnie, I
will
have one of those boys.”
“You're already thinking of her as Bonnie.”
“I have to call her something.”
“There was another missing girl of about the same age on Fraser's kill list.”
“Doreen Parker.” She closed her eyes. “Damn you, Joe.”
“You want it too much. I won't have you taking that kind of fall if it's not true.”
“Just get me a skull.”
He muttered a frustrated curse. “I'll get it for you. Spiro should be grateful for any help on this case.”
“Then let him be grateful. We're going to need him. He knows about monsters.”
“So do you.”
Only one monster. The one who had dominated her life since Bonnie had disappeared. She had called the monster Fraser and now she found that might not even be its name. “I don't know enough. But I'm going to have to learn.”
“You're so sure he's going to contact you again?”
“He'll call me.” Eve smiled bitterly. “As he said, we have a bond.”
C H A P T E R
FOUR
“Go to bed,” Joe said as they stepped inside the cottage. “I'll call Spiro and put in a request for a skull.”
Eve glanced at her watch. It was almost four in the morning. “He won't be in a very accommodating mood if you wake him up.”
“I doubt he's asleep. He doesn't sleep much when he's on a case. He's pretty driven.”
“Good.” She headed for her bedroom. “I believe in driven.”
“Tell me something I don't know.” He reached for the phone on the table. “Go on, get some rest. I'll get your skull for you.”
“Thanks, Joe.” She closed the door behind her and moved toward the bathroom. Shower and go to bed. Don't think of Bonnie. Don't think of those two little boys. Don't try to draw conclusions. All that could wait until she was rested and able to conquer the horror and the shock. Tomorrow when she woke she would try to put the pieces together.
“ YOU LOOK
Spiro hesitated and then shrugged. “I guess it can wait. God knows, I have enough to do here.”
EVE SETTLED INTO the passenger seat. “You didn't have to make an issue of it. I could have talked to him.”
“Yeah, I know.” He stomped on the accelerator. “And you could have stayed up on that ridge, staring at those bones. Or gone back to look at that little girl's grave. How about leaping over tall buildings in a single bound? You don't need any more punishment to prove you're Superwoman.”
She leaned back on the headrest. God, she felt tired. “I'm not trying to prove anything.”
He was silent a moment. “I know. It would be easier if you were.”
“He told me the truth. There were two other children up there. He could have been telling the truth about Bonnie.”
“One truth doesn't guarantee another.”
“But it makes what he told me more plausible.”
Another silence. “Yes.”
“And if it's true, then he's been out there all along. Walking, breathing, enjoying life. When Fraser was executed, at least I had the comfort of knowing Bonnie's murderer had been punished. But it was all a lie.”
“You're jumping to conclusions.”
But she had a terrible feeling she wasn't. “There were two preteen boys Fraser admitted to killing. John Devon and Billy Thompkins.”
“Yes, I remember.”
“We have to identify only one of them to form a link between Fraser and the caller. I want you to persuade Spiro to give me one of those skulls to reconstruct.”
“There may be some red tape. The FBI has their own way of doing things.”
“You know Spiro. You were in the FBI. You can get him to cut through the tape.”
“I'll try.”
“Do it.” She smiled mirthlessly. “Or you'll find another skeleton missing. If I can't have Bonnie, I
will
have one of those boys.”
“You're already thinking of her as Bonnie.”
“I have to call her something.”
“There was another missing girl of about the same age on Fraser's kill list.”
“Doreen Parker.” She closed her eyes. “Damn you, Joe.”
“You want it too much. I won't have you taking that kind of fall if it's not true.”
“Just get me a skull.”
He muttered a frustrated curse. “I'll get it for you. Spiro should be grateful for any help on this case.”
“Then let him be grateful. We're going to need him. He knows about monsters.”
“So do you.”
Only one monster. The one who had dominated her life since Bonnie had disappeared. She had called the monster Fraser and now she found that might not even be its name. “I don't know enough. But I'm going to have to learn.”
“You're so sure he's going to contact you again?”
“He'll call me.” Eve smiled bitterly. “As he said, we have a bond.”
C H A P T E R
FOUR
“Go to bed,” Joe said as they stepped inside the cottage. “I'll call Spiro and put in a request for a skull.”
Eve glanced at her watch. It was almost four in the morning. “He won't be in a very accommodating mood if you wake him up.”
“I doubt he's asleep. He doesn't sleep much when he's on a case. He's pretty driven.”
“Good.” She headed for her bedroom. “I believe in driven.”
“Tell me something I don't know.” He reached for the phone on the table. “Go on, get some rest. I'll get your skull for you.”
“Thanks, Joe.” She closed the door behind her and moved toward the bathroom. Shower and go to bed. Don't think of Bonnie. Don't think of those two little boys. Don't try to draw conclusions. All that could wait until she was rested and able to conquer the horror and the shock. Tomorrow when she woke she would try to put the pieces together.
“ YOU LOOK
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