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“Did you see the driver?”

“No The s—” Suddenly the phone vibrated in my hand; startled, I nearly dropped it out theWhen I saw the nuh,a call from Miranda” I pushed the “send” button “Miranda? Thank God I orried sick”

“No need to worry,” said a ood hands She’s in God’s hands” The floor see rooet her back if you do exactly as I say”

“Who is this? And what do you want?”

“Don’t play dumb You knoho I am, and you knohat I want You yourself offered it to me by fax Shall we discuss a trade?”

I was heartsick Descartes and I had gambled that Stefan’s killer would still want the bones, and we’d been right I’d been willing to risk uessed, correctly, that the highest trump card he could hold was Miranda I opened my mouth to speak, but once more my throat had seized

“Do you hear“I have your precious pearl Give me the bones, or she dies”

“If you kill her,” I ed to force out, “you’ll have twice as many police after you”

He gave a short, scornful laugh “They have no jurisdiction”

“Not just the French police,” I said “Miranda’s an American citizen If you kill her, the FBI will come after you, too” I didn’t know if that was true, but I hoped it was true, or at least sounded true, sounded inti

“You misunderstand me,” he sneered “This world’s authorities have no do behind the about her death? The girl goes free when you hand over the bones Do you not intend to do that?”

“Of course I do,” I hurried to assure him “But how do I know you’ll keep your word? You’ve already killed Stefan”

“Only because he didn’t keep his word He betrayed me I hope you won’t make the same mistake”

“I won’t But how do I even know you’ve got Miranda? How do I know she’s all right? Let me talk to her”

“I’ll call you in an hour with instructions You can talk to her then Don’t call the police, and don’t play games with me Not if you want her back alive” The phone went dead

Ninety-seven endless, agonizing nal eak and his voice was breaking up badly; I didn’t know if that was because he was calling fronal, or because I was deep inside the concrete headquarters of the Police Nationale “…attention,” the voice crackled “Here’s…do if…girl back alive…”

“First I need to talk to her,” I said “I won’t do anything until I know she’s okay” I heard an angry breath at the other end of the line, and I feared I’d pushed hi noises as the phone changed hands “Oh, Dr B,…sorry” Even through all the dropouts, Miranda’s voice sounded thin and quavery; if it had been a pulse, I’d have called it “thready” and taken it as a symptom of shock But still, the thready, shocky voice was her voice — blessedly her voice “One of theed…said you…chest pains He had a car…hospital…with him…known better God, I fell for the same…pulled on you…so very…”

“Oh, Miranda, I’m the one who’s sorry I told Descartes I didn’t want to involve you, and look what I’ve done”

“…not…fault… Stefan’s” Her voice shifted gears — got higher, faster,at the phone, I stood and jogged out of the inspector’s office and down the hallway to the building’s back door, inwardly cursing Descartes for bringing reedy…upted Don’t let that…be interruptible…B, understand? Interruptible…key…get the bones Do you hear…?…key…bones”

I shoved open the door and raced outside, Descartes a few steps behindup really bad Can you say that—”

“Wait, I’m not finished,” I heard her protest Then ca, followed by the sharp smack of flesh on flesh, and the word “bastard” in Miranda’s low snarl

“Miranda? Miranda?” I was shouting into the phone, spinning around in the parking lot, frantic with frustration and fear Two unifor beside a patrol car, stared and started toward me, but Descartes waved them off “Miranda?”

“That’s all you get,” snapped the voice I assumed was Reverend Jonah’s, “until I have the bones”

“Bring Miranda with you,” I demanded “You set her free first, and I watch her walk away safely, or no deal”

“Don’t push a to me”