"Yes. Of course."

"Thats great," I said, relief flooding through me. "Mrs. Hansen, I need to have you keep Maggie with you, supervised, until I get there. Ill be there in..." I looked at the pilot who mouthed "forty-five minutes."

"Ill be there in less than an hour to pick her up. Dont let her leave with anyone. Dont let her out of your sight. In fact, Ill have Tomball RD. send squad cars to surround the school, to stand guard until we get there."

She hesitated a moment, then said, "But Maggies not here, Mrs. Armstrong."

How could that be? I thought. That just cant be.

"You just said the children are still in school," I shouted, the terror Id tried to suppress rising in my chest.

"Dont you remember? Your mother picked up Maggie and Frederick nearly an hour ago."

"Mom and Strings?"

"To go to the University of Houston. Surely you remember. To meet with Dr. Mayer at the university."

No, I thought. Please, no.

"Mrs. Hansen, this is important. How well do you know Dr. Mayer?"

"Only by reputation."

"Youve never met him?"

"No. But he called yesterday and inquired about Maggie. Said hed heard about her project, and thats such a great honor, you know hes-"

"So, a man called you, introduced himself as Dr. Mayer, and asked about Maggie?"

"Yes, he heard about the Science Fair and said he was excited about her project. He seemed anxious to have you bring her to the university to meet with him. He said he wanted to congratulate you on your work."

"My work?"

"I a.s.sumed he meant in raising such a fine daughter."

Stunned, I said nothing.

Mrs. Hansen stammered. "But dont feel bad. Im sure Dr. Mayer didnt mind that your mother and Frederick went along instead. After all, it was Maggie, not you, he really wanted to meet."

Dreading to hear the answer I felt sure would come, I asked, "So, you never talked with this man until yesterday, and except for what he told you on the telephone, you have no way to be sure the person who called you was actually Dr. Mayer?"

"Well," Mrs. Hansen stammered, "I guess. But why would anyone else call about Maggies science project? Who would...? Is something wrong?"

"How long ago did you say they left?"

"Maybe forty-five minutes. Mrs. Armstrong, Im so sorry, if theres-"

Theres still time to stop them. Mom always drives slowly, and with a little congestion downtown, it could easily take her that long to get to the university. I clicked off the radio connection with the school. Immediately, the captains voice filled the chopper. Hed been listening. "Sarah, whats wrong?"

"Captain Williams, have them connect me with Moms cell phone," I said, rattling off the number. "Now."

The telephone rang, and rang, and rang, and rang.

"No answer, Sarah. Tell me whats wrong."

"Captain, please, try one more time. Mom always has her cell phone with her," I pleaded. "Please, try again."

This time someone clicked on after the third ring, but no one spoke.

"Mom, is that you?"

Again silence.

"Is Maggie there? Strings? Where are you?"

The voice that spoke next was low and flat, with just the shadow of an East Texas drawl.

"You were supposed to bring her," he said. "Why didnt you come? Arent you a good mother? You left your child unattended."

"Doyle, please..."

"Doyle?"

Pulling myself together, I started again. "I meant Gabriel. Am I talking to Gabriel?"

"Yes, Sarah," he answered. "You are."

"Wonderful. Thats good. Im so glad we can finally talk and get to know each other. Ive wanted to meet you," I said, fighting to keep my voice level and light. "We both know that you dont want Maggie and the others. Theyre children, an old woman. We both know you really were hoping for me, werent you?"

"But youre not here," he answered. "And they are."

"For the sake of G.o.d," I pleaded. "Please..."

"Yes, for the sake of G.o.d," he answered, his voice cool, calm. "For the sake of G.o.d, Ill wait for you. But not long."

"Thank-"

"You have one hour to get here. If you arrive on time, you can join me, and your family will go free. Ill let them go."

"Gabriel-"

"But if youre not here on time, Sarah, your daughter and the others will take your place."

The thought of the children and Mom at the mercy of that monster horrified me. Yet I needed time, time to get there, time to gather help and form a plan. I had no illusions that turning myself over to a madman would ensure anyones safety. If I did as Gabriel wanted, what would prevent him from killing us all? Annmarie Knowles caught his eye, yet when he had the opportunity, he killed Edward Lucas.

"Please, Gabriel. Im in East Texas. Ive just gotten into a helicopter to come to Houston. Were just getting ready to take off. Im sure you can hear the racket, so you know thats true. Itll take two hours for us to land. One hour is...its impossible."

Silence. When he spoke again, he said, "Youve been to the Thicket."

"I-") "Thats why you know his name."

"Whose name?"

"The boys name."

Square one and Id already blundered, blurting out his real name. I should have known better. Gabriel could never accept any connection with someone like Doyle Tyler.

"Yes, Ive been to the Thicket. Were just leaving. Thats why I cant be there in an hour."

"He doesnt exist anymore, you know," the voice said.

"Doyle doesnt exist?"

"Thats right. Hes gone."

"Im glad you told me, Gabriel. Id like you to tell me more," I said. "I want to understand."

"Thats good, Sarah," he said. Then, after a hesitation, "I a.s.sume you met his mother?"

Hes testing, I thought. He wants to know if Ill tell him the truth.

"Yes, we found her."

"Ah, you know it all then. Terrible, perverted person she was, yet to be killed by ones own son..."

"Gabriel-"

"Now you know everything. Youve discovered all the boys secrets."

But what about Maggie, Mom, and Strings, I wanted to scream. What about them?

"Gabriel, please, Ill be there-dont hurt anyone. Two hours and Ill be there. Ill do anything you want. Absolutely anything. You have my promise. My word."

Only silence, a long, empty, horrid silence. Then his voice again, quiet yet churlish: "Ill wait ninety minutes, Sarah. It is, of course, you that Ive been sent for, not the children and the old woman," he said. "But, Sarah, if youre not here when the times up, I wont wait a minute longer."

Dont think about what hes capable of now, I told myself. Focus. Focus on finding a way to stop him.

"Gabriel, I need to talk to my mother," I said.

Again only silence.

"Im sure youd never lie to me, but youre asking me to turn myself over to you. Its not unreasonable to want to talk to them, to know you really have them and that theyre still alive," I said, straining to sound as respectful and calm as possible. "I just need to be sure, before I come to you."

Dead air hung between us. Then, a voice resembling Moms but different, pitted with fear.

"Sarah, its me, dear. Were here with this gentleman. Mr. Gabriel."

"Are you all right? The children?"

"So far, but-"

Moms voice vanished and again Gabriel spoke. "Ninety minutes, Sarah, starting now. Youd better hurry."

"Where are you?" I said. "How will I find you?"

"Im disappointed, Lieutenant. Up until now youve been so smart, havent you? Figuring everything out. If anyone did, I thought you understood my mission. Then I saw the article. Those hateful things you said...."

"Gabriel, I didnt understand. Im sorry."

"How fitting for you to come to be with me now, when its coming to an end."

"Coming to an end?"

"Yes."

No, I thought. Please, this isnt happening. Its not real. "Youre at the university, Gabriel?"

"Very good, Sarah. Very good."

"But where? Please. Tell me, where."

Again a maddening silence. I wanted to scream, to curse, to sob wildly, and to hide. Instead, I waited. "Gabriel, please, if you want me to come to you, you have to tell me where you are," I pleaded.

"You already know."

"Help me, Gabriel. Please. Help me come to you."

"One minute gone. Eighty-nine minutes left. No more. But Ill give you a clue," he said. I could almost picture him smiling. "Its a place with a view of the heavens."

Thirty-five.

The pilot put the helicopter down in a lot south of downtown Houston. The captain waited, accompanied by a squad of HPD officers, who escorted us to the university in a motorcade of unmarked, white Crown Vies, no sirens, only flashing lights. We drove between the marble obelisk split in two, one on either side of the thoroughfare, like sentries guarding the edge of the University of Houston campus. On the grounds, I pa.s.sed buildings I knew from my years as a student, yet I felt no interest in the surroundings, my mind filled with thoughts of Maggie, Mom, and Strings.

G.o.d, I silently prayed. Ive already lost so much. Ill promise you anything. Just please, please protect them. Then, just in case, Bill, if youre up there and you can hear me, please help!

We pulled up next to a beige brick building with columns of smoky dark windows I recognized as SRI, Science and Research Building One, and ran through the courtyard toward the center entrance. The azaleas bloomed bright pink, but the rows of crepe myrtles remained barren from the winter, their naked trunks protruding from the ground like spears. The last thing I pa.s.sed before I jerked the door open and ran inside was a sculpture of a woman perpetually caught inside two open squares.

Inside SR1s marble-paneled lobby, students and professors were quietly and efficiently evacuating. No screaming or shouting. The officers had the scene under control, escorting groups in orderly lines.

"We have all the civilians exiting through the east doors. Gabriel shouldnt be able to see anything out of the ordinary," explained the captain. "Were keeping everything very quiet. We dont want him to know were here. And we especially dont want him to know that youve arrived."