"I want you to come in tomorrow," Ford said, his brow pinched in worry. "Now that you have something to work with, I think hypnosis might bring it all together."

Bring it all together? Does he have any idea what in hell he is asking? The blood drained from my face, and I pulled out of his reach. "No." If Ford put me under, I had no idea what might come out.

Fleeing, I dipped under the railing and swung my weight out and onto the ladder. Marshal waited in his big-ass SUV below, and I wanted to be in it with the heater going to try to drive away the chill Ford's words had started. I hesitated, wondering if I should drop the shirt box or keep it tucked under an arm.

"Rachel, wait."

There was the rattle of the lock being replaced, and leaving the box under my arm, I started down, watching the side of the boat as I descended. I toyed with the idea of taking the ladder away to leave him stranded, but he would probably put it in his report. Besides, he did have his cell phone.

Finally I reached the ground. Head down, I placed my boots carefully in the slush, aiming for Marshal's car, parked behind Ford's in the maze of impounded boats. Marshal had offered to bring me out after I'd complained during a hockey game that my little red car would get stuck in the ruts and ice out here, and since my car wasn't made for the snow, I'd said yes.

Guilt tugged at me for avoiding Ford's help. I wanted to find out who'd killed Kisten and tried to make me their shadow, but there were other things I wanted to keep to myself, like why I'd survived a common but lethal blood disease that was also responsible for my being able to kindle demon magic, or what my dad had done in his spare time, or why my mother had nearly gone off her rocker to keep me from knowing my birth father wasn't the man who'd raised me.