“No one was here?”

He shook his head. “Only the guards patrolling the grounds. And I guess they must have realized you weren’t an intruder. You thought there was actually someone inside the church?”

“No, I guess not. I just had a feeling that… Never mind. I’ll see you in the morning.” She turned to Melton. “Good-bye, Senator.”

“I take it you’re going to accept the job? I wasn’t sure you would. I’m very grateful.”

“I’m not doing it for you. I’m doing it for that man’s family.” He smiled. “I’m still grateful. I’m glad everything is working out well. You have my phone number; please call me if there’s any problem.”

“You can count on it. Come on, Galen.” Eve started toward the bridge.

“Did you see anything that led you to believe someone was here that night?” Galen asked.

“No, it was only a feeling.”

He chuckled. “Maybe it was the ghost of our gladiator.”

“I don’t believe in ghosts.”

“That’s probably good. Considering how many skeletons you deal with, you could become a basket case.”

She glanced away from him. “Do you believe in ghosts?”

“I don’t not believe in them. I think anything is possible. I just have to be shown.” He smiled. “And so far our ghostly friends haven’t seen fit to show themselves to me.”

“The mind sees what it wants to see. It’s all imagination… or dreams.”

“Dreams?”

She changed the subject. “And stop calling him a gladiator.”

“That’s right. His name is Victor. Isn’t that what you called him?” She glanced back at the church. Melton and Rick must have gone back inside. The door was shut, and the entrance had regained that air of forbidding secrecy she’d noticed the first time she saw it.

Well, secrets were meant to be solved, and tomorrow she would start. “Yes, his name is Victor.”

“Will you do it?” Joe asked. “All I’m asking is an afternoon of your time. Just come with me to Capel’s neighbors and let them describe the guy to you.”

“Don’t bullshit me. That’s only where it starts.” Lenny Tyson penciled in a line beside the flaring nostrils of the woman in his sketch. “Then the real work begins, and I’m swamped right now. You know that, Joe.”

“A favor, Lenny.”

Tyson glanced up from the sketch. “Why? Is the guy a mass murderer or something?”

Joe shook his head. “This isn’t department business, it’s personal. I’ll pay you twice what the department pays for composite sketches. George Capel was seen by two neighbors the day before he disappeared. He entered his condo with a small, dark-haired man in his late twenties or early thirties. They came out a few hours later and drove off together. He was seen again later that same day at the bank where he has a safety-deposit box. The same man accompanied him. That was almost a week ago.”

“And you want me to draw a sketch of Capel’s friend?”

“Come on, Lenny. How long could it take?”

“It depends how good a memory the neighbors have.” Tyson leaned back in his chair. “Seven days is a long time. It’s promising that they remembered the color of his hair and that he wasn’t a big man. How close does it have to be?”

“I want to try to compare it to mug files.”

“Ouch. That’s tough.”

“Will you do it?”

“Twice what the department pays?”

“Three times.”

Lenny sighed, stood up, and grabbed his art portfolio. “Let’s go.” Chapter 6

« ^ »

VICTOR’S SKULL WAS SITTING ON A PEDESTAL WHEN EVE WALKED INTO THE

workroom at seven the next morning.

“I told you I’d have everything ready.” Rick beamed as he gestured around the small room. “There are your worktables, and I got the pedestal from a sculptor who lives here in Baton Rouge. Is it okay?”

“Very nice.”

“And the video equipment?”

“I'll check it out later. That’s the last stage.“ Eve set her case down on the worktable. ”Now, if you’ll get me several towels and a bowl of water, I’ll be able to start.“

“Sounds like you’re going to operate or deliver a baby.” Galen had appeared in the doorway.

Rick chuckled as he hurried out of the room.

“There are similarities to both.” Eve rolled up the sleeves of her loose white shirt.

“I was wondering where you were this morning.”

“I was on the phone most of the night. I kept an eye on you from my balcony when you left the house.”

“Why were you on the phone?”

“Research. Melton is a little too slick for my liking. So I called a few contacts.” He made a face. “But Melton seems to be telling the truth on all fronts. Bently did disappear two years ago, and everything you were told about him seems to check out. Model citizen, husband, and father. From all accounts he was a genuinely nice guy. Sheriff Bouvier is a respected law enforcement officer and did release the skeleton to Melton.”

“Skeleton?”

“Bouvier knew nothing about the skeleton disappearing. Melton promised him that he’d get an expert to quickly do a DNA test and then quietly return the remains to him. When I told Bouvier that there might be quite a few pieces missing, he was hopping mad. It’s his job on the line. When he calmed down, he said he’d contact the senator, and he was sure Melton would use his influence to have the skeleton found and returned to him. He was just brimful of excuses and praise for the senator. He’s solidly in Melton’s camp.”

“You sound disappointed that Melton’s story checked out.” He shrugged. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

“If we find out there’s a problem, I can always stop and go home.” But she didn’t want to go home. She didn’t intend to go back and face the very situation she’d run away from. She wanted to work until she dropped, and then work some more.

“Are you sure I can’t persuade you to bolt out of here? I’ll call and see if I can get us tickets to Atlanta.”

“Us?”

“My job’s not finished. I stay with you until I’m sure there’s no more danger.”

“I’m not walking around for any extended length of time with a bodyguard, Galen.”

“Just until I’m sure. The airport?”

Eve thought about it. She wasn’t one to undervalue the power of instinct, but there was no firm reason to think she wouldn’t be able to finish this job safely. True, her food poisoning was worrying, but she was well guarded now by both Galen and the men she had seen about the grounds of the church this morning.

And she didn’t like the idea of someone killing a man like the one Galen had described and walking away from it without being punished. You couldn’t punish a crime without identifying a victim—and that was her job.

“Not until I’m sure that there’s a reason to go.” She turned back to the skull.

“Now go away for a while. I need to get to work.”

“He’s pretty filthy.” Galen touched the mud on Victor’s forehead. “Funny-looking dirt, isn’t it?”

She shrugged. “Dirt is dirt.”

“Are you going to be able to get it all off him?”

“The majority of it. I’m not going to try to get it out of all the cavities. I might cause more breakage.” She made a shooing motion. “Go. I want to get a start on cleaning up Victor before it’s time for you to take me to Marie’s funeral.”

“You’re still going?”

“Why shouldn’t I? One, it could have been an accident. Two, if it wasn’t, maybe someone else slipped something into the ingredients Marie brought to the house. If she’s innocent, then she was killed to keep her from talking, or to make my attack look more accidental. Not a pretty thought, is it?”

“Murder is even less pretty.” Galen smiled. “But you want to believe the best of Marie. So we’ll go to the funeral. It can’t hurt.” After Galen left, Eve turned back to Victor and began to carefully scrape the dirt from his skull.

It’s funny dirt.

She paused and stared at it. It was strange-looking. Minute white chips seemed to be imbedded in rich black mud, making it appear lighter.

Forget it. Maybe all the dirt in Sheriff Bouvier’s parish was like this. If it wasn’t, then the police must have noticed it. It wasn’t her business. Just get it off and do your job.