“This happened fast. Someone, or a lot of someones, came in through the door, disarmed the twins, did something awful to them.”

“But why kill them like this?”

Nick thought for a minute, still looking over the empty crates.

“Fingernails,” he said, simply.

Then he rubbed a hand over his eyes.

“Jimmy the Lip worked with every two-bit criminal in every zip code within twenty miles of the Boston Harbor; he must have had some guesses as to where the twins might hide a stash like this. Not a surprise, he had enough connections in this part of town to know every seagull by the patterns of crap they leave on the sidewalk. Whoever took his fingernails found out about the warehouse from Jimmy and got a little more creative with the twins here.”

“The paintings weren’t enough?” Hailey asked. “What more were they looking for? Why not just take the paintings and go?”

“Whoever did this is a professional, and professionals don’t leave loose ends behind. But a bullet to the skull is way easier than whatever this is.”

Without another word or another look at the bodies on the floor, Nick suddenly started back the way they’d come, toward the alley. Hailey watched him—but didn’t follow. She knew she should have been a step ahead of him. Working over a casino was one thing; card counting had put her in dangerous situations numerous times over the years, from confrontations with security guards who took their jobs too seriously, to late-night encounters with the sort of people who hung around casinos after 2:00 a.m. But she’d always managed to get away before things got rough.

But this—was well beyond rough. She’d seen three dead bodies in the space of a night. And yet she was still planted in place. Nick was a few feet from the door when he finally noticed she wasn’t with him and gave her a look.

“The paintings are gone. This is over.”

“Maybe,” Hailey found herself saying. “Probably. But you don’t know that for sure. These paintings are worth millions, right? If even one of them wasn’t in those crates—”

“Didn’t you hear me?” Nick hissed. “Professionals like this don’t leave loose ends. And the two of us—we’re the mother of all loose ends right now. Whoever did this could be down the street watching.”

Hailey nodded.

“All the more reason to stay put until we figure this out.”

“There’s nothing to figure out. Someone tortured Jimmy the Lip, then came here and did worse to the twins.”

“But the trail doesn’t end with them,” Hailey said.

Nick paused, still close to the door.

“You mean Gail.”

“You said you stepped into the role of the ‘go-between.’ Did the twins know how to reach her?”

Nick shook his head.