started your bagel."
"I don't want the bagel. I want to see the skull."
"The bagel is your better bet."
She stiffened. "What?"
"The skull isn't here at the compound."
"Where the hell is it?"
"It's not been unearthed yet. It's buried about ninety miles north of here in a small cemetery."
She said through her teeth, "I don't rob graves, Montalvo."
"You won't have to rob this grave. I'll do it. I just couldn't do it until you were here and ready to do the job. You'll have to work faster than you've had to at any time in your career."
"And I don't act as an accomplice to grave robbing. Go get someone else."
"I've got you."
She met his gaze. "No, you do not. You played me like a violin to get me here, but I won't be manipulated by you to do anything that's against my conscience. Violating a grave is high up on the list."
"Because you think of a proper burial as bringing someone home. That's what you've been working toward since your daughter died." His lips tightened. "I assure you that the person in that grave has not been brought there by loving, caring hands. It's not home, Eve."
"So you say."
"It's the truth. Look at me." His voice vibrated with the force of his words. "I'm telling you the truth."
She had to believe him. "Or what you believe as truth. If you were sure, you wouldn't have brought me down here to verify. And why couldn't you get someone to do DNA?"
"I have someone lined up to do DNA, but I have to have some sort of proof before he'll run the risk."
"Why?"
"Because any scientist who touched that skull would end up murdered in a most unpleasant fashion."
"By whom?"
"Ramon Diaz. You may have heard of him."
"I've seen photos in newspapers. Drugs."
"Yes. Drugs and vice and murder."
"Then you have a good deal in common."
"You may think so. I told Miguel that you'd never met Satan. If you'd ever run across Diaz, I wouldn't be able to say that. I have my moments, but Diaz is the master. He's set himself up in a castle and thinks he's a king and has a license to do anything he wants to do."
"And if a DNA expert's life would be on the line for examining the DNA, what about mine?"
He nodded. "It would be the same. Forensic sculpting isn't accepted in a court of law, but you know about the skull and that would be enough."
She stared at him incredulously. "You admit you brought me down here to risk my neck for your reconstruction?"
"Yes."
"You bastard."
"Yes, but not Satan. Remember the difference." He took another sip of coffee. "And, if I'd had time to work at it, I could have been completely honest with you and you would have still come. If the price is high enough, the risk is worth it. But I didn't have the time once I put the plan in motion. I had to strike while I had the opportunity. I took the chance that you'd cooperate once you were here."
"You're out of luck, Montalvo."
"We'll see. The only reason you came was because I offered you Bonnie. That reason still exists. You didn't know what you'd find here. Everyone was warning you what a bad man I was. Still you came."
"I won't become the criminal you are. I made something decent of my life after Bonnie was taken from me. I won't be dragged down again."
"What if I promise that you'll not be doing anything dishonorable? Your reputation and moral principles will remain pure as the driven snow." He grimaced. "The only thing that you'll be risking is your life. Sorry about that."
"Only my life? Well, then of course I'll ignore everything else and jump right on the bandwagon."
"You might if I'd caught you during those years after Bonnie's death. Not now."
She gazed at him, anger flaring through her. "You think you know me so well. You can't learn about someone from a dossier. You don't have any idea who I am."
"The dossier was only a start. I thought about you. I ran scenarios in my mind about you. Sometimes I even dreamed about you."
She felt a ripple of shock. "You're psychotic."
He shook his head. "When I first started to look for
"I don't want the bagel. I want to see the skull."
"The bagel is your better bet."
She stiffened. "What?"
"The skull isn't here at the compound."
"Where the hell is it?"
"It's not been unearthed yet. It's buried about ninety miles north of here in a small cemetery."
She said through her teeth, "I don't rob graves, Montalvo."
"You won't have to rob this grave. I'll do it. I just couldn't do it until you were here and ready to do the job. You'll have to work faster than you've had to at any time in your career."
"And I don't act as an accomplice to grave robbing. Go get someone else."
"I've got you."
She met his gaze. "No, you do not. You played me like a violin to get me here, but I won't be manipulated by you to do anything that's against my conscience. Violating a grave is high up on the list."
"Because you think of a proper burial as bringing someone home. That's what you've been working toward since your daughter died." His lips tightened. "I assure you that the person in that grave has not been brought there by loving, caring hands. It's not home, Eve."
"So you say."
"It's the truth. Look at me." His voice vibrated with the force of his words. "I'm telling you the truth."
She had to believe him. "Or what you believe as truth. If you were sure, you wouldn't have brought me down here to verify. And why couldn't you get someone to do DNA?"
"I have someone lined up to do DNA, but I have to have some sort of proof before he'll run the risk."
"Why?"
"Because any scientist who touched that skull would end up murdered in a most unpleasant fashion."
"By whom?"
"Ramon Diaz. You may have heard of him."
"I've seen photos in newspapers. Drugs."
"Yes. Drugs and vice and murder."
"Then you have a good deal in common."
"You may think so. I told Miguel that you'd never met Satan. If you'd ever run across Diaz, I wouldn't be able to say that. I have my moments, but Diaz is the master. He's set himself up in a castle and thinks he's a king and has a license to do anything he wants to do."
"And if a DNA expert's life would be on the line for examining the DNA, what about mine?"
He nodded. "It would be the same. Forensic sculpting isn't accepted in a court of law, but you know about the skull and that would be enough."
She stared at him incredulously. "You admit you brought me down here to risk my neck for your reconstruction?"
"Yes."
"You bastard."
"Yes, but not Satan. Remember the difference." He took another sip of coffee. "And, if I'd had time to work at it, I could have been completely honest with you and you would have still come. If the price is high enough, the risk is worth it. But I didn't have the time once I put the plan in motion. I had to strike while I had the opportunity. I took the chance that you'd cooperate once you were here."
"You're out of luck, Montalvo."
"We'll see. The only reason you came was because I offered you Bonnie. That reason still exists. You didn't know what you'd find here. Everyone was warning you what a bad man I was. Still you came."
"I won't become the criminal you are. I made something decent of my life after Bonnie was taken from me. I won't be dragged down again."
"What if I promise that you'll not be doing anything dishonorable? Your reputation and moral principles will remain pure as the driven snow." He grimaced. "The only thing that you'll be risking is your life. Sorry about that."
"Only my life? Well, then of course I'll ignore everything else and jump right on the bandwagon."
"You might if I'd caught you during those years after Bonnie's death. Not now."
She gazed at him, anger flaring through her. "You think you know me so well. You can't learn about someone from a dossier. You don't have any idea who I am."
"The dossier was only a start. I thought about you. I ran scenarios in my mind about you. Sometimes I even dreamed about you."
She felt a ripple of shock. "You're psychotic."
He shook his head. "When I first started to look for
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