"Could I go?" Charlie asked.

"No, you may not," Spiro said. "You stay here and guard Ms. Duncan. I don't want you out of sight of the cabin, and you make sure those other perimeter guards are on their toes."

"Eve," she said dryly. "Formality is pretty silly under the circumstances."

"Eve." Spiro smiled. "I suppose you're right. We all may become more intimate than we'd like before this is over. Good-bye. I'll let you know if I find out anything else." He paused at the door. "Stay inside, Eve. I evidently have more faith in my guys and your friend Quinn than you do."

As soon as the door closed behind Spiro, Charlie grinned. "I'd better get outside. I could see Spiro wasn't pleased with me for going over his head. It will take a little groveling and strict obedience for me to redeem myself."

She smiled back, then returned to her bedroom to shower.

Phoenix, Arizona. Two bodies.

Eleven at Talladega. Two in Phoenix. How many more had Dom killed? How could a man murder that many people and remain human?

Was he human? How much evil could he commit without his soul becoming twisted and--

She was cold and starting to shake. Stop it. It didn't matter what manner of monster Dom had become. All that was important was that they catch him and keep him from murdering again.

The hot water poured out of the showerhead onto her body.

But it didn't banish the chill.

"FOR HEAVEN' S SAKE, stop prowling, Joe," Eve said. "It's after midnight. Why don't you go to bed?"

"You go to bed. I'm a little tense, okay?"

"You don't have to bite my head off."

"Yes, I do. It's one of the few things that I'm allowed. There's damn few of them that I can--" He stopped. "Sorry. Maybe I'm getting cabin fever waiting for something to happen."

So was she, and she didn't feel like being sweet and generous about Joe's nerves. "If you won't go to bed, make yourself useful and go out and give Charlie a cup of coffee."

"Maybe I will."

She drew a deep breath as the front door shut behind him a few minutes later. She had never seen Joe this explosive. Ever since that afternoon he'd been--

Her phone rang.

"Did I wake you?" Dom asked.

Her heart was pounding. "No, I wasn't asleep."

"Oh, yes, you must have slept after you finished working on little Johnny Devon. It was him, wasn't it?"

"I told you I wouldn't tell you anything."

"Defiant. That means I guessed right. I knew you'd do a fine job. You take great pride in your work."

"Why are you calling me?"

"It's important that I stay in touch with you, that we get to know each other better. I'm sure that's what Agent Spiro told you. Draw the bastard out. Find out everything you can for the FBI profile. Isn't that right?"

"Something like that."

"I'll cooperate. But you have to give me something too. I want a profile on you, Eve."

"You already seem to know a great deal about me."

"Not enough. For instance, do you believe in reincarnation?"

"What?"

"Reincarnation. Millions of people do, you know. Such a comforting belief." He chuckled. "As long as you don't come back as a cockroach."

"What are you talking about?"

"But I don't think God would let your Bonnie come back as a cockroach, do you?"

"Shut up."

"That hurt, didn't it? I could almost feel it myself. Pretty little Bonnie . . ."

It had hurt. The bizarre idea had stabbed her. Stupid to let him hurt her. Even stupider to let him know he'd hurt her. "It didn't bother me. Why should it? I don't believe in reincarnation."

"You should consider it. As I said, it could be very comforting. I've been thinking a lot about it lately. Are you familiar with the Bible?"

"Some."

"It's not my favorite tome, but there are some unique ideas in it. I found one particularly amusing. Genesis 2:22."

"I don't know what that is."

"I'll tell you. But first go to the front door and get my present."

"Present?"

"It's on the left edge of the porch. I couldn't just come up to the front door and leave it with that FBI agent watching you so closely."

She moistened her lips. "What kind of present?"

"Go get it, Eve. I'll hang on."

"I'd be dumb to go outside just because you tell me to. You could be waiting for me."

"You know better. You know I'm not going to hurt you yet." He paused. "But I won't promise not to hurt Quinn if you call him. This is just between us. Go get the present."

She moved toward the door.

"Are you doing it?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now, let's see. They say that the souls of victims of violence are troubled and return to earth as soon as possible. So Bonnie would have been reincarnated immediately."