“Maybe if you start using that Tennessee twang.” Harper stared into her eyes for such a long time Dani was wondering what she was looking for. “You have such striking eyes,” Harper said, almost to herself. “A mix between green and blue. To me, that’s what stood out the most when I looked at your photo. I don’t think a disguise with your hair would change that.”

Dani frowned. “What photo?”

“Oh, they had a file on you.”

“A file?”

Harper shook her head dismissively. “Just your photo and the particulars of your visit, that’s all.” She smiled apologetically. “When I didn’t know who you were, Lieutenant Mize offered your photo to me.”

“Oh.” Dani leaned her elbows on the table. “What about Detective Springer? When he came in, the two of you were being very secretive. Did he find something?”

“Not exactly.”

“What does that mean?” When Harper looked away, Dani noticed her hesitation. “What is it?”

“A rape.” Harper met her gaze. “There was a doll left at the scene. A doll with a red wig.”

Dani’s eyes widened. “Oh, my God,” she whispered. “A rape? This is all my fault.”

“It’s not your fault, Dani. You don’t control his actions.”

“But I came here. I brought him here. Now some poor woman—”

“It’s my fault, if anything,” Harper said. “I tried to draw him out. He knew it. I think this is his way of letting us know.”

“But…someone was raped.”

“Dani…it’s not your fault.”

She stood up. “Then whose is it? And don’t try to pacify me by saying it’s yours.”

Harper stood up too. “You’re overreacting.”

“A woman was raped, for God’s sake! By my goddamn stalker!”

Harper held her hands out in defeat. “Okay. Take the blame. It doesn’t change anything. He’s still out there.”

Dani let her shoulders sag. “How do you take this? Assault…rape. How do you deal with it?” Dani saw the shadow that crossed Harper’s face when she looked away.

“You disconnect,” Harper said quietly. “If you didn’t, you’d go insane.”

Chapter Fifteen

Harper sat in the chair facing the door, her phone held in her hand. She’d expected Reid to call by now. Surely they’d already interviewed the woman. She glanced over at the sofa, smiling a little as she watched Dani sleep. She was curled into a ball, tucked into one corner, her hands folded under her cheek. She’d told Dani to go on to bed, but she wouldn’t hear of it.