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"Strangely, no," he said

"Well, thank goodness for ss," I said

"You alere a soft touch for the kiddies," he said

"Does it really not bother you to see dead children?"

"No," he said

I just listened to hi bothered Edward Nothing o to a scene where the vic was a child There was so personal about it Even those of us without children took it hard That Edward didn't, bothered me Funny, but it did

"It bothers me," I said

"I know," he said, "one of your e of humor to his voice

"The fact that you're a sociopath, and that I'reat pride in"

"You don't have to be a sociopath to back me up, just a shooter, and you are that, Anita You kill as easily as I do, if the circuht"

I didn't try and argue, because I couldn't I decided to concentrate on the crie transient population"

"Not transient," Edward said, "but mobile, veryin and out on a semi-permanent basis"

"So no one knows their neighbors," I said, "or what their schedules should be"

"Exactly" His voice was bland, empty, with that thread of tiredness underneath, and under that was so

"You think there's more bodies that you haven't found yet," I said I made it a statement

He was quiet for a second, then said, "You heard it in my voice, didn't you?"

"Yeah," I said

"I' able to read me that well"

"Sorry I'll try to be less intuitive"

"Don't bother Your intuition is one of the things that's kept you alive this long"

"Are youa joke about women's intuition?" I asked

"No, I'ut, your eth for you, and a weakness"

"Too tenderhearted, am I?"

"Sometimes, and sometimes you're just as dead inside as I am"

Hearing him state it like that was al me in the sa had died inside of him

"You ever one?" I asked It was the closest thing to a personal question I'd ever asked him

"No," he said "Do you?"

I thought about that for a moment I started to say yes, automatically, then stopped uess I don't"

He irl"

I was both flattered and vaguely irritated that I was "his girl" When in doubt, concentrate on the job "What kind of monster is it, Edward?" I asked

"I've no idea"

That stopped er than I had He knew monsters al s I'd only read about

''What do you mean, you have no idea?"

''I've never seen anything kill like this, Anita" I heard an undercurrent in his voice that I'd al the vamps and shapeshifters was Death, was afraid It was a very bad sign

''You're shook, Edward That's not like you"

"Wait until you see the victims I've saved you photos of the other scenes, but the last one I kept intact, just for you"

"How did the local law enforce it up just for little ol' me?"

"The local cops all like Ted He's a good ol' boy If Ted tells them you can help, they believe him"

"But you're Ted Forrester," I said, "and you're not a good ol' boy"

"But Ted is," he said, voice empty

"Your secret identity," I said

"Yeah," he said

"Fine, I'll fly into Santa Fe this afternoon, or early evening"

"Fly into Albuquerque instead I'll ive me the time"

"I can rent a car," I said

"I'll be in Albuquerque on other business It's not a problem"

"What aren't you telling me?" I asked

"Me, keeping secrets?" There was a thread of aain

"You're the original ives you a sense of power"

"Does it?" he made it a question

"Yeah, it does"

He laughed softly "Maybe it does Make the ticket reservations and call o" His voice went low as if someone else had come into the room

I hadn't asked what the urgency was Ten ent I hadn't asked if he'd be waiting for my call Edward, who never spooked, was scared He'd be waiting for my call