April shook her head. “That is no boy. That is a man.”

The door opened again, and Louisa’s intern hurried into the office. Though she’d just turned twenty-one, Zoe’s long body retained its youthful slimness. With her long brown hair tied back in a ponytail, she looked younger than her years. Her brown eyes were open wide. “The police asked me a bunch of questions. Why would anyone steal a replica? Its dollar value is relatively low.”

Louisa replaced the picture of her and Conor and returned the folder to her drawer.

Zoe’s face paled. The freckles popping against her fair skin lent a frightened cast to her complexion. “They wouldn’t tell me anything, but it must have something to do with Riki’s disappearance, right?”

“I really can’t say what the police are thinking,” Louisa said. “April and I are going to stay tonight and run a complete inventory on the European exhibit.” It would likely be an all-nighter. “We could use a hand.”

“I have a date.”

Louisa looked up from the sandwich. “Really?”

“You don’t have to act so surprised that I have a boyfriend.” Zoe grinned. “Though, honestly, even I’m shocked he asked me out.”

Louisa smiled. “I’m only surprised because you never mentioned him before.”

Zoe was several years younger than her graduate student peers and suffered from the social awkwardness that often accompanied brilliance. She was an excellent intern, though, except for some habitual lateness. No doubt both those issues would resolve as the girl matured.

“He’s new. Tonight he’s taking me to a hockey game.” Zoe sobered. “But I guess I could cancel if you really need me to stay.”

Louisa and April shared a resigned smile.

“No, you enjoy your date.” Louisa knew exactly what it was like to be desperate to fit into the social environment when you were different from everyone else. “We’ll manage.”

“Thanks.” Zoe grinned. Excitement radiated from her brown eyes.

“Be careful.” As Louisa knew from experience, boys knew how to take advantage of naïveté like Zoe’s. Her settled nerves tightened at an old memory. No. Not the time. She put the old pain back in the dark corner of her mind, where it belonged.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”

“Have fun,” Louisa said as Zoe bounced out of the room.

Louisa’s thoughts turned to the gruesome photos the police had brought. Was the body Riki or some other poor young woman? Whoever she was, had she thought she was safe? Where and how had she been taken?

And most importantly, would the killer strike again?

CHAPTER 3

3

Would this night never end?

In the basement of the South Philadelphia bar he owned with his three siblings, Conor set up a new keg of brown ale. The old brick floor dug into his knee. Finished, he climbed the steep wooden staircase, passed the kitchen, and went back into the main room.