“Pig’s blood,” I say, speaking of the blood in the jar when he’s, of course, speaking far more broadly. “Test it and confirm I’m right, but I’d bet my favorite red heels that used to be Mom’s, and I really love those heels.” I turn and start walking.

“Damn it, Lilah, wait,” he bites out.

“Damn it, Lilah” seems to be on autoplay, thus it becomes less effective. “Wait.”

I don’t wait.

The answers we need won’t be found in this house. After seeing that blood, I know better. They’re with Pocher, who Kane might not be willing to kill, but I damn sure am, and tonight sounds like the night to me. Find him. Kill him. End this hellish cycle of him killing people once and for all. He’s a serial killer of a whole different breed than Roger and no bars will ever hold him. He’s too powerful.

I charge through the house, intent on getting out of here before I’m stopped when North is suddenly in my path. He doesn’t want to be in my path right now. Not when I’d bet those red heels all over again that he’s on Team Pocher.

“Lilah, damn it,” Andrew calls out roughly again, and it’s right then that North’s attention shifts to my right, where Andrew has appeared.

“Chief,” he says, sidestepping, and then he’s in Andrew’s path. He gets brownie points for saving me. Since he’s dirty, that won’t get him far with me, but it gets me the hell out of here.

By the time I’m back in my coat, and have removed my gloves and booties and stepped back into the cold snow and wind, I’ve calmed down enough to know that killing Pocher, at least right now, is a fantasy. Besides, I’m not an assassin that hunts and kills people. That’s not how I kill, that’s not who I am, no matter how Roger made me doubt myself, I know it’s not, but this man, Pocher, makes me want to make an exception.

I exit the house, the cold, crisp air a welcome blast of relief. Already logic finds me. I have Pocher on the brain right now. Nothing about this case reads like a Pocher setup. The pig’s blood was in the news. The Umbrella Man was in the news. Even I was in the news. I need to calm the fuck down and think like Special Agent Love not someone who hates Pocher.

I’m down the steps of the house, with snow falling like rain, my hood up, when Andrew catches up with me, still pulling on his coat, a brown ugly thing that looks like some kind of new animal breed. “Lilah. Stop walking now or I will forcefully make you.”