Page 24 of Silk and Steel

He sighs and gestures at the card. “What does it say?”

I turn it around so he can read it.

“If you were hoping for clues, you’re going to be disappointed.”

“This could still help us.”

He takes the card and turns it over in his hands several times.

“Do you care if I keep this?”

I turn my face away from him and try not to cry.

“Please. Get that thing away from me.”

He pauses, giving me a long look, but he doesn’t speak. Cole takes his cell phone in one hand and the card in the other.

“This greeting card is retail. He had to have bought it somewhere. It might help us track his movements, maybe even figure out where he’s hiding.”

My eyes widen. I hadn’t expected cleverness from my one-man army.

“That’s a pretty good idea. How are you going to do that?”

“I’m hoping one of Jax’s people can help. He has a former hacker working for him. She might be able to help me narrow down the search. In the meantime, stay put. I haven’t fully cleared the property for explosives or other surprises.”

He walks off into the hallway, disappearing from sight.

That leaves me alone with the dress. I stare at it for all of ten seconds before hurling it across the room. It flops onto the floor, a crumpled mess. Where it belongs, as far as I’m concerned.

My phone rings and it nearly makes me jump out of my skin. Heart pounding, I turn the screen over. Unknown number, possible spam.

Could be a sales call, or someone who got my number at a party. Or it could be Julian. I let the call go to voicemail, afraid to decline it.

The phone stops ringing, then begins a second later. So they’re going to play this game? Fine.

I push the green button and lift the phone to my ear. I don’t speak at first, I only listen. I can’t hear anything. No breathing, no electronic clicks of a robocall. It’s…sterile.

“Is that you, Babe?”

His voice is like nails across a chalkboard.

“Please, just leave me alone.”

“Oh, we’re way, way, way, way past that, Emmy.”

I always hated when he called me that.

“I don’t know why you can’t see that you’re my twin flame, Emmy. We belong together.”

“I’m not your twin flame, and if you want to stay out of prison you’ll stop bothering me. You know the entire state of California is looking for you and your friends.”

“Ah,” he says, sounding impressed. “So they figured out that Banner and Blumbert got out with me.”

“Cole figured it out. Two serial killers? Really? You know what they say about the company you keep, Julian.”

“They’re only tools, Emmy. Tools I have bent and shaped to a new purpose.”

“Remember what your therapist said about grandiose delusions, Julian.”

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