Jess about jumped out of her skin. She hoped Corlew didn't notice. She'd been so lost in thought she hadn't seen him come in and she was facing the door, for heaven's sake. "I ordered you a Pepsi." She sipped her own. "And that burger you ordered last time we were here."

He made a face at the drink. Probably would have preferred beer. "Thanks." His eyebrows drew together. "What's this I hear about Dan's house burning down?"

She nodded. "We figure it was Spears. We're hoping the fire marshal can shed some light on what happened."

"d.a.m.n." Corlew shook his head. "He probably has good insurance."

"I hope so." She hadn't even thought of that. As responsible as Dan was she couldn't imagine he didn't have good insurance. But money couldn't buy everything he'd lost. "You have news?"

The waitress arrived and plunked a plate on the table. Big burger and a mountain of fries. "Anything else?" she asked.

"We're good." Jess smiled, hoped the vivacious woman would run along. Since she was cute and big breasted Corlew would have her sitting down with him if she lingered.

To Jess's surprise he was too busy manhandling that enormous burger to ogle the waitress. The smell of it made Jess's stomach churn. What was on that burger?

He chewed a couple times and then swallowed. Before he said a word he surveyed the place, nodded at Lori. When his attention finally settled on Jess once more, he said, "You were right to be worried about Black. He's investigating Dan. The jacka.s.s officially labeled him a person of interest in Allen's disappearance."

"What the h.e.l.l is he thinking?" Jess couldn't believe Black would go that far.

Corlew tore off another bite of burger. When he'd washed it down with Pepsi, he leaned forward and spoke more quietly. "My contact says the mayor is pus.h.i.+ng Black to get this done. Fast. He wants Dan out."

Insane, just insane. "Are you certain you can trust this contact?"

He leaned closer still. "One hundred percent." He searched her face for a moment, his own dead serious. "Danny boy is in real trouble, Jess. Real trouble."

The smell of onions and grilled beef hit her in the face and her stomach contracted hard.

Oh Lord.

"I'll be back." She grabbed her AT&T bag, scooted out of the booth and headed for the bathroom.

Lori slid off her stool and caught up with her. "You okay?"

Jess paused at the ladies' room door and took slow, steady breaths to try and calm her belly. "I think I ate that burger too fast."

"Let me have a look inside," Lori suggested, "and then I'll get out of your way."

Jess nodded. She didn't trust herself to open her mouth again. Lori entered the ladies' bathroom and had a look around. As soon as she was back in the corridor, Jess hurried inside.

Lori walked back to the bar. She took her seat but kept her attention on the entrance to the short corridor that led to the bathrooms. Jess had looked d.a.m.ned pale. The fire had obviously shaken her more than she realized. It was a miracle she could get through the day with all that was going on. The stress was taking a serious toll.

Corlew strolled over to the bar and ordered a beer. He took a slug and sighed. "Better." He jerked his head in the direction Jess had disappeared. "She okay?"

"I think so. It's been a rough couple of days."

He made a sound of agreement. "I've got a feeling it's not going to get better any time soon."

Lori suspected he was more right than he knew. Buddy Corlew was a private detective now but he'd once been a BPD cop. He'd gone to school with Jess, and Lori sensed he still had a thing for her. He was a good-looking guy, but nothing like Dan Burnett. Corlew was the jeans wearing, ponytailed type. For all his c.o.c.ky att.i.tude and tough guy exterior he was d.a.m.ned good at his job. He'd earned himself the nickname the Tracker. But if he had his sights set on Jess, he was wasting his time.

"Buddy Corlew!"

Corlew turned toward the door. Lori leaned past him to see who had shouted his name. It sounded like... Chief Black?

As Lori watched, Chief Black, followed by two of his detectives and four BPD uniformed officers, crossed the room.

"Buddy Corlew," Black repeated as he stopped a few feet away, "you are under arrest for bribery and obstruction of justice."

Corlew laughed. "That's a good one, Black, but this isn't April Fool's day and I'm in no mood to play with a joker like you."

Roark, Black's ranking detective, stepped forward and recited the Miranda Rights.

Corlew glanced at Lori. "Get Channing Cole on the horn. Tell him I need to call in that marker he owes me. Now."

Lori nodded and reached for her cell.

What the h.e.l.l was happening here?

Jess had barely made it to the toilet before the burger retraced its path. She grabbed another wad of toilet paper and wiped her mouth. The wheeze and whine of the hydraulic closer on the bathroom door warned that someone had entered. It was a three-stall facility so that was no surprise. Still, she reached into her bag for her weapon as she got to her feet and readied to face whoever had paused at the open door of her stall.

"Don't be afraid, Deputy Chief Jess Harris."

Jess didn't need eyes in the back of her head to know who had decided to pay her a visit. The fingers of her right hand closed around the b.u.t.t of her new Glock as she straightened. She turned, her weapon leveled on the first person to come into view.

Selma Vance. The barrel of the blonde's handgun was already aimed at Jess's face.

Well h.e.l.l.

Behind Selma, her sister Olive leaned against the bathroom door, her weapon trained on Jess as well.

Maybe this was why she'd always resisted the idea of children. Jess was barely pregnant and already this kid had her in trouble.

No problem. As long as she was still breathing, Lori would be making an appearance any second now.

"Why would I be afraid, Selma?" Jess smiled as if all were right in the world. "My job is to serve and protect. How can I help you and Olive?"

The sisters exchanged a glance.

That couldn't be good.

A hard rap on the door followed by, "Chief, you okay in there?"

"Careful," Selma whispered.

"Just that barbecue I had for lunch, Lori. I'll be out in a minute." Jess prayed Lori got the message.

"You need some Tums, ma'am," came her detective's response.

"Give me two minutes for Christ's sake." She rolled her eyes before meeting Selma's again. "I never get a minute to myself. Now, where were we?" Jess worked hard at appearing calm, but her heart was about to beat its way out of her chest. Her stomach was churning like there might be an encore coming. She sure wished those sleek black barrels weren't so d.a.m.ned close.

"We were chosen as messengers," Selma explained. "Our task is almost complete."

"You have a message for me?" Jess tightened her hold on her Glock. Told her heart to slow just enough so she could hear herself think over the blood pounding in her ears. "Why don't we put these guns down and talk about it."

Ignoring the suggestion, Selma pa.s.sed her weapon to her sister. Olive promptly leveled it back on Jess while her sister pulled a necklace from beneath her blouse. A small gla.s.s vial hung from the silver chain. Looked like blood inside it.

Was it tainted with Curare? Jess steeled herself. Considered whether or not to take the shot. But then the sister would fire one or both of the weapons she held.

Not a good outcome for anyone involved.

"I kept it close to my heart so it would stay warm," Selma explained.

Jess's throat tightened. s.h.i.+t. "Is that for me?"

Selma nodded. "It's his blood." She opened the vial, poured a little on her fingertip and reached out to dab it on Jess's forehead.

Jess held her breath. She could yank Selma into the stall as a s.h.i.+eld and just start shooting at Olive.

"And the blood shall be to you for a token." Selma drew circles on Jess's forehead, using the blood like paint.

"When they see the blood," the sisters chanted together, "they will pa.s.s over you and you shall not suffer death as his enemies are destroyed one by one."

Selma lowered her hand and stared into Jess's eyes. "For you are his, now and forever."

Jess braced for the climax. "Why don't we lower our weapons and talk about this? Your parents are on their way home, Selma."

Olive pa.s.sed Selma's weapon back to her.

"Your mother's very worried about you," Jess said a little louder. "All you have to do is put your weapons down and we can clear both of you of wrongdoing. You're not responsible for what Ellis forced you to do."

The sisters smiled and started speaking in unison again. "Our quest is complete. Good-bye, Deputy Chief Jess Harris."

Before Jess could fathom their intent the sisters turned to each other, embraced and kissed, each jamming the barrel of her weapon beneath the other's chin.

Jess shouted for them to drop their weapons. The bathroom door burst inward. The handguns discharged simultaneously. Jess jerked with the sound. Blood and brain matter splattered the walls and the Vance sisters' bodies dropped to the floor.

Reminding herself to breathe, Jess turned to Lori. The front of her blouse and her face were speckled with blood. She looked as rattled as Jess felt.

Lori abruptly bolted toward her. "Oh my G.o.d! Are you hurt?"

Jess shook her head, the emotions she'd been holding back bursting forth now. "I'm... not. No."

Lori suddenly hugged her. "I let you down. You could've been killed. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Jess's gaze landed on her reflection in the mirror over the sink.

The circles on her forehead were entwined... the infinity symbol.

For you are his, now and forever.

24.

10:30 p.m.

Eric stood back and admired his gift. "It's magnificent, Richard." He turned to his old friend. "You have outdone yourself this time."

"My pleasure, Eric." Richard smiled. "It's not everyday a man such as myself has the privilege of working with a true master."

Eric made a sound of satisfaction. His entire body responded to the painting. The likeness was so real... stunningly so. Jess had been captured standing on a sidewalk, the sun making her skin glow, the wind toying with her long blond hair. The dress hugged her slender body. He hardened just looking at her.

"Your daughter's work is exquisite, Richard."

"She sacrificed a great deal to find just the right mixture of pa.s.sion and excitement. She and her sister bathed in the inspiration I helped them discover." Richard smiled. "As you well know, the true beauty of life is only found through death. It was an incredible journey for all of us."

"I'm certain it was."

Eric lifted the beautiful painting and carried it to the place of honor he had reserved. The small Band-Aid in the bend of his elbow reminded him he'd forgotten to remove it after giving the vial of blood to Richard. He ripped it off now and stuffed it into his pocket. A s.h.i.+ver of desire went through him at the idea that Jess had been marked with his blood.

The entire event had been timed perfectly. His friend in Birmingham's police department had not let him down. Eric's attention went back to the exquisite painting. "The frame is perfect, Richard."

As was the one now surrounding Chief of Police Dan Burnett.

"It had to be." Richard picked up the tumblers of scotch from the bar and joined Eric at the fireplace. "Such a superb piece of art deserves nothing less."

Eric accepted his gla.s.s. "Where to now?"

"Some place in the Caribbean, I think. I'm looking forward to sandy beaches and warm water. I'm confident I'll find students eager to learn."

Eric smiled. "I'm certain you will."

"And you," Richard inquired, "how long will you be staying in the Magic City?"

Magic City. Perhaps it was quite magical. "Just until my work here is finished."

Richard tapped his gla.s.s to Eric's. "To your success in all things."

"Hear, hear."

They downed their scotch and Eric showed Richard to the door. Once his old friend was gone, he locked up and returned to admire his painting.

He poured himself another splash of scotch and lifted his gla.s.s. "To you, Jess." His heart beat a little faster as he admired her image. "You'll be mine soon."