Page 82 of A Step You Shouldn't Take

Georgette.

Gina.

Hailee.

Isla.

Jacqueline.

Kimberly.

Katia.

“See what?” Wyatt asked.

“It’s the alphabet. He’s going through the freaking alphabet. When Georgette died too soon, he had to get another G. And when I escaped, he needed another K.”

I scanned the names again. “We’re missing three. Where are A, C, and F?”

“We must have missed some girls. Maybe their families didn’t report them. Or they’re from another state.”

“Hold on,” Wyatt said. “How do you know Georgette died too soon? What are you talking about?”

Kim clapped both hands over her mouth, and I let out a groan. Dammit. How were we supposed to explain this?

Before Emma disappeared, Wyatt had been a friend forever. But he’d never been as open-minded as me, and in the police, he liked to do things by the book. Intuition was a dirty word. The idea of using a…an Electi? Filthy.

But Kim didn’t know that.

“I spoke to her,” she whispered.

“Spoke to who?”

“Georgette.”

“But you said thirty seconds ago that Georgette died.”

Kim screwed her eyes shut, and I didn’t know whether to hug her or shove Wyatt out the door or laugh off her comments as the ramblings of a woman who’d been through too much.

But before I could make up my mind, she kept talking.

“Yes, she did, but her spirit’s still here.”

Wyatt began laughing. “For a moment, I thought you were serious.” When we didn’t join in, his smile faded. “Wait—youareserious?” He looked at me. “Is she serious?”

“She’s serious.”

And brave. It had taken a lot for her to risk ridicule by admitting her abilities to Wyatt.

He laughed again, but this time, there was no mirth in it. “Are you telling me this whole case is based on Kimberly’s chats with her imaginary friends? See, this is why we didn’t investigate any further after the initial report. Because there’s nothing there.”

Now I did put my arm around her, and Wyatt’s expression turned to mild disgust.

“You’re doing all this just to get in her panties?” He got to his feet. “Man, you must be desperate.”

“I knew there was a reason I broke your nose. What about Emma, huh? Are you just gonna walk away?”

“No, I’m not. I’ll look for her the old-fashioned way. By finding hard evidence and witnesses who actually exist.”

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