"I didn’t know Spiro had authorized one," Joe said.
"Oh, he did, and we’ve been giving VICAP the reports on the bodies to narrow their search.
They’ve been waiting for the last report, but it got lost in the damn paper shuffle. I found it only right before I left Talladega, so I took it myself to Quantico."
"And what given period did you tell the computer?" Eve asked. "Thirty years. Just to be safe."
The Killing Game – Eve Duncan 02
Page 63 of 286
She stared at him, stunned. Thirty years?
Charlie turned to Joe. "I told them to call me here with the results. I’ll be outside in my car. Will you tell me when it comes?"
"Why not wait here?" Eve asked.
He shook his head. "Spiro told me to be on guard duty outside. He wouldn’t appreciate having me warming my tush inside." He grinned. "I could have told them to call me on my digital, but I thought it wouldn’t hurt to use the phone call to get me inside to defrost." He walked over to the pedestal. "You’ve made a lot of progress, haven’t you? How much longer?"
She shrugged. "It depends on how it goes."
"They do a lot of computer imaging and stuff at Quantico, but this is kind of… personal."
"Yes."
"He looks so fragile. Poor little kid. God, it makes me sad. I don’t know how you take it."
"The same way you stand what you do. It’s my job."
"It makes you scared to bring a kid into this world, doesn’t it? You know, some of the guys at the unit won’t let their kids out of their sight. They’ve seen too much of what goes on to ever feel safe. I’ll probably feel the same way after my baby is—"
"I’ll let you know when you get your call," Joe interrupted. "Eve has to get back to work now."
The dismissal was pointed. Charlie’s words had been thoughtless and Joe was stepping between her and possible hurt, Eve realized.
"Yeah, sure." Charlie headed out the door. "I’d appreciate it. See you later.”
“You didn’t have to toss him out," Eve told Joe. "He didn’t mean any harm.”
“He talks too much."
"He’s just young. I like him." She turned back to the pedestal. "They probably won’t find anything through the VICAP search. They haven’t caught the bastard in over ten years."
"Then it’s time they did."
Joe sat on the couch and picked up his book. "I’ll give you another hour and then you stop to eat. No arguments."
"We’ll see."
The Killing Game – Eve Duncan 02
Page 64 of 286
"No arguments."
She glanced at him. He was giving off the aura of the quintessential immovable object.
What the hell. An immovable object could be very comforting in this volatile world. "Okay. No arguments."
called while Eve was at dinner. "I got your two messages. I was running around the island, closing up shop. I’m flying out to Monterey tomorrow."
"You didn’t tell me you were leaving the island."
“It’s not the same now. Time to get back to the real world." He paused. "Are you working on the skull?"
"Not the little girl. A boy we found."
"You said you were going to work on— Why the hell are you there?”
“Things happened."
"You’re not telling me everything. Hell, you’re not telling me anything." She knew darn well if she told him what had been happening he would be on his way immediately. "I’m going to get the little girl’s skull. I have to work on this one first."
Silence.
"I don’t like it. There’s too much you’re not saying. I’m going to fly out to Monterey tonight instead of tomorrow. I’ll call you as soon as I arrive."
"Logan, it’s wonderful of you to want to help, but you can’t do anything this time."
"We’ll see." He hung up. "He’s coming here?" Joe asked.
"Not if I can help it. I don’t want him near that killer." He frowned. "You’re being a little more protective than I’d like.”
“Too bad. Logan’s a great guy and my friend. You feel protective toward your friends." She deliberately met his gaze. "Don’t you, Joe?"
He grimaced. "Okay, you got me." He changed the subject. "Want some dessert? We’ve got Rocky Road ice cream."
call came on Eve’s digital phone at eight that evening.
Eve tensed. Her phone, not the cottage phone. It could be her mother. It could be Logan again.
It didn’t have to be that monster.
The Killing Game – Eve Duncan 02
Page 65 of 286
Joe picked up her phone, which she’d laid on the coffee table after she’d talked to Logan. "Do you want me to answer?"
She shook her head. "Give it to me." She punched the button. "Hello.”
“Bonnie’s waiting for you to come and get her."
Her hand tightened on the phone. "Bullshit."
"After all these years of searching for her, you’ve come so close. It’s a pity you’re going to fail now. Have you finished with the boy’s skull yet?"
"How do you know I’m doing—"
"Oh, I’m keeping close watch over you. After all, I do have a vested interest. Haven’t you sensed me standing behind you, looking over your shoulder as you work on the skull?"
"No."
"You should. You will. Which boy is it?”
“Why should I tell you."
"It doesn’t really matter. I only vaguely remember them. They were just two of those frightened little birds. Not like your Bonnie. She was never—"
"You bastard. You probably don’t have the guts to kill anyone. You creep around, making anonymous phone calls, threatening and trying "Anonymous? Is that annoying you? You can call me Dom if you like. But what’s in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as—"
"The only thing that annoys me is that you think you can terrify me with these pitiful tricks."
"And now you’re trying to annoy me." He laughed in delight. "And I believe you’re succeeding.
How refreshing. It only proves how right I was to choose you."
“Did you harass those other poor people at Talladega before you killed them?”
“No, that would have been reckless, and I wasn’t at that point yet.”
“But you are now?"
"I’m at the point where I’m willing to take a few chances to make life interesting. It was bound to happen sometime."
"Why me?"
"Because I need something to cleanse me. The moment I saw your photograph in the paper I The Killing Game – Eve Duncan 02
Page 66 of 286
knew you were the one. I looked at your face and I could see all the emotion and torment that’s building inside you. It’s only a question of making that emotion soar until it breaks through." He paused. "Can you imagine what an explosion that will be for both of us?"
"You’re insane."
"Quite possibly. By your standards. Science has made such a study of the mind of the murderer.
The causes, the early signs, the way we justify killing."
"How do you justify it?"
"I don’t. Pleasure is justification enough. I recently heard that recreational homicide went up twenty-five percent in the last ten years. I started long before that. It seems that society is finally catching up to me, doesn’t it? Maybe you’re all going mad too, Eve."
"Bullshit."
"Then why let me go on killing? Have you ever considered that perhaps we’ve never really lost our cave instincts? The blood lust, the search for power through that final act of violence.
Perhaps in your heart of hearts you all wish you could be like me. Haven’t you ever wanted to hunt, to prey?"
"No."
"You will. Ask Quinn how it feels. He’s a hunter. He has the instinct. Ask him if his heart beats faster when he nears the kill."
"Joe’s not like you. No one is like you."
"Thank you. I regard that as a compliment. I believe it’s time to hang up now. I just wanted to touch base with you. It’s important that we get to know each other.