“Also, have uniforms canvass everyone inside Darby’s apartment complex. This person has been stalking her for some time and she hasn’t noticed them. It means either they are really discreet”—possible as this killer had been active for at least four years—“or, it’s someone she sees every day.”

Again, to him it suggested the possibility of a woman. Darby was hyperaware of men in general. Although anyone watching her would raise her defenses.

Signy yawned.

“We all need some shut eye.” He checked his watch. “Let’s go over the 911 tape and after that I’m calling it a night.” It had been enhanced and sent back to them, but the analysis was incomplete. His buddy Mike Tanner was on vacation this week and unreachable. Bastard. “We’ll meet back here early tomorrow morning. I doubt the other FBI personnel will make it here before two at the earliest.” If at all.

Signy set up the recording to play on her laptop.

“Wait a moment. I want to see if Darby recognizes the voice this time.” Eban went around the barrier and caught Darby’s gaze. The white bandage was bright against her throat. Eban was once again reminded how close he’d come to losing her tonight.

She slipped the headphones aside and looked at him quizzically.

“Come listen to this,” he said.

She reluctantly took off the headphones and put down her computer, came around the partition, looking somewhat nervous.

It would be a long time before she fully trusted these people.

He settled her into the chair he was using and rested his hands on her shoulders and leaned down to murmur in her ear. “See if you recognize the voice of the person on the 911 recording Adele Surrey made. It doesn’t get too ugly on the tape,” he assured her. Unless you knew what happened next. He nodded to Signy to press play.

“Leaving so soon?”

It was difficult to tell if it was a man or a woman and even enhanced the voice sounded muffled.

“May God forgive you.”

“That’s Adele Surrey,” Darby confirmed.

Someone laughed, presumably the killer, but they cut off abruptly. The sound of sirens was faintly audible in the background. He wished to hell the cops had gone in silent. This might all be over with by now if they had. Adele might have survived.

That was the trouble with hindsight—it was already too damn late.

The clip ended.

The killer had gotten lucky. Probably not for the first time, which meant their self-belief would be through the roof. They doubtless thought they couldn’t be caught, but that wasn’t true, and he intended to prove it.

At least Adele had managed to call 911. Although the killer had made her pay for it. No single stab wound for Adele. No mercy.

“Anything?” Signy prompted Darby.

Darby’s eyes were dark and shadowed when she looked up at him. “I don’t know.” She clenched her fists in her lap. “I’m not even sure if it’s male or female.”