She glanced over her shoulder at him. His face was red and his breathing was laboured. He wasn’t used to this much exercise. Neither was she, for that matter. She didn’t want to imagine what her own face looked like.

“You’re still alive,” she said.

“Eyes front.”

Amber looked ahead as she walked. “You’re still alive,” she repeated. “Most of the killers who sign up with the Shining Demon wait until they’re dead to … Wait. You haven’t signed up with him, have you?”

“No more talking.”

She stopped suddenly, and turned.

Daggett pulled up, confused. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“You haven’t made a deal with him, have you?” she asked. “So why are you here?”

“Get moving.”

“Not until you answer my questions.”

“I will kill you right now if you do not start walking.”

“The Shining Demon wants me alive,” she countered. “So come on – what’s in it for you?”

He hesitated. “If I hand you over, I get my deal.”

“You tried to make a deal before this,” she said, “but you weren’t interesting enough, were you?”

“Watch your mouth.”

“Explain it to me, Phil, or I’m not moving.”

“Goddamn you, you little bitch …! You march when I goddamn say you march!”

“Explain.”

Fury danced in his eyes. “I tried to make a deal,” he said. “So what? I tried and it didn’t work. It doesn’t work for everyone. I understood. I didn’t let it stop me. I kept going out, I killed more women – whores and sluts and filthy, filthy creatures, the lot of them – because I knew, I knew that if I could just prove myself worthy of his interest, all my dreams would come true. Then the night before last my bedroom was filled with this light, with this incredible light … I figured it was a sign. I figured he was calling me. I did the whole circle thing … and it worked, and I was in his castle.”

“And he offered you a deal if you could come in here and drag me out.”

“I jumped in my car immediately. I didn’t think I’d be the first to find you, but hey.” He shrugged, and smiled. “I guess it’s my lucky day.”

Amber frowned. “The first?”

Daggett laughed. “You didn’t think I was the only one, did you? Everyone who’s ever tried to contact him and failed, he summoned. They’re all on their way here. Serial killers of all kinds are closing in on this town as we speak.”

The guy who’d disguised himself as a state trooper. Just another psycho who’d had her in his crosshairs. Now it made sense.