While Eban and the police officers tried to solve the case this evening, she’d lost herself in recent academic papers on how the changes in gaseous emissions provide insights into subvolcanic conditions. Anything that could provide a reliable early warning system about an imminent eruption was key to her work. If scientists could find a way to reliably link chemical sensors to the kind of deformation data she was particularly interested in, they might make some real strides in discovering a way to remotely monitor volcanic activity and potentially save hundreds, if not thousands, of lives.

Eban was more concerned with saving one or two lives. No less noble a cause, especially as one of those lives was hers.

She touched the wound on her neck. Only skin deep so no real damage. She might have a scar, which she’d add to the collection. The cut stung and her arms were still sore from fighting off Martin’s brother. She needed to work on her upper body strength. An hour in the hot water would help, but she wasn’t in the mood, and she wasn’t supposed to get the bandage wet.

Tim Carstairs was spending the night in jail. She’d spotted his parents in the police department’s waiting room talking to Jacqui and the others, all of them looking distraught and mournful as Eban escorted her to the restroom. It hadn’t escaped her attention that he was protecting her from them and the cops as much as the actual killer.

Eban had shut down anyone trying to communicate with her and, while she felt bad for Martin’s family and her supposed friends, she was in the self-care part of the healing process. She’d reach out eventually. She would. She simply didn’t have the energy to deal with their emotions and couldn’t afford to let them into her zone right now.

What could she tell them anyway? She still couldn’t remember what had happened after the dance, and she couldn’t reveal details of the investigation. Better she avoided them until after law enforcement caught this monster.

Eban pulled into someone’s drive and then carefully backed out and retraced their journey. They didn’t pass anyone on the road.

Despite the stress of the day and everything that had happened over the last two days, she wasn’t tired. Her body was strung tight from being alone with Eban. Her mind abuzz with possibilities.

Last night they’d both been too tense to think about anything except decompressing and staying safe. Now all she could think about was the fact Eban seemed open to the two of them moving beyond friends, something she’d craved for so long.

Did that mean she was finally going to have sex tonight? She bit her lip. Was she wrong to be even thinking about anything except stopping this evil monster? But she was done cowering into a ball and crying—she’d done that in Indonesia. She was sick of running scared. She wasn’t planning on doing anything crazy, but she did not want this cold-blooded killer to hijack her joy. She wanted to be with Eban in every way, and she didn’t want to wait any longer.