"When my mum died." I waved a hand toward the house. "That's precisely the way she was killed."
"Oh, fuck," he said, his face going white. "I didn't know. I'm so sorry—"
"Don't," I cut in. "No one knew outside the Directorate and me, so you have nothing to apologize for."
"And that's the reason you want the Directorate called in? Because they're the ones that investigated your mom's death?"
Azriel? Are you near? I thought, then said out loud, "Yes. Only there were no clues and, until now, the killer hadn't resurfaced."
Azriel appeared behind Jak and lightly touched his neck. Jak froze, his eyes going suddenly blank.
"Are you okay?" Azriel asked.
"Mostly." I wrapped my arms around my body, and wished they were his arms, not mine. "I guess you've already been inside?"
"Yes. As before, there is nothing to suggest who is behind this murder."
As before… I shivered, and again tried to ignore the images that rose.
"No scent or spiritual essence—or whatever it is that you Mijai track by—whatsoever? How in the hell is something like that even possible?"
"The lack of scent is understandable," he said calmly. "Humans have had scent-erasing soap for many years now."
I waved a hand in acknowledgment. "But how can the killer not leave any other trace of himself behind?"
"Anything is possible if one is extremely careful, and our killer obviously is."
I took a deep breath and released it slowly. "Then what the hell is the link between my mum's murder and this man's?"