heâs out of a job.â
Danielle turned toward the elevator, where Caroline and Kit were whispering intently. Danielle felt a stab of jealousy. Was something going on between the two of them?
She hoped not. Kit attracted her like a magnet.
âWe might as well pack up and move out,â Billy decided. âMaybe weâll find Joey walking along the road somewhere.â
âYou know we wonât!â Dee broke in sharply.
Danielle glanced at her in surprise. What did Dee mean?
Before Billy could respond, Dee grabbed her duffel bag and rushed out the door.
âWhatâs Deeâs problem?â Danielle asked. âWe all know she canât stand Joey. Why is she so upset about him?â
Billy shrugged. âBeats me.â He turned to Kit and Caroline. âOkay, guys, weâre out of here!â
Out on the street Kit and Billy secured the instruments and other equipment to the top of the van. The girls loaded the bags inside.
Danielle started to climb aboard, but stopped as a police car sped by, its siren blaring.
A second black-and-white cruiser followed, wheeling around the corner, its siren like a wild animal howl.
A few seconds later a red-and-white ambulance went screaming by.
âTheyâre heading for the park!â Kit shouted, shielding his eyes as he watched them. âCome on. Letâs go see whatâs up.â
He locked the van and trotted in the direction of the park. Danielle and the others followed close behind.
Two police cars and an ambulance, Danielle thought with a shudder. They were sure in a hurry. Itâs got to be something bad.
As they approached the park, Danielle saw that she and her friends werenât the only curious ones. A few dozen people stood around, craning their necks and asking questions. Two grim-faced police officers tried to keep them back, without much luck.
Dee ran ahead and caught up with Kit. Danielle saw them push their way through the crowd.
âEverybody back!â one of the officers shouted. âKeep your distance!â
A scream rang out.
âThat sounded like Dee!â Caroline exclaimed. âWhat did she see?â
Danielleâs heart started to pound.
âIâm not going any farther,â Mary Beth declared, stopping a few feet from the edge of the crowd. âLook at all these people. This is sick.â
Caroline stopped too. Her face had grown pale. She bit her lower lip tensely.
Danielle kept walking.
âEverybody back! Weâve got a crime scene here!â an angry police officer shouted. âGet back!â
Danielle reached the edge of the crowd. As she did, a gap opened up and she could see why Dee had screamed.
What was that heaped on the ground?
A body? A human body?
Torn to pieces?
Its clothingâits skin âhad all been ripped and shredded.
Clawed to death.
This person had to be clawed to death by a wild animal, Danielle thought.
And then she saw the corpseâs face.
Joeyâs face.
Chapter 9
A SONG FOR DEE
Three Weeks Later
âI know I didnât do it!â Danielle insisted. âI couldnât possibly have done anything like that!â
âYou donât have to convince me, Danielle,â Dr. Moore stated quietly. âWhy are you trying to convince yourself? What on earth makes you think you might have killed Joey?â
Danielle sat tensely on the edge of the chair in Dr. Mooreâs office. A new chair, sheâd noticed when she came in. Dr. Moore never said a word about how Danielle had torn up the old one.
But Danielle remembered. She kept her hands in her lap, twisting them nervously.
âDanielle?â the doctor prodded. âWhy do you think you had anything to do with Joeyâs death?â
âBecause of what Iâve been telling you,â she explained.âThe horrible, violent fantasies. What if they become real?â
âYou had a violent fantasy about Joey?â
She shook her head.