Blind Alley (20 page)

She pointed to another site. "And this one?"

"Archaeology Journal? It's a weekly magazine and practically the professional bible of modern-day archaeology."

"But he was an actor. It was his father who was the archaeologist. He probably skips this one now."

"No, there are often articles about Pompeii and Herculaneum. He has a vested interest."

She'd gone on to another site. "This one's in Rome, too. Another newspaper?"

He smiled. "No, one of Italy's premier porn sites. Very explicit, very kinky. You can bet he's still interested in visiting that one occasionally."

"What kind of kinky?"

"I was curious, too, when I watched him bring up the site so I checked it out. They specialize in sadomasochism and necrophilia."

"Raping dead people?" She shivered. "Creepy."

"And it confirmed my belief that Aldo was not a nice fellow."

"You said he didn't rape any of the victims after those first women he killed in Rome."

"That doesn't mean he's not interested in sex. Maybe he didn't consider any of the others worthy. Or these days he may get off on the kill itself."

She moistened her lips. "Those women he raped. Was it before or after he killed them?"

"After."

"Sick."

"No question. Do you need to know anything else?"

"I'll let you know." Her tone was abstracted as she went over the list. "I may be able to figure out the rest. I can go to a gateway site and get a rough translation."

"Then I'm dismissed?"

"For now."

"And am I going to be allowed to know what the hell you're planning on doing with it?"

She glanced up. "Oh, yes. I'm going to need you."

"I'll take comfort in that." He turned to leave. "I don't imagine you admit you need many people." No.

"Can you give me a time estimate?"

She shook her head. "I have to think about it and do some research."

"And you have to recover a little from Aldo's verbal assault."

"I'm already recovering." It was the truth, thank heavens. The distraction had diluted the emotional impact of Aldo's venom. "It was stupid to become upset. After all, his call was actually a victory. And it clarified his attitude and intentions."

"And I'd judge it also clarified your attitude and reinforced your determination to move at light-speed."

"It didn't take much reinforcement."

"No, you're at full throttle." He lifted his brows. "I can't wait to see where you're going with it."

"Neither can I," she said dryly. "I just hope it's not a blind alley."

"Then there's usually a way to backtrack and find your way out."

Heat. Night without air.

Run. Falling rocks. Pain.

"I don't want to backtrack." Her lips tightened. "I need to go straight ahead and run over that bastard if he gets in my way."

He gave a low whistle. "I'll vote for that." He started down the steps. "And I'll furnish the bulldozer to do it. Just say the word."

She didn't answer, her gaze once more on the list.

* * *

Trevor shook his head ruefully as he moved down the path toward Bartlett. She was so intent, she'd closed out the call from Aldo and she'd probably already forgotten Trevor. Not good for a man's ego.

What the hell. He couldn't apply any of the usual man-woman rules to his relationship with Jane.

He'd better not.

"She's excited." Bartlett's gaze was fixed on Jane. "She looks like you gave her a present."

"In a manner of speaking. Not a box of chocolates or a bouquet. A list of Aldo's Web sites."

"I see." Bartlett nodded gravely. "Much more valuable than a box of chocolates and she's not one to appreciate sweetness."

"Maybe she's not had the opportunity to really sample it."

Her head was bent over the list and he could see the tenseness, the taut, slim elegance of her body as she reached for her computer. She did everything with a natural grace that was as unconscious as it was a delight to watch. There was youth without the awkwardness of youth. Grace and fire. She burned like a candle in the

"No, Trevor."

He glanced at Bartlett. "What?"

Bartlett was shaking his head, his expression troubled. "She's too young."

"Do you think I don't know that?" He tried to pull his gaze away from her. God, it was hard. "It doesn't hurt to look."

"It might. She's not a statue and she's not Cira."

"No?" His lips twisted. "Tell that to Aldo."

"I'm telling you." Barlett frowned. "And I shouldn't have to tell you. You could hurt her."

He smiled recklessly. "She'd deny it. She'd say she was far more likely to hurt me."

"But you know that's not true. Experience counts, and she's seventeen."

He turned away. "Why are we even talking about it? I told you I wasn't going to do anything but look."

"I hope not."

"Count on it." He went down the path. "I'll come back and relieve you in an hour. She spent all afternoon taunting Aldo and he's mad as hell. I want to be around if he decides to pounce."

Chapter Thirteen

You've been watching me all evening. I feel like a bug under a microscope." Eve turned away from the reconstruction on the pedestal before her to look at Jane. "Is something wrong? Are you still upset about that call from Aldo?"

"A little." She made a face. "You can understand it would stick in my mind."

"That goes without saying. It's been worrying me since you told me about it."

"But you'll be able to forget it once you get deep enough into your work. That's a blessing, isn't it?"

"Work is always a great healer." She frowned. "Have you been concerned that you're interfering with my work on this reconstruction?"

Jane shook her head. "I was just wondering if you were almost finished."

"Tomorrow. I might have finished tonight if you hadn't decided on dragging me out this afternoon."

"You didn't object."

"And I wouldn't again. Keeping you alive is more important than identifying this poor dead girl."

"What are you calling her?"

"Lucy." Her hands moved over the skull, carefully measuring the space between the eyes. "The Chicago police think she may be a child that's been missing for over fifteen years. Her parents must be going through hell."

"Like you."

Eve didn't deny it. "At least I can give other parents back their children. I suppose that's a form of closure."

"Bull. Very noble but it doesn't keep you from hurting."

"No." Eve smiled faintly. "May I ask why you're so interested in my work tonight?"

"I'm always interested. It's kind of creepy but it's part of you."

"The creepy part."

"You said it." Jane grinned. "I wouldn't dare. So Lucy is winging her way back to Chicago tomorrow?"

"Probably." Eve lifted her brows. "Is it important that she be finished quickly?"

"Maybe. I've been sitting here and thinking...." Her gaze focused musingly on the skull. "How does she ... feel?"

"Touching her face?" She was silent, thinking about it. "Not creepy. I've done it so long that it's difficult to describe."

"Pity?"

"Yes, and anger and sadness." She gently touched Lucy's cheek. "And a deep, deep urgency to bring her home. Home has always been so important to me. There are so many lost ones out there."

"I've heard you say that before. Do you really think that her soul is somewhere wandering around and that she cares about being brought home?"

"I don't know. Maybe. But I do know I care." Eve smoothed the clay at Lucy's forehead. "Now go to bed and let me work or I'll never get her finished."

"Okay." Jane stood up. "I was just curious."

"Jane."

Jane glanced back over her shoulder.

"Why now?" Eve asked. "You've never been this curious about my work before."

Jane turned back to face her. "I've never been brought this close to the possibility of my own death before. It's bound to make you wonder what's out there for us."

"Right now, the only thing out there for you is a long and happy life."

"Don't worry. I'm not being gloomy and pessimistic. I don't know why all this came tumbling out of left field. I was sitting here watching you and thinking about something completely different when it occurred to me ..." She paused. "Cira is one of those lost ones. Nobody seems to know what happened to her. She probably died in that eruption."

"Two thousand years ago, Jane."

"Does time make a difference? Lost is lost."

"No, I guess not. It's just that it takes away the personal, familiar factor."

"No, I don't agree." She reached up and touched her own cheekbone and traced the line to her temple. "I'm taking this very personally. She had my face."

"And it bothers you that she's one of the lost ones?"

"I don't know. Maybe she wasn't lost at all. Maybe she wasn't killed. Maybe she lived to be a hundred with her great-greatgrandchildren all around her."

"It's possible."

"Yeah, but I've been asking myself, what if you're right and lost souls have a passion to come home? What if these dreams I've been having have been her way of telling me that she needs to be found and brought to a final resting placer1"

"Is that what you think? I have to point out that it's a totally unrealistic conclusion."

"Because it's your duty." She was silent a moment. "I'm not sure what's real anymore and I don't believe you are either. It makes as much sense as thinking I'm picking up psychic vibrations." She grimaced. "But it would help if I had a little guidance. Perhaps you should ask Bonnie what's happening to me."

"Is that a joke?"

"Not an unkind one. She rules your world and that's fine with me. Just thought we'd put her to work." She moved down the hall. "Forget it. We'll work everything out for ourselves. But try to finish Lucy tonight."

She booted up her laptop as soon as she reached her bedroom, and went immediately to the Archaeology Journal site. Very dry stuff. It was hard to believe a sicko like Aldo would be interested in it. No articles in the current issue about Herculaneum.

She tensed, drew a deep breath, and accessed the porn site.

She'd glanced through it earlier but she had to be sure___After

five minutes she had to get out of it. Horrible. It seemed impossible that anyone could relish this kind of obscenity. Forget it. Go on to the next site. They were all forming a picture of Aldo that was growing clearer by the minute.

She finished the last site on Trevor's list at 3:42 a.m. and leaned back and tried to suppress her growing excitement. Would it work?

Chancy at best. Success would depend on many factors, including the elusive power of luck.

Well, they were due for some good luck, dammit.

She reached for her telephone and began to dial.

The sun was shining through the windows and bathing Eve and Joe in clear light as they sat at the breakfast table. Warm. Loving. Serene. So different from Aldo's dark world that Jane had been delving into last night.

Jane stood looking at them for an instant, hesitating. Stop it. You've made up your mind. Now go for it.

"Good morning." She strode toward them. "I didn't hear you come in last night, Joe." She went to the refrigerator and took out the orange juice. "Were you late?"

"Yes." He took a sip of his coffee. "But you should have heard me. I saw the light under your door."

"I was busy." She poured her juice. "How's Lucy coming, Eve?"

"Finished." Eve smiled faintly. "As you ordered, little madam."

"You know I wouldn't " She broke off as she met Eve's knowing gaze. "Busted?"

"Busted. What are you up to?"

"I had to make sure your decks were cleared." She lifted her glass to her lips. "I'm going to need you." She turned to Joe. "And you, too."

"I'm honored not to be left out," he said dryly. "Are you going to let us into your confidence or are we supposed to guess?"

"I would have talked to you before but I had to be sure. . ."

She moistened her lips. "I was confused. There were too many lost pieces and I had to fill in the blanks. Otherwise you'd blow me out of the water. I couldn't let that happen."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"We can't sit here and wait for Aldo to come after me. I thought maybe I could find a way to draw him out in the open. But after talking to him, I realize it's going to take something pretty strong to make him lose his cool. He'll just sit and wait and I can't take that. We have to go after him."

"We are going after him," Joe said sharply. "Why do you think I've been spending eighteen hours a day at the precinct? We're gathering information, we're sifting evidence, we're collating. We'll get there."

"And it's driving you crazy. That's not the way you like to operate," Jane said. "You want to go after him, too."

"It's safer this way."

"He's not in any hurry. He thinks he's found Cira and he's willing to wait for his opportunity. It could take years of cat-and-mouse. I'm not giving him my years. I want to live them to the hilt." She turned to Eve. "I think I know a way to bring him out in the open, if you'll help me."

"How?"

At least they were listening. "Wait just a moment." She headed for the front door. "I called Trevor last night and told him to come here." She gestured to Trevor, who was standing outside talking to Bartlett. "We'll need him."

"You told Trevor about this before you talked to us?" Joe asked.

She shook her head. "That wouldn't have been fair. He just knows that I'm ready."

"Ready for what?" Joe asked.

"Easy," Eve said quietly. "Listen, Joe. She's trying to tell us."

"It could work," Jane said. "I know it could work." She turned to Trevor, who had just come into the room. "Tell Joe that we haven't been conspiring behind his back."

Trevor shrugged. "I came because I got the royal summons. I gave her the list she wanted and she sent me on my way."

"What list?"

Trevor nodded at Jane. "Over to you."

"Aldo is a computer geek. It's the one interest Trevor found he had a passion for other than his acting. Trevor gave me a list of the sites he noticed Aldo frequenting most often."

"Give it to me."

"I will. After I finish." She turned back to Eve. "But Aldo's overwhelming passion is his desire to revenge himself on Cira."

"You mean on all her look-alikes."

"It's still Cira in his mind."

"So?"

"What if he had a chance to revenge himself on the real Cira?"

Eve frowned. "What?"

"As well as skeletons there were bodies found almost perfectly preserved at Pompeii and Herculaneum. What if he found out that they'd unearthed an anteroom off the theater at Herculaneum and discovered the skeleton of a woman who'd been killed the day of the eruption?"

"Cira?"

Trevor gave a low whistle. "Holy shit."

"Trevor, you said there were several statues of Cira commissioned by Julius. Considering how famous she was, it wouldn't be too unlikely that there would be one of her found in the anteroom of the theater where she died. Wouldn't mention of a statue immediately pique Aldo's interest?"

"Absolutely."

"Of course, we couldn't announce the discovery right away. We'd have to leak the information to make sure it was believable."

"How?" Eve asked.

"Use the Web sites I furnished her," Trevor said. "Three were newspapers. One was an archaeology magazine. I believe she's hinting that I do a little manipulation of the content."

"And you're so good at that," Joe said sarcastically.

"He might need your help," Jane said. "We wouldn't want him to be caught and have them issue a retraction. But if you could have the local police quiet any protests from the publisher we'd be safe."

"And why would he go after the bones of a dead woman when he could go after you?" Eve asked.

"He smashed a statue of her in effigy even before he started killing those women. He told me he thought he'd destroyed her when he blew that tunnel. But he's lived with her image too long, she's still alive for him." She paused. "And when I was talking to him I realized why. It's her face. Whenever he sees a face that resembles hers, it triggers memories and then it triggers the killings. He can't stand even the chance of seeing her face, having it exist somewhere in the world. What if we rubbed his ugly mug in that phobia? What if we made Cira a household name? What if he couldn't pick up a newspaper or switch on a TV without seeing Cira? What if she became as famous as Nefertiti?"

"Jackpot," Trevor murmured.

"I hope." She grimaced. "And one of his favorite Internet sites is a porn site dealing with necrophilia. It's not unreasonable to assume he'd jump at the chance to humiliate her in that way."

Eve shuddered. "It's difficult to believe he could " She shook her head. "What a beast."

"But we have to make sure it's a temptation he can't resist." Jane paused again. "We've got to make it a doubleheader."

Eve stiffened. "Go on."

"I have to be there. Cira and I have to be together."

"No!" Joe said.

Eve was studying her expression. "Why?"

"Because I'm not certain the draw of Cira present isn't stronger than Cira past. But if we're together, then he'll feel he can gather us both in one swoop. He can destroy Cira's remains once and for all and kill me."

"And he'll consider it a threat that Jane is going to the place where Cira's bones were found," Trevor said. "After the reconstruction it would magnify the story and get more publicity, more faces in the media."

"Reconstruction," Eve repeated slowly.

"I didn't mention it to him," Jane said quickly. "He just followed my line of thought."

"And now I'm following it," Eve said. "Elaborate."