"Wrong way?"

"I want to go to Luther Street."

Fay's house. "You can't go back there," Eve said gently. "Fay's not there anymore, Jane."

"I know that. Do you think I'm stupid? She's dead. They'd take her to the morgue. I still have to go to Luther Street."

"Did you leave something there?"

"Yes."

"The police are at the house. They won't let you in and they'll take you back to welfare."

"Just take me to Luther Street. Okay?"

"Jane, listen to me. The house is under--"

"I don't want to go to the house. Just let me off at the alley two blocks away."

"The alley you ducked down this afternoon when you spotted our car?"

Jane nodded.

"Why?"

"I want to go."

"You left something in the alley?" Mark asked from the driver's seat.

"Why do you want to know? So you can put it on TV?" Jane asked fiercely. "It's none of your business."

"You are my business at the moment," Mark said. "Eve promised me a story if I helped her spring you. Do you know what the penalty is for kidnapping minors? I'll get thrown in jail and my career will go down the drain. I'm risking a hell of a lot and I don't need your sass, little girl."

Jane ignored him and turned to Eve. "Jail? Then why did you do it?"

"I was worried about you. I thought you might be in danger."

"Like Fay?"

Christ, what could she say now? The truth. "Like Fay."

"You know who did it?"

Eve nodded.

"Who?"

"I'm not sure of his real name. He calls himself Dom."

"Why did he do it? Fay never hurt anyone."

"He's not sane. He likes to hurt people. I know that's terrible, but there are people out there who don't care about anything but doing harm."

"I know that. The creeps. There are lots of them around."

Eve stiffened. "Are there?" She paused. "Have you seen any of them around lately?"

"Maybe." Jane glanced at Mark. "I watch the news on TV. They always show the creeps."

Mark shrugged. "It's my job."

"Have you seen anyone who scared you lately?" Eve persisted.

"He didn't scare me. He was just like those others who hang around the school yard."

"Did he follow you?"

"Sometimes."

"For God's sake, why didn't you tell someone?"

Jane looked out the window. "I want to go to Luther Street. Now."

"What did he look like?" Mark asked.

"Big. Quick. I didn't really see him. Just another creep. Take me to Luther Street or let me out of the car."

Mark glanced at Eve with raised brows. "Well?"

"Take us to the alley but use the Market Street entrance. We can't chance anyone seeing us from the house."

"You mean Quinn." Mark took a left at the next corner.

"Yes." Unless Joe had already gone back to the apartment and discovered she was gone.

"He's going to raise hell about this."

"I know." She leaned back in the seat. "I couldn't do anything else."

"I'm not complaining. If you weren't trying to protect Quinn, you wouldn't have felt it necessary to have my help. He's not above jettisoning me if he thought it better for you."

"Hurry," Jane said.

There was such tension in her voice that Eve glanced at her in surprise. Jane was sitting straight up in the seat, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. "We'll be there soon, Jane."

"Just what did you leave in that alley?" Mark asked softly.

Jane didn't answer, but Eve could see her fists tightening into her palms and felt a sudden chill. "Speed it up, Mark."

"I'm doing the limit."

"Then go over it."

"Considering what we've just done, it's not smart to risk--"

"Do it."

He shrugged and pressed the accelerator.

"Thanks." Jane didn't look at Eve as she spoke the word grudgingly.

"What's in that alley, Jane?"

"Mike," Jane whispered. "The creep saw him. I told him to go over by the Union Mission, but he's probably back on Luther. It's closer to his mom."

"Who's Mike?"

"He's too little. I tried to keep him-- Kids are dumb when they're that little. They don't know . . ."

"About creeps, Jane?"