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He left the roo into Henri "You checked all the dressing rooe--"

"Everywhere," Henri swore "As you know, Jane volunteered to come in and search for Jennie, since we haven’t seen her all day The last ti into the theater But she could’ve co on"

"The basement--you looked in the basement?"

"Of course" Henri nodded "I’ve been down there So have Cy and Brian"

"I’ll try again, anyway That place is aAnyone as hurt down there ht not be easily seen," Sloan said

"I went down there," Henri repeated "ButI’ll go down again with you"

"I’ll go Keep looking around up here," Sloan told hih the door and down to the base and theHe shoved aside boxes and crates, costu stands Frustrated, he moved into the first room, then the second, and finally he went into the third Mannequins stood and stared at him from the shadows They looked like an army of the ridiculous, assembled to protect the interior of the roo He was surprised that he had service in the basement The shadoere so deep that he couldn’t read caller ID He answered quickly "Sheriff Trent"

"Sloan," a voice said For aspoken by the killer in a slasher movie, the tone was so distorted

"Yes, it’s Sloan Trent Who the hell is this?"

"Jane It’s Jane"

There seemed to be an echo, and he realized it was because he was hearing her speak in the room at the same time as he heard her speak over the phone

"Where are you?" he asked

"Probably about fifteen feet in front of you, since I heard your phone ring," she said "I’ back, as theatrically clad ainst one another

"Jane!"

He slid the phone in his pocket and began to crawl over the mannequins One seemed to rise before him; seconds later, he saw that it was Jane

"What the hell?" he deht truly have been part of the theater’s history Her hair was co and she seemed very pale in her blue period dress She wavered as she stood, and he pushed past the creature in the pork pie hat to steady her

She brought her hand to her head "Soht, but Jennie" She stepped back, and he saw Jennie lying on the floor, and his heart leaped to his throat

"She’s alive, unconscious," Jane said "I don’t think anything’s broken Can you get her out of here? I don’t have the strength right now"

"It’s not ideal to et Jennie out Help can’t even reach her in here" He paused long enough to hit speed dial and tell Chet to call for paramedics immediately

He ducked down and lifted the slender woe?" he asked Jane gruffly He was frightened, and his fear was et Jennie to a hospital and have Jane checked out before he let emotion rule his actions

"Yes," she told him "And I don’t believe Jennie has any broken bones Someone knocked her on the head, too Her pulse is decent"

"Go up the stairs ahead of me"

He heard activity at the door to the basement

"I can hear them! He’s found her!" Henri Coque shouted to someone at the top of the stairs

Sloan was heedless of what he knocked over as he carefully made his way back to theJane Her first steps were clumsy, but she recovered her balance, and Henri was there to help her up the stairs When Sloan got to the landing, he saw a group awaiting them, all wide-eyed and worried He noticed Henri first, and then Valerie, Alice, Cy and two of the night restaurant staff

"Back off, please," Sloan said "Let’s make sure she has air!"

"Oh, Jennie!" Valerie Mystro cried in dismay

They moved back, a stricken expression on every face

"What happened?" Henri asked, sounding lost

Yes, what the hell had happened? Sloan wondered As he walked slowly through the bar to the center of the restaurant, Liz, the waitress, rushed ahead, clearing one of the longer dinner tables Sloan ca doors to the Gilded Lily swung open, and Chet hurried through, leading two paras They i questions regarding her injury