Full Tilt

64

New York City

Is my sister dead?

The question hammered at Kate as she showered.

It had been a week since Minneapolis and nothing on Vanessa’s location had surfaced. No leads on where she was, nothing but the anguish of knowing that for a burning moment she had been alive and free to save a young girl before Zurrn clawed her back into hell.

After Kate got dressed she got Grace off to school. Nancy, who’d been a saint through all of this, would pick her up and take her to a sleepover at her friend Hayley’s because Kate planned to work late.

On the subway, Kate was haunted by the images from the shock site videos. Brennan had assured her that the FBI and other police agencies on the task force were going all out trying to track them, but so far they had nothing.

At the office she got coffee, went to her desk and started working. It wasn’t long before Reeka was standing next to her, nose in her phone, thumbs blurring as she worked on the daily news sked.

“What’ve you got for today?”

“Nothing concrete, following up on a few things.”

“We need news on the story, Kate.”

“I know.”

“We’ve had absolutely nothing in the past few days. Subscribers are getting weary of recaps and situationals. We need to break something.”

“Don’t you think I know that?”

Nearby, conversations trailed off and heads turned to them.

“No one on this planet wants that more than me, Reeka!”

A long moment of silence passed before Chuck joined Reeka at Kate’s desk.

“Is everything all right here?”

Chuck’s attention went from Kate to Reeka and back again.

Kate stared at her monitor, said nothing.

“Kate,” Chuck said, “I know these past few days have been hell for you. I’ve got every bureau looking into Vanessa’s case. You know that.”

Kate nodded.

“And if you need time off, you’ve got it. You know that, too.”

Kate covered her face with her hands to salvage her composure.

“I will see this through,” she said. “I’ll keep working.”

Chuck let a few seconds pass to melt the tension.

“All right,” he said. “It’s obvious you’ll give us a story when you have one.” Then he looked at Reeka as he said, “I don’t think we need to ask you for it.”

Kate spent the rest of the morning going through her messages. She was still getting a steady stream from her Today show appearance, things like:

We’re praying for you and your sister.

Such a tragic story. God bless you.

My brother’s got a hunting dog who could find your sister.

Aliens took your sister.

I’m psychic and your sister’s a spirit now.

Saw you on TV; you’re clearly a bitch who is doing this to make a name for yourself.

Kate kept working, contacting people she’d talked to in Rampart, in Chicago, in Minnesota, in Denver and Alberta. She called her sources with missing persons agencies and she searched databases. When her stomach rumbled, she got a sandwich at the deli downstairs and ate at her desk.

Nothing was emerging.

Commentators on the network news shows speculated that Zurrn had committed a murder-suicide and that it was only a matter of time before he was found. Others believed Zurrn would succumb to being the most wanted fugitive in the country and make a mistake. There were those who were convinced Zurrn would attempt to grab the spotlight in some disturbing fashion.

Despite the national media attention, despite all the tips to the task force, nothing new had surfaced, at least nothing that the investigators were willing to discuss. Kate had a vague feeling that something was happening but no matter how she tried, she couldn’t nail it down.

Nobody was talking.

By the time she lifted her head from her desk it was early evening and most of the day-side staff had gone. The smaller night crew was working quietly. As darkness fell, Kate went to the windows and studied the lights of Midtown Manhattan.

Exhausted, frustrated and fearful, Kate felt a lump rising in her throat with a mounting sense of defeat. She had to accept that Zurrn was going to kill Vanessa, if he hadn’t done it already.

That was how this was going to end. Kate would never see her sister.

I had her and she slipped away from me again.

She ached to see Vanessa, to hold her, to comfort her, to tell her how much she loved her and that everything would be okay. They probably wouldn’t even recognize each other, but that wouldn’t matter because they’d know the bond that had survived.

Somewhere in the skyline’s glimmering lights Kate found hope.

What am I doing? I can’t give up. There’s no proof of anything. After all she’s been through Vanessa hasn’t given up! I’ve got to keep fighting to find her!

Kate returned to her desk, intending to call Brennan and push him hard for information.

As she reached for her phone it rang.

The number was blocked.

“Newslead, Kate Page.”

Kate heard nothing.

“Hello,” she said, “this is Kate Page at Newslead.”

“I saw you on TV.”

The caller’s voice was robotic, monotone as if coming from a voice changer or electronic synthesizer.

Her thoughts raced.

Was this a joke? Was this Erich being cryptic again?

“Who is this?”

“Are you at a computer? Check your email and the link I’ve sent you.”

Wedging the phone to her ear with her shoulder, Kate typed quickly, moved her mouse, found a new email and froze upon reading the subject line: Final Scene from The Kill Jar.

“Did you find it? Open the link.”

Holding her breath, Kate clicked on the link. It went to a live feed of a woman, her eyes wide with terror.

“Say goodbye to your sister. I put her in her grave so you and the world can watch her die.”