Ephraim tamped his temper down. It wasn’t a good idea to make Regina annoyed. ‘Yes, she was.’
‘And before then, she was living a private life all the way in New Orleans. Where she just happened to be coming from today, according to the news reports. She’d just flown into Sacramento when you tried to grab her.’
Damn reporters. That was more information than Ephraim had expected them to know. ‘So?’
‘So, you knew she was going to be there. I’m wondering how? Especially since I fielded three phone calls from a guy named Pastor, trying to find you. Apparently you left my number as your emergency contact.’
Ephraim’s heart stuttered in his chest, but he managed to meet her shrewd gaze. He’d forgotten that he’d given Regina’s number in case of an emergency, but he remembered it now. One of his wives had been about to give birth and Pastor had insisted on a contact number. He couldn’t believe he’d been so stupid as to give the man the actual number or that Pastor had remembered it. It had been at least ten years ago. ‘Pastor called here?’
‘Three times. I told him that you were busy the first two times. The third time he demanded that I “fetch” you. I told him that you’d gone out to the store. I don’t think he believed me.’
‘When was the third time?’
‘Tonight. A few hours before you showed up. I knew something was wrong. You were supposed to be here all week, but you left after one night. The same night that CNN aired a special report on that serial killer, the report that listed Mercy Callahan as one of the women who’d gotten away – aided, I should add, by Detective Raphael Sokolov, who helped to save her life.’
Ephraim grabbed his thighs, digging his fingers deep to keep from reaching for her skinny throat. ‘If you knew who they were, why did you ask me?’
‘I got curious. You see, I’d expected you to stay longer than you did. I had two young lovelies all ready for you. Turned away other clients because I thought you’d be staying your normal time, but you walked out on me – without paying me. And then I find out that some guy named Pastor is asking about you, because you were obviously not where you were supposed to be. Where were you?’
He made himself smile, even though he wanted to wring her damn neck. ‘I don’t think that’s your business, Regina.’
‘When I lie to cover for you, it is. Did you have beignets when you were in New Orleans?’
He gritted his teeth. She was too damn smart for her own good. ‘Back off, Regina.’
‘Or what?’ She seemed genuinely confused.
‘Or you’ll wish you’d listened.’
Regina laughed. She actually laughed.
Ephraim was holding on to control by a thin thread. But he remained silent, already visualizing how he’d snap her neck. It was his preferred method of disposal – quiet and easily explained away. It was how he’d killed his first wife, which hadn’t exactly been planned. More like he’d lost his temper and grabbed her. He guessed she’d been more delicate than he’d thought. Regina was not a delicate woman, but he’d had a lot of practice since then, most recently with Miriam’s family. Snapping the necks of Miriam’s parents and brother had been incredibly satisfying, and justified. They shouldn’t have helped his wife run away from Eden.
But he needed to be more careful with Regina. She was armed. He saw the slight bulge of a pistol in the pocket of her housecoat.
When he said nothing, she smiled sweetly. ‘I watched that news report again after I heard that you’d tried to grab Mercy Callahan tonight,’ she said. ‘They interviewed a woman who’d also escaped the killer’s clutches after being held and tortured. She wanted the viewing audience to remember the women who didn’t survive. She read all their names and mentioned that Mercy had also escaped, along with another woman. She said that Mercy had been childhood friends with one of the dead women – an Eileen Danton. Name ring a bell?’
Ephraim took a steadying breath. ‘Nope.’ Because her name wasn’t Eileen. It was Miriam. Miriam Burton. And she was my damn wife.
And she’d run. He wasn’t exactly sure how she’d gotten away, but her family had had a hand in it, of that he was certain. For their crime, he’d killed them and buried them in an unmarked grave. And then, because he hadn’t been able to find Miriam, they’d had to consider that she’d gone to law enforcement for help. Which meant they’d had to move Eden. Again.
That had been a pain in the ass, especially in November, with winter approaching. ‘Never heard of her.’
Regina smiled again, way too sweetly. ‘That’s really interesting. Because, you see, the killer apparently took trinkets from his victims.’
Ephraim shrugged. ‘So? That’s normally what they do, right?’
‘Right. But he took a locket from Eileen. They showed it on the news. Said that the third lady who’d escaped him – a Sacramento radio personality named Daisy Dawson – had ripped it from his throat while fighting for her life. It was an important clue, apparently.’
Stay calm. Just breathe. He’d seen the telecast, just as Regina had. He’d seen the locket on the screen. And he’d been afraid that his face would be recognized, that he’d be identified. The newscast had made no mention of finding any photos inside the locket, so he’d assumed Miriam had removed them. But now he knew better. That damn cop in the airport had recognized him, so clearly the police had the wedding photo.
Goddamn wedding photos. I’m going to murder Pastor as soon as I get back to Eden.
With Mercy in tow. There was no way he was going back without Mercy now.
‘And?’ he managed in a smooth voice that didn’t tremble at all.
‘And there was a design on the locket. Two children kneeling in prayer under a tree, all under the wings of an angel holding a fiery sword.’
‘Sounds pretty.’
‘Oh, it is. Just like the tattoo on your right pectoral.’
Ephraim stiffened. What the fuck? ‘What makes you think I have a tattoo?’ He never removed his shirt. Never. Except . . . motherfucking bitch. Except when he showered.
Her lips curved smugly. ‘Yes, I can see that you understand. Of course I keep cameras in the showers, Ephraim. It’s for your protection, you see.’ She tapped a manicured fingernail on the edge of his laptop. ‘So this is what I think happened.’
My protection, my ass. He tensed his fingers, readying himself to break her fucking neck. ‘Please, enlighten me,’ Ephraim said, hoping he sounded bored. And not rattled. Because he was rattled. And he suspected he knew exactly where this was going.
‘Oh, I will. I think you saw the telecast, saw Mercy and Eileen. Saw that Eileen was dead. She was tied to you somehow. I don’t know how yet. Hell, maybe she was your wife, after Mercy left you. But they said that Mercy had returned to New Orleans after her rescue from the killer, so that’s where you went.’