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another kind of white noise – the city version of waves and seagulls at the beach .
    â€œThis is important,” Gaia said at last. “I have to get this guy.”
    Ed stared at her, trying to read the expression on her beautiful face. Usually that was easy enough. On an average day Gaia’s emotions ran from mildly disturbed to insanely angry . But this expression was something new. Something Ed didn’t know how to read. “Does this have something to do with Sam’s kidnapping?” he asked. “Why exactly do you have to . . . get him?”
    Why and you being the operative words.
    Gaia pushed at her tangled hair to get it out of her face but only succeeded in tangling it further. “Because I do,” she said, looking down at him. “And I don’t think this has anything to do with Sam. This guy is killing blond girls, not college guys. But this also isn’t just some loser snatching purses or some asshole junkie waving a knife to feed a crack habit. This is serious.”
    â€œSome of those assholes kill people,” Ed pointedout, tucking his hands under his arms. “Stopping them is important, too.”
    â€œYeah, but not like this. This guy, this Gentleman he’s killing people because he wants to do it.” She stared out at the kids on the swing sets, and Ed saw that her ever-changing eyes had turned a shade of blue that was almost electric. “This guy likes what he’s doing.”
    Ed was chilled to the bone. He blamed it on the sudden, stiff breeze that picked up dead leaves and general city debris all around them. But he knew it was more about Gaia’s words.
    â€œWhat do you know about this guy?” he asked.
    Gaia shrugged, hooking her bare fingers around the metal links of the fence. “Nothing, really. He kills blond girls. I’m not sure how many.”
    â€œWhy is he called the Gentleman?” Ed asked.
    â€œI don’t know that, either. I don’t really know anything about him . . . yet.”
    There was one particularly loud playground scream , and Gaia’s eyes darted left, searching for possible trouble.
    Ed ignored the kids and stared at Gaia’s profile. Looking at her was something he always enjoyed, but this time he was looking with a purpose. He hadn’t known Gaia for that long, but he had never seen her back away from anything she set out to do. From what he could read of the expression on her face, Gaia wasdetermined to stop this killer. Ed could either get behind her or get out of the way .
    â€œMaybe I could help you”, he said.
    Gaia shook her head. She didn’t even look at him. “I don’t want you getting hurt.”
    Ed tried hard not to be insulted. “Hey, we’ve been through this before. I’m not going to be out here playing Jackie Chan. That’s your job. I just thought I could help you fill in the holes.”
    â€œHoles?”
    â€œHoles.” He tilted his head in an attempt to catch her eyes. “Like I did with Sam.”
    She blinked, and her grip on the fence tightened. There. She couldn’t deny he’d been indispensable when Sam was kidnapped. He’d figured out where they were holding Sam—not that the information had played a role in rescuing him. But he’d helped Gaia get the key to Sam’s room from Heather—not that they’d needed it. But he
had
caused a distraction so that Gaia could sneak into the dorm. Of course, if he hadn’t been there, she probably wouldn’t have needed a distraction in the first place, but—
    â€œEd—”
    â€œLet me at least read up on the guy,” Ed interrupted before she could shoot him down. “Maybe I can figure out what he’s about. What he’s got against girls with pigment-challenged hair.”
    Gaia turned away from the kids and knelt downnext to the chair. It was a move that usually made Ed angry—he didn’t want people bending down