The Killing Game by Iris Johansen Page B

I understand you've been worried.”
    Joe's gaze narrowed on his face. “You wanted me to worry. When I couldn't reach Cather, I called you. When you didn't answer your digital, I phoned the command site and Sheriff Bosworth said you were too busy to take the call.”
    “He was right. It turned out that no aerial shots had been taken of the grave sites to determine if there's a pattern. It kept me pretty busy coordinating the photography.”
    “Too busy for a two-minute phone call? You wanted to make me sweat.”
    “Worry keeps a man sharp. You're going to need to be sharp.”
    “And I'm not sure Cather's the agent to guard Eve. He doesn't impress me.”
    “He's not standard FBI, if that's what you mean. He's not cynical and he's eager instead of methodical. I had a hell of a time getting him approved for the unit, but that doesn't mean he's not fully qualified. And a fresh eye sees things a jaded one doesn't. He'll do a good job. Besides, I've given orders for three other agents to do sentry duty and patrol the woods around the cottage. They'll report to Charlie. Satisfied?”
    “Hell, no.”
    “No, you want a battalion.”
    “The fewer the guards, the more likely that maniac will come calling.”
    Spiro looked him directly in the eye. “That's right. I'll supply enough men to keep her safe, but I don't want to discourage him.”
    “You'd rather she run the risk?”
    “Don't be ridiculous. She's valuable. She may be our only lead.”
    “Answer me.”
    “I have to catch this one, Quinn. I can't take a chance on him slipping away. You can laugh, but after these days at Talladega, staring at those graves, I sometimes feel—” He stopped and then shrugged. “He's mine.”
    “And Eve?”
    “She's only one woman. There's no telling how many more people he'll kill if we don't get him now.”
    “You bastard.”
    “Yes, but if you want that killer, I'm your best bet. I'll keep on going until I have him.” He started to walk away but stopped. “You know, I don't like Eve Duncan's attitude.”
    “Too bad. She's working her butt off to get an identification on that skull.”
    “No, that's not what I—” A frown creased Spiro's forehead. “She's not afraid of him. He's not going to like that. It will make him angry and more determined to break her. If he can't reach her, he'll try for someone close to her.”
    “I twisted a few arms over the phone last night and got a twenty-four-hour guard on her mother.”
    “Good.”
    “But I didn't tell Eve and I'm not going to tell her about anyone watching the cottage. So make sure your forensic guys don't plod around here like elephants. She's working so hard, I doubt she'd notice if they did, but she's got enough to worry about.”
    “You're very protective.”
    “You'd better believe it. You might think about that, Spiro. Because if that asshole gets to her and it's your fault, she won't be the only victim.”
             
    CHARLIE CATHER ARRIVED at the cottage four hours later. “Sorry to be late.” He grimaced. “I meant to get here an hour ago, but I got a late start from Quantico. I hoped I'd get the analysis before I left, but they hadn't finished.”
    Eve glanced up from the skull. “What analysis?”
    “From VICAP. Violent Criminal Apprehension Program. It's a nationwide database that allows us to type in all the facts of a violent crime and then does a search for similar modi operandi on reported crimes during a given period.”
    “I didn't know Spiro had authorized one,” Joe said.
    “Oh, he did, and we've been giving VICAP the reports on the bodies to narrow their search. They've been waiting for the last report, but it got lost in a damn paper shuffle. I found it only right before I left Talladega, so I took it myself to Quantico.”
    “And what given period did you tell the computer?” Eve asked.
    “Thirty years. Just to be safe.”
    She stared at him, stunned. Thirty years?
    Charlie turned to Joe. “I told them to call me here with