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back to the investigation. He pushed himself away from the wall he’d been leaning against and stepped to the desk. She held a cream-colored business card that he recognized.
    “It’s from a health food homeopathic medicine place. We checked it out. No one there remembers seeing Kim, and there’s no record of her ever having bought anything from them.” He nodded at the lip gloss. “They don’t sell that particular brand.”
    “Yes, but…” Mallory dug into the box containing Daniel Yeun’s things. “Do you know what this is?” She dangled a keychain from her fingers. It was shaped like a “t” with a loop instead of a straight line above the cross bar. It had been attached to Daniel’s backpack when it was found on the sidewalk.
    “A weird looking keychain?”
    She shook her head. “It’s an ankh.” She dropped it back in the box.
    “Ankh?” Zac frowned. What was Mallory getting at?
    “An Egyptian symbol.” She pulled something from Beth Kennedy’s box. “And this?” She opened her hand to reveal a gray, polished stone. Three short red lines were painted on it, two of them curving off and above the third.
    “A rock.” Before she could say anything, Zac went on. “Beth’s boys bought it for her. For luck.” He shook his head. “It didn’t work.” He looked at Mallory. Her face was alight with suppressed excitement. Her dark eyes glowed. There was nothing sad or haunted about them. “What is it? What are you seeing that I’m not?”
    “They all have the same feeling. I think they all came from the same place.”
    “Really?” Zac reached out to take the stone, then hesitated. “May I?”
    Mallory nodded. “Go ahead. None of these things had strong impressions attached to them. They’re probably new or didn’t mean anything special to any of your missing people.”
    Zac took the stone. His fingers brushed against Mallory’s warm palm. A spark seemed to jump from her to him and go straight to his gut. Zac looked up quickly. He caught Mallory watching him. Her cheeks darkened. She looked away, licking her lips with a nervous flick of her tongue.
    She’d felt it, too. Hadn’t she?
    Before Zac could pursue the thought, Mallory spoke. Her voice sounded slightly breathless. As if she’d been running. Or her heart was racing. “They give off the same kind of impression I got from the street where Kim was taken.” Her words came in a tumbling rush. “It’s very faint, but I’m sure they’re the same. Your people were in the same place. With the same person who took them. All you have to do is…” She faltered. “I—” Her brow furrowed. “How will—” She lowered her face. Her dark hair made a sleek curtain, hiding it. “I really haven’t helped you at all, have I? I’m sorry.”
    Without thinking, Zac caught her chin between his fingers and tipped it up, looking into her eyes. “Don’t apologize. You have helped. You’ve come up with a connection I hadn’t.” For the first time in days, he felt a sense of hope. Mallory had done it. Given him his first lead.
    A doubtful smile lifted her lips. “If you say so.”
    He realized he should release her chin, but he couldn’t make himself do it. Her skin was warm and smooth. He stroked it with his thumb, rubbing it softly, feeling her slight trembling. Her eyes, which had widened in surprise, turned slumberous, inviting. He prodded the soft fullness of her lower lip. She sighed, her breath warm against his flesh.
    Zac lowered his head. He was going to kiss her. Had to kiss her. His lips were aching to touch Mallory’s. To taste her.
    Outside, something crashed into the wall. A string of curses filled the air.
    Mallory pulled away from him, her skin taking on a rosy cast. She looked away from him. “Umm.”
    “Uh.” Zac cleared his throat, letting his hand fall to his side. “Right. Um. I think I know how to find out where they were.”
    “That’s…that’s good.” Mallory stared at the carpet with fixed intensity.