“I don’t know—seems to me Nick got what he deserved.” The cop gave a tight grin. “But I’m glad it’s your job to call it in.”

Manny had it right.

Bill Harrison was still in his office. It was close to midnight, and his desk was stacked so high with reports and associated materials that he’d need an archaeologist to get to the bottom of it.

The photos of Nick Roma at the crime scene occupied a prominent position on the top of the pile.

Harrison didn’t like it.

He’d wanted to put this man who had caused so much unbearable grief on trial. He’d wanted to confront him, along with all the other victims, and tell him what he’d done. Tell him about the nightmares and the pain and the loneliness.

He’d wanted to lock him away and watch the system slowly eat Nick Roma alive.

And then, only after he’d been through decades of it, Bill Harrison wanted to watch Nick Roma strapped down and killed.

But now it was too late for that.

Unlike most of his victims, Nick had died fast and easy. He’d probably barely had time to know it was coming.

Harrison was cheated of his revenge.

He didn’t like it at all.

He looked at the eight-by-ten glossies of the man who’d gotten away—permanently.

That’s when he heard Rosie’s voice, as clearly as if she were standing there beside him. “It’s better like this. Now you can get on with living.”

He turned to look around him. He was alone, not a soul in sight. Downstairs, the usual business of the city at midnight went on at a feverish pace. But here, there was nobody but him, and a voice that he couldn’t possibly have heard.

“Rosie?” Nothing. “Rosie!” Silence. The pain came crashing down again. But through it, he felt, for the very first time, a sense of peace. Rosie—had that really been Rosie?—was right on target. As usual.

His thirst for revenge was as destructive as the man in those pictures. It would tear him up, slowly eat his soul if he let it.

Instead, he needed to look for justice.

The people who did this needed to be stopped. They had to be caught and caged so that they couldn’t do it again.

Nick Roma wasn’t going to cause any more trouble in this life. Once the paperwork was filed, his case was over.

He’d not acted alone, of course. Bill Harrison wouldn’t rest until he’d gotten them all, one way or another.

But not for revenge. For justice. And to preserve the peace for all of the good people he’d sworn to protect.

That was his job, and he was going to do it.

He stood up, turned his back on his desk, and went to get his suit jacket and overcoat.