Just as when the knock came she thought of nothing but the annoyance of being interrupted. Her phone had rung incessantly, but she’d been able to ignore that and leave it to her answering service. If one of the calls had been a patient, the beeper beside her would have sounded. The calls, Tess had guessed, had all been connected with the article in the evening’s paper, linking her to the homicide investigation.

Leaving the file open, Tess walked to the door. “Who is it?”

“Paris.”

A lot could be gleaned from the tone of a voice, even in one word. Tess opened the door, knowing she opened it to a confrontation. “Detective. Isn’t it a little late for an official call?”

“Just in time for the eleven o’clock news.” He walked over and switched on her set.

She hadn’t moved from the door. “Haven’t you got a TV at home?”

“It’s more fun to watch a circus with company.”

She shut the door, peevish enough to let it slam. “Look, I’m working. Why don’t you say what you have to say and let me get back to it?”

He glanced over at her desk, at the files open and her big-framed reading glasses tossed on them. “This won’t take long.” He didn’t sit, but stood with his hands in his pockets, watching the news team’s intro. It was the pretty, heart-shaped face brunette who read the evening’s top story.

“The mayor’s office confirmed today that Dr. Teresa Court, noted Washington psychiatrist, has been assigned to the investigation team of the Priest homicides. Dr. Court, granddaughter of veteran Senator Jonathan Writemore, could not be reached for comment. The murders of at least three women are suspected to be linked to the killer termed the Priest because of his use of an amice, a scarf used in ceremony by Roman Catholic priests, to strangle his victims. The police continue an investigation begun last August, now with the assistance of Dr. Court.”

“Not bad,” Ben murmured. “Got your name mentioned three times.” He didn’t even blink when Tess strode over and slammed the button to off.

“I’ll repeat, say what you have to say.”

Her voice was cool. He drew out a cigarette, determined to match her. “We have a press conference at eight tomorrow in the mayor’s office.”

“I was notified.”

“You’re to keep your comments general, stay as far away from the specifics of the case as possible. The press knows about the murder weapon, but we’ve managed to keep the notes and the contents of them from leaking.”

“I’m not a fool, Ben. I can handle an interview.”

“I’m sure you can. This one happens to be on departmental business, not personal glory.”

Her mouth opened, but all that came out was a hiss of breath. She knew it was both undignified and useless to lose her temper. She knew that such a ridiculous and bitter statement deserved no answer. She knew that he, standing there in judgment, deserved nothing but the coolest, most controlled dismissal.

“You bigoted, small-brained, insensitive ass.” Her phone rang again, but they both ignored it. “Who the hell do you think you are, barging in here and tossing out your little gems of idiocy?”

He glanced around for an ashtray and settled on a small hand-painted dish. There was a vase of fresh, autumnal mums beside it. “Which gem was that?”

She stood straight as a soldier, while he stood at ease and flicked ashes into the dish. “Let’s just get something straight. I didn’t leak this business to the press.”

“Nobody said you did.”

“Didn’t they?” She stuffed her hands in the pockets of the skirt she’d worked in for fourteen hours. Her back hurt, her stomach was empty, and she wanted what she struggled so hard to give her patients-peace of mind. “Well, I interpret this little scene differently. As a matter of fact, I was promised my name would never be linked with this investigation.”

“Got a problem letting people know you’re cooperating with the police?”

“Oh, you’re clever, aren’t you?”

“As hell,” he returned, fascinated by the complete annihilation of her control. She paced as she spoke, and her eyes had deepened to purple. Temper in her was rigid, and icy, unlike the venom-spitting, plate-throwing sort he was more accustomed to. It was all the more interesting.

“Either way I go, you’ve got an answer. Did it ever occur to you, Detective, that I might not care to have my patients, my colleagues, my friends question me about this case? Did it ever occur to you that I didn’t want to take the case in the first place?”

“Then why did you? The pay’s lousy.”

“Because I was persuaded to believe I could help. If I didn’t still think so, I’d tell you to take your case and choke on it. Do you think I want to waste my time arguing with some narrow-minded, self-appointed judge about the morality of my profession? I have enough problems in my life without you adding to them.”

“Problems, Doc?” He took a slow sweep of the room, the flowers, the crystal, the soft pastels. “Things look pretty tidy around here to me.”

“You don’t know anything about me, my life, or my work.” She walked over to her desk, leaning her palms on it, but still didn’t regain control. “Do you see these files, these papers, these tapes? There’s a fourteen-year-old boy’s life there. A boy who’s already an alcoholic, a boy who needs someone who can open him up enough to see his own worth, his own place.” She whirled back again, eyes dark and impassioned. “You know what it is to try to save a life, don’t you, Detective? You know how it hurts, how it frightens? Maybe I don’t use a gun, but that’s just what I’m trying to do. I’ve spent ten years of my life trying to learn how. Maybe, with enough time, enough skill, enough luck, I’ll be able to help him. Damn.” She stopped, realizing how far she’d allowed herself to be pushed by a few words. “I don’t have to justify anything to you.”

“No, you don’t.” As he spoke, he crushed out his cigarette in the little china dish. “I’m sorry. I was out of line.”

Her breath came out with two hitches as she struggled to bring herself back. “What is it about what I do that makes you so bitter?”

He wasn’t ready to tell her, to bring that old, fleshed-over scar out in the open for inspection and analysis. Instead he pressed his fingers to his own tired eyes. “It’s not you. It’s the whole business. Makes me feel like I’m walking a very thin wire over a very long drop.”

“I guess I can accept that.” Though it wasn’t the whole answer, or the one she’d wanted. “It’s hard to stay objective right now.”

“Let’s take a step back for a minute. I don’t think much of what you do, and I guess you don’t think much of what I do.”

She waited a minute, then nodded. “Agreed.”

“We’re stuck with it.” He walked over to her desk and picked up her half cup of coffee. “Got any of this hot?”

“No. I could make some.”

“Never mind.” He brought his hand up to knead at the tension just above his eyebrows. “Look, I am sorry. It seems like we’ve been running on this treadmill, and the only progress we’ve made is a leak to the press.”

“I know. You might not be able to understand, but I’m as involved as you are now, and I feel as responsible.” She paused again, but this time she felt an affinity, an empathy. “That’s the hard part, isn’t it? Feeling responsible.”

She was too damn good at her job, Ben thought as he leaned back against her desk. “I’ve got this feeling I can’t shake that he’s about through waiting to hit again. We’re no closer to finding him, Doc. We can bullshit the press some tomorrow, but what we have to swallow is that we’re no closer. You telling me why he’s killing isn’t going to help the next woman he homes in on.”

“I can only tell you what he looks like inside, Ben.”

“And I have to tell you I don’t give a damn.” He turned away from her desk to face her. She was calm again. He could see it just by looking at her eyes. “When we get him, and we will, they’re going to take this psychiatric profile of yours. They’re going to get other ones done, then they’re going to put you or some other psychiatrist on the stand, and he’s going to get off.”