Again, nicks on bone suggested the same thing—a slit throat.
He went over his notes again, comparing Hermione Shore and Peter Scarborough. Peter had just come to the area; Hermione had been a long-time resident. Peter had been making a living as a carpenter; Hermione had inherited her wealth but had been known for her generosity. One male; one female. No associations whatsoever that matched up. Nothing.
He went over and over the notes, knowing he was missing something.
And he found himself thinking of the night, long ago, when he’d first met Raina Hamish. When Vinnie Magruder had come out and told them all that the search was on for a young woman.
A young woman who was never found.
Odd that it had been the night he’d met Raina.
She’d been a kid. Now she wasn’t. Now she was a beautiful young woman, a caring and responsible young woman as far as he could tell.
Fascinating.
And she seemed to have a very strange talent—or curse.
He gave up on the papers he was reading and rolled onto the bed, wincing slightly. This had to break.
He needed Raina. It was that simple. He needed her.
* * *
Raina answered the phone groggily. She thought that it was early.
It was not. She’d slept until after eleven.
“You up to coming to the morgue?” he asked.
“The morgue?”
He said quietly, “Where they keep the dead.”
She hesitated; she really didn’t want to see the morgue. She’d lived here all her life without ever having seen the morgue.
“I... I didn’t know the woman,” she said.
“We know who she was. A police artist did a sketch and we put it in the paper. A very distraught friend called in. I’m not expecting you to give us an identification, nor do I believe you knew her, though you may have. Are you free? Maybe I should just stop by.”
“Stop by.”
“I’m heading in your general direction.”
He was heading in her general direction? She hadn’t showered and her hair was wildly out of control.
Stupid things to be thinking.
He was coming because a woman was dead. Murdered.
“Of course. I’m here,” she said.
She hung up and made a beeline for the shower.
* * *
Raina was evidently awaiting him nervously. She threw the door open as Axel arrived, dressed and ready, Titan by her side.
The dog barked and wagged his tail. Axel paused to give him a pat and looked at Raina.
“You okay with this?”
“No. But I’ll do what I can. I mean, just don’t forget, I need to be at that fundraiser tonight on time. But then, I’m guessing we’re not going to stare at a body all day?”
He shook his head. “We’ll be just a minute or two in the morgue.”
“Why are we going exactly?”
He hesitated. She looked so worried. But he was determined to tell her the truth.
“Raina, when you see her, touch her, you may know something more.”
“Touch her?”
“Nothing evil will befall you. But yes, touch her. You may see or feel something that might be helpful to us.”
“How?”
“How did you know where the body was?”
“It was the dress. I’ve said that over and over—”
“It was the dress. Because she’d worn the dress.” He was quiet a minute. “Raina, you have a very unusual gift.”
“I don’t want an unusual gift.”
“We don’t get to choose,” he said softly. “I don’t want to force you in any way. If you’re uncomfortable, we don’t have to do this.”
“I’m uncomfortable, but I do have to do this.”
“You don’t—”
“Let’s get this over with.” She offered him a weird smile. “Hey. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life afraid to try on clothing, right? I don’t like any of this. I’m not comfortable with it.” She paused, looking at him, and then shrugged, looking downward. “But I’m glad you’re here. I think the police were ready to arrest me.”
“Your brother would have never allowed that.”
“Come on, let’s do this!” She turned to the dog. “Titan, rest up. Busy night ahead!”
She headed down the walk toward his car. He followed quickly, opening the passenger-side door for her.
He walked around to the driver’s side, and she hooked her seat belt and stared at him.
“I’m afraid to ask you this, and I understand you’ve seen weird things, really weird things, but how weird? You don’t think that...”
“That what?”
“That this is going to be like a zombie movie? If I touch this poor woman, she’s not going to bolt up and stare at me like the living dead, right? I mean, if she were alive, but we know she’s not...”