"But I have to!"

"She's watching you, Dawn." He pointed toward the night sky. "From up there. She was a good woman. Don't you think she's suffered enough? Do you want to compound her misery by making her watch you die?"

"But then I can be with her!"

He shook his head. "I wouldn't be too sure of that. From what I've heard and read, suicides aren't treated too kindly in the afterlife."

She'd heard that too. Totally.

He said, "Don't you think it's time to stop thinking about yourself and start thinking about your mother—what she might want?"

"Yeah… I guess. But how do I know what she wants?"

"Easy. She told me she wants you safe and asked me to keep you that way."

Dawn bristled. That totally sounded like Mom—no faith in her.

"I can take care of myself."

"Not with Jeremy on the loose and looking for you."

Panic jolted through her chest. Jerry… Jeremy… she remembered that look in his eyes when he learned she was thinking of an abortion.

… if you ever do any thin to hurt my baby, you will wish you'd been born dead, darlin…

She felt the tears welling up again.

"What am I going to do?"

The man turned and opened the rear door of his car.

"Allow me to take you to a safe place until that monster is found and brought to justice."

Dawn stared at the open door. It looked warm and safe in there. But could she trust this man?

She looked into his eyes—fell into them was more like it. Two warm, welcoming pools of comfort and safety. No hint of danger there. He wanted only to protect her, wanted only what was best for her. And he knew so much about her. He had to be Mom's investigator.

Yeah, she could trust him. Totally.

As she took a step forward he made a flourish toward the rear seat.

"Your carriage awaits, madam."

He offered his hand as she tried to climb up from the walkway. He was strong, practically lifting her through the air. A few steps and she reached the car. As she ducked her head to enter, chill spiders of foreboding ran over her skin. She hesitated.

"I don't—"

She telt his hand against her back—not pushing… guiding.

"Go ahead, Dawn"—his voice was a warm pool, his touch balm, banishing her fear—"everything will be all right now."

Right… nothing to be afraid of. She slipped inside and settled onto the soft leather of the seat.

The car darkened as the door clicked shut behind her—darker than she would have expected. Tinted windows maybe? The blaring horns silenced as if someone had twisted a volume dial.

She realized with a start that she wasn't alone in the car.

7

"Now what?" Jack said as traffic on the bridge slowed.

Another accident? Couldn't people pay attention when they got behind the wheel? City traffic was bad enough without dumbasses banging into each other.

He reigned in his irritation and forced himself to relax. He wasn't on the clock, nowhere he had to be.

Chill.

Then he felt a chill—literally. A vaguely familiar one, last experienced in January when Rasalom had paid him a visit to sup on his rage, grief, and despair. Emma was gone and Gia and Vicky were on the fast track to join her. Jack had provided a movable feast of negative emotions.

And this was very much like the chill he'd experienced as Rasalom had fed.

Was he nearby?

8

Alarm raced through Dawn as she noticed another man sitting in the driver seat.

"What—?"

"Not to worry," the first man said as he climbed into the front passenger seat and slammed the door. "This is my driver, Henry."

Henry nodded without looking around. Dawn heard the doors auto lock. She tried her handle—useless.

"Am I locked in?"

"What?" The man laughed, sounding embarrassed. "Oh, sorry. Child locks."

"You have kids?"

"Not yet, but I've had some young passengers recently. Don't think of it as keeping you inside—consider it protection against anyone getting in from outside."

"This is so totally weird. I don't even know your name."

He reached his hand back. It held a card. She took it and angled it into the scant light coming through the side window.

MR OSALA

That was it—no phone number, no address, just his name.

"It doesn't say you're a detective."

Henry put the car in gear and they began to move.

"That's because I'm many things. Sometimes I'm an investigator, and sometimes I'm a guardian—like now."

"You mean like a bodyguard?"

"Exactly."

"Are you taking me home?"

"Not at the moment. That would be unwise. Jeremy knows wh^re you live."

""Yes, but-—"

"Your mother wanted me to keep you safe, and the best place to do that right now is my place."

A warning bell rang.

"Your place?"

Another laugh. "Not to worry, I have no designs on you. You'll be staying in a beautiful duplex penthouse on Fifth Avenue where my staff will take excellent care of you."

Duplex penthouse? Fifth Avenue? Staff?

"You sound like totally rich."

"I am."

"Then why—?"

"—am I helping you? Because that is my mission in life—I exist only to help those in need. I was helping your mother, now I'm helping you."

She hesitated to ask, but he knew everything already, so why not?

"Do you think you could help me get an abortion?"

A pause, then, "I don't think that would be a good idea at the moment."

"Are you totally kidding? I thought you knew the story here."

"I do. I know—how shall I put this?—I know that the child you carry is also a sibling."

Dawn thought about that. Yeah, he was right. How totally gross and sick.

"Right. So then you can understand why I want it gone."

"Yes, but the child is your protection. Jeremy wants that child and will do you no serious harm while you carry it. Think of it as an insurance policy. If you abort it—"

"But I want it gone, out of me. He told me he'd been fixed but that was obviously just another of his lies."

And I swallowed every single one, she thought.

She wanted to retch. Lies weren't the only things she'd swallowed.

"There will be plenty of time to terminate the pregnancy once he's caught. As soon as we hear of his capture, I shall personally take you to a private clinic that will fulfill your wish."

"When do you think that'll be? I want this so over with."

"Not too long. And who knows? In the meantime you might change your mind and spare the child."

"Spare? Are you kidding?"

"Well, it's not the baby's fault. Why take it out on him or her?"

Him or her… she'd thought of it only as an it.

"You never know," Mr. Osala was saying. "Your baby might turn out to be someone famous. An Einstein or a Madame Curie—someone who'll change the world."

Change the world'.'' Where had she heard—?

Our baby is the Key. He s gonna change the ivorld!

"Jerry said something like that. Why doesn't anybody want me to get rid of this baby?"

Mr. Osala half turned and his hand darted toward her. For an instant she thought he was going to hit her, but his fingertips only brushed her forehead.

"Hush, now. You're exhausted. Get some sleep."

An overwhelming lethargy enveloped her. She fought to keep her eyes open but the lids suddenly weighed like tons.

Mr. Osala, the car and its driver, her cares… they all drifted away.