The killer had followed her from the shadows. The notes, their cryptic contents, revealed little. Even the calligraphy was an attempt at obfuscation. Too ornate to tie to any one person. Before now, when she and Nathan had presumably been in Callenwolde together, she’d had no hint of another person knowing her. In the cellar, on the mountain, he’d concealed himself, watching the world play before him.

He needed the anonymity not simply to protect himself from prosecution, she thought. It was part of his makeup. It helped define him, the obscurity. In New Orleans, he would seek anonymity, yes, but he would also want to be witness to her struggles to find him. For her to be the perfect audience, he would want to be close enough to gauge her reactions. He’d have to know when to ratchet up the tension, when to make adjustments in timing and delivery.

Where better to hide than an unknown college, protected by status and with access to Erin’s every move? He would know that she used the gym membership offered by the university. Most of the faculty banked where Burleigh Singleton was killed. From the shadows, he could have easily followed her to the menagerie or to the museum, seen her standing at the bus stop with Harriet Knowles. Even poor Tom Farnen had been easy prey, a routine part of her life. Rose and Maggie had their own ties to Burkeen and to Kenneth.

From the safety of his position as dean, Kenneth would be seen but hidden, able to act and observe.

Able to kill and not be suspected.

Terror pulsed through her as she thought of Harmony and Jessica. If Kenneth Bernard was indeed the killer, she would need Gabriel’s help to reveal him before he got too far away.

ERIN’S FIRST VISIT to the Bayou Ledger was a revelation. On the main level, reporters bustled in frenzied motion. Fingers typed hurried copy, the soft clattering of computer keys no less hectic than the murmur of voices.

“Can you tell me where I can find Gabriel Moss?” she asked the middle-aged woman who greeted visitors. “My name is Erin Abbott.”

“One moment, please.” She dialed the phone, lifting the receiver when the line connected. “Gabriel? Dr. Abbott is here to see you.” She listened, then replaced the phone. “He’ll be here in a moment.”

“Erin,” Gabriel greeted her quietly.

Dressed in black jeans and a plain white shirt, he should have looked plain. Instead he looked devastating. The quick flare of heat came unbidden, followed by a disquieting sense that she was safe here, with him.

He closed the distance between them, and she saw that there were shadows in his eyes. Shadows, she realized, only those who cared for him would see. The thought caught her off guard, and she stumbled away a step. “I left you a message this morning.”