Wisdom is knowing what to
do next, skill is knowing how to do it, and virtue is doing
it.
—David Starr Jordan
23
Fortunately, it took me only a few
minutes to pull myself together. While Gabe went back into the room
to talk to Eden, I channeled all the horror and confusion that lay
deep inside me into a fierce determination to solve this
case.
As much as I wanted to run out of
there, call JT, and tell him to head over to the Bishop house to
take Mrs. Bishop into custody, I wasn’t ready to do that yet. I
hadn’t figured out how the two cases were linked.
What did the kidnapping have to do with
the killer?
I took a deep breath and went back into
the room. Eden looked a little wary as her gaze found mine. I
smiled. “It’s okay.”
She smiled back.
“I’m sorry I left you like that. I’d
like to explain why.”
Eden dug a stuffed kitten out from
under the blankets and hugged it. “Okay.”
I sat on the edge of her bed. “When I
was little, I had a very similar experience. And your description
brought back all the terrible memories I’d pushed out of my mind. I
got a little overwhelmed, but only for a minute.”
She looked at me with wide eyes, full
of innocence, and petted her kitten. “Were you scared when it
happened to you?”
“I was. Very.”
She blinked. Her eyes reddened. “Me
too. I’m afraid she’ll come back and hurt me again.”
“That’s why we need to catch her. And
we need you to help us do that, and make sure she’ll never hurt
another little girl again. You need to tell us everything you
remember.”
“Okay.”
“After she bit you, what happened?” I
asked.
“I got very tired. I fell
asleep.”
“And when you woke up?”
“I was hungry. Really, really hungry.
She brought me cereal and a banana for breakfast. And a sandwich
and some chips and a cookie for lunch. I ate everything, and she
was nice again, just like normal. And I asked her if I could go
home, over and over.”
“What did she say?”
“She said I couldn’t go home until
Veronica came back from camp.”
I leaned forward. “Did she say
why?”
“She said she missed Veronica a lot.
And I made her feel better. That’s all.”
“Okay. Did she say anything else?
Anything about hurting some women?”
“No. But I told Mr. Thomas that I got
away from Mrs. Bishop when she was giving me a bath. I hid in the
garage next door. I didn’t know where else to go. And I knew you
were staying there. I thought you could help me. I heard Mrs.
Bishop talking to Mrs. Quinley outside. And then Mrs. Quinley
screamed. I peeked out and saw Mrs. Bishop biting her, just like
she did me.”
Gabe and I exchanged a
look.
Kimberly Quinley had been the last
victim. She had died from leishmaniasis, considered by some to be
the deadliest tropical disease on the planet. But what I didn’t
understand was how the timing could fit. The average incubation
period for leishmaniasis was ten days to several years. “How long
did you stay with Mrs. Bishop? And how long were you hiding in the
garage?”
“I was with Mrs. Bishop for a long
time. I don’t know how long. I only spent four nights in the
garage. But you didn’t come back. I was afraid to go home because I
knew Mrs. Bishop would find me there. I didn’t know where else to
go.”
“So you heard Mrs. Quinley scream the
first day after you escaped?”
Eden shook her head and clutched her
toy tighter. “No, I heard her scream on the last day.”
“And how long were you hiding in the
garage?” I asked again.
“Four whole nights. I got real hungry,
but I was afraid to go home. I could hear Mrs. Bishop outside,
working in her yard, talking to people, asking if anyone had seen
me. She even talked to my mommy once. I was afraid she’d hurt her
too.”
“Okay. I think I need to make a call.”
I motioned for Gabe to join me outside. We headed out of the
building together. “Have they run screens for tropical infectious
diseases?”
“Everything’s come back
negative.”
I gnawed on my lip and touched my neck.
“I wonder why. If the vampire’s bite is toxic to adults, why isn’t
it toxic to children too?”
Gabe crossed his arms over his chest
and shrugged. “I don’t know. You’re the one with the father who
researched this stuff. Maybe it’s in his work
somewhere.”
“It probably is. I haven’t gotten
through all of it yet. Things have been a little
crazy.”
Gabe leaned back against a brick
column. “What are you going to do?”
“Does the chief know about
this?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. I’m going to call her and JT. I
don’t know if he’s aware of what’s going on. We need to profile
this unsub before the BPD tries to take her into custody. But
before we do that, I need to get home and dig through my dad’s
research, see if I can figure out exactly what we’re dealing with.
I hope my mother’s disappearance has nothing to do with this. It
sounds like Bishop is a spree attacker, preying upon any brunette
woman who happens to cross her path at the wrong time. And somehow,
Eden and Veronica play into Bishop’s hunting pattern. Now I’m
wondering if Veronica is really at camp, or somewhere else. We need
to find out.”
Gabe shoved his hand into his pants
pocket and dug out his phone. “Okay. I’ll probably see you back at
the academy later.”
“Thanks for calling me.”
“That’s what friends are
for.”
I dialed JT’s number as I scrabbled
into his car.
He answered on the first ring. “What’s
the story?”
“Our unsub is the neighbor Mrs. Bishop.
We have her on kidnapping, but we don’t have enough evidence to
charge her with murder yet. Nor do we have a motive.”
“Did you say, Mrs. Bishop?” he
whispered.
“Yes. Why? Let me guess, she’s there
with you?”
“She was. She left a few minutes ago,
after telling me she saw someone chasing the last victim through
the park last week.”
“She’s lying. But how are we going to
prove it?”
“DNA would be handy.”
“That’s for sure. Her DNA is definitely
unique. But I doubt you’ll get her to agree to a
swab.”
“There are other ways to get an unsub’s
DNA.”
“Legal?”
“Sure.”
“Well, okay. I’ll leave it to you,
then.”
“No problem.”
“You’ll be careful, right?” Sitting in
the running car, I stared out the windshield. The sky had darkened
to a threatening gray and the first fat droplets of rain were
smacking the glass. “I mean, the woman’s brutally murdered several
women, and she’s kidnapped a child.”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say
you’re worried about me.”
I heard the laughter in his voice.
“Maybe a little,” I admitted.
“Well, I’ll take that as a
compliment.”
“Take it any way you
like.”
“Any way?” His voice had that
flirtatious lilt I so enjoyed. . . and dreaded.
“Don’t get too carried away,” I
warned.
He laughed. Even on the phone, the
sound made me all warm and soft and gooey. I was glad I was alone.
He couldn’t see how it affected me. After a slightly awkward
moment, he said, “About your mother ...”
“No news, right?”
“Actually, I did get something, a
pretty decent lead.”
My heart started pounding. I curled my
fingers around the phone and smooshed it against my ear.
“Yeah?”
“A woman who lives in the house nearest
your mother’s car saw a woman who matches your mom’s description
get into a late-model blue sedan, either a Chrysler or a Dodge. We
have a partial plate. I got Brittany running it. Hopefully, she’ll
find a match.”
It wasn’t the best news, but it was
something. “God, I hope it doesn’t take too long to track down the
vehicle. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now, about your dad’s
research, I think we need to go over some of it. If we can figure
out exactly what Mrs. Bishop is, we might be able to find a
vulnerability, and a way to connect her to the crime, outside of
DNA. I’m going to call my connection at the BPD and let them know
who we’re looking at. They can keep an eye on her until we come up
with something more solid for them.”
“Sounds good.”
“How about we meet over at your place?”
he suggested. “You have the majority of the notes
there.”
I glanced at the clock on the dash. “I
can be there in a half hour.”
“Have you eaten lunch yet?” He
asked.
“ No.”
“Good. I’ll bring food. What are you in
the mood for?”
I smiled. “Surprise me. And,
JT?”
“Yeah?” he responded.
“How’re you going to get there? I have
your car.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll catch a
ride from someone.”
My roommate was playing with chemicals
again. Could it be that my out-of-control life was finally
returning to normal? Oh, please say it’s
so!
A cloud of gray smoke rolled through
the doorway as I opened the door. It was a beautiful sight. Crazy,
I’d never thought I’d be so happy to be standing in a thick,
noxious haze. “Katie? What are you cooking up now?”
“Lunch.” Katie, whom I expected to find
in a rubber apron, thick gloves, and a gas mask, came bouncing to
the door in a bright yellow dress, covered by a white apron printed
with red cherries. The colors nearly blinded me. So did her smile.
“It was supposed to be a surprise.”
“A surprise? For what?”
Katie flung her arms around me and gave
me an exuberant hug. “A thank-you gift. From me to
you.”
“Well ... okay. Uh, you’re welcome?” I
followed my energetic roommate into the kitchen, eyes watering, not
because I was overwhelmed with joy and gratitude, but because the
smoke was burning my corneas. On the top of the stove sat a cookie
sheet with some little black blobs on it. I didn’t ask. “What,
exactly, did I do to deserve this?”
Katie gave me another violently happy
hug. “I’m feeling so much better, thanks to you.”
“You are? That’s great!”
“I got a call from that doctor’s office
you recommended.”
I didn’t recommend any doctor, but I
didn’t want to tell her that. She looked so healthy and happy and
alive, it was hard to believe this was the same Katie I’d been
living with the past week or so. “And?”
“I’m not going crazy!” She jumped up
and down like a five-year-old who’d been set loose in a toy
store.
Not crazy. I knew how it felt to hear
that news. It was no wonder she was so happy. I threw my arms
around her and gave her a hug. “That’s great! For what it’s worth,
I never believed it was anxiety either. So what was it? You look
like you’re feeling so much better.”
“You’re going to laugh your ass off
when I tell you.”
“No, I promise I won’t.” I had my own
suspicions about what might have been wrong.
“Okay ... I”—she giggled—“poisoned
myself.”
“Of course you did. Look at what you
play with.” I motioned to the burned blobs.
“No, that’s just it. Here I am, working
in a lab day and night, and that wasn’t what made me sick. The damn
bug bomb did.”
“The what?”
“Remember when we had all those
fireflies in the apartment?”
“Sure.”
“Well, the doctor told me I used too
many bombs, and the chemicals are toxic to humans, if we’re exposed
to a high enough concentration of them. Which I was.”
“And I wasn’t?”
“You didn’t stay in the apartment that
first night. I did.”
Head smack. “Of course. Your symptoms
were classic signs of neurotoxicity. Shit. I should’ve figured that
out.”
“I don’t blame you. You’ve been dealing
with enough stuff.” She dumped the crispy contents of the pan into
the trash. “It doesn’t matter now. The doctor is treating me for
the exposure.”
“I’m so glad you’ll be okay. I was
really worried about you.”
“I’m just thankful you didn’t get tired
of me being such a bitch, and a slob.” Katie tossed the pan into
the sink and cranked on the faucet. “So much for the chicken Cordon
Bleu. I am a pathetic cook. Can’t even warm frozen chicken without
turning it to charcoal.”
“That’s okay. JT’s on his way over with
some lunch. I’ll split mine with you.”
Katie’s smile was genuine. “You are a
true friend, Sloan.” There was a knock at the door. “Is that your
mom or JT, I wonder?”
“It probably isn’t my mom. I need to
tell you something.” I held up an index finger; and at Katie’s nod,
I headed for the door. Sure enough, it was JT. And he was carrying
a big paper bag printed with the name of one of my all-time
favorite restaurants on its side. “You are a god.”
“You’ve finally figured that out?” JT
strolled in, wrinkling his nose. “What the hell is that
smell?”
“Katie was doing some
cooking.”
JT cringed. “I’m guessing she’s hungry
too?” He set the bag on the kitchen counter. “There’s plenty for
all of us.”
“So what’s the deal with your mom?”
Katie asked as she pulled three plates out of the
cupboard.
“She’s sort of ...
missing.”
“Oh, no. Again?” Katie donned her sad
face.
“It’s a little different this time. She
didn’t just run off to hide from a hallucination. She got into
someone’s car and drove off.”
“Oh, my God.” Katie clapped her hands
over her mouth. “Really?” Her gaze bounced back and forth between
me and JT, who was now digging into the pile of my dad’s stuff
sitting on the floor. “What can I do to help?”
“The FBI is trying to track down the
car Mom was seen getting into. Until they do that, I don’t know if
there’s anything you can do. I don’t know if there’s anything any
of us can do.” I flipped open a carton. My appetite was hardly what
it normally would be, but I knew I needed to eat something. The
pasta dish inside was one of my favorites—a cheese tortellini in
uber fattening, garlicky Alfredo sauce. I spooned some onto my
plate, took a piece of toasted garlic bread, and headed for the
living room. Katie followed, her plate full of the tortellini and
some of the lasagna we’d found in one of the other
cartons.
I sat next to JT. “Would you mind
handing me a file?” I asked him.
“Take your pick.” He fanned three thick
folders out on the table.
I flipped open the thickest. While I
shoveled cheese tortellini into my mouth, I started skimming the
reports.
About fifteen minutes later, my fork
hit the plate with a thunk. I glanced down,
expecting to find at least half the food on it. The dish was
empty.
“Looks like you were hungrier than you
thought,” JT said, eyes twinkling with mischief.
I squinted at him. “Did you have
anything to do with the magically disappearing pasta?”
“No, not me.”
I didn’t believe him. Not for a minute.
I shoved the empty plate out of my way, dabbed my mouth with my
napkin, and stared at the page I’d been trying to read for several
minutes. “How long does it take for Brittany to run a license
plate?”
JT wiped what looked like Alfredo sauce
off his lower lip with the napkin I’d wadded up on the table. “No
time at all—if she has the full number.”
If.
Urgh.
I needed to do something besides just
sit and read. I grabbed my empty dish and carried it to the
kitchen. In there, I tidied up a little, tossing the empty cartons
and putting the ones with food in the refrigerator. As I turned
around, I smacked into JT.
He didn’t say a word. He just hauled me
into his arms and held me. I closed my eyes and relaxed against
him, appreciating the strength of the arms embracing me, the warmth
of his body, and the scent of his skin.
A minute or so later, I stepped back.
“Thanks, I needed that,” I said, feeling my cheeks getting
warm.
“I’m here for you. Whatever you
need.”
I wrapped my arms around myself and
tried to look like I wasn’t about to go a little crazy with worry.
“Maybe you could call her? Brittany? See how it’s
going?”
“Sure.” He dialed Brittany as I stood
there, my breath in my throat. When she answered, he asked for a
status update. Then he did a lot of nodding and uh-huh–ing, and
asked her to call the minute she had something more. He thanked her
and ended the call.
“Well?”
“The car is a rental. She’s tracked it
to the company that owns the vehicle. Now she’s in the process of
finding out who rented it. She’ll have something solid
soon.”
“Oh, that’s great!” Katie, who’d been
listening in from the dining room, gave me a reassuring smile.
“We’ll find her, Sloan.”
“Thanks, you guys.” My nose was
starting to burn, a sure sign I was going to cry. I blinked a few
times, snuffled, grabbed a napkin off the counter, and wiped my
watery eyes. “I can’t imagine going through this without
you.”
“After all you’ve done for me, I wish
there were more I could do.” Katie sighed and looked at JT. “Give
me something to do.”
JT pointed at the stack of files. “You
could help us dig through Sloan’s father’s stuff.”
“Sure!” Katie bounced over to the
folders. “What’re you looking for?”
“Anything that mentions insects,” he
said.
“Got it.” Katie settled on the floor,
her back resting against the wall, a folder sitting open on her
bent knees. JT, sitting on the couch, flipped through papers. I sat
next to him, trying to read, but failing miserably. An eon later,
Katie said, “Hey, check this out. There’s a vampire that turns into
a firefly. How weird is that? We had all those fireflies in here.
What if they were all vampires?”
“Fireflies?” JT jerked upright. “Can I
see that?”
“Sure.” Katie handed over the file and
selected another one. JT read for about ten seconds and said, “This
is it! We have our profile.”