Jim thought about Devina and the so-called dream Vin had had. Chances were very good that hadn’t been a nightmare. For God’s sake, if she didn’t cast a shadow in broad daylight, what other tricks did she have up her sleeve?

“What exactly did you do?” Jim asked. “When you were seventeen.”

Vin crossed his arms over his chest and you could practically hear the sucking sound as he was drawn back into the past. “I did what the woman told me to do.”

“Which was…?” When Vin just shook his head, Jim guessed it was some hard-core creepy. “This woman still around?”

“Dunno.”

“What’s her name?”

“Why does it matter? That’s in the past.”

“But Devina is not, and you’re up on charges for something you didn’t do, thanks to her.” As a whole lot of cursing rolled out, Jim nodded. “You open a door, not a bad idea to go back and get the key to lock it back up.”

“That’s the problem. I thought I was locking it. As for that woman, it was like twenty years ago. I doubt we can find her.”

As Vin started to clean things up, Jim watched his awkward bandaged hand. “How’d you hurt yourself?”

“I crushed a glass as I was talking to you.”

“That’ll do it.”

Vin stopped in the middle of twisting shut the sourdough bread. “I’m worried about Marie-Terese. If Devina can do this to me, what isn’t she capable of, you know?”

“I hear you on that. Does she have a clue about—”

“No, and I’m going to keep it that way. I don’t want Marie-Terese involved in this shit.”

More evidence Vin wasn’t an idiot. “Listen…about her.” Jim wanted to be careful how he packaged this one. “I took a look around her background after you told me that other guy who was killed downtown had been with her.”

“Oh, Jesus…” Vin wheeled around from the cupboard he’d opened. “That ex-husband of hers. He’s found her. It’s—”

“Not him. He’s in jail.” Jim did a download on what Matthias the fucker had found and what do you know…the more the story came out, the bigger the frown on Vin’s face got. “Bottom line is,” Jim concluded, “although it’s possible an associate of Capricio’s would come after her, it’s not likely given those other deaths because they’d really just be concerned with Marie-Terese.”

Vin cursed—which meant he got the picture and all the implications. “So, who is it? Assuming she’s the tie between the two attacks.”

“That’s the question.”

Vin settled back against the counter, crossing his arms and looking as if he’d like to fight someone.

“She’s quit, by the way,” he said after a moment. “You know, doing that shit at the Iron Mask. And I think she’s going to leave Caldwell.”