“Your guess is as good as mine.”

I sighed. “Fine, fifty bucks sounds good. It’s not like she knows what the going rate is anyway. Just say that and nod at the alley. She’ll follow.”

Clay continued to stare at us in silent horror.

“Oh, for God’s sake, you’re ready to break her neck but you can’t-”

“I’ll do it,” Jeremy said, then shot a look my way. “Not that I have any more experience soliciting prostitutes than Clay does.”

“Never crossed my mind.”

A mock glare, then he headed out.

I’m sure “fifty bucks” and a nod to the alley would have been enough, but Jeremy chatted to her for a couple of minutes first. Then he led her into the alley.

When she saw us blocking the other end, she stopped. Jeremy, at her heels, moved fast, intending to snap her neck before she knew what was happening. Quick and merciful. But we’d tipped her off too quickly and she ran-right for me. I feinted left and pulled back my fist, ready to swing…only to see her wide-eyed and cowering.

One look at her expression, and I knew she’d run to me for protection. I reminded myself that killing her was a mercy-it would send her to a decent afterlife. But I couldn’t do it.

I looked over at Jeremy and Clay, but they were both caught off guard. So much for quick and merciful.

When no one moved, she bowed her head and started to sob. What I’d originally thought was a cloak was a shawl, pulled up around her face, so she could stay hidden in its shadow. That was probably the only way she could ply her trade in Toronto. From the glance I’d had at her face, she could have passed for sixty-and a hard-drinking, hard-living sixty at that.

“Who are you?” I asked.

Clay shot me a glare. I returned it. As long as we were standing here, working on plan B, I might as well ask some questions. Not like anyone else was doing anything.

She gave a snuffle and wiped her nose on her gloves.

“I-I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t remember. I was…someplace awful. For so long.” Her shoulders bent with a stifled sob. “Purgatory, it were. That’s where ’e sent me. I might not ’ave led a Christian life, but I didn’t deserve that.”

“It was a mistake that will be corrected,” Jeremy said, and looked at us as if to say, “Well, go ahead. Correct it.”

Clay stepped forward, but I shook my head. His idea of mercy would be a quick death, but he’d let her see it coming, reasoning it would be over before she had time to think about it. I could do better. I motioned for Jeremy to ask her another question, so I could get behind her without her noticing.

“You said ‘he,’ ” Jeremy began. “You were murdered?”

As he spoke, I slid to the side, but her head whipped around, eyes following me.

“Almostdue, ain’t you, luv?” she said with a gap-toothed smile. “Such a pretty girl. You’ll have a beautiful baby. Handsome and ’ealthy. You want me to tell you wot it’ll be?” She stepped toward me, her hands out. “It’s an old midwife’s trick, but it always works.”

“Um, thanks,” I said, “but I’d rather be surprised.”

“Humor me, child,” she said, still coming toward me. “It’ll only take a moment. I just lay me ’ands-”

Clay leapt between us. The woman stumbled back. Jeremy jumped to catch her. The shawl fell away. Clay yanked me away so hard I saw only a split-second flash of the woman’s face, covered with a red rash and dotted with lesions.

I moved to help her up.

“No,” Jeremy said sharply. “Don’t touch her.”

I frowned at him. “It’s not contagious. She must be decaying-”

“No, that’s not the problem. And this is contagious-maybe not by touch, but we aren’t taking the chance.”

“All ’ad a good eyeful, ’ave you?” the woman snarled, still on the ground. “Getting a good look at poor Rose?”

She turned to look at me.

“Do you think you’re safe now, girl? A big man to protect you?” She spat. “ ’E’ll use you up, and toss you aside. Weren’t me work that gave me this-” She lifted her spotted hand. “It was me own ’usband. Gave me the pox, then left me to die.” She smiled, showing teeth as rotten as her face. “But I got me revenge, yes I did. Sent many a man to ’ell looking just like me, and already got a couple more ’eaded there. Then or now, it’s all the same. Long as your cunny works, they don’t ask to see your face.”

Syphilis. I took a slow step back toward Clay.

“Your ’andsome man can’t protect you, girl. Not with that mark you’re bearin’.”

“Mark?” I said.

“ ’Twas your blood that opened the portal.” She smiled. “Long as you’re alive, we can find you. Just follow the mark.”

“Yeah?” Clay said. “Works both ways, though, doesn’t it? You can only find her as long as you’re alive, which-” He wrapped his hands in her hair. “-isn’t going to be long.”

A quick wrench, and her neck snapped, then he leapt out of the way before her falling body touched him. She’d barely hit the gravel before she started to disintegrate.

“We done here?” Clay said.

Jeremy nodded. “We’re done.”

We’d left the car back near Cabbagetown. A bit of a hike, so we stopped partway for cold drinks, taking seats on the outside patio just as an employee had been about to close it down for the night.