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my stomach； filled me with dread。 What had happened in this nice house with its new hot tub and brick fireplace？ What had happened that needed my kind of expertise？ I didn't want to know。 I wanted to leave before I saw some new horror。 I'd seen enough bodies already this year to last a lifetime。
Dolph put his hand on the doorknob。 I touched his arm。 〃It's not kids； is it？〃 I asked。
He glanced over his shoulder at me。 Normally； he wouldn't have answered。 He'd have said something cryptic like； 〃You'll see in a minute。〃 Tonight； he said； 〃No； it's not kids。〃
I took a deep breath through my nose and let it out slowly through my lips。 〃Good。〃 I smelled damp plaster； fresh cement； and underneath that； blood。 The scent of freshly spilled blood； faint； just behind the door。 What does blood smell like？ Metallic； almost artificial。 It isn't really much of a smell all by itself。 The smell won't make you sick； it's what goes with it。 We all know in some ancient part of ourselves that blood is the thing。 Without it； we die。 If we can steal enough of it from our enemies； we steal their lives。 There's a reason that blood has been associated with almost every religion on the planet。 It's primal stuff； and no matter how sanitized we make our world； part of us still recognizes that。
Dolph hesitated； hand still on the doorknob。 He didn't look at me while he spoke。 〃Tell me what you think of the scene； then I have to take you back for a statement。 You understand that。〃
〃I understand；〃 I said。
〃If you're lying to me； Anita； about any of this； tell me tonight。 Two bodies in two days takes a lot of explaining。〃
〃I haven't lied to you； Dolph。〃 At least not much； I added in my head。
He nodded without turning around and opened the door。 He went in first and turned so he could watch my face as I entered the room。
〃What's wrong； Dolph？〃 I asked。
〃See for yourself；〃 he said。
All I could see at first was pale grey carpet and a bureau with a large mirror against the right…hand wall。 A cluster of cops blocked my view of the rest of the room。 The cops stepped aside at a nod from Dolph。 Dolph never took his eyes from me； my face。 I'd never seen him so intent on my reaction before。 It made me nervous。
There was a body on the floor。 A man； spread…eagled； pinned at wrists and ankles with knives。 The knives had black hilts。 He lay in the middle of a large red circle。 The circle had had to be large so the blood didn't leak out and spoil it。 Blood had soaked into the pale carpet； spread across it like a red ruin。 The man's face was turned away from me。 All I could see was short blond hair。 His chest was bare； so slick with blood it looked like a red shirt。 The knives held him in place。 They hadn't been what killed him。 No； what had killed him was a gaping hole in his lower chest just below the ribs。 It was like a red…lined cave big enough to plunge both hands into。
〃They took his heart；〃 I said。
Dolph looked at me。 〃You know that from the doorway？〃
〃I'm right； aren't I？〃
〃If you were going to take his heart out； why not go straight down？〃
〃If you wanted him to survive； like heart surgery； you'd have to break the ribs and go down the hard way。 But they wanted him dead。 If all you want is the heart； going under the ribs is easier。〃
I walked towards the body。
Dolph moved ahead of me； watching my face。 〃What？〃 I said。
He shook his head。 〃Just tell me about the body； Anita。〃
I stared at him。 〃What is your problem tonight？〃
〃No problem。〃
It was a lie。 Something was up； but I didn't press it。 It wouldn't have done me any good。 When Dolph decides not to share information； he doesn't share； period。
There was a king…size bed with purple satin sheets and more pillows than you knew what to do with。 The bed was rumpled as if it had been used for something other than sleeping。 There were dark stains on the sheets； nearly black。
〃Is that blood？〃
〃We think so；〃 Dolph said。
I glanced at the body。 〃From the murder？〃
〃When you're finished looking at the body； we'll bag the sheets and get them down to the lab。〃
A subtle hint to get on with the job。 I walked towards the body and tried to ignore Dolph。 That was easier than it sounded。 The body sort of stole the show。 The closer I got； the more details I could see； and the more I didn't want to see。 Under all that blood was a nice chest； muscular but not too much of a good thing。 The hair was cut very short； curly and blond。 There was something naggingly familiar about that head。 The black daggers had silver wire curled around them。 They'd been shoved to their hilts in the flesh； bones had broken when they'd been driven in。 The red circle was definitely blood。 Cabalistic symbols ran round the inside of the circle； traced in blood。 I recognized some of them； enough to know that we were dealing with some form of necromancy。 I knew the symbols that stood for death and the symbols that watched against it。
For some reason； I didn't want to enter the circle。 I walked carefully around the edge of it until I could see the face。 With my back leaning against the wall I stared into the wide eyes of Robert the vampire。 Monica's husband。 The soon…to…be daddy。
〃Shit；〃 I said softly。
〃You know him？〃 Dolph asked。
I nodded。 〃Robert。 His name's Robert。〃 The death symbols made sense if you were going to sacrifice a vampire。 But why？ Why like this？
I took a step forward and hit the circle。 I stopped dead。 It was like a million insects crawled and swarmed over my body。 I couldn't breathe。 I stepped back off the blood line。 The sensation stopped。 I could still feel it like a memory on my skin； in my head； but I was okay now。 I took a deep breath； let it out slowly； and stepped forward again。 It wasn't like hitting a wall。 It was more like hitting a blanket； a drowning； suffocating； maggot…crawling blanket。 I tried to walk forward； tried to move past the circle； and couldn't。 I staggered back from it。 If the wall hadn't been there； I'd have fallen。
I let myself slide down until I was sitting with my knees tucked up。 My toes were inches from the circle。 I did not want to touch it again。
Dolph walked through the circle like it wasn't there and knelt beside me； part of him still in the circle。 〃Anita； what's wrong？〃
I shook my head。 〃I'm not sure。〃 I stared up at him。 〃It's a circle of power； and I can't cross it。〃
He glanced back at his own body partially inside the circle。 〃I can。〃
〃You're not an animator。 I'm not a witch； and I don't know a lot of official magic； but some of the symbols are either death symbols or maybe symbols of protection from the dead。〃 I stared up at him； my skin still shivering from trying to cross the line。 A new horror spread through my mind。 〃It's a spell to both contain and keep out the dead； and I can't cross it。〃
He stared down at me。 〃What exactly does that mean； Anita？〃
〃It means；〃 said a female voice； 〃that she didn't create the circle。〃
19
A woman stood just inside the door。 She was tall； slender； dressed in a purple skirt suit with a white man…tailored shirt。 She walked into the room with an eagerness that made me knock about ten years off her age。 She looked thirty； but she wasn't。 Twenty…so