Once inside, vomit mixed with the tangy, metallic odor of blood and death permeated every molecule of space around them, and Alyssa had to suppress the impulse to cover her nose and mouth to combat the overwhelming stench. Then, recognizing the voice of one of her team members whom she had thought was still out on vacation, she moved briskly through a dim formal dining room and around the corner into the kitchen where the rotting odor of death took on a whole new level of assault on the senses.

‘Holy Christ,’ she and Cord breathed out at the same time.

Less than five feet in front of them, Gabriel Kensington lay in a pool of blood. With one side of his skull caved in and his chest showcasing a multitude of stab wounds, he bore no resemblance to the man Alyssa had occasionally assisted on some of his cases.

She directed Cord’s attention to the pulpy mess of the man’s hands where his bones had clearly been shattered. The sight of the marble rolling pin covered in blood lying not far from Gabriel’s body near two overturned chairs depicted a picture of animalistic rage in the killer. Unfortunately, she could too easily envision Mr. Kensington’s last moments, and the graphic mental image sent chills rippling down her spine.

She’d seen pinatas that were less beaten.

And now it was quite possible, probable even, that the same killer had taken the girls, a thought that iced Alyssa’s blood.

One of their teammates, Officer Tony White – whose name was a perfect descriptor for his pale skin – turned when he heard her voice. His right eye was dotted with color, and down the side of his face was a nasty scratch, as if a large cat had dragged its talons across his skin. Alyssa wondered when he’d returned and why he was here at all since, avid hunter that he was, he’d taken time off as he usually did this time of year to head out to his cabin for a week of hunting. Unless she was misremembering, he wasn’t supposed to return for a few more days. Maybe he had tangled with a cat.

Tony grabbed one of the technicians with a camera and pointed to something Alyssa couldn’t see. Then, barely slowing his stride, he motioned for her and Cord to follow. ‘Grace is this way.’

In a seating area off the kitchen, Bernalillo County’s district attorney sat perched on the very edge of a cornflower-blue sofa, eyes shimmering with unshed tears, her face pale save the red splotches on her cheeks and forehead. It was a far cry from the fierce, sophisticated attorney Alyssa held in such high regard.

‘She insisted on waiting for you.’ Though Tony didn’t whisper, his voice was lower.

Not wanting to startle the other woman, Alyssa, too, spoke quietly. ‘Grace?’