“I haven’t heard anything about—” But a call was coming in now from Gary Schindler. He punched over to the call. “What’s happening?”
“Margaret Selkirk. Killing. Throat slit. Seems like the same MO as the other murders.” Gary paused. “There was a goblet in her hand.”
“I’m on my way.” He switched back to Norris. “I’m heading for midtown. Keep your damn spies out from under my feet.”
He hung up and got out of bed. “Another victim. Margaret Selkirk, a researcher with the CDC. Ed Norris is raising hell. I feel like raising hell too. It’s pissing me off that he’s finding out about Jelak’s moves before I do.”
“Bribery?”
“No doubt about it.”
“Any change from the Heather Carmello murder?”
“They found a goblet.” He headed for the bathroom. “I’m sure that bastard, Caleb, would be able to interpret the significance of that.”
“It wouldn’t be a bad idea to ask him.” Eve slipped on her robe. “I might as well make coffee, then get to work. I won’t be able to go back to sleep.”
“Sorry.”
“I’m not.” She headed for the door. “Actually, I’d go with you, but you’ll have enough to contend with dealing with Norris.”
“I don’t want you at the crime scene. I don’t want you anywhere near those victims.”
“Because you think Jelak may be hovering? Caleb said he probably wouldn’t have stayed at Piedmont Park after the killing.”
“I don’t want you there,” he repeated. “I don’t care what Caleb said.”
“Okay, for now.” She added quietly, “But I can’t bury my head in the sand. Three victims, and Patty could have been one of them if she hadn’t been lucky. I seem to be the eye of the storm. It has to stop, Joe.”
“It will stop.” He closed the bathroom door behind him.
EVE STOOD ON THE PORCH watching Joe’s Jeep go down the drive.
She clasped her arms across her chest as she felt chill at the thought of that poor woman who had died tonight. Margaret Selkirk, who had done nothing but happen to cross Jelak’s path.
It will stop, Joe had said.
But how long would it be? How many victims would Jelak take before they’d manage to bring that monster down?
Joe would do his job with his usual intelligence and efficiency, but he wouldn’t tolerate even a slight risk to her.
But that risk might have to be run eventually. In the meantime, they’d have to explore every single avenue.
Starting with Margaret Selkirk’s death.
She turned and strode back into the house.
“HER FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER found her,” Schindler said, when Joe arrived at the small, white house on Peachtree Circle. “The kid is almost hysterical. She said she’s a restless sleeper and woke up because she thought she heard a car start outside.”
“What time?”
“Two forty. She got up and noticed her mother’s door was open and her bed hadn’t been slept in. Her mother had been working late for the past two weeks, but she thought she’d heard her come in. So she started looking for her.”
“And found her in the backyard?”
Schindler nodded. “Naked. By the garden shed at the end of the yard.” He was leading Joe around the house. “With the goblet in her right hand. The kid called 911, then went upstairs to take care of her little brother and keep him from seeing their mother.”
“Good move on her part. Did you call any of their relatives to come for the kids?”
“Margaret Selkirk has a sister in Helen, Georgia. She’s on her way.” He opened the gate. “And that expert you sent arrived about five minutes ago. He’s with forensics examining that goblet.”
“Expert?” Joe frowned. “What expert?”
“Seth Caleb,” Schindler said. “Good man. We should have had him on the case earlier. Where did you get him? FBI?”
“What?” Joe’s gaze flew across the yard to the man standing over the body. “He told you I sent him? You believed him?”
“Of course I believed him,” Schindler said. “What’s wrong? Are you trying to keep it confidential?”
Schindler was not easily deceived, but he had obviously been taken in by Caleb’s story. Even now he didn’t want to believe anything but the lie Caleb had told him.
“Oh, yes,” Joe said grimly as he moved quickly across the yard. “Caleb’s connection with the case is definitely confidential.”
“Quinn.” Caleb was turning away from the body. “I’m glad I arrived before you. I had a chance to examine the goblet. It’s Jelak’s calling card. And I think he completed the ritual.”
“What are you doing here?” Joe asked.
Caleb turned to Schindler. “Do you mind staying here and seeing if forensics turns up anything new? I need to talk to Quinn about that goblet.”
“No, glad to do it.” Schindler knelt beside a tech. “Take your time.”
“We’ll only be a few minutes.” Caleb glanced at Joe. “Come on, we’ll talk while we walk back to the house. Selkirk’s kids are in rough shape. I want to spend a few minutes with them before I leave.”
“I’m not going to let you near them,” Joe said. “I don’t know how you managed to con Schindler, but I won’t have you manipulating those children.”
“I didn’t tell the whole truth, but I didn’t exactly lie to Schindler.” He smiled. “I am an expert, and I was brought into the case. Only not by you.”
“How did you know about the murder?”
“Eve called me. She was upset by Margaret Selkirk’s murder. She said to tell you that if you wanted her to stay out of it, you had to use every resource. She thinks I’m a resource.”
“So you hotfooted it over here and tried to—”
“I took advantage of an opportunity,” he interrupted. “Now you should do the same. You’ve been very reluctant to use me except when you need a particular bit of information. I’ve had to waltz around you. I know why, but it’s time the dance stopped.”
“Just what do you know about me?” Joe asked warily.
“Nothing specific. But it wasn’t difficult figuring it out. Even though Renata wouldn’t break Megan’s confidence by telling me anything but that she was contacting them about you. But you’re fiercely resentful about the idea of anything to do with psychic gifts. Since I’m the closest representative of that dislike, you automatically rejected anything to do with me.” He tilted his head. “Now why would that be?”
“I’m sure you’re going to tell me.”
“Certainly. You recently discovered you were one of the chosen, or should I say, one of the condemned. You resent it in yourself but have to accept it. But you’re trying your damnedest not to have to accept it in anyone else.”
“And just how have I been condemned?”
Caleb shook his head. “That’s your business. I may be curious, but I’ll never ask you.”
“How kind.”
“And it doesn’t matter unless it interferes with me getting Jelak. Eve is on my side in this. She doesn’t want any more deaths, and she thinks I can help. I could use that, use her, but I don’t want to do that.” He looked him directly in the eye. “Now, I’ll ask you again. Will you go hunting with me?”
Joe was silent. He could still feel the simmering anger and resentment he’d experienced when he’d walked into this yard today. Some of it had been earned, but how much was the anger at Caleb and how much at his own condition?
A hell of a lot was at Caleb, dammit.
“Don’t you ever lie to anyone working one of my cases,” Joe said curtly. “I don’t know why Schindler didn’t send you on your way.”
Caleb smiled. “He likes me. I remind him of his brother.”
“What?”
“Never mind. Schindler is a nice guy. I wouldn’t have tried to con him if I hadn’t wanted a look at that goblet. I wasn’t sure that you’d let me examine it.” He added, “Because I’d already decided that I wasn’t going to con you.”
“You pick and choose?”
“Yes, I do. I can do that.” He opened the kitchen door. “I hope you find that you can too.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Codes. Are you going hunting with me?”
Joe hesitated, then slowly nodded. “I believe I am.”
“Good,” Caleb said. “Now you can go back to Schindler and do all the things you have to do as a fine upstanding man of the law. I’ll go up and talk to the Selkirk kids. They’ll need understanding and strength if they’re going to get through this.”
“And you’re going to furnish it?”
“I can help bridge the gap until some of the pain goes away.”
“What a great humanitarian.”
“No, I just believe in balance. It doesn’t hurt me to take a little time and devote it to doing something worthwhile. It lightens my core. I do a good many things that people perceive as evil. If a soul becomes too black, then it rots.”
“An unusual philosophy.”
“Not really. Actually, very ancient.”
“Well, you can’t give a fifteen- and ten-year-old enough understanding of this ugliness. Hell, I don’t understand it.”
“I do,” Caleb said as he went inside the house. “I’ll share it with you. After you finish here.”
THE BLOOD WAS FINE, WONDERFUL.
Jelak could feel the clear zing of strength and endurance through his veins. The Selkirk woman had been as strong as he’d hoped. He’d chosen well. He’d been afraid when she’d fought with such fierceness that the blood might not be as mature as he’d hoped.
Children and young people usually were the ones who were frantic in their struggles. Age usually mellowed and caused death to come easier. But he’d found out to his delight when the woman was begging him to let her go that she had two children. Mothers usually fought desperately to keep close to their young, and motherhood only added richness to the Gift. At any rate, the blood was exquisite.
He went to the closet, pulled out his black Croco case, and set it on the bed. He hummed a little as he opened it and gazed down at the goblets he’d carefully wrapped in red velvet.
Three left.
But he wouldn’t need all three.
Margaret Selkirk had been better than he had hoped. He had expected her to give him strength to see him through until Jane MacGuire. She had given him more than that, and he might be able to go directly to Eve Duncan. He would know by tomorrow if Selkirk’s blood stayed strong in him.
He unwrapped one of the goblets. It shone in the lamplight, and he held it up. Jane MacGuire. That would make eleven guests at the table. If he needed to take her.
“I’m getting close,” he murmured. “Soon I’ll be one of you.”
He reverently unwrapped the last goblet.
The perfect twelve.
He lifted the goblet and felt the blood pounding through him as he looked at the carving. No single figure begging to be admitted. Complete. Together.
The perfect twelve at the feast.
“Do you feel me, Eve?” he murmured. “It’s your gift that’s going to save me. I’ll drink deep, then we’ll be together forever. You’ll like it. I know you’ve been waiting for me.”
His tongue touched the rim of the goblet, imagining the coppery taste of her blood.
“Just a little longer . . .”
BLOOD.
Eve suddenly tensed, her fingers hesitating on the clay of the reconstruction.
The dizziness had come out of nowhere, followed by that sinking, whirling sensation.
Then had come that weird feeling of being . . . drained.
She drew a deep breath.
It was gone.
Perhaps it had never been there, only brought on by her obsession with the thought of Jelak.
And blood. Always blood.
“Eve.”
She turned to see Joe at the front door. “Oh, I didn’t hear you drive up.”
“That’s pretty obvious.” His gaze was searching her face. “I’m used to you being absorbed in your work, but you look a little strange.”
“I’m fine.” She picked up her cloth and wiped the clay from her hands. “I just had a sudden chill.” She braced herself. “I thought you’d call me. I knew you wouldn’t like it that I sent Caleb down to Selkirk’s crime scene.”
“Not one bit.”
She shrugged. “I believe he can help. I couldn’t stand the thought of another woman being murdered. I heard on the news that she had two children.”
“A fifteen-year-old girl and a boy, ten.”
“And he didn’t care if he left them orphans. How are they holding up?”
“Not good. But Caleb had a talk with them, and they’re better than they were.”
Her eyes widened. “You let Caleb talk to them?”
“He was good with Patty’s grandfather. Maybe he’s some kind of psychologist. The kids needed someone, something.”
Her eyes were narrowed on his face. “But you let him do it.”
“I gave him his chance. Isn’t that what you wanted?”
“Joe.”
“Okay, I decided it’s what I wanted too.” He turned and went toward the bedroom. “So I told him to follow me home and that we’d talk. He should be here any minute. I’m going to shed this jacket and wash my face. Where’s Jane?”
“She went to see Patty. She thought she might be upset when she heard about Margaret Selkirk. Charlie Brand picked Jane up and will bring her home.”
“Too bad she’ll miss Caleb. She was in his corner all the way.”
“But you’re not, are you?”
“Hell, no. I’m in your corner. I’m in the corner of all those women Jelak is going to kill if we don’t catch him.” He looked over his shoulder. “But I don’t have to be in his corner. He’s not going to stay in that corner for very long. We’re going hunting.”
ELEVEN
“I’M SORRY YOUR JANE ISN’T HERE. She always brings an electricity to any occasion,” Caleb said as he pushed back his chair at the table. “Delightful meal.”
“Hamburger Helper?” Eve said. “Hardly. It was just fast.”
“Hearty, flavorful, and substantial. That’s all that’s necessary to make it good.”
“Then food must not be that important to you,” Eve said.
“Sometimes. Not usually.” He smiled. “But I appreciate you serving me under your roof. It shows a certain acceptance.” He looked at Joe. “And trust?”
“Conditional,” Joe said. “How about Kevin Jelak? Is food important to him?”
“At this point, not at all. It probably makes him ill after only a few bites. He’s living on blood.”
“He couldn’t,” Eve said. “That’s impossible.”
“It’s possible for a little while longer. He’ll grow thinner, but his energy level will carry him through.” He turned to Joe. “Why did you ask me that question?”
“I wanted to know how deeply Jelak has bought into this bullshit.”