"The perverted b.a.s.t.a.r.d was a collector all right."

Claudel slid a second picture across the table.

An SIJ label identified the shot as a crime scene photo. The central object was a felt-covered board. The board displayed three human ears, two complete, one partial. The ears had been stretched and mounted like insects on pins.

My stomach soured.

"The sick little twist was keeping body parts from his victims." Charbonneau.

I recalled the cut marks on the skulls in my lab.

"Souvenir taking may have been Pomerleau's idea."

"Yeah?"

I pointed to the partial ear. "Angie Robinson's ear was removed long after she died, when the bone had had time to dry, so Catts initially had not done that. The others were taken while the bone was fresh."

"You can tell that from the cut marks?"

I nodded, swallowed.

"Nine years pa.s.sed between the abductions of Pomerleau and McGee. During that time I believe the balance of power shifted between captor and captive."

"Reverse Stockholm." Charbonneau shot his hair with one hand.

"Patty Hearst was locked in a closet for eight weeks," I said. "Colleen Stan was locked in a box for seven years. Anique Pomerleau was taken in 1990. She was only fifteen."

We fell silent, contemplating the unspeakable damage possible in that amount of time.

Claudel spoke first.

"Pomerleau was tortured, tried to please Catts, maybe suggested another victim."

"Or maybe new meat was Catts's idea. Maybe he got greedy and decided to expand his collection," Charbonneau picked up. "Pomerleau saw the newcomer as a step up the food chain: by abusing McGee she pleased Catts. Eventually she started getting her own rocks off."

"The controlled became the controller," I said. "Or Pomerleau and Catts just melded."

Like h.o.m.olka and Bernardo, I thought.

"Catts took at least two more captives between Pomerleau and McGee," I reminded. "Local girls, according to strontium isotope a.n.a.lysis."

"We will find out who these girls were." Claudel's jaw muscles bunched, relaxed. "You can take that to the bank."

"I've got a question, Doc." Charbonneau again leaned onto the table. "Angie Robinson was Catts's earliest capture. Why were hers the only bones with that grave wax stuff?"

I'd posed that question to myself.

"The tannic acid in leather acts as a preservative, altering the rate of decomposition. And Angie may have been buried elsewhere initially, in a place with more moisture than the pizza bas.e.m.e.nt cellar."

"That's our thinking." Charbonneau c.o.c.ked his chin at Claudel. "We figure the kid died in Vermont, Catts buried her there, later went back for her corpse. But we've been busting our brains trying to figure out why he'd bother. Your ear thing may be the missing piece."

"Catts went back for the ear, but ended up bringing the whole body to Montreal? Why?"

"Maybe he felt safer having her right underfoot."

"But Cyr gave Catts the boot in ninety-eight. If he'd already dug up and moved Angie Robinson once, why leave her and two others behind in that building?"

Charbonneau shrugged. "Catts's had been skating since he grabbed Robinson in eighty-five. Maybe he'd come to feel invincible. Besides, where else could he bury bodies? He couldn't dig graves in the Corneaus' front yard."

"And the cellar was otherwise committed," I said bitterly.

There was a moment of silence as we thought about that. I broke it.

"Who do you suppose Louise Parent saw?"

"Perhaps Pomerleau. Perhaps one of the others. Catts may have kept girls under the p.a.w.nshop while preparing his little welcome wagon over in the Point," Charbonneau said.

"Pomerleau admitted that she'd killed Parent," I said.

"No doubt she was in it up to her eyeb.a.l.l.s. SIJ found Rose Fisher's address in the de Sebastopol bas.e.m.e.nt. But the Parent murder may have gone down at Catts's instigation. He probably told Pomerleau that the old lady had spotted him with captives at the p.a.w.nshop. They must have been keeping track of Parent, and when the bodies were discovered they figured they needed to move before she did." Charbonneau shook his head. "Ironic, isn't it? They tried to hide everything in the de Sebastopol bas.e.m.e.nt, and that's the only thing that survived the fire."

"That may be why your friend wasn't down there," Claudel said. "Pomerleau probably planned to drag Madame Turnip to the cellar, then changed her mind, fearing the fire wouldn't penetrate that far."

"Or maybe she just grew tired and dumped her." I felt my hands curl into fists.

"You were correct about the b.u.t.tons." Claudel looked me dead in the eye. "Undoubtedly Catts dropped them while in the pizza parlor bas.e.m.e.nt. They were unrelated to the bodies."

I felt no satisfaction at being right, just a deep aching sorrow.

And weariness. My strength was unraveling like the top of an old sock.

I relaxed my hands and laced my fingers. There was one last answer I needed.

"When did you learn I'd gone to de Sebastopol?"

"I retrieved your message on the drive back from Vermont," Charbonneau said. "We'd learned from the photo that Menard was dead and that Catts had killed him. We knew that Pomerleau and McGee were in the wind. We knew Catts was dead. Luc and I went directly to headquarters and found a report stating that Pomerleau's prints were on the gun Catts used to blow out his lights."

"And no prints from Catts," I guessed.

"Nada. And Doc LaManche said Catts's hands were residue-free. We remembered what you'd told us about brainwashing, put two and two together, and hauled a.s.s for de Sebastopol, gambling that we'd get there before you found Pomerleau and came to grief." And Doc LaManche said Catts's hands were residue-free. We remembered what you'd told us about brainwashing, put two and two together, and hauled a.s.s for de Sebastopol, gambling that we'd get there before you found Pomerleau and came to grief."

"Thank you."

"The line of duty, ma'am." Charbonneau grinned.

I turned to Claudel.

"Thank you, Detective. And I truly am sorry about your coat."

Claudel nodded. "You showed great resourcefulness and courage."

"Thanks again. To both of you." We all rose and I started for the door.

"Dr. Brennan."

I turned back to Claudel.

"I have never been an admirer." The corners of Claudel's mouth quivered toward something verging on a grin. "But you have given me a new appreciation for leopard skin."

39.

I BARELY WOKE WHEN BARELY WOKE WHEN R RYAN PHONED W WEDNESDAY NIGHT. MUMBLING a number of "Mm"s, and "Uh-huh"s, I dropped back into oblivion. a number of "Mm"s, and "Uh-huh"s, I dropped back into oblivion.

The next thing I knew sun was streaming through my window, the clock said ten-thirty, and Birdie's face was inches from mine.

And my doorbell was chirping.

Grabbing my bathrobe, I stumbled to the security panel. The monitor showed Ryan wearing a Santa hat with Le Pere Noel Le Pere Noel embroidered on the fur. embroidered on the fur.

I did a two-handed hair-tuck, smiling like Claudel's happy-face Skivvies.

Onscreen, the outer door opened and a young woman entered the foyer. Black corkscrew curls. Tall. Earrings the size of croquet hoops.

Ryan hugged the woman to his side. She tugged off his Santa hat.

My hand froze halfway to the buzzer. My smile crumbled.

The prom queen.

An iceberg congealed in my chest.

The prom queen turned. Cafe-au-lait skin. An expression that suggested she'd rather be elsewhere. Tikrit. Kabul. Anywhere but that foyer.

Ryan smiled and squeezed her again. The woman wriggled free and handed him his hat.

Lord G.o.d in heaven! Was the egotistical sonovab.i.t.c.h planning to make introductions?

I caught a glimpse of myself in the hall mirror. Ratty pink terry cloth. Parboiled face. Hair looking like something that fed on plankton.

"OK, buster." I jabbed the b.u.t.ton. "Bring her on."

Ryan was alone when I opened the door. The hall behind him was empty.

He'd hidden his teenybopper. Fine. Better.

"Yes?" Glacial.

Grinning, Ryan looked me up and down.

"Entertaining DiCaprio?"

I didn't smile.

Ryan studied my face.

"It's funny about eyebrows. You never really notice them until they go awry."

Ryan reached out to touch my forehead. I pulled back.

"Or go away."

"You're here to critique my brows?"

"What brows?"

Not even the hint of a smile.

Ryan crossed his arms. "I'd like to talk."

"It's not a good time."

"You look beautiful."

I bit back a retort that included the word "bimbo."

"Sultry."

My AWOL brows crimped.

"Smoldering."

The crimp dived into a full-blown frown.

"If I promise no more fire jokes, can I come back in ten? More than enough time to get yourself beautiful."

I started to refuse.

"Please?" Lapis-lazuli sincerity.

My libido sat up. I sent it flying into tomorrow.

"Sure, Ryan. Why not?"