Veronica looked at the freed woman, who was sobbing quietly. Behind her, on the wall, someone had spray-painted a single word in red: VERONICA .
A man's voice, calm and unhurried: "Good morning, Veronica. I wanted you to see the merchandise before we discuss terms."
She didn't wait for his answer. She was already walking toward her battered Fiat, the same one she'd driven into a river three months ago chasing a suspect. The water had almost won. But Veronica had learned to hold her breath longer than most.