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Plot Summary[]

On one of the city's hottest nights, New York Police Lieutenant Eve Dallas is sent to Central Park - and into a hellish new investigation. The victim is found on the rocks, just above the still, dark water of The Lake in Central Park. Around her neck is a single red ribbon. Her hands are posed, as if in prayer. But it is the eyes -removed with such precision, as if done by the careful hand of a surgeon - that have Dallas most alarmed.

As more bodies turn up, each with the same defining scars, Eve is frantic for answers. Against her instincts, she accepts help from a psychic who offers one vision after another - each with shockingly accurate details of the murders. And when partner and friend Peabody is badly injured after escaping an attack, the stakes are raised. Are the eyes a symbol? A twisted religious ritual? A souvenir? With help from her husband, Roarke, Dallas must uncover the killer's motivation before another vision becomes another nightmare...

--Penguin Group

Map[]

Please reference the Visions in Death Map for locations or approximate locations of sites listed here.

Timeline[]

Approximate Story Start Date: September, 2059[1]

Day 1[]

Chapter 1[]

  • After a morning court appearance, mind-numbing paperwork, and a single case involving a death by misadventure, Eve clocked out barely an hour past end-of-shift and headed home, only to get bogged down in traffic in the less than ideal, temporary vehicle provided by Requisitions. Finally Eve arrives home, two hours late, with barely enough time to dive into the outfit Roarke had set out, transforming from kick-ass murder cop to fashionable corporate wife.
  • Eve and Roarke are in the back of a limo after the evening event. Roarke is flirting as Eve revels in being able to relax after the corporate dinner she'd attended with him. Roarke rewards Eve with a foot rub for services above and beyond.
  • A call comes in from Dispatch announcing a homicide in Central Park and Eve requests Peabody to meet her on scene. The victim, a female, Caucasian, about thirty, had been found by a couple kids. Sexual homicide, raped and strangled, with a red ribbon tied around her neck, her hands clasped between her breasts, and blood on her face from the eyes that had been removed. The victim is identified as Elisa Maplewood, a domestic, with a 4 year old daughter.
  • Eve sends Roarke home as this is going to take some time and she probably won't make it home tonight. He offers his help and to get her a change of clothes but she declines as she has stuff at Central. Roarke kisses Eve before leaving in the limo.
  • Eve locates the original scene and calls for the sweepers and orders a ten block radius search for the victim's missing clothes. Eve and Peabody head to the victim's residence. Peabody makes a comment about Eve's attire.
  • Elisa Maplewood was a live-in domestic for Mr. and Mrs. Luther Vanderlea. Mr. Vanderlea is away on business in Madrid but they inform Mrs. Vanderlea that Elisa is dead. Mrs. Vanderlea doesn't believe them and goes to check Elisa's room. Mrs. Vanderlea confirms that Elisa is missing but her daughter is there asleep. She also realizes the dog, Mignon, is missing and that Elisa must have taken the dog out for a walk, something she often did last thing at night.
  • Mrs. Vanderlea asks if there was an accident and Eve informs her that Elisa was attacked and murdered in the park. Mrs. Vanderlea is quite distressed by this information. Eve thinks about how the 4 year old daughter's world will be changed irrevocably when she wakes up.

Chapter 2[]

  • Eve and Peabody question Mrs. Vanderlea about Elisa. Elisa's ex-husband was abusive but lives in the Caribbean with his new bimbo. He only contacts Elisa to bitch about child support payments. Mrs. Vanderlea remembers Eve is Roarke's cop and people say she is a little scary, a little mean, and very relentless.
  • Eve debates going home to change versus heading straight into Central. Eve and Peabody head to her home to catch a couple hours sleep. Home was closer and it would save her the indignity of walking through Central in her party dress.

Day 2[]

  • Eve crawls in to bed just after 5 a.m. and awakes 2 hours later to Roarke sitting on the side of the bed with a cup of coffee. Roarke teases Eve about her coffee addiction. Eve goes to shower while Roarke chooses French toast and bacon to bribe Eve into eating something before heading out. Eve updates Roarke on the case so far. Eve thinks the murder was too ritualistic and the symbols more likely apply to the killer than the victim. This may only be the first of more murders to come.
  • Eve requests a meeting with Dr. Mira and runs a check for like crimes through IRCCA. She also looks closer at the victim. Father of the victim has a sheet but ex-husband was in the drunk tank in St. Thomas last night so he's in the clear.
  • Peabody informs Eve that there is someone there who wants to speak with her, a psychic with information regarding the current investigation. Eve starts to brush her off but she is a friend of Dr. Dimatto. The psychic, Celina Sanchez, knew that the victim's eyes had been taken, information not released to the media.

Chapter 3[]

  • Celina Sanchez and Dr. Louise Dimatto went to school together and have remained friendly. She has never worked with the police and doesn't want to. She mostly does private consultations and parties and is not a glory-seeker or lunatic. Celina had a dream, a vision, of the murder. She tells Eve and Peabody, walking them through what happened in great detail as if she was there watching it happen.
  • Celina becomes emotional and struggles to finish the retelling. She woke up feeling the murderer's kiss on Elisa's mouth. She tried to ignore the dream but when she saw the news she knew she had to come in. She never saw the attacker's face, only his essence, but believes he has killed before. Celina agrees to help on the condition that her name not be released to the media because she doesn't want the publicity and exposure it would generate and also because she is afraid of the killer.
  • After Celina leaves, Eve tells Peabody to run her and contact Dr. Dimatto. Peabody asks if Celina checks out, if Eve will use her. Eve responds she would use a two-headed talking monkey if it helped nail the murderer.
  • Eve visits Morris in the morgue. Eve asks his opinion on psychics and it aligns with Eve's that while there are some true psychics, most are dirty rotten liars. Morris determines the killer was skilled but not exceptional at using the laser scalpel. Very little evidence, hair and fiber, left behind. Eve's gut tells her there will be more victims.
  • Peabody updates Eve on Celina Sanchez. She's clean, no arrests, no criminal. They head to the vic's residence next. They re-interview Mrs. Vanderlea, who wants to make arrangements for Elisa's memorial and has contacted their lawyers to arrange emergency custody of Vonnie, Elisa's 4-year old daughter. They ask about Elisa's father, Abel Maplewood, a difficult man, who Elisa was always slipping money to.
  • Eve and Peabody search Elisa's room, where Peabody finds a craft basket with similar ribbon to the murder weapon. Vonnie comes into the room as they are searching and asks them to find her mommy. She demands Eve confirm that a bad man hurt her mommy and to take her to her mommy now. Eve tells Vonnie that she's in a place they can't go but that she will find the person who hurt her so he can be punished.
  • Mr. Vanderlea arrives home and Eve questions him. He answers Eve's questions and tells her that they are all depending on her.
  • Eve and Peabody hit a number of craft stores as they head downtown. Many of the clerks remembered Maplewood. Eve notes that not a lot of men come into craft stores. Peabody says needlework and crafts are mostly the hobby of the female. They head to Dochas to talk with Dr. Dimatto.

Chapter 4[]

  • Dochas, Gaelic for hope, is a women's shelter built by Roarke. This is Eve's first visit. Dr. Louise Dimatto meets them at the door and is eager to show Eve around. She introduces Eve and Peabody to some of the women and children who are living there. They are hesitant at first meeting cops, but Louise tells them Eve is Roarke's wife. They thank her and tell about how they came to be at Dochas. Eve begins reliving her own abuse through their stories. Peabody notices Eve looking ill and distracts the women and children. Louise notices as well and wants to examine her but Eve brushes her off.
  • Louise makes Eve drink a protein booster before the interview. Louise vouches for Celina Sanchez's psychic abilities and says she believes her, no question.
  • As Eve and Peabody are leaving Dochas, Peabody gently probes Eve about the personal stuff that was making her feel ill and that as partners and friends, Eve can confide in her. Eve starts to rip into Peabody but then stops herself and apologizes. She tells Peabody that they are partners and friends but she has issues that she needs to deal with on her own and to leave it alone. Eve drops Peabody at home and heads to meet Dr. Mira.
  • Eve discusses the case with Dr. Mira. That the killer sees women as whores to be used and abused and uses the red ribbon to brand them. Then poses them in a religious Madonna position near a castle, also symbolic. The killer specifically targeted the victim. Dr. Mira notes that the victim may represent someone specific to the killer, someone who abused, betrayed, or humiliated him. Rape is about power and murder, the ultimate control over another human being. Cutting out the eyes another symbol.
  • Eve asks Dr. Mira what she thinks of psychics. Mira reminds Eve she has a daughter who is a sensitive. Eve tells Mira about her visit to Dochas and admits she had avoided going there. Mira says overcoming and getting over the things of the past are very different things. To overcome is to survive, have a life, be happy and productive, which Eve has done, but to get over being beaten and abused, raped, and tortured is asking too much of herself. Eve tells how to she reacted to Peabody's offer of support and Mira tells her she might consider telling Peabody some of it. Mira tells Eve to go home and get some sleep.

Chapter 5[]

  • Eve heads home, where she is met in the foyer by Summerset. They exchange their usual sharp barbs. Summerset notes the circles of exhaustion under her eyes. Eve thinks about going to her office but heads to the bedroom instead where she crawls into bed after removing her jacket, boots, and weapon harness. Galahad follows and curls up on her butt.
  • Eve dreams of the women and children from Dochas and Elisa Maplewood asking her for help. Then of her father breaking her arm and attacking her.
  • Roarke tries to wake Eve up from her nightmare. She screams and struggles against the pain. Roarke panics and tells her to wake up. He trembles as much as Eve while rocking her. Summerset rushes in as Eve is weeping. Roarke tells him it was a bad nightmare. Summerset says to have Eve take a soother, whatever it takes. Summerset leaves, closing the door behind him.
  • Eve tells Roarke about her dream and how real it felt. Galahad was with her, banging his head against her shoulder. Roarke gets her a soother and splits it with her as he needs soothing as well. She switches glasses with him just in case he tranq'd it. Roarke remarks that if he'd tranq'd one of the glasses, he would have anticipated her switching glasses but assures her they aren't tranq'd.
  • Eve had arrived home about 5 p.m. and it was now nearly 9 p.m. Knowing she won't sleep again now, Roarke suggests dinner. Eve agrees but wants Roarke to help her feel clean and whole and strong. They make love. Sex before Roarke was for physical release, but sex with Roarke is an intimate act that brings emotional peace she has never experienced before.
  • Over dinner, they discuss their upcoming dinner with Louise and Charles, Peabody and McNab. Eve tells Roarke about her visit to Dochas and her dream. She realizes that while she can't stop all the bad from happening, she can stop some of it and with what Roarke has created now the women and children have a chance to heal.

Day 3[]

Chapter 6[]

  • Eve stopped by EDD to get Feeney's take on using psychics. His opinion, you use what you use to close the case. Eve runs the case by Commander Whitney. He's surprised by Eve using a psychic and asks Peabody for her input. Eve and Peabody go to Celina Sanchez's home for a follow-up interview. Celina agrees to help on the case and signs the civilian consultant contract.
  • Eve pulls out an evidence bag with the red ribbon. Celina said previously that an item touched by the killer may help her get more information. Celina is nervous about touching the ribbon. When she finally does, she sees nothing and is disappointed. Eve tells Celina to try again and offers her the ribbon. This time she reacts and feels like she is being choked like the victim. The first ribbon was a blind and Eve switched it for the real ribbon as a test.
  • Celina prepares herself and takes the ribbon again. She can't see the killer's face, only that he is big, tough and strong. He hates his victims, but also fears and reveres them. He's done this before. He takes their eyes because he wants them to be in the dark. Eve wants Celina to come to the crime scene.
  • Peabody asks Eve if it's the civilian or the psychic aspect she doesn't like. Eve says a little of both but also doesn't like the idea Celina could start poking around in her head. She remembers when Peabody's father inadvertently saw into her head and she doesn't want that to happen again.
  • At the scene, Celina says there's a name in his mind but she can't see it. It's not Elisa that he's punishing. Then she tells Eve that she's surprised that Eve is so resistant and suspicious of sensitives when she has a gift herself. Eve denies having any gift. They walk to where the body was dumped and Celina says he's tall, over 6 feet, closer to 7, and muscular and then she has to stop.
  • Celina asks to read Peabody and Peabody agrees. Celina says she is dependable, sturdy, and loyal. She's proud of her badge and the work she does. Celina sees into her personal life and says McNab is a cutie and calls her She-body. Then Celina looks to Eve, who says no. Celina predicts that some day Eve will trust her enough. Then she says that the next kill will be very soon. Eve knows she's right.

Chapter 7[]

  • Eve and Peabody discuss what they learned from Celina, not much they didn't already know. Eve tells Peabody to call Requisitions to beg, bribe, threaten, offers sexual favors (to be performed by Peabody since Eve outranks her) to get a decent ride by the end of shift.
  • They start checking out health clubs, looking for a large, muscular guy that fits the killer's description. They focus on gyms that cater to serious body builders, sweaty guys with big necks, as well as home gym equipment.
  • Back in her office, Eve checks her messages. One from Mavis, with a Maui vacay and baby bump update. Another from Nadine Furst wanting an interview about the Maplewood case. Eve considers the interview while grabbing a candy bar from her current hiding spot behind the AutoChef, that has foiled the insidious candy thief so far.
  • Eve's computer is acting up. At first it doesn't recognize her authorization code, then starts shutting down. Next it goes to a porn site Fanta-Cee and then everything on screen is in a foreign language. Eve tries her usual punching and banging to no avail before considering throwing the computer out the window. Then she gets the idea to call McNab, who asks her to leave her office while he works.
  • She checks in with Peabody. Some joggers found the lost dog but no one reports seeing a large, muscular man around where Elisa lived. Eve complains about the detectives and uniforms having better equipment than the boss. Peabody responds that some people just have a mechanical infection that affects machines when they touch them. Eve calls bullshit and goes to vending, where she asks a uniform to get her a tube of Pepsi so the machine doesn't break and decides from now on that she'll have other people deal with machines whenever possible.
  • McNab gets her machine up and running for now but tells her it will only last a few days and needs to be replaced. She starts running gyms in the Bronx, while also trying to figure out how the killer found Elisa in the first place. She starts looking at missing persons similar to Elisa's description, looking for possible previous victims and finds two matches: Marjorie Kates and Breen Merriweather. They stop to talk to Lansing and Jones, the cops working the Marjorie Kates case, who work out of Central.
  • Peabody worked some magic, with McNab's help, and got a new vehicle; a sleek, navy blue sedan, loaded. Eve is boggled and is proud of Peabody's unethical and possibly illegal means in obtaining the new vehicle.

Chapter 8[]

  • Eve loves her new car. They set up an interview with Nadine in the park, near the castle, on their way to meet with Royce Cabel, the fiancée of Marjorie Kates, who reported her missing. They make a connection to the Maplewood case. Both women were crafters who shopped at Total Crafts.
  • Kates was practice to perfect his method. There may have been others. Someone who wouldn't be reported missing. The victims represent a dominant female figure. A woman who rejected, refused, or abused him.
  • Eve and Peabody do an interview with Nadine Furst in front of the castle where Maplewood's body was dumped. Eve makes a point of saying that strong women will be the ones standing for the victim and bringing the killer to justice. Eve confides off camera to Nadine about the eyes being cut out. Eve asks Nadine about Breen Merriweather, as she worked at Channel 75. Breen was also a crafter and shopped at Total Crafts.
  • Back at Central, Eve assumes her thinking position, feet on her desk. The killer thinks he is invulnerable, and is aroused by the risk and anticipation of the crime. He goes through stages: arousal, gratification, enjoyment, and finally satisfaction, but soon he'll be back to the arousal stage again.
  • Eve packs up to head home, planning to hit a few gyms on the way. Peabody has a packing date, since she and McNab are moving in together in just a few days.

Chapter 9[]

  • No big leads at the gyms, just a few hundred names from membership lists to run looking for sex crimes. He may remove all his body hair as well.
  • When Eve gets to the gates of home, they don't open as her new car hasn't been cleared. Summerset makes Eve verify her voice print and gives her a hard time about not following security protocols, which Eve can't argue with. He notifies her that Mavis and Leonardo are on the terrace with Roarke.
  • Summerset brings out some food and Mavis shows Eve her baby bump and makes her touch it. Mavis brings up a housewarming gift for Peabody and McNab, and Eve is annoyed by having to give a gift for every damn thing.
  • Then Mavis asked Eve to be her backup coach and Eve thinks she's talking about baseball. When she realizes Mavis wants her to be at the labor and delivery, Eve chokes on her food and turns white and Roarke laughs. Then Leonardo says they want both Eve and Roarke to be there because they are their closest friends, family even, and will keep calm in a crisis. Roarke looks panicked at the thought and Eve says, "It's not so funny now, is it, ace?"
  • After Mavis and Leonardo leave, Eve and Roarke are panicking about being birthing coaches and Roarke asks to help Eve with the murder case to distract them from the horror. Roarke digs deeper into the victims looking for connections, while Eve researching clothing and shoe stores that carry size 15 shoes. She finds a shop called The Colossal Man only two blocks from Total Crafts. Then she looks for body builder gyms nearby and finds Jim's Gym and Bodybuilders. She asks Roarke to help do a search for men who live alone in that area.

Day 4[]

  • When Eve crawls into bed just after one in the morning, she's on the killer's scent. There were two months between the previous killings and she hopes to find him before he kills another one.
  • While Eve slept, the killer waited in the dark for his next victim. He sees the victims as his mother, who beat him and locked him in the dark, whose favorite color was red and once wore a red ribbon around her neck. He attacks his next victim in the park, beats and rapes her, before carrying her body to a park bench and arranging her hands and removing her eyes.

Chapter 10[]

  • Eve is awakened by her 'link. It's Celina, the psychic, crying that killer is killing again. She is able to identify the location as Memorial Park and Eve and Roarke head there. She calls for patrol to look for a male fitting the killer's description and to consider him armed and dangerous. When they reach the park, two officers have just found the body. She's still warm. Eve calls it in to Dispatch, who will contact crime scene and Peabody.
  • The victim is identified as Lily Napier. She was a little younger and more slender but similar to the previous victims, The killing was more severe which could indicate the killer was enjoying the beating and less able to control himself.
  • TOD was 2 a.m. and the first officers arrived at 2:20 a.m.. Roarke observes that the killer was probably still in the park when the officers arrived and got a bonus out of watching the body be discovered. Eve had the same thought.
  • Eve steps away with Roarke for a little walk where she asks him to break into Celina's apartment while she is at Central giving her statement, to double check that she was at home, as she claimed. She's conflicted about asking him to commit a crime but doesn't want to potentially alienate a valuable source. She tells him not to get caught and Roarke wonders why she continues to insult him that way.
  • Eve and Peabody notify next of kin, Lily Napier's sister, Carleen Steeple and her husband. They interview them and find out that Carleen is a crafter and Lily would often go shopping with her.

Chapter 11[]

  • Eve walked into Homicide just after 5 a.m. Peabody arranges for Celina to be brought in at 8 a.m. and then catches a few hours' sleep in the crib. Meanwhile, Eve contacts Commander Whitney about closing the park and writes up her report before catching 20 minutes on the floor in her office.
  • Once Sanchez is on her way up, Eve contacts and finds Roarke has already entered the psychic's home to verify the transmission. Celina had made the call exactly as she had claimed. Eve and Peabody interview Celina Sanchez about the most recent murder. Eve suggests she may want to talk with Dr. Mira.
  • After Celina has left, Commander Whitney enters. He asks Eve how much sleep she's had and notes that she should have said she was running on fumes and had an important interview when he ordered her to report at 9 a.m. He informs her that the Mayor has ordered a meeting with Chief Tibble, Commander Whitney, and Eve, but that she is excused and Eve is grateful. Eve requests EDD to help cross-check the resident names with the craft stores and gym memberships. Feeney comments she looks peaky.

Chapter 12[]

  • While Eve and Peabody work on getting the gym membership lists, they discuss Celina and how civilian consultants are tools but they have to know how to use them. Consultants are different from cops because they didn't choose this job.
  • Peabody reminds Eve about the dinner party that night and Eve complains about how simple her life used to be before all the people cluttering it up. Peabody says Eve could shove Roarke out and then Peabody could have a shot at him while McNab would have a shot with Eve, they have an understanding. Eve says they have a sick relationship.
  • Jim's Gym, a hole-in-the-wall, no frills, meathead gym where the smell alone will knock you out, owned by Jim, who is less than friendly toward women, much less female cops. He reluctantly agrees to have a discussion in his office after Eve threatens to haul him into the Central. Jim hasn't heard of any murders as he only watches the sports channel, but he doesn't hold with rape and gives up his membership list.
  • They hit another craft store and another gym before heading back to Central for a couple hours sleep. As they head toward Homicide, Eve sees Crack sitting outside her division. He came to thank Eve for helping find his sister's killer and for planting a tree in her memory. Eve asks him about possibly checking out some of the gyms looking for their suspect from the inside. Crack agrees.

Chapter 13[]

  • Eve catches an hour's sleep at her desk, then starts checking on updates from the lab and gets a message from the commander about a media conference she is required to attend at sixteen hundred. She calls Morris about Lily Napier's autopsy results, same method, same killer, some textile fibers, no semen. On her way to contact Mira, Eve stops to grab something from vending and runs into Dr. Mira. Eve asks her to get her a Booster Bar from the vending machine as she is avoiding contact with machines unless absolutely necessary. It's an experiment.
  • They discuss the case and that the killer is escalating and if disappointed in the kill, may kill again more quickly. Eve is troubled that there may be more victims before she can stop him. Mira tells her that those deaths are on the killer, not her. Eve feels conflicted about going to the dinner party while there is a killer out there. Mira tells Eve that there was a time when all Eve did was work and that she was a few years away from burning out with no balance in her life. That opening her life has made her a better cop with many more years on the job. Eve admits Mira is right, even if it still pisses her off some. Eve wakes up Peabody and they head to the media conference.
  • At the media conference the mayor, chief, and commander speak before handing questions over to Eve. She drags Peabody to the podium with her and throws her in the deep end with the reporters. After answering a few questions, Eve gets irritated and gives the reporters a verbal set down before turning her back and walking away.
  • Nadine Furst calls Eve and meets them in the garage about Breen Merriweather. Nadine has been asking around and found out the Breen had made comments about a big guy riding her train. Possible details about the killer's appearance. Big with hands like turkey platters, bald, wore sunshades at night. Nadine teases Eve about how long before she trashes her new ride.
  • Eve follows up the tip with Feeney, see if they can get a visual of the guy. Next, the stop at O'Hara's Bar and Grill, where Lily Napier worked. They question the owner and employees that worked with Lily. The owner, O'Hara, is from Dublin and his father knew Roarke.

Chapter 14[]

  • As they are finishing up the interviews and knocking off for the evening, Celina tags Eve and asks for a few minutes of her time. Peabody takes the last interview, while Eve heads to Celina's place. She calls Roarke to let him know she's running a little late. Roarke saw her press conference and was proud of what she said.
  • Celina wants to do more to help the investigation. She's afraid that she's going to spend her life seeing murder and violence now. She wants Dr. Mira to put her under hypnosis to see past the blocks. Eve contacts Dr. Mira who can see Celina in the morning, at nine. After a consult and physical exam, they can discuss hypnotherapy.
  • Eve rushes in the house and upstairs while throwing an insult at Summerset to find Roarke beat her home and into the shower. She checks the water temp before stepping in. Roarke teases her about cutting her own hair and Eve begs him not to tell Trina.
  • Peabody and McNab are running a little late as well. As they head up in the elevator, Peabody reminds McNab to be nice because last time McNab was at Charles' place, he was drunk and punched him over Peabody. McNab says that was only because he was pissed off about Peabody sleeping with Charles. Peabody tells McNab she never slept with Charles, they are just friends. McNab is shocked and admits that he didn't sleep with the twins either because he only wanted Peabody. They make up and kiss just as the elevator doors open and Eve and Roarke are there. Eve makes a comment about losing her appetite. Both couples arrive together and Charles and Louise open the door. They have a nice evening with friends. Eve observes how each couple interacts and is obviously in love. Roarke tells her to relax. McNab talks about taking Peabody to Scotland to meet his parents.
  • The killer is raging over the news coverage and how women are the ones hunting him, discussing him, analyzing him, condemning him. He has fifteen pairs of eyes in jars watching him as he rants. He's going to make the women pay. He deviates from his plan to focus on Eve, Peabody, and Nadine Furst. He plans to save Eve for last.
  • For two hours, Eve is able to turn off murder and enjoy the evening. She watches Roarke interact effortlessly with everyone, from talking art with Charles to retelling a bar fight to make McNab laugh. All in all, a very nice evening. When they get home, Roarke is carrying Eve upstairs to bed. She comments that he touches her when he's not thinking about it and she likes it. They make love.

Day 5[]

Chapter 15[]

  • While Eve sleeps, a woman named Annalisa Sommers is killed in Greenpeace Park. While she was aware of the two women murdered in parks recently, she feels safe cutting through the park because it's like her backyard and it saves time. She is lured off the path into the dark by a kitten that turns out to be a droid. Too late she is hit in the back of the head.
  • 7:20 a.m., Eve stands over the scene and the latest victim. They record the scene, much the same as the previous two victims. Peabody notes they didn't hear anything from Celina this time. Eve noticed as well and calls Celina. She reaches Celina who has just woken up. Eve tells her there was another murder. Celina says she took a tranq the night before. Eve wants to talk to her after her appointment at nine with Dr. Mira.
  • Eve and Peabody head to the vic's residence, then to notify the mother and boyfriend of the victim. Both are devastated at the news.
  • Eve heads to Dr. Mira's office and checks her messages while she's waiting. Dickhead identified the killer's shoe and the eleven outlets that carry it in the city.
  • Celina comes out of the office, clearly upset and recently crying. She feels responsible for the murder last night. Dr. Mira says that they can start the sessions the next day. It may take several sessions to get the information. Celina wants to start sooner. Dr. Mira agrees to start at 4:30 today. Celina wants Eve to be at the session but Eve doesn't want Celina to depend on her. Dr. Mira asks about the most recent victim. When Eve says the victim's name, Celina reacts. She knew Annalisa through her boyfriend Lucas, who is a former lover of Celina's.

Chapter 16[]

  • On the way to check out shoe outlets, Eve and Peabody discuss Celina's connection to the last victim. Eve doesn't get being friends with an ex. Peabody says the psychic angle doesn't work that way. First, Celina can't put a spell on some guy to make him go around whacking women and make sure one of them was Annalisa Sommers. Second, why would she get involved in the case when she would have never been a blip on the investigative radar. Third, Sommers went into the park voluntarily and alone. The killer is a loner who hates women. Eve doesn't like how Celina is depending on Eve to hold her hand.
  • At the clothing store they get a customer list matching the shoe Berenski identified. Peabody does some Christmas shopping. Feeney tags Eve with the first of the matches he's found. She sends him the new shoe customer list to check and let her know if there are any matches ASAP. They hit two more outlet stores before stopping for lunch in Central Park.
  • Eve is thinking out loud about the killer and how his abuse as a child is what drives him to kill. When Peabody says the childhood abuse twisted him, Eve says that doesn't give him an excuse to kill. Nothing does. Eve starts to go off on Peabody but then stops and decides it's time to share her past with Peabody. Peabody had already figured out Eve was raped, but not that the abuse was habitual or by her father. Eve goes on to tell Peabody about the night she killed her father. Peabody breaks down crying as she listens to Eve's story. Eve asks Peabody to tell her if she sees it affecting the job. Peabody says it makes Eve a better cop, able to face anything.
  • Eve stops by the morgue to see Sommers. Morris quizzes Eve on the body he's currently working on. Morris says Eve is very good at what she does, and causes him concern about his paycheck. Morris hopes Eve is close to catching the killer, as all the pretty young women in his morgue is getting depressing.

Chapter 17[]

  • Eve stops by the lab to check on the hair analysis from the latest crime scene. Dickie 'Dickhead' Berenski passed the hair on to his best hair guy, Ursa Harvo, Queen of Hair. She has identified that it's not hair but hair-like fibers from a droid pet, feline, common tabby, which appears to be new. Peabody starts tracking the droid cat lead while Eve checks in with EDD and goes to Celina's hypnotherapy session.
  • When Eve stops in EDD to check with Feeney on the matches, the news isn't good. There have been no matches for craft shops, residences, and gyms and nothing on the shoes. There are a few matches for residences and craft shops or residences and the gyms. Eve asks Feeney to help in the field checking on the close matches. He will partner with Peabody, while Eve calls in Roarke to check them faster.
  • Celina is nervous about the hypnotherapy session. It goes well and she is able to give more details about the suspect's face and thinks she could identify him if she saw his picture. They learn that he is mixed race, dark skinned or tan, bald and wears sunshades and applies sealant to his face, square face, dark, thick eyebrows.
  • Eve tells Peabody to stay sharp when they are checking the possibles, that this guy won't be taken down easy. If they pop him, he'll go for the female first. He'll hurt her if he can. Peabody responds that this isn't her first time and teases Eve about being worried. Eve feels bad vibes about the case.

Chapter 18[]

  • Roarke checks out Eve's new ride and approves the upgrade. He takes it for a test drive while Eve updates him on the case. They check off a couple of guys from the potential matches list before Roarke pronounces it dinner time. They stop at a French place where Eve picks at her food before telling Roarke that she told Peabody about her childhood. They discuss how Dr. Mira suggested hypnotherapy to help Eve remember her past but she doesn't want to go there yet even if it might stop the nightmares. Roarke offers to dig up the details of Eve's past if that is what she wants but she doesn't want to do that yet either.
  • Peabody is headed home to finish packing for moving day. She calls McNab as she steps off the subway. He surprises her that he has finished packing for her. They are both excited about living together. Just outside her building, Peabody is brutally attacked by the killer. He plans to take her with him but some pedestrians interrupted his plans. Peabody got off one shot before losing consciousness. McNab hears the screaming and calls it in while rushing downstairs. She was still alive but it's bad.
  • Eve and Roarke rush into the hospital. Peabody is in surgery and McNab is waiting all alone. He's really messed up about Peabody and struggles to report to Eve what happened. Roarke goes to check on Peabody's status.

Chapter 19[]

  • The killer paces like a caged animal in his place. Peabody hurt him, hit him in the arm, and that's not allowed, not anymore. He's haunted by the boy he used to be, weak and helpless, a victim of abuse.
  • Eve is pacing around the hospital waiting room. Feeney comes in and sits with McNab. Eve steps out into the hall and sees Roarke. His face tells her the news isn't good and her knees went to water. Three broken ribs, collapsed lung, torn up shoulder, fractured hip, internal damage, bruised kidney, spleen may need to be removed, shattered cheekbone, dislocated jaw, and head trauma. It's very serious. ER doc said it looked like she'd been struck head-on by a maxibus. The docs wouldn't say her chances of surviving. The waiting room starts to fill up with cops waiting for news.
  • Eve contacted Peabody's family but downplayed her injuries until they know more. Roarke has made arrangements for transpo if they need to come. McNab's barely holding it together. Nadine shows up with two burly officers trailing behind. She asks about Peabody and assures Eve she will report whatever she wants. Then she brings up the two storm trooper guards that Eve has put on her. Eve feels responsible for what happened to Peabody and she won't let another friend get her. Nadine agrees to put up with the guards for now. Nadine goes to check on McNab.
  • Roarke tries to distract Eve with getting together some food for everyone. Louise and Charles come in. Louise goes to check on Peabody's status, while Charles takes over getting some food. More waiting. Calls from Whitney, Mira, Peabody's family, more cops coming and going. EDD, and Homicide, uniforms and rank showing support.
  • When Louise comes back, Eve sends Roarke to get McNab for an update. Feeney and Charles come too. Peabody's doing well. Two to three more hours of surgery to go. There was extensive damage and she is undergoing multiple surgeries. She's critical but she's holding her own. Louise will come out and give them updates. She suggests they donate blood to do something positive while they wait.
  • Eve and the other cops each donate a pint of blood. Eve thinks about when she met Peabody and their history together. Louise comes in and tells them she made it through surgery and is headed to recovery. She will be in ICU and is in a coma to allow her body to rest and recover. McNab wants to sit with her so she doesn't wake up alone.
  • Eve and Roarke go in to see Peabody and Eve is shook; even though she prepared herself, it wasn't enough. Peabody's face is so bruised it was barely recognizable. Eve and Roarke are both furious and determined to get this guy. He made it personal and he doesn't get by doing this to Peabody. Eve promises to kick his ass for Peabody. McNab wants to be there when they take him down but he can't leave Peabody until she wakes up. Feeney vows to burn this bastard.

Day 6[]

  • When Eve and Roarke get home it's about 6 a.m. Summerset asks after Peabody and if there is anything he can do to help. After a shower and some Stay-Up [YANNI], Roarke forces Eve to eat something. Eve asks Roarke how he gets through worrying about someone he loves being hurt. It's personal for Eve now and she doesn't want justice. She wants him to pay. Eve briefed Summerset and can't believe she asked him to use the unregistered to commit an illegal act to help with a police investigation.

Chapter 20[]

  • Eve and Roarke head over to talk to the witnesses. Eve stops to study the bloodstains on the pavement. The killer is a big guy, doesn't blend in. He must do much of his stalking electronically. He moved faster with Peabody because he was angry, threatened. Didn't do as much research. Peabody will make him once she wakes up. She'll take him down.
  • They go to the first witness home, Essie Fort. Her date, Mike Jacobs, another witness, answers the door. He stayed the night when Essie was upset and didn't want to be alone. They describe for Eve the attack and how Peabody got off a shot while airborne. They describe the vehicle and show Eve the drawing Mike, an art teacher, made. They agree to go into work with an Ident artist, Yancy. Eve thanks them for what they did last night and what they're doing now.
  • Back at Central, Yancy is making this case top priority. Roarke calls the hospital for an update on Peabody, checks in on Summerset and talks to Feeney about e-stuff. Celina is waiting for Eve. She saw him attack Peabody and wants to help but Mira won't budge on the hypnotherapy. Eve asks her if she could get a read off a personal item from a previous victim. Celina agrees to try.
  • McNab is asleep by Peabody's bedside. He's talking to her as Mavis comes in. She pretended to be Peabody's sister. McNab leans on Mavis for comfort to help him not lose it completely. He tells her Dallas is out hunting the animal who did this to Peabody. Mavis says she'll get him. Mavis and Leonardo volunteer to help move Peabody and McNab since they can't do much to help. As they talk, Peabody starts to wake up. At first, she can't remember what happened. She hurts everywhere and starts to remember but wants some drugs to deal with the pain.
  • Eve is hovering over Yancy as he completes the sketch of the killer. She passes it on to Feeney to run the ID match. Her communicator beeps with McNab's code. She reaches for Roarke's hand as she answers. McNab tells her Peabody's awake.
  • Eve rushes to the hospital and straight into Peabody's room. Peabody is propped up in bed with a smile on her battered face. McNab is holding her hand and Louise and Mavis are there. Peabody's speech is slurred due to the pain medication. She's doing very well and has been bumped down to stable. Peabody, in her drugged state, asks to kiss Roarke. Roarke laughs, calls her beautiful and kisses her. Peabody says his kiss is better than the drugs. McNab gets a little jealous and ask if Peabody remembers him. She rambles that she loves him and his cute little butt.
  • The drugs wear off enough that Eve can question Peabody about what happened. She shows Peabody the sketch and Peabody identifies him. Eve offers to let Peabody recoup at their place. After she leaves Peabody's room, Eve goes into the women's bathroom, sits on the floor and cries and all the emotions pour out like a hot, violent flood. Mavis comes in and sits beside her and lets her finish her crying jag. Eve suggests getting Trina to give Peabody the full works once she's better. Mavis says they can make a complete girl party out of it and Eve reluctantly agrees. She asks to borrow some sunglasses from Mavis to cover her red, swollen eyes and heads out to bust the bastard.

Chapter 21[]

  • Roarke waits until they are in the car to comment on her choice of eyewear. He removes them and kisses Eve's eyelids. She puts the shades back on just in case.
  • Eve's communicator signals. Feeney has ID'd the suspect. Eve programs the car for Central so she can give the image her full attention. Blue, John Joseph, age thirty-one. The photo matches their sketch. Eve takes the car off auto and speeds with sirens back to Central. Roarke runs the suspect and his residence is listed in Brooklyn, which is why he didn't pop in their first round of matches. He is a member of Jim's Gym. Eve figures he must have a second residence in the city listed under another name. Feeney meets her in Homicide and comments on her new shades.
  • Ineza Blue, the suspect's mother and retired licensed companion, has a house on Fulton in the city. Eve starts putting together two tactical teams; one for Brooklyn and the other for Fulton. Mother has an account at Total Crafts. Eve contacts the commander and fifteen minutes later is briefing her tactical teams. Baxter will lead Team One in Brooklyn, while Eve will lead Team Two to the Fulton Street residence.
  • Teams strap on protective gear. A cop approaches the residence disguised as a delivery man with a package. They verify the suspect is inside the residence. Eve and Roarke are taking the front, while Feeney and another cop take the back. Roarke has a battering ram and comments he could get through the door nearly as quickly and with less noise without it. Roarke knocks down the door and Eve catches Blue headed up the stairs. When he sees her, he attacks. Eve and Roarke both fire a stream hitting him. The stream knocks him back three staggering steps but he charges again. Eve runs and jumps, kicking Blue in the face with both feet. Blood erupts from his nose and mouth but he's not down. Eve commands everyone to stand down. She locks her hands around her weapon and with as much force as she could muster, slams him in the balls. He drops to his knees and Eve presses her weapon against his cheek, while Feeney restrains him.
  • In the basement, they find his office space, a personal fitness center, and a little boy's bedroom. There is a child-size chair fitted with restraints, wrist and ankle shackles. On one arm is bright red cloth. And on a long shelf, fifteen clear jars filled with pale blue liquid and floating inside fifteen pairs of eyes.
  • Back at Central, Blue sits in Interview A, shackled to a table; lights on full. Feeney and Eve, along with two large uniforms, enter interview. They have more than enough evidence to put him away, although he'll probably be going to an institution for mental defectives, but they want to know where the bodies of the other victims are buried. Eve uses his mother and turning down the lights to trigger Blue into talking. His mother punished him and locked him in the basement in the dark when he saw her while she was working. She beat him and called him weak, puny and stupid. Once, in the park, he had let a girl touch him and his mother found out. She hit his privates with a stick and scrubbed it with a powder that burned. She threatened to pour acid on it next time. His mother and all the other victims are buried upstate on an old farm that belonged to his grandmother, who had also abused her own daughter, Blue's mother.

Chapter 22[]

  • Eve orders droids and dogs, a search unit and equipment necessary for multiple-remains location, identification and removal. She requests Morris and even Whitney and Tibble make the trip upstate. Eve and Roarke take the jet-copter and flew through a steady, dreary rain. Eve prepares mentally for what they will find.
  • Roarke states that Eve feels sympathy for John Blue. Eve says she feels some sympathy for a defenseless child tortured by a parent who was vicious and cruel, as they both know what that's like. She feels a twinge for how she treated him in interview and she'll live with that because a child didn't rape, beat, strangle, and mutilate fifteen women. A child didn't put Peabody in the hospital.
  • Eve draws some parallels between herself and Blue, in that she was abused by a parent and like Blue, killed her abuser. Roarke strongly disagrees and wants to make the vital point to her that she was a child defending herself, Blue was a man who had the choice of walking away. Eve agrees that you don't let the lost, damaged child strike at innocents. You use it to stand for the innocent, like Eve with her badge and Roarke with Dochas.
  • While the droids and dogs begin searching the backyard, Eve took a team into the house and found the room where he had raped and killed them. Lengths of red cord, remnants of women's clothing and smears of blood on the mattress and floor. Eve directs the team to bag and tag everything so they can identify all fifteen victims.
  • Eve heads out back where the dogs have located seven bodies already. It's still raining. As Eve walks over to talk to Commander Whitney, they find bodies eight and nine. Whitney tells Eve she's in charge of the procedure. Once the dogs located all the remains, evac teams begin digging with Morris and his team there to help with identification.
  • Roarke helps with evac, while Eve works with Morris on the first marker. Morris estimates the body has been buried 3-6 months. The backyard looked like a mass grave, with bodies of the identified bagged waiting for transport, while unidentified remains lay on tarps protected from the rain by tents as the ME worked to identify them. Media copters circled like vultures overhead.
  • Eve takes coffee to Roarke, who is working on digging up his third body. She tells him to take a break. He agrees she was right about this being worse than anything you can imagine. He tells Eve he doesn't want to be buried but cremated when he dies. Eve says maybe he can bribe God and live forever, as he has more money than God does. They stand surrounded by the dead. His personal cemetery, a private holocaust. Some have been identified, including Marjorie Kates and Breen Merriweather and a few local women. No matter how long it takes, every one of them will be identified because it matters who they were, where they came from and who loved them. They are more than what he made them.
  • Roarke asks Eve that when this case is wrapped to take two days to rebalance themselves about this travesty. Eve needs to stay around until Peabody is back on her feet. Eve points behind the copter where they can be somewhat private. They hug to comfort each other after this terrible day. Eve agrees they need time away, where they can just be themselves. They fly back home.
  • Eve and Roarke stop by Celina's place. Celina tells them that she and Dr. Mira made more progress and she should be able to work with a police artist tomorrow. Eve tells her they ID'd and captured the killer that afternoon. Celina says she didn't contribute much in the end. Roarke says she has a gift and utilized it. Celina says she didn't have a choice. Eve disagrees, as she accuses Celina of killing Annalisa Sommers.
  • Celina had been visioning John Blue for months and used his killings to disguise the killing of Annalisa Sommers. They found thirteen bodies at the farm. Add Elisa Maplewood and Lily Napier and you have fifteen. Celina has security discs that prove she never left her apartment, but Summerset used the unregistered to find out that Celina didn't renew the lease to the apartment below hers that she also owns, keeping it vacant for months. She shut down the security cams and snuck out the emergency evac, but she didn't bother to seal up and left prints on the door, window and evac mechanism. Annalisa was close but didn't quite fit with all the other victims. Hair was too dark and too short. Also he had never used props like the kitten with any of the others, but Celina had needed that distraction to overpower her victim. Then she used a strap on to rape Annalisa. Celina says Eve can't prove anything. Eve tells her that Blue is alibied for that night. Celina says it must have been someone else, but no one else would have been privy to certain details of the case that were never released to the public.
  • Lucas left Celina to be with Annalisa. He didn't cheat but when he met Annalisa, something clicked and Celina knew he was interested because Celina used her gift to read him all the time. When he started pulling away, Celina pretended like it was amicable. Now that his new lady is dead, Celina comes back with open arms to comfort him. She had gone to visit Lucas just that afternoon. A clerk at an uptown craft store, remembers Celina coming in to buy three yards of red corded ribbon three months ago, proving she watched Blue kill for months.
  • Celina asks Eve what she would do if Roarke one day fell out of love with her. She was in love with Lucas and it hurt to watch him fall in love with someone else. She saw John Blue kill Breen Merriweather and bury her in the backyard. She watched and studied him, both fascinated and repelled and wished he would kill Annalisa so everything would be they way it should be again. Then he killed Elisa Maplewood in the city. Celina feels like it was fate that she kill Annalisa. That she kept waiting for something to prevent it. If Eve had found Blue sooner, or if Annalisa hadn't cut through the park that night. Just one factor that would have changed everything.
  • Celina asks Eve when she figured it out. Eve said when she found the connection between Celina and Lucas. Celina doesn't believe her because she read Eve after Peabody's attack. Eve tells her that she got some pointers from Mira's daughter on how to block. Eve arrests Celina for first degree sexual assault, murder, and mutilation of Annalissa Sommers and accessory to sexual assault, murder and mutilation, before and after the fact, fifteen counts. Additional counts, attempted murder, assault and battery of a police officer. McNab and Feeney take her in and book her, listing Peabody as the arresting officer, in absentia.
  • Eve and Roarke head home. Eve is running on chemical fumes at this point. Celina didn't love Lucas, but she thinks she did. People don't kill for love.

Memorable Quotes[]

Eve: "I don't know what I did before you were my fashion consultant." Roarke: "I do, but I don't like to think about it."

"You can't use logic and paranormal in the same sentence." --Eve Dallas

"When can I drive the new ride?" Peabody asks. "When you learn that a yellow light means haul ass to get through it before it turns red instead of slowing down to a crawl a half a block away." Eve responds.

Character List[]

List of Main Characters Appearing in this Book[]

List of Secondary Characters Appearing in this Book[]

List of Recurring Characters Appearing in this Book[]

List of Minor Characters Appearing in this Book[]

List of Peripheral Characters Appearing or Mentioned in this Book[]

Deaths[]

Victim Cause of Death Weapon Perpetrator
Jasper K. McKinney (pre-book) fall from apartment building gravity misadventure
Elisa Maplewood beating, rape, strangulation, removal of eyes red ribbon John Blue
Lily Napier
Marjorie Kates
Breen Merriweather
Ineza Blue
Lena Greenspan (pre-book)
Sarie Parker (pre-book)
8 unnamed women (pre-book)
Annalisa Sommers Celina Sanchez

Trivia[]

  • Eve tells Peabody about her childhood.
  • Peabody is seriously injured by the killer.

Other Covers[]

Additional covers here

US neon edition cover UK edition cover German Book Club edition cover Japanese edition cover Russian edition cover Brilliance Audio unabridged edition cover
US neon edition cover UK edition cover German Book Club edition cover Japanese edition cover Russian edition cover Brilliance Audio unabridged edition cover

Footnotes[]

  1. p. 198. So she could stand here, in the bright light of a September afternoon on the steps of her house, and know there was murder and meanness and casual cruelties, and still it was a good city.

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