“My info is still there, isn’t it?”

“Actually, I deleted it.”

“Really?”

“I reentered it later myself. I got a weird feeling whenever I looked at the entry you made. I felt like I’d been violated.”

“In a world where we live and die by our wireless devices, it’s hard not to expect a few incursions.”

“Sheila Hunter’s phone is probably still in the area. Can you pull her address or recent call log?”

He raised his phone. “Already done.”

Her eyes widened. “You’re full of shit.”

“I did it while you were sparring with Detective Stokes. I didn’t think you were going to have his cooperation in any meaningful way and made a preemptive strike. It’s all right here.”

“How did you know you were hacking her phone?”

“Because I got her cell number … off your call log.”

She bristled. “You hacked my phone again?”

“You called her yesterday and today, right?”

“I am not believing this…”

“Yes, you are. It’s what you wanted, isn’t it? I live to oblige. By the way, who keeps calling you from the 310 area code? Someone I should be jealous about?”

“Says the guy with the supermodel girlfriend.”

“I wouldn’t say she’s a supermodel. At least not yet.”

“I think I need to take my phone and have it scrubbed in bleach.”

“It’s the world we live in. I can help you secure that phone with just a few—”

“No thanks. You’d probably leave yourself a back door. I’ll handle my own security.”

“Because you’ve been doing such a stellar job of it so far.”

“We’ll discuss all your flagrant privacy violations later.” She lowered her voice. “Let’s take a look at her car.”

They walked the fifty yards away to the parking lot, where Sheila Rogers’s white Volvo XC90 SUV was parked. Kendra turned on her phone’s flashlight as they drew closer.

“Looks like we have first crack at this,” Lynch said. “The cops haven’t pulled her car registration yet.”

“I have a feeling they’ll be over here the minute they see us. We need to make this fast.” Kendra shined her flashlight through the driver’s side window. “The driver’s seat is set for Sheila’s height. The passenger seat is all the way back, probably for a taller man.” She moved the light over the vehicle interior. “Sheila was a nonsmoker though I noticed that after I met her.”

“It’s amazingly clean,” Lynch said.

“Yes. As a matter of fact…” She suddenly stepped back.

“What is it?”

Kendra looked up to see Stokes and a pair of uniformed officers approaching. “I … think Sheila Hunter’s killer was in this car.”

Stokes stopped a few feet away, staring at her. “Did I hear you correctly?”

“It depends on what you heard. I wasn’t trying to hide what I was thinking.”

“I’m not certain of that. I came over here to bust your chops about contaminating another part of my crime scene.”

“Fine. Bust away.”

“It can wait. What makes you think her killer was in here?”

Kendra shined her light back into the car. “Look for yourself.”

Stokes glanced inside. “I’m sure you’re gonna try to make me feel like an idiot in a few seconds, but I don’t see a thing.”

“I don’t see anything, either,” Kendra said.

“That’s a relief. So what’s your point?”

“It’s pristine clean. I’ll bet forensics won’t find a single fingerprint on the dashboard, the console, the door handle, the control touch screen, or even that glossy mahogany steering wheel. Not one. Unless she suffered from an acute obsessive-compulsive disorder that compelled her to totally wipe down the interior of her car every time she arrived at her destination, I’d say her killer was in here, and he wiped it clean. One way or another, this is where the abduction took place. She was killed somewhere between here and her houseboat.”

Stokes nodded. “Very good guess. But I’m sure forensics would have told us that once we turned them loose on it. I’ll tell them what to look for. Or not look for. I’ll need you to step back and keep out of the way now.”

Kendra raised her hands and took a step back. “Your gratitude is overwhelming.”

“Sorry. Just doing my job.”

“Ready?” Lynch asked Kendra.

“In a minute.” Stokes wasn’t being overly cooperative, but he hadn’t entirely closed her out. She watched him call for forensics, her gaze on the houseboat. When he finished the call, she nodded toward the dock. “Pretty pricey home for a journalist.”

“It appears she lived there alone, but it wasn’t hers. The marina has it registered to another name.”

“What name?”

He didn’t answer.

“Look, Stokes, you don’t really think I had anything to do with her death. There’s no way I could have gotten her up on that mast. Yes, I had no liking for Sheila Hunter. She lied and attacked me. But I’ve worked with you guys before, and you know that I’m not stupid enough to kill someone just for being a bitch. I do want to work at clearing this up. Help me out, okay?”

He hesitated, then looked down at his notebook. “I guess you could find this out just by checking the registration. Kevin Burnett.”

“Boyfriend?” Lynch asked.

“We’re still trying to find out. We just got it a few minutes ago.”

He was still reluctant. Ask questions fast before he closed down again. Kendra glanced around at the growing crowd of onlookers. “Who found the body?”

“A private security officer on his scheduled patrol. He didn’t see anybody else out here. We’ve already started a canvass, but very few of these crafts have anyone living on them. There aren’t many guests at the moment.”

“The killer chose his spot well.”

Stokes moved closer to Kendra. “Suppose I let you in on something, Dr. Michaels. I’ve helped you, now you help me. You probably couldn’t see from where you were, but the victim was posed in a very specific way. The fists were balled up with glue, probably the same glue that was on her eyes. Her wrists were turned, with elbows slightly bent.”

“I could see,” Kendra said. “It was another hand-and-arm signal.”

“And you know what it means?”

“I’m afraid I do. It means ‘stand by for further messages.’”

“A threat?”

“A promise.”

Stokes’s gaze shifted back to the body on the mast, which two firemen and a forensic tech were finally pulling over to the ladder. “I know what you’re thinking. Everyone knows you show up at our crime scenes because you’re looking for that creep Colby. Some of our people think you’re nuts. Maybe they’re right. But, me, I take help where I can get it.” He glanced back at her. “But this doesn’t really mean anything. It could be just a copycat, riled up by you and your theories.”

She shook her head. “I’ve been pretty damned quiet about my suspicions as far as anyone but law enforcement is concerned. It was that reporter who took it public.” As Kendra spoke, she glanced up and happened to lock eyes with Sheila’s horrific, glued-open gaze.

She was riveted, frozen in place.

“Kendra?” Lynch said softly.

“Yeah.” She finally tore her gaze away. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

*   *   *

THEY DROVE IN SILENCE FOR A few minutes before Lynch finally spoke. “Do you think it was him?”

Kendra glanced up from looking out the passenger-side window. “I don’t know. Colby’s influence was definitely there, but Stokes was right. It could have been someone imitating his crimes.”

“I guess we’ll have to wait for the DNA.”

“There won’t be any. At least not if it’s Colby. All those murders he committed, he never left behind a shred of his DNA.”

“That’s incredible.”

“Almost unheard of in this day and state of technology. Evidence collection has improved in the last few years, but I’d still be surprised if he left anything behind.”

“Maybe in the car. Criminals sometimes leave behind skin cells when they’re trying to wipe away prints.”

“Colby knows better. But if it’s somebody else…” She shrugged. “Who knows?”