"So if there's nothing else, we should get you back to the hotel. You have my cell phone number. Please call tomorrow to tell me what is going on. Even if it's bad news. Bill me when you're ready and please remember what I said about securing other accommodations."

Beatrice Preston leaned forward, and said, "Adam, please take us back to the Babylon."

There were a thousand questions swirling around inside Lizzie's head. Out of the corner of her eye she watched as Ted text messaged someone. A satisfied expression was on his face. She looked down at her watch. She had five minutes before she had to flip her tape.

"Traffic in this town is atrocious. You need to leave a full hour ahead of time if you want to reach a specific destination at an appointed time," Beatrice said, as though they were friends and had just met.

"How long have you been here?" Lizzie asked.

"Tomorrow it will be a month. I'm staying with a friend. If you agree to represent my daughter, I'll leave so as not to get in your way or give my daughter a reason to balk. I think it will be better if I'm not a presence here."

"Do you love your daughter, Ms. Preston?" Lizzie was sorry she asked the question when she saw the naked longing on the older woman's face. She thought about Annie and Myra and how they'd lost their children.

"Only God knows how much I love my daughter and what a hell I've lived all these years, and yet if I had to, I'd do it all over again to protect her."

When the Bentley slid to the curb, Adam got out and walked around to open the door. Ted hopped out first.

Beatrice reached out to Lizzie and asked, "Could you please deliver a message for me to Myra and Anna? I don't know, does she still go by Anna—or Annie? As a child, I called her Annie. Tell them. . .tell them I'm sorry for their loss. I wanted to call so many times but was afraid to intrude. It had been so many years. And tell them their secret is safe with me. Can you do that for me, Miss Fox?"

"Yes, ma'am, I can do that for you."

Lizzie and Ted stepped out into the dark night and the Bentley pulled away from the curb. She looked up at the riot of stars overhead. Ted was still text messaging. She tapped his shoulder to get his attention. He finished his message and slipped his BlackBerry into his pocket.

"You said something about going to the newspapers. Is that still your plan?"

"Yep. Why? Oh, the walk we were going to take so I could clue you in on this Devil's Paradise. How about we do that later? We have all night. I should be back by midnight. If I'm onto something hot, I'll call you."