Dawn moved slowly, inching along as she braced her body so that she wouldn't slide down too quickly. When she reached the bottom, she shone her light at the wall, trying to find the way out. She saw a section of paneling that looked different, and she knocked on it.
Hollow.
Her fingers fumbled and she hoped, really, desperately hoped, that Bowen hadn't been as thorough with the nailing down there and-
No nails.
The wood fell out when she shoved on it. Dawn moved easily through the space-and then she was standing in Jinx's closet. It was completely dark in the closet, but the area...it smelled like Jinx. Jinx had always used raspberry body lotion and that scent seemed to be everywhere. For a moment, tears stung Dawn's eyes, but she blinked them away. Not now. Hurry. Do a search.
She curled her left hand around the doorknob and eased open that closet door. The curtains were drawn in the bedroom, not letting in any light and not allowing anyone to peek inside. A good thing, considering she didn't want the cops watching her.
Or arresting her for trespassing.
She paused near Jinx's bed. The cops had searched thoroughly, but they didn't know Jinx like she did. Jinx had liked to hide things that mattered to her. She'd always been worried about a robbery. At her last place, someone had broken in and stolen her jewelry, so Jinx had been determined to keep the things that mattered most to her safe this time.
Dawn was betting her friend had a hidden spot for her valuables. She just had to find the spot. She headed toward the bed and the floor creaked beneath her feet.
* * *
EXCITEMENT FIRED JULIA'S BLOOD. The tattoo on Jinx was fresh, and-obviously-it was one to recognize a lover. Those letters...those letters were a clue they needed.
She'd covered Jinx back up while she hurried to get her camera. She wanted to photograph the tattoo.
Macey had texted her just a bit ago, telling her that she'd be arriving any moment. She couldn't wait to show the agent what she'd found. She grabbed the camera and-
The lab door opened.
"Macey, hurry back here!" Julia called out. "There's a tattoo on Jinx, a fresh one by the look of things. It was on her left hip, hidden beneath her underwear, so I didn't see it at first. I removed the underwear during my exam and I found it-"
Something hit her. Hard, fast, a blow straight to the back of her head. Julia didn't have a chance to cry out. The camera flew from her fingers and her head slammed forward. Her cheek hit the side of the exam table, and she was thrust down, landing on the floor with a thud. For a moment, she didn't move at all, too stunned.
"I'm not Macey."
His voice sent terror clawing through her. Her hand fumbled out, trying to grab on to her instrument tray. It was just a few feet away.
He reached the tray before she did. He picked up her scalpel, and the light gleamed off its sharp edge.
She should scream. As loud as she could. Blood was pouring from her cheek and the back of her head hurt so much she thought she'd vomit right there.
Scream.
Julia opened her mouth.
"No one is going to hear you. You're fucking in the basement here. Scream as loud as you want."
She did. With every bit of power she had. And she kicked out at him as she tried to scramble across the floor.
But he laughed and that scalpel swung at her. The first cut was on her arm. Fast, deep, a slice.
The second was a stab-a sharp piercing into her shoulder.
Oh, my God. I know these wounds...
She'd measured them on Jinx. "No!" She kicked out at him again, aiming for his knee. He grunted and went down and she crawled away from him. Julia tried to stand up, but her head was spinning. Blood dripped down her chest. She staggered forward. He'd hit her too hard. She knew her own symptoms-blurred vision, sluggish movements, nausea..ncussion. He's given me a concussion. If she didn't get away from there, she knew it would be so much worse-
///
"You aren't going anywhere." He yanked her back. Pressed the knife to her throat. "I've got plans for you."
He wrapped his arms around her and heaved her up against him. She fought him, twisting and punching, but he didn't even grunt. And she realized that her blows were too weak. She was too weak. Her mind was still functioning, but her body was sluggish. He'd planned that, incapacitated her from the first blow, and now-
He yanked open one of the storage lockers that she used for her bodies. Cold air rushed out, wrapping around her.
"Perfect," he whispered into her ear. "I'm going to make you like the pain..."
* * *
DAWN HADN'T FOUND anything under Jinx's bed. Not tucked away in her drawers, not hidden in the dark spaces of her closet. She'd gone into the guest bedroom that Jinx used for her tattoo art-she'd forever been sketching new tattoo designs. She'd sketch in her workroom at Voodoo Tats, and she'd sketch at home, too. Trying to perfect her art before she picked up her ink. The cops had left Jinx's sketchbook there. Dawn shuffled through the latest sketches in the book-a dragon, a snake, a heart. Beautiful work, and looking at those sketches made tears fill Dawn's eyes. She shut the book.