Miss Donovan’s trunk contained five dresses, two pairs of shoes, three dollars, and various personal effects, including a diamond necklace that is undoubtedly a fake. Trunk was closed, though not locked. Victim was wearing an under-dress and nothing else. There was a pool of blood on the floor next to the bed, blood on the back wall behind the victim’s head, and splattered on nearly every inch of the mattress. For description of the victim, refer to coroner’s report.

Madame Conti and Mr. Thiroux agree nothing was missing from the room or was out of the ordinary.

The following items were collected from the room:

• One bowie knife, found placed in victim’s left hand. Assumed to be murder weapon, given the size of the six inches in length, one half inch wide straight blade, which matched the approximate size of victim’s wounds.

• Bottle of absinthe and opium pipe (to be disposed of properly).

• Two absinthe spoons, one with blunt edge (on tray on table), the other in the shape of a fleur-de-lis (which was found on floor in blood).

• Personal effects, to be given to deceased’s family, if any family can be located.

• Drawing in pencil of a woman’s arm, found on the floor next to the bed. Blood streaked on it.

Sara shot out of sleep, stiff and disoriented, instinctively sitting halfway up. She didn’t think she’d been dreaming, but something had ripped her out of sleep, and she realized immediately she was still in Gabriel’s apartment on his couch, and the kitten was no longer on her chest. Panic didn’t even have time to take hold before Sara saw that Angel had just scooted down and was sleeping on the couch at her feet.

Rubbing her eyes, her heart racing from the sudden interruption of REM, she wondered how long she had been dozing. The room was dark, and Gabriel was nowhere around. There was a lamp still on in the far corner, but all the other lights had been turned off. A clock ticked somewhere in the silence of the apartment, and she realized it was still the middle of the night, and there was a blanket over her legs. Gabriel must have left her sleeping and gone to bed.

That was sort of embarrassing. She’d been so sleep-deprived it had actually caught up with her and she’d passed out on his couch. That was actually more than embarrassing when she thought about it. That was scary. Or at least it should be. She should be freaked out that she had fallen asleep on a man’s couch and slept like a rock. Instead, it just seemed to her like maybe there was a reason she’d been able to successfully sleep at Gabriel’s when she couldn’t anywhere else.

What that implied was what was truly scary, not that she’d been asleep and vulnerable.