New York to Dallas (In Death 33)

“His car’s not there.”

“He’s gone. Neighbor saw him leave—alone, and with a suitcase. Fuck! He told her he’d be gone a couple days.”

She pulled off the cap, raked a hand through her hair. “We’ve got to go up.” She reached for her ’link as it signaled.

“Dallas, what’s your status?”

She filled Ricchio in.

“EDD finds no heat sources in the target location. We’ve got the building hemmed in, and SWAT’s moving into position now.”

“We’re going up to try to verify whether the suspect is still in this location.”

“Backup’s coming in.”

“Can you hold them, Lieutenant? Two minutes. On the off chance he’s still here, his captives will be safer if he doesn’t see us coming.”

“Two minutes, counting now.”

She shoved the ’link in her pocket. “He’s gone, but we can’t take the chance. Can you jam his security long enough for a quick, quiet entry?”

“You know I can.”

“Stairs.”

They went up fast. She swept the second-floor hallway.

“Hold here,” Roarke murmured, keying codes into his jammer. “He’s got several layers. And there.”

He moved ahead of her now, pulling a small case out of his pocket. “A number of layers here as well.” He mumbled it as he crouched and got to work. “They only look like standard locks. Very nicely done.”

“You can compliment him when he’s in a cage. Just get us in.”

“So I have.” He met her eyes. “Ready?”

She nodded, held up one finger, then two. They burst in on three, her low, him high.

She smelled the blood, smelled the death instantly. Swinging left, she saw the body, saw her mother and the pool of blood.

“God. God. God.”

“Eve.”

“We have to clear.” Her voice came out thin through the narrow opening the burn of shock left in her throat. “We have to clear the area, take your side.”

When she swung the other way she saw the keys on the high table by the door, and the memo cube with them.

Gone, she thought. Gone, and walked over to pick up the keys.

She could hear the backup pushing through the door downstairs. If Bree was with them, and if he’d left more death, she’d need to be prepared.

Eve unlocked the door. She breathed deep, braced herself.

Opened it.

They were on the floor, the girl wrapped in a blanket, the woman’s body shielding her.

Melinda stared at her. Blinked.