New York to Dallas

he’s been out, he’s acted on impulse, he’s been impatient, broken pattern. His confidence is broken. He denies it, but his actions are rash . . . inelegant. Contacting you today, showing you the video—”
    Eve looked Mira in the eye. “I’m okay.”
    “Showing you tells me he’s fighting to get his confidence back, to show you how confident he is.”
    “Ties and olives.”
    Mira simply stared. “I’m sorry?”
    “He’s bought a lot of stuff, duplicated it, which doesn’t go with his previous pattern. Like dozens of ties, multiple jars of olives. Other stuff. And Melinda said he went blank for a minute after he got the call from Sylvia. Pulled out the knife, then just went blank. Like he forgot what he wanted to do.”
    “It fits.” Mira nodded. “Freedom after a long confinement can be stressful even though deeply desired. Decisions are more difficult. Adjustments when a factor changes unexpectedly, even more so.”
    Like Eve she studied the board. “In my opinion, he’ll continue to devolve. His actions will deviate more and more from the pattern he once carefully adhered to. And he’ll become more violent. If he abducts another girl, he’ll be more brutal. He may kill her because the rape and the violence won’t be enough, not for much longer. Nothing will be enough but you. He’ll take greater risks to get to you. As long as you exist, he can’t feel complete. You punished him. In a terrible way, you’re the mother now.”
    “Jesus. I’d gotten some of the rest, but I hadn’t gone there.”
    “You don’t fit the pattern. You’re not old enough, you’re not an addict, you’re not weak or susceptible to his charms. But. His mother abused him, punished him, and more important, for many years had control of him.”
    “So he had to eliminate her, replace her periodically with someone he controls.”
    “It’s most probable, and my opinion, you’re the only woman to take control away from him since his mother.”
    “And I’m damn well going to do it again.” She glanced at her wrist unit. “Less than an hour till the feds freeze his money. What will he do when—”
    “Moot point,” Roarke told her. “I’ve got him.”
    “You’ve got some locations that fit all the parameters?”
    “No. Do you honestly think it would’ve taken me that long just to pull out possibilities? It’s a wonder I tolerate your insults. I’ve got the location.”
    “How did you determine?” She rolled her eyes when his narrowed. “I’m not questioning your big, sexy skills. I have to be able to relay to Ricchio and the feds, convince them you’re right.”
    “I am right. He put a deposit on a projected two-bedroom, two-anda-half-bath apartment, with gourmet kitchen and private elevator—sixty-sixth floor—in September of ’fifty-five.”
    “Why didn’t you see the transfer for the deposit before? It had to be a hefty chunk.”
    “Because, as you suspected, he had another account.”
    Since she could clearly see he was annoyed he’d missed it the first time, she kept it zipped.
    “A corporate brokerage account,” Roarke continued, “and he has a law firm handling the deposits and transfers. A law firm out of Costa Rica. I know that because when I found this location, I did another search, a bloody miserable one,” he added grimly, “and was able to track it back to him. The apartment’s leased by Executive Travel, yet another dummy corporation, which has made him a nice return by renting it to legitimate corporations for overnight or shortterm stays or meetings.”
    “Then it’s—”
    “However”—Roarke ignored the interruption—“the apartment was taken off the market for refurbishing three months ago. Which is when he added the electronics. It remains unavailable for lease.”
    “We got him.”
    “As I said. Now, call off the feds, Lieutenant, and call in the dogs. Let’s go finish this.”

22
     
    H ere’s how I want it to go.” Once again Eve headed toward Ricchio’s briefing room at double time. Roarke strode beside her;
    Mira scrambled to keep up.
    “We have the data, so we run the show. While I’m sorting that out with Ricchio and the feds, I want Roarke to set up all the data—the building schematics you accessed, the blueprints for the apartment, everything we have on building security and his personal security. I’m going to have you break off with whoever Ricchio picks from his e-men, and head up the security team.”
    “Are you