Kay Hooper
Stealing Shadows
The first book in the Stealing Shadows series
There aren't enough good teachers in the world.
This book is dedicated to
Mary Anne Head
Jane Biggerstaff
and Betty Hough,
with appreciation and thanks
for helping to make school an interesting place
for my niece, Beth
PROLOGUE
LOS ANGELES AUGUST 16, 1998
"Talk to me, Cassie."
She was all but motionless in the straight-backed chair, head bowed so that her hair hid her face. Only her hands stirred, thin fingers lightly tracing and shaping the red tissue petals of the exquisitely handmade paper rose in her lap.
"I think… he's moving," she whispered.
"Where is he moving? What can you see, Cassie?" Detective Logan 's voice was even and infinitely patient, betraying none of the anxiety and urgency that beaded his face with sweat and haunted his eyes.
"I… I'm not sure."
From his position a few feet away, Logan 's partner spoke in a low voice. "Why's she so tentative with this one?"
"Because he scares the shit out of her," Logan responded, equally quietly. "Hell, he scares the shit out of me." He raised his voice. "Cassie? Concentrate, honey. What does he see?"
"Dark. It's just… it's dark."
"All right. What is he thinking?"
She drew a shaky little breath, and those thin fingers trembled as they held and traced the paper rose. "I – I don't want to… It's so cold in his mind. And there are so many… shadows. So many twisted shadows. Please don't make me go any deeper. Don't make me touch them."
Logan 's already grim face grew bleaker at the fear and revulsion in her voice, and it was his turn to draw a steadying breath. When he spoke, his voice was cool and certain. "Cassie, listen to me. You have to go deeper. For the sake of that little girl, you have to. Do you understand?"