And she shivered, dismayed, angry, oddly frightened.

“Kaila, let me help you.”

“No…no, it’s just one little bag.”

“What are you doing out so late?”

“Just buying milk.”

“Dan should have come out. The night is dangerous.”

“No, lots of people shop on Friday night. The store stays open until eleven.”

“It’s still dangerous.” He hesitated. “He doesn’t love you enough. Like I do. When are you going to realize that? When are you going to come with me?” He leaned close to her, his voice husky. “Let me lick you all over. Let me eat those panties off you!”

She inhaled sharply. “How could you have done such a thing to me!” she demanded angrily.

“What? I sent you a present for us to share.”

She shook her head. “I thought it came from Dan.”

His face hardened. “Why would it have come from Dan? You told me he was an ass who couldn’t even come home on time.”

“I—I was wrong. Look, I know that I’ve kind of led you on, but…Dan is the father of my children. We’re married, we’ve had problems, but we’ll work them out. You’ve always made me feel good when I’ve been down, and I appreciate that, but…”

“But what, Kaila?”

“Please, no more presents. There can’t be anything between us. Except the closeness we’ve always had.”

He shook his head. “You’re wrong,” he said very softly, tenderly. “You love me. Eventually you’ll realize it. So screw Dan.”

“You don’t understand,” Kaila tried to explain.

“Yeah, I do. You’re being a cunt, like most women. Like your mother.”

“My God, how could you—How dare you—”

“Sorry,” he said briefly. “All right, you’re in love with your husband again. I’ll put your bag in your car for you.” He took the bag from her and walked to the car with it. She was suddenly afraid that he was going to force his way in with her.

He didn’t. He put the bag on the back seat and closed the door. “Look, Kaila, I’m sorry. What I said was awful. You have been leading me on, though. And you are going to have trouble with Dan again. You’ll be looking for what I can give you again.”

“No…Please, I didn’t mean to hurt you. I was just going through a bad time. And Dan is furious. I lied like crazy, but he’s determined to find out where those panties came from. Please, you’ve got to be careful. We’ve got to stop talking, and—”

“Kissing?”

“Right. We have to stop kissing. Please, don’t be angry with me. I care about you. Please, don’t be mad.”

“I’m not mad.” He smiled at her. “Because you’ll be back.”

She shook her head. “I won’t.”

“Kiss goodbye?” he inquired.

“Sure.”

It wasn’t a chaste kiss. He wanted more, and because she was unnerved at first, she didn’t fight him. Then she found the strength to pull away.

He drew away from her. “I still love you.”

“The best of friends,” she murmured.

“We’ll see.”

“Don’t be mad.”

“I’m not mad. Not at all.”

He turned and walked away. She shivered fiercely. She wondered if she should come clean. Tell Dan what she’d almost done.

Oh, God, no, she couldn’t. Too many other people were involved; she could ruin everything.

Kaila drove home quickly, called out to Dan that she was back and put her few groceries away. Dan was already in bed, watching television, when she went into their room. He patted her side of the bed, smiling hopefully.

“Just a sec—I’m going to shower.”

She showered, then brushed her teeth and rinsed with mouthwash, assuring herself that the taste of another man’s lips couldn’t possibly remain on her own.

14

“Oh, right! Let’s bring Madison along. Let’s make her look at another damn murder victim!” Kyle swore.

The light was on, and he was pacing back and forth in front of her bed. He was wearing black-cotton boxers, looking as hard and sleek as a panther, and just as edgy and dangerous as any caged cat. She remained in bed—relieved, oh, God, yes, relieved!—sitting up against the headboard, feeling the beginning of a pounding headache. Kyle was in a dark, angry mood.

Not that he hadn’t been reassuring at first, encircling her with his arms, holding her tighter and tighter until she knew it was him and her trembling stopped.

“You—you were in my room,” she reminded him. “You scared me.”

“You knew I was coming back. And you were shouting and crying out in your sleep. I figured you were dreaming again, but if you were, I had to wake you up. And if you weren’t…well, hell, hopefully I was going to save your life.”

“Then I’m sorry, but honestly, you scared me—”

“What was the dream?”

“I…don’t remember.”

“Bull. You remember all kinds of stuff you don’t tell me. You had a vision off your father’s boat that day, and you didn’t say a word to me. You waited until we were with Jimmy, the next day.”

“Well, Jimmy doesn’t think I intrude on his life.”

He paused, taking a deep breath, shaking his head. “Damn it, Madison, this isn’t the time to make me pay for any of the stupid things I might have said to you when I was upset.”

A violent shiver suddenly seized hold of her.

He stopped pacing, staring at her, coming back to her side. He sat on the bed beside her and drew her against him, and she felt the pounding of his heart, felt the different rhythm of her own.

“What is it?” he asked huskily.

“I’m all right. Just an aftershiver.”

“What was the dream? Was it about Tammy?”

She pulled away from him, looking at him, and shook her head. “No, it was strange, I can’t quite seem to remember exactly…It had the past mixed up with the present. I was driving west along the Tamiami Trail to the hunting shacks. It was me, but it wasn’t me…. It was like when we were kids, except that I was grown up, and the killer was trying to take me away somewhere, but I couldn’t run, because…”

“Because?”

“There was a child in the car.”

“Carrie Anne?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think so. It was very, very strange. It was me, but it was someone else—”

“You always see through the victim’s eyes.”

“Yes, but, this was different from the dreams I’ve had before.” She exhaled a long breath. “Some people have the gift of prophecy, but I never have. I’ve only seen what’s already happened. This dream was different. It wasn’t anything that’s happened, and it was and wasn’t me, in a different way. And the child…he kept saying, ‘Mommy.’ Weird, huh?”

“So you don’t think that any of it actually happened?”

She shook her head. “No. I mean…Please, tell me there haven’t been any children involved in any of these murders, right?”

He shook his head. “No. No kids.”

“Then maybe…I don’t know, maybe I have seen one corpse too many.” She hesitated. “How come Jassy never has nightmares?”

“She has a scientific mind.”

“I wish I did.” She hesitated. “Kyle, I still feel I can help on this. I feel it more and more.”

“And more and more, I get the feeling that you’re in danger. Besides that, you’re suffering. You’re suffering for every poor woman killed, and it’s bound to take a toll on you.”

“I’m okay. Cops and doctors learn to live with pain and death. I can do the same. I have done the same. I have to stay on this case. I have to!”

“Damn it, Madison, only if you promise to listen to me.”

“Oh, really? Who made you the boss?”

“The FBI.”

“Well, they didn’t make you the boss of my life.”

“If you want in on this one, I am.”

“Mommy?”

They both turned. Carrie Anne, her thumb in her mouth, was standing in the doorway to Madison’s room.

Guilt swamped Madison. She wasn’t even doing anything, but she couldn’t help feeling guilty. She’d had the best possible divorce, but she still felt bad for Carrie Anne. Carrie Anne adored her father, and this just felt…uncomfortable.