outside, bundled up in a long coat, scarf, and gloves, his silver shield glinting on his hat. My heart
 
 skipped a nervous beat. Our steps slowed.
 
 207
 
 "Ladies," the officer said with a nod. His voice was low and rumbling, his dark skin lined with age.
 
 "Kindly have your IDs ready to show to the officer inside."
 
 I glanced at Diana and saw that my own fear was reflected in her eyes. What had happened now?
 
 "Ooookay," Shane said, whipping out her key card.
 
 She opened the door and let us all go in ahead of her. Just inside the lobby was another officer
 
 sitting at a small wooden table tha
 
 t used to stand under the far window. With his shaggy brown
 
 hair and squinty eyes darting everywhere, he reminded me of a nervous mouse. A laptop was
 
 open on the table in front of him, and he looked at us briefly as we approached, before his eyes
 
 darted away again.
 
 "IDs, please," he said, holding out a skinny hand.
 
 "What's this all about?" I asked.
 
 He sighed, clearly irritated, and flicked his fingers. Didn't look any of us in the eye. "IDs?"
 
 As we were fishing our wallets out of our pockets, the front door directly across from us opened
 
 and in walked Ivy Slade. I felt all the blood rush out of my head at the sight of her, and the flutter
 
 of fear I had felt outside returned with a vengeance. What was she doing back here? Why had they
 
 let her go?
 
 Ivy spotted me as she strode by, her eyes narrowed in anger. She said something under her breath
 
 but kept right on moving to the elevator. I could hardly breathe. She was back. The stalking,
 
 murdering bitch was back. They'd only held her for three hours. And when I got upstairs, she
 
 would be right next door. Why had I
 
 208
 
 even bothered going to Detective Hauer? Was this all some kind of massive joke to him?
 
 I heard a familiar voice just as the cop at the table snatched my ID from my numb fingers to check
 
 it against his computer file. Detective Hauer had walked through the door and was conversing with
 
 another officer.
 
 "Detective," I said, my voice cracking.