Dean groaned. No wonder the files so thick, he muttered. A third of all drug-related hits probably look just like this.
Then I guess it should keep the two of you busy. Locke gave me a look that I took to mean Briggs had told her about our little discussion.
Ill check in later in the week. You two have a lot of reading to do, and I have a case to solve.
She left the two of us alone. I opened my mouth to say something about the case file jammed under my mattress, but then I closed it again. Lia eavesdroppedand apparently, so did Judd.
How would you feel about working on our cold case in the basement? I asked. The soundproof basement. It took Dean a moment to catch on, but then he led the way down the stairs, closing the door firmly behind us. We walked the length of the basement, three-walled rooms lining either side, like theater sets in want
of a play.
Once I was sure we were alone, I started talking. When I went to get the file yesterday, Briggs busted me. By the time I got back to my room, you were gone.
Lia may have mentioned that Briggs busted you, Dean said. You okay?
I told him my theory. I asked to work on the case. He said no.
You going to work on it anyway? Dean paused in front of one of the outdoor sets: a partial park. I sat down on a park bench, and he leaned back against the benchs arm.
I have a copy of the file, I said. Will you look at it?
He nodded. Five minutes later, he was elbow-deep in the caseand I had Lockes cold case in my hands, ready to cover in case anyone came down to check on us.
Sometimes victims are just substitutes, Dean said after hed read through the entire file. Im married, but Id never get away with killing my own wife, so I kill hookers and pretend that theyre her. My kid died, and now every time I see a kid in a baseball cap, I have to make him mine.
Dean had always used the word I to climb into killers heads, but now that I knew his background, hearing that word come out of his mouth gave me chills.
Maybe the first time I killed someone, it wasnt planned, but now the only time I ever really feel alive is when Im feeling the life go out of someone else, someone like her .
You see it, too, dont you? I asked.
He nodded. Id bet money that this person is either reliving their first kill or fantasizing about a person they want to kill but cant.
And if I told you there was a red-haired psychic attacked with a knife five years ago, and they never found the body?
Dean paused. Then Id want to know everything there was to know about that case, he said.
So did I.
YOU
The box is black. The tissue is white. And the presentthe present is red. You lay it gingerly in the tissue. You put the lid on the box. You wash the scissors and use them to cut a long, black ribbonsilk.Special .
Just like The Girl is .
No, you think, picking up the present and stroking your gloved thumb along its edge. You dont have to call her The Girl. Not anymore .
Youve seen her. Youve watched her. Youre sure. No more imitations. No more copies. Its time she got to know you, the way you knew her mother.
You put the card on top of the package. You scrawl her name on the outside, each letter a labor of love .
C-A-S-S-I-E .
PART THREE: HUNTING
CHAPTER 26
Well, well, well
I heard Lias voice, but refused to turn around and watch her make an entrance. Instead, I focused on the grain of the kitchen table and the sandwich on my plate.
Somebody got a package in the mail, Lia singsonged. I took the liberty of opening it for you, and voilà. A box within a box. She sat down next to me and placed a rectangular gift box in front of her on the table. A secret admirer, perhaps? There was an envelope on top of the box, and Lia picked it up and dangled the card in front of me.
My name was written on the envelope, the letters evenly spaced with just a hint of curl to them, like the person whod
written them was torn between writing in cursive and writing in print.
You really are incredibly popular, arent you? Lia said. It defies all logic. I assumed you were just the new shiny. In a program with so few students, it would be weirder if the new girl didnt draw attention from the opposite sex. But neither Michael nor Dean would have a reason to mail you a package, so I can only infer that your, shall we say, appeal isnt limited to people who live here.
I tuned Lia out and looked at the box. It was matte black with a perfectly fitted lid. A black ribbon had been wrapped around the box twice, forming a cross shape on the front. In the center of the cross, the ribbon curled into a bow.
Did I hear my name? Michael sauntered over to join us. Dont you just hate it when you walk into the room and everyones talking about you? His eyes landed on the gift, and the smile on his face turned plastic and sharp.
Somebodys not fond of competition, Lia said.
And somebody is a lot more vulnerable than she lets on, Michael replied without missing a beat. Your point?
That shut Lia uptemporarily. I looked back down at the box and ran my finger along the edge of the ribbon.