“Did you get the feeling that Lourdes was unusually irresponsible…or maybe she had an addiction problem or something like that?”

“No, but our conversation was superficial.”

Decker said, “I’m sure Marie has seen hundreds of young teens just like Lourdes Rodriguez. Why’d she choose this baby?”

“Maybe something snapped. Maybe God told her to do it.”

“But the profile I’m getting of Marie is not one of a woman slowly going down the tubes. She wasn’t showing any overt signs of cracking up.”

“Overt signs, Pete.”

“Yeah, there could have been some subtle signs that no one picked up. Nobody seemed to know her well.”

“Maybe you’ll find something at her house.”

“Maybe.” Decker heard someone call his name. He turned around. “What’s up, Sergeant Harlow?”

“Detective Sergeant Decker, we’ve found something of interest in the parking lot.”

“Marie’s car?” Marge asked.

Harlow pressed his hands together. “No, Detective Dunn. It’s more like fresh blood.”

14

Too much rush, Tandy thought, had to slow down. Remember the words of the guru—to build the shape, do fewer reps with heavier weights.

That was the key. You can’t lose sight of the key. The shaping, the sculpting. Otherwise, you lose control. Never lose control.

Never, ever, lose control.

Fewer reps with heavier weights.

Gotta get the control back.

Don’t lose it, Roberts, don’t lose it.

Fewer reps, heavier weights.

That would bleed off the excess entropy.

No entropy, only enthalpy.

Controlled energy.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then pulled the pin from the one-twenty weight and slipped it into the one-thirty. Wiping sweat from her face, she felt her cheeks, skin as smooth as fine brandy. When she was modeling, people used to smother her pores with poison. All that base makeup to give her the appearance of flawless smooth skin. Why not live right, eat right, exercise right, and have the real thing?

Never lose control.

Otherwise they’d come back.

Only enthalpy.

Controlled energy.

Can’t slip up this time, Roberts. Can’t slip, can’t slip, can’t slip.

She clenched her teeth as she slid under the shoulder press, fingers gripped around the handle.

Check the position.

Arms parallel, small of the back secured by a rolled towel, feet planted firmly on the floor.

She felt her heart race.

Inhale, then let it out on the exertion.

One.

The loud, metallic clank of the weights slapping together.

No good. Not controlled. She needed to lower the weights down. They should never fall by themselves.

Again.

Inhale, exhale.

Two.

Muscles shaking with the effort, perspiration tracking her face, belly, and armpits.

Weights down slowly.

Better, much better.

The control was there.

Bleed it off, girl. Turn the entropy into enthalpy.

Only enthalpy.

Controlled.

You can do it.

Again.

Inhale, exhale.