Free Dangerous Games by Michael Prescott

car.”
    “Yes.”
    “The note was quoted in today’s paper. It may have been made public earlier, I don’t know, I haven’t been following the news. But when I read it this morning…well, there was one part where he said he had trouble managing his disappointment, but he was working on it.”
    “I remember.”
    Madeleine got up and retrieved a manila envelope from the mantelpiece. It was filled with sheets of paper. She slipped out the top sheet and handed it to Tess.
    “Here’s one of the e-mail messages he sent me. The data all went to the police—my floppy disks, even my hard drive. But I kept printouts.”
    Tess read the message. The key text had been highlighted with a yellow marker: I’m not so good at handling disappointment. Maybe I need to work on that .
    “I see.” Tess glanced at the envelope. “Are those the rest of the e-mails?”
    “Yes. You can have them, if you like. Of course, you can get the original data from the police or the district attorney—whoever has it now. Assuming they haven’t thrown it all away.”
    “They should have returned it to you.”
    “I never wanted it back. Here, take this.”
    Tess accepted the envelope, slipping the first message inside. “Thank you. So you think Kolb may have gone beyond stalking to actual abductions?”
    Madeleine sat down again. Tess noticed that she was perched on the edge of her chair. “He intended to abduct me. Maybe he still does. Who’s to say he wasn’t stalking those first two women? Now that they’re dead, who’s to say he won’t focus on me next? But, of course, nobody will listen to the rantings of a pampered society woman.”
    “I’m listening right now.”
    “Yes. You are.” She gave a short nod, as if taking note of this fact. “So were they?”
    “Were they what?”
    Madeleine spoke slowly, as if to a child. “Being stalked?”
    There was nothing in the FBI report that suggested this scenario, but Tess couldn’t say that. “I can’t go into the details of the case.”
    “That sounds like a yes to me.”
    “You shouldn’t interpret—”
    A wave of her hand. “Never mind, I understand. It’s confidential information, not to be shared with civilians. Although I think that where my own personal safety is involved, you might loosen up the rules a little.”
    “We haven’t established that there’s a threat to you, Ms. Grant.”
    “No,” she said bitterly, “you’ll have to wait until I’m dead to do that.”
    Tess ignored the remark. “On the phone you told me that Kolb was obsessed with Mobius. How do you know that? Did he mention Mobius in his e-mails?”
    “No, never. But in his apartment the police found a scrapbook full of newspaper clippings about the Mobius case. And about you.”
    Tess felt a chill. “Me?”
    “Well, you received a lot of press coverage, as well.”
    That was true. She’d used the PR to gain clout in the Bureau.
    “I’m not saying he was focused on you,” Madeleine went on. “Just that he was fascinated by everything pertaining to the case.”
    “Which is not a crime, obviously.”
    “No, it isn’t. In fact, I think they even had to give back his scrapbook. He’s probably still got it.”
    “Wonderful.” Tess didn’t like to think of articles about her in the hands of William Kolb. “Well, I think I have all I need from you, Ms. Grant. There’s just one thing I’m wondering about. Why didn’t you call the police with this information?”
    “Why bother? They didn’t pay any attention to me before.”
    “Things might be different now.”
    “We’re still dealing with a cop. They protect their own.”
    “Kolb can’t be a cop after a felony conviction.”
    “An ex-cop, then. It doesn’t matter. Once you’re part of the fraternity, you’re in it forever.”
    This answer wasn’t good enough. Tess decided to press the point. “Ms. Grant, what aren’t you telling me?”
    “What do you mean?”
    “There’s something you’re avoiding.”
    “I’m sure I