my fault.”
“Have you told her that?”
“A thousand times over, but always in my head. It’s complicated.”
“Not answering your calls, huh? I had one like that.”
I shrugged. “Something like that.”
I didn’t want to get into it. I wanted to leave, but I didn’t know where else to go. This bar was just a couple of minutes from my apartment. I’d cancelled on Luc after finding the remains in the storage unit; I needed time alone. He had understood and hadn’t pressed the issue, but there was a part of me that wished I hadn’t cancelled.
At least then I would’ve had someone I could actually talk to about it. Not some kid who would probably pass out if he had all the details.
I finished the drink and set the glass down.
“Another?”
I nodded and pushed some more money his way.
“So what’s the plan?” he asked as he poured my drink. “Going after her?”
I picked up my drink but didn’t get a chance to answer.
“Lincoln!”
I turned and looked toward the door. Luc stood in the opening clearly out of breath.
“I went to your apartment. Your landlord said I’d find you here. I wanted to tell you in person.” He paused and took a deep breath. “I was at the lab, Mathias told me everything about…”
I cut him off. “Not here. Let’s walk.”
“Lincoln, it’s not her.”
The glass slipped from my hand and hit the bar before bouncing to the floor and shattering.
I looked at Luc but couldn’t speak. Everything I tried to say came out as a mumble.
“It’s not her, Lincoln. Mathias told me you thought something didn’t seem right, that there was something about the skull you couldn’t place. You were bang on. We’ve identified the woman. She was a sex trade worker of African descent.”
I nodded. That made sense. The wider nasal chamber, rectangular eye orbits and prognathic features. I should have noticed it right away, but I was out of practice. They were traits that were consistent with a person of sub-Saharan origin.
“She went missing a few days after coming to Lyon for some escort work. Looks like Crawford must have murdered her and put her there for you to find.”
I looked at the bartender who stood frozen, staring, his mouth agape. He hadn’t expected this part of my story.
No one ever does.
I finally managed to stammer out some words. “So the rings?”
“He must have taken them from Kat and put them on the victim.”
“Motherfucker,” I said. I pointed at the bar. I was going to need another drink, but this one would be in celebration. It didn’t strike me at the time that in a way I was celebrating the death of another; even if it had, I don’t think I would have cared.
There was still a chance Kat was alive.
“There’s more, Lincoln.”
I put the glass down – the bartender had given me a free drink on account of, well, everything – and waited for the rest of it. I couldn’t read Luc very well, so I had no idea what was coming.
“Mathias found this at the bottom of the container, under… you know. He said he would’ve come but his daughter had a dance recital. Anyway, it’s a piece of metal, with a message etched into it.” He held up his phone and showed me a picture. “Sorry it’s a little hard to make out. The flash kept getting in the way and obviously I couldn’t bring the thing to you.”
I squinted my eyes and looked at the object. It was a little difficult to read at first. The lighting was terrible, but once I saw it I knew I’d never forget it.
“Stop wasting time,” I read aloud. “You know where to find her.”
Chapter Fourteen
Y uri watched as the forensics team dusted the room for fingerprints and searched for any evidence they could find. They had arrived an hour ago, about forty minutes after Yuri made it to the scene.
Where the hell is Kara?
He had tried to call her several times but each time it went to voicemail. Yuri knew how tired she was, how worn out she was getting. Maybe she had fallen back to
“Have you told her that?”
“A thousand times over, but always in my head. It’s complicated.”
“Not answering your calls, huh? I had one like that.”
I shrugged. “Something like that.”
I didn’t want to get into it. I wanted to leave, but I didn’t know where else to go. This bar was just a couple of minutes from my apartment. I’d cancelled on Luc after finding the remains in the storage unit; I needed time alone. He had understood and hadn’t pressed the issue, but there was a part of me that wished I hadn’t cancelled.
At least then I would’ve had someone I could actually talk to about it. Not some kid who would probably pass out if he had all the details.
I finished the drink and set the glass down.
“Another?”
I nodded and pushed some more money his way.
“So what’s the plan?” he asked as he poured my drink. “Going after her?”
I picked up my drink but didn’t get a chance to answer.
“Lincoln!”
I turned and looked toward the door. Luc stood in the opening clearly out of breath.
“I went to your apartment. Your landlord said I’d find you here. I wanted to tell you in person.” He paused and took a deep breath. “I was at the lab, Mathias told me everything about…”
I cut him off. “Not here. Let’s walk.”
“Lincoln, it’s not her.”
The glass slipped from my hand and hit the bar before bouncing to the floor and shattering.
I looked at Luc but couldn’t speak. Everything I tried to say came out as a mumble.
“It’s not her, Lincoln. Mathias told me you thought something didn’t seem right, that there was something about the skull you couldn’t place. You were bang on. We’ve identified the woman. She was a sex trade worker of African descent.”
I nodded. That made sense. The wider nasal chamber, rectangular eye orbits and prognathic features. I should have noticed it right away, but I was out of practice. They were traits that were consistent with a person of sub-Saharan origin.
“She went missing a few days after coming to Lyon for some escort work. Looks like Crawford must have murdered her and put her there for you to find.”
I looked at the bartender who stood frozen, staring, his mouth agape. He hadn’t expected this part of my story.
No one ever does.
I finally managed to stammer out some words. “So the rings?”
“He must have taken them from Kat and put them on the victim.”
“Motherfucker,” I said. I pointed at the bar. I was going to need another drink, but this one would be in celebration. It didn’t strike me at the time that in a way I was celebrating the death of another; even if it had, I don’t think I would have cared.
There was still a chance Kat was alive.
“There’s more, Lincoln.”
I put the glass down – the bartender had given me a free drink on account of, well, everything – and waited for the rest of it. I couldn’t read Luc very well, so I had no idea what was coming.
“Mathias found this at the bottom of the container, under… you know. He said he would’ve come but his daughter had a dance recital. Anyway, it’s a piece of metal, with a message etched into it.” He held up his phone and showed me a picture. “Sorry it’s a little hard to make out. The flash kept getting in the way and obviously I couldn’t bring the thing to you.”
I squinted my eyes and looked at the object. It was a little difficult to read at first. The lighting was terrible, but once I saw it I knew I’d never forget it.
“Stop wasting time,” I read aloud. “You know where to find her.”
Chapter Fourteen
Y uri watched as the forensics team dusted the room for fingerprints and searched for any evidence they could find. They had arrived an hour ago, about forty minutes after Yuri made it to the scene.
Where the hell is Kara?
He had tried to call her several times but each time it went to voicemail. Yuri knew how tired she was, how worn out she was getting. Maybe she had fallen back to
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