„You… weren’t there.“

„Are you sure, Mr. Skinner? Are you very sure about that? You sat at the same table with those two animals.“ His voice shook with anger. „And when Renee came to the stand, you decimated her, assaulting her a second time. Not with your fists or your…“ He waved a hand toward Skinner’s lower regions. „But you assaulted her the same. She was a party girl. The boys had met her the weekend before. Not true. She’d agreed to meet them. Not true. A drug test showed she’d smoked some marijuana sometime in the previous two weeks, confirming what kind of girl she was. So you said she’d asked for it, allowed them to do it. Then accused them falsely.“ He leaned close, his body vibrating with fury. „Do you remember now, Mr. Skinner?“

„Answer the question, Mr. Skinner. Yes or no?“

Skinner moaned. „Oh, God.“

He straightened. „Not so comfortable now, Mr. Skinner? I’ve contemplated this, long and hard. Those animals went free because you painted Renee Dexter as a girl with loose morals. When she tried to defend herself you tripped her up again and again until she finally had no voice at all.“ He was calm again, and ready to do what needed to be done. „Now you’ll learn what it is like to have no voice, Mr. Skinner.“

Friday, February 20,

3:45 A.M.

Zoe ripped the sheet away from his sleeping form. „Up you go.“ She shook his shoulder impatiently. „Rise and shine, big boy. Time to go home.“

He rolled over onto his back and blinked up at her. „What time is it?“

„Almost four. Your wife’s alarm will be going off in less than two and a half hours.“

His eyes flew open at that. „Shit.“ He rolled out of bed and grabbed his boxer shorts. „Why the hell did you let me go to sleep?“

Zoe looked away, under the pretense of gathering the items that had fallen from his pockets until she managed to control the gleam in her eye. She turned back, her hands filled with his belongings. „Because I fell asleep, too.“ She smiled, alluringly. „You tired me out.“

He looked up from tucking in his shirttail into his pants, a smug grin on his face. He’d earned it, so she let him be self-satisfied for now. „You were fucking amazing.“

She brushed her lips against his. „Hmm. I know. But it’s time to go home.“

„I’m going. You want to meet me tonight?“

Not if I can help it, she thought, but smiled nevertheless. „I’d love to.“ If she had her way, by sunset she’d be ass-deep into what was becoming a more interesting case with every new tidbit she learned.

Grabbing her chin between his fingers, he placed a hard kiss on her lips. „I’ll call you.“

She walked him to the door. „You do that.“ Then she closed the door behind him and, sliding the deadbolt into place, let the Cheshire cat grin take over her face.

She wondered if he knew he talked in his sleep. She suspected his wife did.

She grabbed the phone. „Scott… Of course I know what time it is. Meet me at the station in an hour. We’re going to have a very busy day.“

Friday, February 20,

8:30 A.M.

„You don’t look so good, sugar.“

Kristen looked up from the pile of papers on her desk, bleary-eyed. John’s secretary stood in the doorway of her office, her lower Up pushed out in a worried pout, a stack of folders in her arms.

„Thank you so much, Lois.“ She eyed the folders bale-fully. „Don’t say those are for me.“

„ ‘Fraid so.“ The pile landed on her desk with a thump, leaving Lois’s hands free to plunk down on her generous hips. „Did you sleep last night?“

No, not a wink. „A little.“ She unscrewed the cap from the thermos Owen had filled that morning and refilled her cup. „But I have enough coffee to keep me going.“

„Any new letters?“

She shook her head, thinking of the footprints Reagan had found in the snow next to her windows. „No, but it will happen. It’s only a matter of time.“

Fellow prosecutor Greg Wilson poked his head in the door. „Did you ask her, Lois?“

Lois turned around with a frown. „I was getting to it.“

Greg ambled into the room. He’d just celebrated his fortieth birthday, but retained boyish good looks that made all the women in the office by turns sigh in admiration and grumble in envy. „We’re all worried about you, Kristen.“

Kristen felt a prick of annoyance. „I can take care of myself, Greg.“

He waved his hand as if she hadn’t spoken. „Come stay with us. We have an extra room since my mother-in-law ran off with that man from her bingo parlor.“

Kristen’s mouth dropped open. „What?“

„Yeah, my mother-in-law met this guy and! – “

Kristen shook her head, as much to clear her brain as to shut him up. „No, you want me to come stay with you?“

„We all know you live by yourself,“ Lois rushed to explain. „We drew straws to see who would ask you.“

Kristen raised a brow. „And you lost, Greg?“

„No, I won. We want you to come stay with us. Until all this blows over.“

Touched, she found a smile. „I don’t think your wife will approve.“

„It was my wife’s idea.“

Kristen’s eyes widened. „You told her about the letters?“

Greg frowned. „Of course not. I told her your house was being renovated and you needed a place to stay.“ He grew a little sheepish. „Then she saw Richardson ’s spot last night and confronted me about it over breakfast this morning. But I still didn’t say anything. What do you say?“

Kristen looked up at the two of them, their faces so earnest and concerned and her heart clenched, just a little. It had been a long time since someone went out of their way to take care of her. No, it hasn’t. Reagan did last night. „I say it’s a wonderful gesture.“

Greg scowled. „But?“

„But I won’t be driven from my own home. Besides, Lieutenant Spinnelli is having a surveillance camera installed today.“

Greg looked resigned. „I think you’re making a mistake.“

She smiled at the two of them. „Thanks. I mean it.“

Lois leaned over the desk to give her a quick hug and Kristen stiffened. It had been a long time since she’d been cared for, still longer since she’d been embraced in any way. Lois immediately pulled back, her cheeks reddening slightly, but she made no apology for her unexpected gesture. „You’ll tell us if we can help you, Kristen.“

„I will. I promise.“ With an effort Kristen lightened her voice to soften the dismissal. „Now, I’ve got less than an hour to review all these new files before I have to be in court.“

Lois exited, shaking her head. Greg stopped at the door for a last comment, his normally pleasant face grim. „Kris, we’re seriously worried. Don’t underestimate this guy.“

She met his eyes. „I won’t.“

Then she sank back down into her chair, staring at the new files she’d add to her caseload. After a minute she shook herself and lifted the first folder from the stack. And sighed. Another rape case.

Some days were better than others. This wouldn’t be one of those days.

Friday, February 20,

11:00 a.m.

„Thanks for waiting for me.“

Abe looked over at Kristen in the passenger seat. Those had been the first words she’d uttered since climbing up into his SUV, her coat unbuttoned, her cheeks flushed from a combination of cold and exertion. She’d run down the courthouse stairs so fast he’d been shocked she hadn’t tripped on her high heels. For the first twenty minutes of the drive she glanced nervously behind them until he assured her that although Zoe Richardson had been following, they’d lost her a few miles back.

Now she sat unmoving, her eyes fixed on the passing scenery of the quiet little neighborhood in the suburbs that was home to the first of Ross King’s young victims.