Giving one more little scratch on the head, they looked up to Jewels owner. She looked to be in her early fifties. She was wearing a sun visor, a T-shirt with a generic slogan on it, and shorts that no women over thirty should ever wear. It would have been a great deal of fun to throw her ass over the bridge. Then theyd have their answer. Then theyd know if this drop was high enough.

Of course, they couldnt do that. There were too many people running, walking, riding their bikes. And all of them were doing those things, separated from a free fall to their death by just a foot or so, and one single steel rail. The thought of it made them a little giddyit wasnt a sexual excitement or even anything related to anxiousness. It was like being a kid again and standing in line for the best roller coaster at the park.

It would happen tonight. They did not need Jewels owner. They knew it would work and exactly how it needed to be done.

Jewel and her owner walked away from the stranger. Totally unremarkable and plain in just about every way, no one would have suspected them. It was almost too perfect. The smile remained on the plain face, the unremarkable and unrememberable face, as they reached the other end of the bridge. It was even wider now, as they could easily imagine that final moment before gravity took the next victim. There was that moment of abject terror in the eyes, the drawing in of breath that almost never came out in their frozen terror.

They clenched their hands in their pockets, palms slick with sweat.

Tonight could not get here fast enough.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

A quick survey of the Manhattan Bridge showed Rachel and Jack absolutely nothing. The suicide prevention measures on this bridge were slightly better than the ones on the Williamsburg Bridge, though not by much. There was a safety fence that was built along the very edge of the bridge in a way that was aesthetically subtle to the casual viewer, though making it harder or any jumpers to get to the East River. There had been no obvious signs of where the fence had been cut or torn through, though there were a few spots that showed where attempts had been made to do so. Of course, there was simply no way to tell for sure if anyone had ever scaled it and gone to the other side.

Not that it really mattered, as Joseph Staunton had jumped just slightly away from the river.

As Rachel and Jack headed back to their car, Rachel thought that a quick check to see how many suicides had occurred from the bridge might answer that question for her.