Midnight Reign by Chris Marie Green

Author:Chris Marie Green [Green, Chris Marie]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fantasy
ISBN: 9780441015603
Publisher: Ace Trade
Published: 2008-02-04T09:00:00+00:00

FOURTEEN

THE OTHERS

T HE next day, the horizon was just bleeding into dusk when Dawn drove Kiko back to the office after a bout of physical therapy.

She was tuckered out. Not only had she conferenced with the therapist about Kik’s progress (“We’ll keep an eye on that medication,” was the only lame solution for now), but earlier, the whole team had brainstormed and individually trained. Dawn had made sure that her own workout had been especially grueling.

After telling the team about Matt’s take on Jessica Reese and that’s all (right, like Dawn was going to mention Eva’s damned dress to anyone, ever), she’d gotten out the old whip chain. The goal had been to stay frosty with her newly acquired skills, but the exercise had gone beyond that: Dawn had worked until the sweat washed off last night’s stinging disappointment.

(The cleansing hadn’t lasted long.)

After getting showered, she met Kiko in the computer room, having decided to follow up on those links about Lane Tomlinson, Lee’s brother.

“Crap,” she said, clicking back to the search engine’s home page when she saw that there was nothing worth noting. “Sometimes I think the only thing that’s going to give us the big lead is another murder.”

“Don’t jinx anyone.” Kiko was settled at a smaller table, ramrod straight with his back brace. “But…okay, I’ve thought about that, too, especially if the copycat killer starts getting cocky and careless. That’s when we could get a break.”

“Man, I’d hate to rely on another woman getting killed.”

Her cell phone rang. When she looked at the screen to find Jacqueline Ashley’s name listed, Dawn’s blood pressure shot up.

They’re calling me a throwback, Jac had said that day in the hospital before taking off her ball cap and revealing blond hair just like Eva’s, forcing Dawn to focus on a face that seemed to conjure her dead mother’s.

Jac had been excited, yet wary, about Dawn’s reaction to the makeover. They say that, even though I don’t look exactly like her, I remind them of your mom….

Mom. Dawn had only known her from pictures: giddy wedding photos of Eva’s ill-advised marriage to everyday-average Frank. Publicity stills of a rising movie goddess. The crime-scene photo tinted with blood.

Now, as the phone rang again, Matt’s betrayal from last night lent new life to the Eva bitterness, snaking into the old fear and confusion Dawn had nurtured year after year.

Hush, little baby, don’t say a word….

“What’s wrong?” Kiko asked.

Mama’s gonna buy you a mockingbird….

“Jac.” The name was nothing more than a painful croak.

Kiko bounded over to Dawn. “Aren’t you going to answer?”

When Dawn didn’t make a move to do so, he grabbed the phone.

Immediately, he began chirping away, happy as can be. Dawn recalled that Jac had sort of made her feel that way, too, once upon a time before this whole makeover thing.

She needed to stop freaking out. For the last time, Jac was Jac and nothing more. Hell, if that wasn’t true, The Voice would’ve stepped in already, pinpointing Jacqueline Ashley as a masquerading vamp.

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