“Answer,” he says. “It had to have already been in the building and hasn’t left, but we aren’t going to get a search warrant for everyone’s private residences.”
“It could be in a common area. Make sure you dig deep, like equal to a basement in a building in the center of New York City. Get underground if you have to.”
“Already on it.”
“Good. You don’t need me to stay. And my team is already working on connecting the dots between victims, locations, and so on. Send me all the notes from tonight’s investigation, even if it’s in pieces.”
“Copy that,” he says, and it’s the first time I’ve actually thought about Rollins’ past.
“Were you in the Army?”
“My father was. Why?”
“Just curious. I like to know who I’m working with, and it seems you just won’t go away.”
“Should I send you my resume?”
“Actually, yes.”
“I’ll show you mine, if you show me yours.”
There’s an accusation in that reply, like my resume is bloody, but perhaps his is as well. “Interesting,” I say. “Get me the investigation notes.” I start to turn away and pause to say, “Don’t bitch Noah out.FigureNoah out.” With that, I leave him staring after me while he figures out what he missed. It’s time to go find my husband. That might be exactly how I find the freak in the mask. And then we’ll brawl, oh, yes, we will, only I won’t use my fists or feet. I’ll use my blade.
Jay falls into step beside me, and I glance over at him. “What’s the first female name that comes to your mind?”
“Maria de la Santa Cruz Rosalina Angelina Rodriguez.”
I stop walking and look at him. “Who is that?”
“My mother, who I loved dearly.”
“Oh. Okay. Another name. The hottest woman you’ve ever known,” I hold up a hand “And don’t say Lilah. The second hottest.”
He chuckles. “Sally.”
My eyes light. “Oh, yes.Sally.The chick you just broke up with.”
“Yep. Snobby bitch, but she was hot.”
“Sour grapes I see, but all right. Then Sally is my new bitch.”
His brows knit. “What does that mean?”
I pat my purse. “Sally is my favorite blade. The one I plan to use to kill the freakshow in the mask. Where’s Kane?”
“Four blocks away.”
“We’ll walk,” I say. “And let’s hope the freakshow is out there, waiting for us.”
Chapter Sixteen
To Jay’s credit, he tries to do his job, which according to Kane, is to protect me. We’re walking toward the front door of the building to exit this horror show when he points the other way. “There’s a door at the side of the building where we can exit and avoid the crowds.”
I point ahead of us, my path forward steady. “The freakshow will be in the crowd,” I say. “That’s why I’m going toward the crowd.” He got in my head, I think. I’m going to get in his.
“Or waiting in the shadows at the side door, expecting you there,” he argues. “Either guess could be the right guess.”
“He’s still out there,” I assure him. “Watching us. Mocking us. And I want him to know I’m not running or hiding.”