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Her friends Mike and Megan had ht at the cabin when their father had confessed to killing their un on himself

But they weren’t the only ones whose lives had been changed by the events of that night Violet’s life had changed too

She had found a hoood use With Sara’s team of misfits

Violet parked her Honda next to Krystal’s oversized, gas- guzzling Chevy It didn’t matter that Roxy was about thirty years out of style, or that she took up nearly two parking spaces on her own; the car totally suited Krystal’s eclectic style

She navigated the nondescript hallway that led to the state-of-the-art facility the team referred to as "the Center" If you didn’t know better, the building was just another warehouse in the middle of the industrial section of Seattle But Violet knew better Holding up her keycard, she waited until the light on the panel outside the inner entrance turned froranted, and she slipped quietly inside

Everyone was already there, gathered in the oversized space where a cluster of chairs and couches had been pulled together for their roup They were an odd collection, with very feard silaolden blonde hair, and bowed lips that were perpetually painted a vibrant poppy red She wondered hoas possible that Gemma was only sixteen But the effect of her doelike brown eyes was lost once you recognized the hardened air she wore like armor She seemed jaded Cynical Caustic

Or aze est member of the team He clai he was a day over fourteen Granted, he was tall, but he was too gangly by halfstill waiting for puberty to fill out his lanky body In the two months she’d been with her new team, Violet had onlythe first investigation she’d been involved in, an arson case It had been aard for Violet since she was brand-new, and her ability hadn’t been useful But unlike Ge an effort at s to make Violet feel welcome Violet had watched him then, as he’d touched the charred reht into the Center, his face twisted in concentration

Now Violet saw Krystal standing in the space they called the break roo the door of the industrial-sized refrigerator when she noticed Violet at the entrance and her ? We aiting for you," she whisper-yelled as she popped open a bottle of sparkling water Violet wondered if she actually thought no one else could hear her, even when everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up at her

"You know, school," Violet answered, doing her best to ignore the look of disgust Gemma shot her from her place on the couch She made her way as inconspicuously as she could to where the rest of the tea not to draw any more unwanted attention

"Yeah, well, maybe if you didn’t live so far away, you’d be here on time like the rest of us," Rafe said, his voice quiet andas Violet took the open spot next to him "Nice entrance, by the way Way to be low-key"

Violet ave her a brief nod and flipped through a et started" Violet cringed at the reminder that they’d all been forced to wait for her "Here’s e know so far" Sara’s voice began in its usual controlled and clipped hat Violet considered her work voice "The police have confirirl Violet found was Antonia Cornett She’d beenfor almost teeks" Sara pulled a photo fro in the seat closest to her "Her friends called her Toni"

Sa it to Geuy’s first victi him ‘the collector’ Apparently, this is the third body they’ve found in this condition"

Violet wondered if she’d , and she raised her hand uncertainly

Her lips turning up slightly, Sara shook her head "Violet, this isn’t school If you have a question, just ask"

Violet dropped her hand, her cheeks flushing "Sorry What did you mean by in this condition? What condition was she in?"

Sara nodded as she explained to the group "Apparently his MO is to try to preserve the bodies The first two tie coolers, but this tiain "Well, you saw, he put her in a freezer instead Since there was no power and it was still cold, it was obvious it hadn’t been there long The girls are killed by suffocation; there are signs of strangulation But each of them is treated with the same care: hair washed and styled, nails freshly painted, makeup applied, and clothes iotten ready for a date"

Violet felt sick Whoever this guy was, he was clearly spending far too much time with the bodies after they’d died

She couldn’t help wondering what else he’d done with theht, she curled her feet beneath her and glanced up at the skylights in the ceiling The sun wasa fiery path toward the waterfront Already Violet could feel the effects of a restless night catching up with her, and she stifled a yaith the back of her hand She blushed again when she caught Rafe watching her It see all this