Chasing the Night - Iris Johansen [22]
“Much too early.”
“May I ask about the procedure?”
Eve shrugged. “I work differently from most other forensic artists. Particularly when children are involved. I can’t just dive in and combine all the changes that happen year by year and go to the final product. I have to do a complete progression at several growth stages and gradually build them to the present age. It’s more work, and Venable’s techs would probably say it’s unnecessary. But maybe it’s because I’m not as experienced as they are. It’s necessary for me.” She met Catherine’s gaze. “So if you have any objections, voice them now, and we’ll stop.”
“No objections. Only one request.”
“What request?”
“Will you save every stage progression you do of Luke for me?” She tried to smile, but her lips were trembling. “I want to see how he grew, how he changed. It will be like having a collection of school photos of him.” Her smile faded. “School photos. Such an ordinary thing. It wouldn’t have been ordinary to me, Eve.”
“No, I can see it wouldn’t,” Eve said gently. “I’ll save them and print them out for you. I won’t be doing every year, but you’ll be able to grasp the changes.”
“Thank you.” She looked down at the bones again. “I was just curious. I’ll let you work now.”
Curious and desperately reaching out for memories of which she’d been cheated, Eve thought.
Catherine changed the subject. “You know, this Cindy puzzle is every bit as difficult as I thought it was going to be.” She grimaced as she looked back at the skull on her screen. “And I don’t think it would help if I’d worked with skulls and bones for years as you have. It’s just hit-or-miss.”
Eve nodded. “Which is why I agreed to let you try your luck. You have the same determination and motivation that I have. It’s not based on the same foundation, but the result could be identical. I hope it will be.”
Catherine was frowning, her tongue touching her upper lip as she tried another fragment of bone. “I hope so, too…”
Eve knew that Joe was not asleep when she took off her terry robe and slipped into bed.
“It’s almost two in the morning,” he said gruffly. “She’s a demanding bitch, isn’t she?”
“You know better than that.” She cuddled closer to him. She loved the feel of him. Everything about Joe was warm and strong and hard. “No one pushes me but me. I wanted to get through the first transition to age three.”
“Did you do it?”
“Yes. Actually, it was easier for me than for Catherine. She’s going to have severe eyestrain from working on Cindy tonight. But she managed to get the shards of the upper-right cheekbone in place.”
“I can’t say I feel sorry for her.”
“I know. I don’t blame you. What she did was arrogant and done with all the finesse of a bulldozer.”
“I won’t say she was without finesse. It takes a certain amount of cleverness to be able to manage all the details of pulling the right strings at the precinct not only to set up a false crime scene, but arrange for me specifically to be called in for it.”
“She’s experienced. After all, she’s CIA.”
“And if there weren’t a kid involved, you’d have kicked her out.”
“Yes. I found I couldn’t do it.”
“Because she made you bleed, then gave you a bandage of hope to soothe the wound. I told you she was clever.” He pulled her closer. “But there wasn’t any way I could take that hope away from either of you. That’s why I didn’t toss her ass in the lake.” His lips brushed her temple. “But it’s still an option I’m leaving open.”
“Me, too.” But that option was gradually fading into the shadows the more she worked with Catherine Ling. “But I think she’d swim to the surface and be back on our porch an hour later. She’s going to do anything she has to do to get her son back.” She whispered, “I have to help her, Joe. I’ll show you the photo of Luke tomorrow.