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"What?"

"Well, I think that the doctor was your partner, Jack, by the way, and that Angie was Laura"

"Sure, why not?" Sean said "If we’re going to believe in vaht as well believe in reincarnation"

"I know that there are vampires I don’t know if reincarnation is true or not I just know that the world is full of souls, good, evil--and I think, old and young"

"And you believe in God, Maggie?"

"Yes"

"And are you da us, it all has to do with the concept of free will andchoices And I pray that you won’t be such a fool as to not pay attention to what I’ you, if Aaron isn’t stopped, more people will die More and more Peter--the doctor as ifted man determined to help out in the sluht when I saw Aaron We got into a fight; Lucian intervened and ordered us both to leave off AnywayLaura, Peter’s wife, was pregnant, so I kept working with Peter so that she could rest, and stay home, away from the filth and disease and crian, and Peter started having blackouts He was convinced that he was the killer, and I began to wonder myself, because he disappeared each time there was a murder and I couldn’t find him And he’d be covered in blood Then " She inhaled deeply "Laura had been sick Peter found her dead after one of his blackouts He blamed hi after Mary Kelly wasaroundI saw Aaron And when I confronted hi the prostitutes and purposely ht it an incredible joke that the police were so mystified, and he loved the lists of suspects I don’t kno to explain Aaron except that he thinks himself a hunterlike a cat, perhaps, a killer who likes to taunt and torture his prey I was so angry that I attacked Aaron, and I hurt him, really hurt him I would have killed him then except that Lucian stopped me, because, if I had killed him, I would have faced execution from my own kind Even if Lucian hadn’t sanctioned a formal execution, other vaht have despised Aaron and agreed with me, but that is the ancient law We are not allowed to destroy our own kind Still, Aaron was hurt, really hurt The kind of hurt that probably took nearly a century to heal But he’s better now And he’s back--strong, evil, vicious Jack’s back!" she said very softly, and looked at hiainst, what kind of evil? Jack is back, and that’s the truth My God, look at the killings, look at your victims! How many men could copycat that well? If you allow yourself to think about it all, you’ll realize I’ you the simple, indisputable truth" The truth Surely, she saw the disbelief in his eyes

"Maggie "

"Oh, God!" she groaned "It’s true, Sean It’s true What will have to happen forvery innocent and young, even in her nakedness Her eyes were liquid, glittering a beautiful gold, her hair was still wild around her shoulders; she was so perfect and so lovely, it see hi it

He cupped her cheek, kissing her lips lightly "I’ to take a shower Get dressed Get into work," he told her He rose, walking toward the shower He felt as if he stumbled like a drunk He paused at the bathrooht this , sleek, beautiful She shook her head "They won’t have caught him You know that If they had found theht; he knew it Even if he hadn’t said where he’d be, they’d have known

He stepped into the shower and let cold water pour over hihtie was dressed, ready for a day at work She wore a navy business suit with a white silk blouse and tie Masculine apparel had never looked so fe red hair swept up into a neat chignon

"There’s coffee in the kitchen," she told hi the bedrooy--plump, rosy-cheeked, Mrs Santa Claus look-alike--was in the kitchen as well She greeted Sean pleasantly, poured hiie was there, too, drinking coffee and reading the newspaper

"The papers say you nearly caught the beast, Lieutenant Canady!" Peggy said "You’ll get him yet, you y," Sean told her "And the ie, you ready?" She looked up, nodded, set down her cup, and thanked Peggy as well, telling her she wasn’t sure whether she’d be back that night or not Peggy warned her just to keep herself safe

As they walked to the car, Sean asked sarcastically, "Is Peggy a valare "Of course not She’s my housekeeper, she looks out for me, and she’s wonderful Soht?"

"Ah! So she protects you at your weakestinto the car beside hioes," she said "No, she’s not a vampire But her father worked for randet the idea Does she lure in the unwary for you?"