Page 63 of Perfection

“Thirty percent of the children have no affiliation with Isabelle. We haven’t determined the connection yet.”

She seemed surprised by the statistics. “Perhaps we will know more when my team finishes examining all the evidence we collected. I’ve been focusing more on the virus itself.”

Yes, her job was to look inward, he supposed, whereas his was to search outward. “That’s what you need to do. We’ll figure out the rest.”

“I hope so.” She glanced at him, uncertainty crinkling her eyes. Just as the elevator opened, his communicator pinged. Both their gazes dipped downward.

He accepted the call and listened. “At least we have something to go on now. I’ll put an investigation group on this ASAP.” He disconnected.

“The lab,” he explained. Kindra’s spine straightened as she looked at him. “They found active traces of the virus on several toys. But the amount that appeared on the Global Dolls seemed odd, more concentrated.”

“So?” she asked. “She left germs on her playthings. It’s not unusual for a virus to remain on a surface.”

“True,” he said. His eyes widened. “What if Isabelle contaminated other toys, not just her own? Then the children wouldn’t have to come in contact with her at all. They would just have to have an interaction with an object Isabelle touched. According to my notes, she was in the same doll shop we were at. Damn. I wanted to go back and talk to the manager yesterday, but lost track of it in the craziness of getting the kids into cryo and finding… Vi.”

Kindra palmed her forehead and slid her hand back over her light hair. The color drained from her face in a wash of concern. “Oh God. And I just bought Brianna that new doll.” She sprinted in the direction of her apartment. He hurried after her. She called out the voice-activated unlock command, and the door opened immediately.

Kindra moved straight to Brianna’s bedroom and paused, staring at the three Global Dolls perched on her daughter’s bed, including the one she’d purchased a few days earlier.

“Wait.” York touched her arm, stopping her before she touched them. He removed the pillowcases from Brianna’s pillows and carefully placed a doll inside each one. “I don’t want to cross-contaminate anything or destroy evidence.” He paused. “We should take the bedspread, too.” With practiced technique, he scrutinized the room. “And anything you think may have come in contact with the dolls.”

Kindra seemed dismayed at his suggestion but immediately began rolling up the linens.

“Perhaps a thorough cleaning wouldn’t hurt, either,” he added.

Brianna came to her bedroom door and goggled at them. “What are you doing with my dolls?”

Kindra paused, offering the child a consoling smile. “I need the dolls to help with a test at the lab.”

York took the linens and dolls from her and set them by the front door. Then he washed his hands at the kitchen sink.

Brianna blinked. “They’re just toys. How can they help you?”

York strained to hear Kindra’s answer as he dried his hands.

“Well, I’m going to test for differences between your dolls and the ones owned by the little girl on the case I’m working on with Lieutenant Richmond.”

“Isabelle D-Gastion?”

Kindra’s brows rose. “How did you know about that?”

The child angled her big blue eyes up at her mother. “Her name was on your workstation.”

“Oh.”

“It’s sad that she died.”

“Yes, it is.”

At the door, York scooped up the linens, tucking them beneath his arm. “I’m going to send a unit over to take samples around her room. Brianna will need to stay out of the room until they’ve done that.”

“Right.” Kindra rushed to get her test kit, which she’d dropped at the door in her race back to Brianna. “I’m going to take another blood sample,” she said, her voice strained as she fumbled in the briefcase. She drew the blood, then faced her daughter, tipping forward at the waist and placing her hands on her knees. Her face inches from Brianna’s, she smiled.

“Now, you need to get to your studies, Brianna. Go on. Off with you.” Her cheery tone sounded a little forced, but the child said nothing and did as her mother suggested.

Kindra instructed the Sally Nanny to keep Brianna out of her room until the police technicians arrived to take their samples, then sent her off to supervise Brianna at her lessons.

She faced York, her lips pulled between her teeth, her worried eyes expectant. “I want answers. Now.”