"No, it doesn’t." She glanced away from him. "And my daughter wasn’t in a war."
"No? Seems like there are wars everywhere. You can’t even send a kid to school without worrying if one of his classmates has an attack rifle. Somebody has to stop it. That’s why I joined the FBI."
She smiled. "Charlie, I do believe you’re one of the good guys." He made a face. "I sounded pretty hokey, didn’t I? Sorry. I know I’m green as grass compared to Spiro. Sometimes I get the feeling he thinks I’m still in kindergarten. Demoralizing as hell."
Eve could see how it would be. She supposed a person aged quickly in a job like Spiro’s. "Are you married, Charlie?"
He nodded. "Last year. Martha Ann." A sudden smile illuminated his face. "She’s pregnant."
"Congratulations."
"We should have been sensible and waited. But we both wanted kids.We’ll make out."
"I’m sure you will." She was feeling better. Life wasn’t all graves and monsters. There were people like Charlie and Martha Ann and the baby on its way. "Want some more coffee?"
"I’ve almost emptied your thermos. I’d better not—”
“Open the window."
It was Joe, his face pressed against the fogged glass. She rolled down the window.
"They found them," Joe said. "At least they found bones. They’re bringing them up to the The Killing Game – Eve Duncan 02
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command center now."
She got out of the jeep. "Children?”
“I don’t know."
"Two?"
"There are two skulls.”
“Intact?"
Joe nodded.
"Then I’ll be able to tell. Take me there.”
“Can I talk you out of it?"
She was already climbing the cliff. "Take me there."
The stretcher was rigged on a pulley and Eve watched as it was hoisted up slowly.
On the stretcher were two blanket-wrapped bundles.
"You’re trying to keep the bodies separated?" she asked Spiro. "As far as we can. I wouldn’t bet on the bones not being mixed up. It looked like the mud slide washed them down."
The stretcher reached the top of the cliff and was settled on the ground. Spiro knelt beside it and opened one blanket. "What do you think?"
"Give me some more light." She knelt next to him. So many bones. Splintered. Broken. Like the bones of an animal after carnivores had—
Get a grip. Do your job. The skull.
She took it in her hands and examined it. No teeth. Joe had told her the other skulls didn’t have teeth. Ignore the horrifying image of the murderer pulling them. Concentrate. "It’s a child.
Preteen male. Caucasian."
"You’re sure?" Spiro asked.
"No. Anthropology isn’t my specialty, but I’d bet on it. I’ve done hundreds of reconstructions on children this age." She gently put the skull down and opened the other blanket. It held fewer bones and the skull was staring up at her.
Bring me home.
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Lost. So many lost ones.
"Anything wrong?" Spiro asked. "Leave her alone, Spiro," Joe said.
Could anything be more wrong than a world that could destroy children? "No, nothing’s wrong.
I was just studying it." She picked up the skull. "Another male. Preteen Caucasian. Maybe a little older than the other." She put the skull down and got to her feet. "You’ll have to get a forensic anthropologist to confirm." She turned to Joe. "I’m ready to leave now."
"Hallelujah."
"Wait," Spiro said. "Joe told me about the telephone call. I need to talk to you.”
“Then come to my cottage to see her." Joe was already pushing Eve down the cliff.
"We’re out of here."
"I want to see her now."
Joe looked back over his 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 Super-woman."
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."
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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." She smiled bitterly. "As he said, we have a bond."
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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 like hell," Joe told Eve. "Couldn’t you sleep?"
"A few hours. My mind wouldn’t turn off. Is Spiro going to give me a skull?”
“He wouldn’t commit. He said he’d discuss it when he finished talking to you.”
“He’s coming here?"