That’s what Eve had been thinking. “We have to find out.” She was gazing around the area, looking for Nalchek. She spotted him a few seconds later, talking to a tech holding a clipboard several yards down the slope. “Nalchek!” She half ran half slid toward him down the steep slope.

He caught her as she would have slid past him. He muttered a curse. “Be careful. All we need is another victim in the mix. I would have come to you.”

She was gazing down at the blackened, smoking car. “Another victim? Elena Delaney was in that car?”

“They can’t get close enough to determine that,” he said. “But they should know soon. It’s almost a foregone conclusion. They’ve searched the slope and rocks, and she wasn’t thrown from the car.”

“They’re sure it was her car?” Margaret said as she came to stand beside them.

“They found the license plate. It was blown over on those rocks when the gas tank exploded. Half-melted but readable.” He looked back at Eve. “It looks as if Walsh found her.”

Eve nodded as she looked down at that charred wreckage. She felt a wrenching pity. She knew little about Elena Delaney, but she had risked her life to save that little girl. She didn’t deserve to have that monster do this to her. “Terrible.”

He nodded. “But the question is, did this happen before or after he found her?”

“What?”

“Did he fake this accident after he found out what he wanted to know from her? Or did she go off the road while she was in a panic, trying to get away from him?”

She shook her head. “I’m afraid I’m not thinking too clearly. My first thought was that Walsh did it.”

“And probably the right one. I’m so frustrated, I’m grasping at straws. I don’t want him to get what he wanted.” He said through clenched teeth, “I wanted him.”

So had Eve.

This can’t happen again, Jenny had said. It’s all wrong.

But it was happening, and Eve hadn’t been able to stop it.

She looked back down at the wreckage. “We should know soon enough if he managed to chalk up another victim.”

“She won’t be down there in that car,” Margaret said quietly.

Eve’s gaze flew to her face. “What?”

“I think that Nalchek is probably right, and he faked the accident to stall us.”

“Why do you think that?”

She lifted her gaze to the sky and pointed. “Because they’re flying over that hill on the other side of the road.”

Eve’s gaze followed Margaret’s.

Vultures. Black vultures wheeling in wide circles in the sky.

“Shit!” Nalchek whirled to face Margaret. “Could they be sensing death or injury in that car?”

“Not likely. They have extraordinary smell, but that car was burning, and smoke would have masked the death scent.” She looked back at the vultures across the road. “They think that their meal is up there somewhere.”

“Shit!” Nalchek started running up the slope at top speed.

Eve and Margaret were right behind him.

“She’s dead?” Eve asked. “Is that why—”

“She may not be dead yet,” Margaret said. “But it must be close. Actually, they think she’s alive. Movement. That’s why they’re still just hovering. They won’t go in until they believe there’s no fight left in the victim. That’s the way they prefer it.”

“Then we have a chance of saving her.” They had reached the road, but Nalchek was already on the other side and entering the woods. Eve ran after him. “There’s a chance.”

“Eve…” Margaret was running after her. “Don’t get your hopes up. Those vultures smell it.”

Smell death.

Eve ignored her and tried to catch up to Nalchek. He was glancing on either side of the trail as he climbed the hill.

No sign.

He reached the top of the hill.

He stopped, gazing at something below him.

Eve had a cold, sinking feeling.

It didn’t have to be bad.

But Nalchek was just standing there.

She caught up to him. “Do you see—”

A small, slender woman was lying crumpled near the bottom of the hill. She looked like the description they had of Elena Delaney. Midthirties, brown hair with a pink streak …

Or was that blood?

Her white T-shirt was soaked in blood.

She looked … broken.

White bones were sticking out of those thin arms. And her neck was at an odd angle.

“Why are we just standing here,” Eve said unevenly. “Margaret said she could be alive.”

“That fall alone should have finished her,” Nalchek said.

“But maybe it didn’t. We have to try.” She started slipping and sliding down the hill. “We’ve got to help her.”

She heard them behind her but didn’t wait for them. She reached Elena and knelt beside her. She checked the pulse in her throat. Faint beat. Very faint.

“She’s alive. Call 911 and get an ambulance up here.”

“Right.” Nalchek pulled out his phone and started dialing. “Those are knife wounds all over her torso. I doubt if—” He broke off and started speaking into his phone.

Try to stop the blood, Eve thought.

Where could she start? Which one of those knife wounds had done the most damage?

“Eve…” Margaret was behind her, her hand grasping Eve’s shoulder.

“I’ve got to help her,” Eve said unsteadily as she gently pushed up Elena’s shirt.

Elena’s eyes opened. “Who … are … you?”

“Eve. A friend.” She took Elena’s hand. She didn’t know if she could give her anything but comfort. “A friend to you and Cara and Jenny. We’re here to help you, Elena.”

“Eve … Cara said … Eve … Too late for … me. It’s Cara. Got to save Cara.” Her eyes were frantic. “So that God will forgive me. I told him. He kept stabbing me, and I told him. How could … I do it?”

“Walsh? You told Walsh?”

“God will never … forgive me. I told … Walsh, and he laughed. Then he stabbed me one more time. He picked me … up and threw me … down here. He … thought … I … was dead. I should be … dead. Don’t deserve … to … live. Told … him.”

“What did you tell him, Elena?”

“Where … Cara. The strip … seventeen-mile … I told him … about the cave.”

“What cave?”

“Spider’s nest … spider’s nest.” Her voice was fading. “She won’t have a chance…” Her hand tightened on Eve’s. “Please. Save … her.” A trickle of blood ran from the corner of her mouth. “So that God will forgive—”

“We’ll save her. I promise you.” Her throat was tight. “And God will forgive you. There’s no need. You’ve been a very good woman, and there’s nothing to—”

But Elena’s eyes were closed.

She was dead.

“Damn.” Eve sat back on her heels and drew a deep, shaky breath. “Damn him.”

“Yes.” Nalchek hung up the phone. “We can’t stay here. It would have taken Walsh a bit of time to stage the car accident to stall us, but he has at least an hour’s head start.”

Eve nodded jerkily as she got to her feet. “And we have no idea where we’re going yet. But we’ll find out. You go ahead in your car, Nalchek, and head back toward town and check the map and try to locate any reference to any caves near the seventeen-mile strip. I don’t remember ever hearing about any. Margaret and I will stop at the crash scene and question the local police and see if they know anything before we join you in Carmel. Local cops usually know their towns better than anyone.” She looked down at Elena. “And get someone to come and take care of her before those birds…” She started up the hill. “I’ll be in touch as soon as we get on the road. We’ve got to hurry. I made her a promise.”

Promises.

She had made a promise to Elena and to Jenny.

And the strongest, deepest promise was to herself.

She had to keep that little girl alive.

*   *   *

“We’re heading toward town right now,” Eve told Joe after she had filled him in on what had happened to Elena Delaney. “Margaret is checking Google, but I don’t think she’s finding anything. I talked to the police at the crash scene, and they’d never heard of a cave in that area. It must not be well-known. I thought I’d let you have a go at checking on it. We need all the help we can get.”