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“That’s preposterous! My feminism has nothing to do with this murder! The victims are women! If I hated men, I’d kill them, wouldn’t I?”
Faith decided to drop the bomb. “My dog placed you at the scenes.”
Nina flinched. “What? That’s impossible.” Her voice was barely a whisper.
“It’s not only possible,” Faith said, “it’s certain. At all three scenes, he picked up a scent. He picked up that same scent in this house.”
“The mica powder!” Nina said. “That’s what he’s smelling!”
“Notthemica powder.Yourmica powder.”
“That isnottrue,” Nina insisted. “Please. You can’t really believe this.”
“Can you confirm your whereabouts for last night?”
Nina flinched again. Faith held her gaze until she swallowed and said hoarsely, “No.”
Faith had heard enough. “Nina Verbeck, you’re under arrest for the murders of Cassidy Holt, Samantha Reynard and Lorraine Hayes. If you come quietly, then we’ll be gentle with you. If you don’t, then I have a K9 unit that I am more than willing to use.”
Nina shivered. “This is a mistake,” she whispered.
“We’ll talk about that,” Faith said. “Please place your hands on top of your head.”
Nina began to weep and complied with Faith’s instructions. Michael stepped forward and cuffed her, giving Faith another questioning look.Are you sure?
Faith returned a look of her own.Sure enough.
She wasn’t certain. Not after talking to Nina. She seemed frightened but not exactly guilty. That could just mean she was a sociopath afraid of justice or a terrified alchemist afraid of having her spell thwarted.
The missing red powder flashed in Faith’s mind. She looked sternly at Nina and said, “Did you take a fourth victim? Where is that red powder.”
To her surprise, Nina lifted her head and assumed a dignified expression. “I have never found even afirstvictim. I’m not sure why you’ve suddenly decided that I’m guilty, but I have nothing to say to you.”
Faith stepped in front of her and met her eyes. “If we find a fourth body that you could have saved by being honest with us, I will make sure that the first seven hundred years of your everlasting life are spent staring at the sun through a pinhole.”
Nina shivered but kept her cool. Mostly. “I have done nothing wrong. I am being maligned for no reason.”
“Well, the jury will decide that,” Faith replied. “Let’s go, Michael.”
The four of them headed toward the police cruiser. Faith felt odd, though. There was none of the usual triumph that came from catching a killer. Had she made a mistake after all?
Michael helped Nina into the cruiser and walked to the driver’s seat. Faith tried to calm herself by reminding herself that she was taking Nina in for questioning right now. If the questioning revealed that she wasn’t the killer, then she would just be another red herring.
But it would leave a victim still in danger. Faith felt a touch of guilt at the thought, but she hoped very much that Nina would turn out to be their killer.
Then she wouldn’t have to wait to hear of another woman sacrificed to a fantasy.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
The killer reveled in the power that filled him. The sun blazed warm overhead, his sun. His power. His strength. The energy that created life now coursed through his veins.
All that remained was to strengthen the vessel that contained it.
Nigredowas complete. The understanding of life was his.Albedowas complete. The understanding of energy, of the deep secrets of the universe was his as well.Citrinitaswas complete, and the sun infused him with strength.
All that remained wasrubedo, the reddening, the fire that would harden the clay of his body, hone the steel of his will, temper the knowledge of his mind.
Then he would be eternal. Then he would be everlasting.
