Jane felt a hysterical laugh bubbling to her lips. It came out as a sob. "Are you serious? No, I'm not all

right."

"I need you to talk to me, tell me exactly what happened, how you found Ted. Do you need to sit down?"

She shook her head.

"Good. Step by step, Jane. Walk me through what happened."

Jane dragged in a shaky breath. "Okay."

She led Stacy upstairs. They reached the foyer just as Mac reappeared. He looked at Stacy and

nodded.

Confirming he was dead, Jane thought. No vitals.

"Call Pete," Stacy said.

"Done. Crime-scene guys are on their way."

Stacy turned to her, expression gentle. "Okay, Jane. Tell us exactly what happened."

Jane began. She explained about Ranger standing at attention at the door, about hearing the jazz and

thinking Ted was in the studio. She told them how the dog leapt forward when she opened the door.

She led them downstairs. "I called to Ted...he didn't answer. And Ranger...was barking. I knew something was wrong and-"

She struggled to speak. "I was afraid. I...called Ranger. He came. His paws...they...I noticed the floor,

the prints." Shuddering, she pointed to the red prints on the white tile. "That's when I found him."

"Did you touch the body?" Stacy asked.

"No."

"Disturb the scene in any way?"

"No, but Ranger...he...the blood."

"Wait here."

Jane was only too happy to stay put. Her sister and Mac disappeared around the corner. She closed her

eyes but couldn't shut out their conversation.

"How long do you think?" Stacy asked.

"Several hours for sure. Rigor mortis is well advanced. Lividity seems fixed."

"Looks like he was surprised from behind."

"Throat slit. Perp knew what he was doing."

Jane brought a hand to her mouth. Dear G.o.d.

"Check the door."

Jane heard the outer door open. She glanced at the alarm keypad at the bottom of the stairs. The

indicator light was red. Not green.

Ted hadn't reset the alarm.

"Open. Scene secure?"

Jane a.s.sumed her sister had directed the question to the two uniforms out front. They must have replied

in the affirmative because she ordered one to begin a neighborhood canvas and the other to let her know

the minute the coroner's deputy arrived.

Stacy reappeared. "Jane, I'm going to have a uniform take you upstairs-"

"No."

"Jane, you can't do anything for him now and nothing will be served by exhausting yourself."

"He was my friend. It's my fault...you don't understand."

"Then you'll need to make me understand," her sister said gently. "Come on, I'll take you up. We'll talk."

She and her partner exchanged glances. "Let me know the minute Pete gets here."

He saluted and disappeared around the corner. Stacy led Jane upstairs to the living room. Jane sank onto the couch, grateful to be off her feet. Stacy pulled up a chair, so they could face each other.

Once her sister was seated, Jane took a deep breath and began. "The woman Ted brought to the studio,

he went looking for her last night."

"Why?"

"We thought she could be the one."

"Who's terrorizing you?"

"Yes. And maybe the one who killed Marsha and Lisette and-"

"Elle Vanmeer."

"Yes. Or knew who had." Jane clasped her hands in her lap. "He called me. Late. He had found her."

Her voice trembled. "He was going to follow her. I begged him not to...I wanted to call you. You could have met him, but he-"

"Jane," her sister said, cutting her off gently, "this looks like a botched robbery."

Jane blinked. Confused. "A robbery...I don't understand."

"It looks like Ted came by the studio sometime late. He had a plant and the early edition of the Dallas Morning News. With a review of your show. He surprised someone breaking in. They killed him."

Jane struggled with what she was saying. A review of her show? Someone robbing the studio?

"He was worried about you. Probably wanted you to find the plant and review first thing, to cheer you

up."

"No. The woman-"

"There wasn't any woman, Jane. Ted was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"No." She repeated the negative, louder this time. "There's something you don't know. That I haven't told

you."

Stacy narrowed her eyes slightly and waited.

Jane explained about going to Ian's office. About the woman who had taken the file. "I put two and two

together and thought maybe they were one and the same."