Yellow crime tape roped off the sidewalk and the front and back doors to the tattoo parlor. As they walked quickly to the scene, Jimmy flashing his badge to the street cops on duty, Kyle put a hand on the small of Madison’s back to hurry her past the crowd of gawking onlookers.

She felt an uneasily little quiver as they neared the back door. She paused, looking around quickly, wondering if the killer was watching them. She didn’t get a chance to test the feeling, because Kyle was anxious to keep her from being seen. He propelled her the last few feet toward the door.

The victim remained on the floor. Photographers were still taking shots of her from different angles.

She lay in a pool of congealed blood that resembled a big spill of cherry Jell-O. Madison braced herself, staring down at the woman. Her eyes remained open, as did her mouth, as if she had died in complete surprise. Her shirt had been ripped open at the back, and there was the rose.

It was sketched out as if a kid had done it. Stem, petals, flower—and thorns.

A fly buzzed, then settled on the dead woman’s mouth.

Madison was afraid she was going to be sick. She breathed through her mouth.

Kyle stood slightly behind her, arms crossed over his chest. He was watching her, she knew. He didn’t intend to lend any support. He was angry; she shouldn’t be here.

Voices droned around her for a minute while she wavered, Jimmy and Kyle talking to the officers on the scene. Then Jimmy turned to her.

“Madison?”

She hesitated, stared at the victim again and closed her eyes.

She looked up then, toward the back door. It seemed to be covered in shadows. But there was someone there. She heard the dead woman, telling the man that she wasn’t open yet. The man spoke again, his voice husky.

The dead woman smiled. Coquettishly. She was flirting; she was excited….

More excited as the killer came up behind her. Then, briefly, so briefly…she saw the flash of steel.

Tasted…tasted hot blood in her throat. Oh, God, she tasted it even before she knew what it was….

And that was that.

“Madison?”

She realized she’d almost blacked out, almost fallen. Kyle hadn’t caught her, Jimmy had. He steadied her. One of the officers quickly brought her a cup of water. She thanked him.

Kyle wasn’t even in the tattoo parlor anymore, she realized.

“What did you see?” Jimmy asked her.

“Nothing. A man in the shadows. She was flirting with him. She invited him in, even after she had said she was closed.”

“What did he come for? Why did he do this?”

“I don’t know. She didn’t know. He just appeared at her door, she liked him, he came in…and killed her.”

Jimmy nodded gravely, “All right, Madison. I know how rough this is on you. Thanks.”

“It’s all right, Jimmy.”

“Come on.”

He led her back out to the car. Kyle was already seated in the front passenger seat.

“She didn’t actually see the killer,” Jimmy said as he and Madison entered the car and he revved it into gear.

“Of course she didn’t,” Kyle said flatly.

“You never know—”

Kyle swung around, staring at Madison. “You watched the victim die.”

“Yes. But—”

“And now images of that poor woman are going to haunt you, along with the dozens of others you’ve seen. Bit by bit, you’re going to strip away your sanity.”

“I’m all right, Kyle.”

“It’s madness, Madison. You can’t be used this way.”

“Kyle, if I can stop the killings—”

“Madison, you haven’t stopped the killings! All you may have done is endanger yourself! What good is this doing?”

She inhaled deeply. “I know that Tammy didn’t know her killer, or why he had come. And I know that…that she was attracted to him, and that he was able to kill her very quickly.”

Kyle turned around again, staring out the front window.

“You’re not going to see the killer, Madison,” he said harshly.

“Why not?” Madison asked.

“Yeah, why not?” Jimmy demanded.

“Stay out of this, Jimmy!”

“Then tell me, Kyle!” Madison demanded angrily.

“The killer doesn’t want you to see him.”

“How can the killer stop Madison from seeing?” Jimmy asked. “How could he even know about Madison?”

“Oh, easily enough. Madison is a public figure. There have been articles in the paper about her gift. Maybe the killer is even someone close to her. There’s a block in her mind for some reason.”

“But could he really believe he could create a block?”

“Maybe. Maybe he thinks she can only see the victims of a violent crime. Maybe he believes that she just won’t look at him. If you don’t look, you can’t see. Then again…”

“What?” Jimmy asked.

“Then again, maybe somewhere along the damned line, he’s going to get nervous as all hell—and decide that Madison needs to be eliminated. Like that poor woman in there. She could end up with her throat slit!”

He was angry.

And maybe right.

The three of them drove in silence.

Kyle refused to just let her out of the car at the Falls, so he and Jimmy escorted her past the various shops until they reached the movie theaters. Peggy and Carrie Anne were already there. Carrie Anne let out a screech of delight and hurled herself into her mother’s arms. They hugged and laughed, and Carrie Anne assured her mother that her daddy was fine, and they’d had a good time, and Daddy had even remembered to pay for her class pictures on time.

Carrie Anne greeted Jimmy with a hug, and Kyle the same way—just a little more shyly. Carrie Anne wanted Jimmy and Kyle to join them for the movie and dinner, but though they both said they were really sorry, they had to go back to work.

Warning Madison to go straight home after dinner, Jimmy and Kyle left at last.

Madison watched them go, disturbed to realize that Kyle seemed to be growing more and more nervous where she was concerned.

“What a handsome man!” Peggy said approvingly before she left.

“Daddy said Kyle was a good guy,” Carrie Anne told her gravely.

“He did, did he?”

Carrie Anne nodded solemnly. “He said that you always loved Kyle a whole lot.”

“Well, you know, he was my stepbrother,” Madison murmured.

Carrie Anne shrugged. “I think Daddy meant you were always in love with Kyle,” she said, sounding incredibly mature for her age. “But he’s okay with it,” she assured her. “He’s dating Lindy. She was real nice. It’s funny. She kind of looks like you, Mommy. She’s not as pretty, but she has green eyes—and real pretty dark red hair. Just like yours and Aunt Kaila’s. He talked a whole lot to Lindy.”

“Carrie Anne, you shouldn’t have been listening, and I don’t want to hear everything your daddy said to Lindy, okay?”

“Okay.”

Madison shivered. Oh, God, she wasn’t going to start suspecting Darryl of evil doings! she told herself. Damn Kyle! She couldn’t run around being afraid of her own family and friends. There had to be somebody left to trust!

“Let’s go see this movie. And it doesn’t matter what Lindy looks like, as long as she’s good to you and Daddy,” Madison told Kaila.

Because it didn’t matter what the woman looked like.

Did it?

While Kyle was at the morgue, drinking stale coffee in the lounge and awaiting a full report on Tammy, Jassy came to see him.

“Hey, big brother.”

“Hey, sis.”

“Lobster bisque, shrimp étouffée, fried potatoes, green salad with a vinaigrette dressing.”

He arched a brow. “Jassy, I’m not hungry.”

“Holly Tyler’s last meal. Here’s a copy of the lab report. We’ve already got guys from Dade and Monroe checking out restaurants from Miami to Key West.”

“Tell Jimmy to get them to concentrate south of Florida City. We already know what time Holly got her tattoo. Dinner probably followed, and it looks like they were heading south.”

“You sure?”

He hesitated, then shrugged. “Your sister ‘saw’ them driving south, past Lake Surprise. Yeah, I’m sure.”