She just had to make sure she wasn’t seen. Because if those two had done something to Dr. Bennett, and they knew she was onto them…

Don’t go down that road, Christina told herself as she floored the accelerator in pursuit. I am strong, I am invincible…

Just concentrate on the driving.

When Baxter poked him in the ribs, Mike jumped almost a foot into the air.

“Wake up, Sherlock. I just busted this case wide open.”

Mike blinked his eyes several times rapidly, pushing himself away from his cluttered desk. “I wasn’t sleeping. I was just… resting my eyes.”

“You don’t have to make excuses to me, partner. If I’d been scrutinizing all this boring incunabula for the last forty-eight hours straight, I’d be asleep, too.”

Mike rose out of his chair, trying to rouse himself. “Did you say something about the case?”

She beamed. “Sure did.” She pointed to the evidence bag on the corner of his desk. “I know what that is. Or what it represents, anyway.”

“Don’t hold out on me, Baxter. How’d you figure it out?”

“I met someone who was wearing the same image on his lapel.”

“His lapel?”

“Right. Told me he used to have the key chain, too, but it broke. Must be a flimsy link. Everyone seems to be losing them.”

“And it is…”

“A club card, basically. A pass. Admittance to one of the city’s most prestigious corporate dining suites.”

“What’s a corporate dining suite?”

“Where have you been all your life, Morelli?” In truth, she hadn’t known either, until about fifteen minutes ago, but she might as well milk this one precious moment of one-upmanship for all it was worth. “All the biggest corporate headquarters have private dining rooms. Some of them are four-star restaurants, with private chefs and fancy linen and the works. The Williams Companies have a great one, for example.”

“But this doesn’t look like the Williams Companies logo.”

“It isn’t. It isn’t anyone’s public logo. This was created just for the dining room. Only the top administrators and executives got it.”

“And you learned this… how?”

All the possible responses ran through Baxter’s brain. Vast intelligence. Exhaustive research. Pummeling informants.

Aw, what the hell? He was her partner, after all. “I learned this because the joint was really busy and I happened to get waited on by the district manager.”

“What joint?” he asked, grabbing her by the shoulders. “What are you talking about?”

“Haven’t you guessed? The two hearts with the flat bottoms are actually Bs lying sideways. The wispy art style is meant to suggest aroma and the hearts are intended to represent bliss.” She paused. “Burger Bliss, to be precise.”

Peter Rothko twisted Hayley Bennett’s arm behind her back, sending searing blades of pain cascading through her body. The pain was so intense that tears sprang involuntarily from her eyes. He threw her down onto the floor in a corner, banging her head against a sink. He whipped out a pair of handcuffs and attached one end to her wrist, the other to the pipe beneath the basin.

Behind them, Gabriel Aravena stood like the castle sentry, his face emotionless.

“You must be feeling pretty lucky right now,” Rothko muttered, tossing back his orange bangs. He was dripping with sweat.

No, Bennett thought, she was definitely not feeling very lucky.

“If that nosy neighbor of yours hadn’t wandered into the office at the wrong time, you’d be dead right now. Wasn’t very lucky for him, though.” A smile curled across Rothko’s face-a smile Bennett did not like in the least. “Don’t worry. Your time will come.”

“I won’t tell anyone,” she said, trying to catch her breath. She knew it was probably useless, but she had to try. “I never have.”

“You never have because you never figured it out, until today.” He reared back the palm of his hand and slapped her, right across the face. “As for the rest, I agree. You won’t tell anyone.”

Bennett couldn’t stop her chest from heaving, couldn’t prevent her arms from shaking. “Wh-what are you going to do to me?”

“I won’t do anything, my dear. But your friend, Mr. Aravena… Well, that is another matter entirely.”

“Gabe,” she said. “I know you’re a good person at heart. I know you want to be good. You don’t have to do this.”

“Oh, but he does,” Rothko said, leering. He nudged Aravena. “Don’t you, Gabe?”

Aravena obviously would’ve preferred to remain silent, but forced himself to speak. “I must do as he says, Dr. Bennett.”

Tears spilled out of her eyes. “You can take control of your life, Gabe! You can be whoever you want to be.”

“Enough of this psychobabble,” Rothko said. “Gabriel, perhaps it’s best you wait outside. I’ll call if I need you again.”

Aravena nodded, then slowly trudged out of the tiny room.

Rothko knelt down and squeezed Bennett’s face. “I saw what you had in Frank’s file. Your little description of me. That could’ve been very damaging, you know. Very damaging.”

“I would never have told anyone.”

“I wish I could believe you, my dear. But you appear to have been doing that very thing when I arrived. I can’t trust you.”

“You can! I promise-”

“Don’t insult my intelligence.” He shoved her back against the pipe. Bennett felt as if her head had been split open. She could feel blood trickling from her scalp.

“I’ll… do… whatever you want me to do…” she gasped.

“A generous offer. But there’s not really much you can do for me at this point, is there?” He stood and brushed off the front of his exercise suit. “I’m going back to your office now, Doctor, to make sure there aren’t any other incriminating bits of information lingering in your files. Maybe I’ll just burn down the whole damn place. I’d rather take care of you first, but there’s no telling when another of your nosy neighbors might drop by. Don’t worry, dear-I’ll be back for you.”

“Please don’t hurt me!”

“I may need to ask you some questions about what I find-which is the only reason you’re still alive. But after that-”

She clenched her eyes shut.

“Don’t harbor any illusions about being discovered. I shut this place down weeks ago. No one comes here anymore. No one even comes close. You could scream your head off. No one will know-except Gabriel. And do you really want to attract his attention? When you’re so lovely and so… vulnerable?”

Her stomach was in such turmoil she felt she could be sick at any moment. Her entire body was shaking uncontrollably.

He leaned in close, so near that she could smell his hot breath. “But I will return. Very soon. And when I do… it will be time for you to go. Just as it was for Erin. Just as it was for Sheila.”

He gave her a kick to the side of the ribs, then left the room, leaving Bennett alone.

Even in her tears, even in the midst of the fear and panic that consumed her, she knew she had to do something. And quickly. Because it was evident Gabriel had not been taking his medication, and she knew him-and his problems-well enough to realize that she was a temptation, an opportunity for vengeance, that he would not be able to resist long.

And even if he did, when Rothko returned, he would kill her. For certain. And with pleasure.