Silencing Eve

for you.”
    “What? Now that’s truly maudlin, Zander.”
    “No one would ever describe this gift as maudlin.” He reached behind him into the tall grass and brought out a leather case. “I don’t think you would either.”
    She stiffened. She knew that case too well. “Is this your idea of humor?”
    “Would I be that cruel? Well, I would, but not to you, Eve.” He unfastened the case. “No, this is a true gift. You’re never going to forget these days with Doane, but you have a chance of its gradually blurring. But not if you know this is somewhere in the world.” He drew out the reconstruction of Kevin and studied it. “You did a magnificent job on him. He’s been with you every minute, in your mind, under your fingers. The stuff of nightmares…”
    “Yes.” She forced herself to look at the reconstruction. Is it over, Kevin? Has your power to silence vanished? Have you faded back to the hell from where you came?
    No smothering sense of evil.
    No reaching out to grasp and take.
    Has he gone, Bonnie?
    “He frightened you?” Zander’s gaze was narrowed on her face. “Why?”
    “You wouldn’t understand.” But the fear was gone, she realized. Bonnie’s answer?
    “No, I probably wouldn’t. But I do understand about nightmares.” He smiled. “I believe I’ll take this one away from you.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “If this skull exists somewhere, it will always haunt you. So it will no longer exist.” He held out the reconstruction to her. “Do you wish to make sure of that? Or would you like me to do it? I thought I’d offer you the opportunity.”
    “What opportunity?”
    “Can’t you guess? Why do you think I built this fine fire? Five years ago, I sent Kevin’s body to a crematorium to be burned. If Doane hadn’t snatched his head from the blaze, you wouldn’t have had to deal with putting his skull back together.” He added mockingly, “Now I can correct that little error.”
    Her eyes widened. “You’re going to burn this reconstruction?”
    “I regret burning your wonderful work, but I prefer to think of it only as Kevin’s skull. And I’m going to burn Kevin’s skull to ashes. Then I’m going to toss those ashes into the most disgusting mire I can find. I thought about the ocean, but that would be too clean for him.”
    “Yes, it would.”
    “I won’t ask if you approve. Your work is to save, not destroy. I just wanted you to know it was being done and that you could trust me to do it right.”
    She gazed at Kevin’s handsome features, which reflected none of the evil that had corroded his soul. All the murders, all the innocent children … She felt suddenly sick. No one should ever look at him again and not know what he was. And she would not let Zander be responsible for doing what she thought was right. “I trust you.” She took the reconstruction from him. “But I won’t let you do it alone.” She took a deep breath and threw the skull into the flames.
    The fire leaped high and hungry as if in blazing welcome.
    She stared at the skull as the fire began to consume it.
    “It’s time for you to go,” Zander said quietly. “You’ve made your decision and acted on it. You don’t need to see it happen. It will take a long time for it to burn down to ashes. In a furnace, the heat is more intense, but this fire will do what’s necessary. I’ll tend it all day and all night, longer if need be. Then I’ll dispose of the ashes.”
    She got to her feet and moved toward the path. No, not like this. She wouldn’t leave him like this. She turned and looked at him. “Thank you for my gift, Zander.”
    He grimaced. “I’m happy you’re pleased. I thought you’d think it was a suitable good-bye present for a man of my profession and character.”
    “You never do anything that’s suitable. But it’s a gift that I’ll remember you thought about, then gave to bring me peace. That’s a very precious gift, Zander.”
    He looked a little taken aback. “Are you getting maudlin again?”
    “No. I’m being sincere. I know it’s hard for you to recognize the difference. I think I may have to teach it to you.” She met his eyes. “Because if this is a good-bye present, you’ve wasted it. I’m not saying good-bye to you.”
    “You’re not? You may not have a choice.”
    “Bullshit. I’m not intruding into your life, but I’m in it now, and I won’t be thrown out. You did that when I was ten years old. It’s not going to happen again.”
    He