“You owe yourself a good night’s sleep,” she said. “Jane called and told me to send you home early.”

“I’m going.” He stood up and started for the door. “Will you call and tell her I’m bringing home Chinese, but I have to make one more stop on the way?”

“Coward.”

“Right. She’s tough.” He glanced back over his shoulder. “Did I get a return call from George Capel when I was out today?”

Carol shook her head. “Don’t you trust voice mail?”

“I’m an old-fashioned guy. I don’t believe in these newfangled gadgets.”

“And you were hoping it wasn’t working.”

“He hasn’t shown up at the DNA lab for a week. I went to his house—the mail is piling up and he didn’t stop delivery of the newspaper.”

“Doesn’t sound good, but he could have taken off on a little jaunt. It’s happened before.”

“Yeah, I know. But I think it’s time I talked to his neighbors.”

“Okay, I’ll call Jane,” Carol said. “But you’d better not forget the Chinese.” Joe nodded and waved as he left the office. He called Logan when he reached his car. “Have you heard from Galen?”

“He won’t report to me unless he has reason. He runs his own show.”

“So you don’t know if she’s okay.”

“We’d have heard if there was a problem. Galen’s with her.” And Joe wasn’t with her and it was driving him crazy. “Can you ask him to give regular reports?”

“Galen doesn’t operate that way.”

“Then he should, dammit.”

“You asked for Galen, Quinn.”

Because he was the best, but that didn’t mean Galen’s independence didn’t annoy the hell out of him. He wanted to know.

“How are things going with you?” Logan asked.

“Okay. I’m keeping busy.” Not busy enough. Three days had seemed like three hundred since Eve left. “I’m trying to track down Capel. He seems to have disappeared.”

“You think he was paid to send that report to Eve and then skipped town?”

“Could be. He didn’t try to hit me for more money, so he must have another source.”

“Any ideas?”

“Someone who wanted to hurt me or Eve. Probably me. She doesn’t have any enemies. I have case files full of them.”

“Amazing,” Logan murmured.

“And you don’t?”

Logan didn’t answer. “I’ll let you know if I hear from Galen.”

“Maybe I should call him. No, never mind.”

“Good choice. You wouldn’t want Eve to know you’re checking up on her. How’s Jane?”

“Great. Better than I deserve right now.”

“I agree. Good-bye, Quinn.”

Joe hung up and started the car. Interview Capel’s neighbors and then get home to Jane. Don’t think about Eve all those hundreds of miles away in Baton Rouge.

Company branches in Alabama and Louisiana.

Louisiana…

Don’t jump to conclusions. The defacement could have nothing to do with Eve’s reconstruction job in Baton Rouge. But he didn’t like the way this investigation was shaping up, dammit.

And he wished to hell he could contact Galen without getting Eve’s back up.

Just do your job. Find Capel and the man who bribed him. Do some more checking on the tire. Keep Jane as happy you can. Try to keep yourself from jumping on a plane and flying to Eve in Baton Rouge.

And hope to hell time was healing the rift he’d torn between them.

“I fell asleep.” Eve came down the stairs, trying to straighten her rumpled hair.

“For heaven’s sake, it’s quarter past five in the evening. Why didn’t you wake me?”

“Easy. You needed the sleep.” Galen grinned. “And I needed time to prepare a meal par excellence.”

“I’ve got to get over to the church. Didn’t Melton show up?”

“He was here right on time. I told him to go away.”

“You had no right to do that.”

“I told him he could meet us in front of the church at six.” He checked his watch.

“That gives you forty-five minutes to eat my fine repast.” He gestured to the dining room. “I don’t like hurried meals; they dull one’s appreciation. But I’ll accept it this time.”

“You should have woken me.”

“You’re wasting time. You don’t want to keep our honorable senator waiting.” She followed him. “I’ve already kept him waiting for four hours.” Galen grinned. “He deserved it.” He seated her at the table and shook out her napkin and put it on her lap. “Now start on the spinach salad.”

“No way.” She jumped up. “Galen, I want to go to meet Melton. I couldn’t eat this meal, anyway. My stomach is still upset.”

“What a dunce I am. Of course, you can’t. I got carried away with my sheer culinary genius. Okay, maybe I’ll make you some soup after we get back from the church tonight.”

“I may not come back tonight. I often work at night.”

“And then again you may. You still look pale around the gills.”

“Galen.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not trying to bulldoze you. I sometimes take advantage of circumstances to get my own way, but I respect your free will.”

“You really like to cook?”

“Eating is one of life’s great pleasures. It dulls the roughest edges.” And Galen’s life had probably had a multitude of sharp edges. Eve’s gaze wandered from the white damask tablecloth to the flickering spring-green candles and then to the delicate bone china. It was as different as night and day from her cozy meal two nights ago in the kitchen.

And that had been his intention, she realized suddenly. He hadn’t wanted to remind her of Marie Letaux or that last meal she’d had in this house.

“I’m sure your meal would have been wonderful. Thank you, Galen.”

“You’re welcome. It’s just too bad I have to wait a little longer to be truly appreciated.” He took her arm. “Let’s get you over to the church so you can stop fretting.”

To her surprise, Melton was waiting impatiently outside the church when they arrived there. “Good, you’re early. You’re better? Galen said you weren’t feeling well.”

“I feel much better.” Her gaze went to the door. “I expected you to be inside.”

“I don’t have a key. I’ve been waiting for— Here he is.” His gaze was on the sandy-haired man hurrying toward them. “This is Rick Vadim. I hired Rick to help you out here. Rick, this is Ms. Duncan.”

The young man nodded and smiled at Eve. “How do you do, ma’am. It’s my pleasure to meet you.”

“Hello. I’m very glad to meet you.” She shook his hand. “This is Sean Galen.

He’s—”

“Ms. Duncan’s assistant,” Galen supplied. “I make things run smoothly for her.”

“Then that makes two of us,” Rick said solemnly. “That’s also my assignment.”

“Rick has been hired to assist Ms. Duncan in any way possible,” Melton said.

“You’re a forensic anthropologist?” Eve asked.

“No, I have no scientific background. But I’m very good at acquiring things and smoothing the way.” He unlocked the door. “You’d like to see the skull?”

“That’s why I’m here.” Eve glanced around the vestibule. She’d half expected the interior of the church to be covered with dust, but it was spotless. “Where is it?”

“The main chapel.” Rick gestured to the arched doorway. “This way, please.”

“The chapel?”

“It seemed more respectful,” Rick said. “From what I’ve read about your work, you believe in showing respect for those who have passed on.”

“Yes, I do. But I doubt if I’ll be able to work in your chapel. I require a good deal of light, a worktable, and a pedestal for my equipment.”

“I’ve already set up a room for you. I think you’ll be satisfied.” He threw open the door. “There it is.”

A huge black coffin.

She stopped short in the doorway and stared at it. The coffin dominated the small sanctuary.

“I’ll wait out here,” Melton said.

Eve felt the same strange reluctance to approach the coffin as he obviously did. “I thought you would have already removed the skull from the coffin. I didn’t expect to see— It’s very… big…”

“The coffin is designed to protect the remains from further damage or decay. We wanted to make sure the skull was perfectly preserved,” Rick said earnestly. “Believe me, I’m very upset that the rest of the skeleton has been misplaced. I wasn’t in charge here when that happened.”