And one woman had already been caught in that net. All afternoon and night Joe had been dealing with her murder. When he'd looked at Fay Sugarton, all he could think about was Eve. But when wasn't he thinking of Eve?

"She's gone."

Joe closed his eyes. God, he'd known it.

"I swear, no one got into the apartment, Joe. I've been here all the time, and I checked the doors after Eve went to bed."

"Did she get any phone calls?"

"Not on the apartment phone. And I didn't hear her digital ring."

"You might not have heard it if she was in another room."

"She didn't mention a call."

Dom had called her. Joe knew it in his gut. Dom had called and she had left the apartment.

To meet him?

She wouldn't have done that. It would have been stupid, and Eve was never stupid.

No, to lure her out of the apartment, Dom would have used a threat she couldn't ignore.

Jane MacGuire.

Shit.

He hung up and flipped his Rolodex for Barbara Eisley's pager. It was the only way he could get the address of the halfway house at this hour.

Eisley called back in less than a minute. But it took ten minutes for Joe to persuade her to give him the address.

Rage and fear were building inside him with every second. He wanted to strangle Eve. She had closed him out again. All the years of being together, and she had turned her back on him. He wished he'd never met the bitch. Who needed to have that kind of torment in their lives? Half the time he wanted to shake her and the other half he wanted to cradle her and take away her pain. She thought she was strong enough to take on anything, but she was no match for Dom.

Don't do it, Eve.

Don't run toward him.

Wait for me.

SHE WAS RUNNING.

The alley smelled of grease and garbage.

Darkness.

A sound to the left.

Her heart leaped to her throat.

Dom?

No, only a cat.

Where was Jane?

"Jane? Do you see her, Mark?"

"Here," Jane called out.

The big cardboard refrigerator box against the brick wall.

"Mike's okay." Jane crawled out of the box, dragging a small boy with her. "He's just scared. He said he kept hearing scratching tonight. Probably rats. He's hungry. You got anything in your purse?"

"I'm afraid not."

"Who are they?" Mike was staring at Eve and Mark warily. "Welfare?"

"I wouldn't do that to you," Jane said. "But you can't stay here any longer. There's some bad people hanging around."

"I'm okay."

"You'll be better where Eve will take you. Get your stuff."

Mike hesitated.

"There will be plenty of food."

"Okay." Mike ducked back into the box.

"Where are you going to take him?" Jane asked. "He's going to want to know."

So did Eve. "I've got to think about it."

"Not welfare."

"No."

"Not back to his father."

"Okay, Jane, I get the point."

"You promised."

She inhaled sharply. Something was gleaming wetly on the cardboard box. "I'll keep my promise."

Mike came out of the box carrying a duffel bag. "What kind of food? I like french fries."

"I'll see what I can do." She turned to Mark. "Take them back to the car, will you?"

Jane looked at her.

Mark raised his brows. "You're not coming?"

"In a minute."

He nodded and began to shepherd the children up the alley.

She reached out and gingerly touched the dark stain on the box. Not as wet as she'd thought, only a little came off on her fingertips. Her hand was trembling as she reached into her handbag and drew out a small flashlight.

The stain on her fingers was dark red, almost rusty.

Blood.

He kept hearing scratching tonight.

She shone the light on the box.

You've done well, Eve. A small reward . . .

She felt sick as she realized how close Dom had been to the little boy.

Reward?

Mike's life was her reward?

No.

The dots at the end of the sentence were leading downward.

Something white lay on the ground.

She slowly knelt down and shone the light on the small object.