And what if—I frown—what if the jar of blood isn’t from Pocher? I’m slightly obsessed with him right now. I did just get the news that he’s alive tonight. So, if this isn’t Pocher, then who? My brows dip and I start to process. The pig’s blood was in the news. I was in the news. Roger tried to take all the credit for the Umbrella Man case, but ultimately, I was mentioned. Maybe, this is another one of his protégés or even another enemy, a new enemy, a new killer with a fixation on me. As Kane said, and I know too well, killers are drawn to me.

And me to them.

CHAPTER TEN

I hate stupid and I hate slow.

And one thing I know about the locals is they move about as fast as butter melting in a blizzard. If I wait for the locals to process the evidence, I’ll be dead before I solve this case. It’s still early in Cali and I grab my phone to call Tic Tac, my tech guy out of the L.A. office. I’m about to push his auto-dial when my last conversation with him replays in my head:

“My mother is coming in for Thanksgiving, Lilah,” he’d said. “I’m not strong enough to deal with her and you in the same week. Please, I beg of you, at least give me this four-day weekend off.”

“Okay,” I’d said, “but only if you send me one of those cinnamon rolls she makes.”

“Done,” he’d promised. “I’ll send two.”

I sigh and move my finger off the call button. I want those cinnamon rolls. And I did promise. I might be a bitch, but a promise is a promise. Besides, I need someone a bit more cunning than his boy scout routine. Therefore, and despite the wrath of Kane, who hates my cousin, I dial Lucas, who swore he’d stick to investment banking and quit the bullshit hacking, but we both knew he was lying. And that I’d at some point be a bad influence despite my efforts to be the opposite.

He answers on ring number two. “Before you say a word,” he greets, “I’m drinking. Don’t hold anything I say against me.”

“Is it fruity and girly?” I ask because I tease him about his love for piña coladas.

“No,” he says, “she already left.”

I roll my eyes. “You’re crazy.”

“Proven by the fact that I still talk to you despite Kane Mendez hating my guts.”