The sight of the scowling lout made Trinket stumble back and bump into Theo who was frozen in terror. Swallowing down her own fear, she drew herself up and returned the Mouse's glare.

"You," Squeeze said again as he pointed at her. "I know you."

"Well, we do live in the same city, so I'd assume we would have crossed paths at some point," she said, attempting nonchalance.

"No. From before. I know you. And her." He moved his finger over to Theo but frowned when he got a good look at her. "Wait. She's the wrong girl. Where's the other one? The blonder one?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, sir," Trinket said. "This young lady and I are searching for a lost cat. So if you'll excuse us—"

She took Theo's hand and tried to move around the mountain of a man, but he blocked their way. "You're the one," he said. "You're the one I was watching."

Her heart skittered, but she remained resolute in her feigned ignorance. "You're watching me? Sir, I don't think the police look too fondly on peeping Toms."

"At the asylum."

He took a step towards her, and she found herself unable to hold her ground. Theo hid behind her, squeezing her hand tightly but not breathing a word.

"You were the little mad girl I was watching outside," he went on, eyes fixed on Trinket. "And then that other one—the really crazy one—she distracted me. She attacked Margery. And then you got away."

His expression twisted into unadulterated rage as he closed the small distance between them, forcing Trinket and Theo against the wall.

"You're the reason we got sacked," he growled. "It was you. That's why Margery was talking to you. That's why she was so mad. You're the reason we came here. You're the reason we couldn't find work."

Trinket shook her head. "But you have work, sir. You're with the Mice, aren't you?"

He grabbed hold of her shoulders and slammed her into the wall. Her head hit the cold brick, and she winced as a surge of pain burst in her neck. Blood trickled down her back from her reopened wound.

"You made a fool of me," Squeeze hissed. "I don't like that."

"But aren't you happy with the Mice? You have power, and people fear you. Isn't your life better now?"

A cruel smile lifted the thug's upper lip. "Scales might think you're worth something. But I don't think your worth will be any less with a few bruises and broken bones."

His thick fingers dug into her shoulders, and his touch brought her back to that cramped, dark room in Elysium.

Dragged from her bed in the throes of an episode.

Spiders crawling up the walls and ceiling.

Large, sweaty hands pulling her down a feverish hallway and securing her to a cold, metal table.

The sparking of the Jar as a blurry face hovered over her and pressed something round and smooth to her temples.

And then searing pain that she would never forget.

Returning to the dark, damp alley, she lost herself to the fear. She let out a terrified cry as she ripped herself from Squeeze's hold and ran, pulling Theo along with her. They sped down the street, tripping through puddles as the biting rain practically blinded them.

"You're gonna regret running," came Squeeze's voice only steps behind them.

His large, calloused hand grabbed her shoulder, jerking her away from Theo. She released a hiss of pain, and Theo stopped to help her. "No! Go!" Trinket shouted.

Theo hesitated. But when her eyes flickered to Squeeze, they grew wide, and she continued to run.

Squeeze's hold on Trinket would not give, even as she struggled and fought against him. "Don't worry, I won't kill you," the thug said with a sinister grin. "Scales wants you alive. But he never said he needed you conscious."

Refusing to give up, she twisted away from him, nearly snapping her wrist in the process. Something fell out of her pocket and splashed into a puddle. Squeeze's brow knit together, and with a grunt, he stooped over to scoop up the object. He stood up again, and in his hand was her faux perfume bottle.

"What the heck?" he said as he stared at the device, the sprayer aimed directly at his eyes. "What kind of perfume is this?"

"Allow me to demonstrate," she said, quickly squeezing the sprayer with her free hand.

Squeeze howled in pain as the spicy mixture hit his eyes. He released her and dropped the bottle, clawing at his face. As soon as his massive fingers left her skin, she bolted down the street.

She had no idea where Theo had gone, but at this point, all she cared about was finding some place to hide. Her lungs were burning, and her waterlogged dress weighed her down. The rain blew into her eyes, blurring her vision. She stumbled and fell into a deep puddle. Lifting herself up with a groan, she pushed her soaking hair away from her face.

"Katherine!"

The sound of her real name startled her, and she looked about, searching for who had spoken it. Or was it another voice?

"Katherine, over here!"

There, in an alley by a large apartment building. A figure was calling out and waving to her. Whether the person was real or not, she didn't know. Nor did she care. Even if it was just her broken mind, she needed to get out of sight.

Scrambling to her feet, she followed the blurry figure as it led her further into the alley and to a broken basement window. The stranger slipped through it, and without thinking twice, she did the same.

Away from the cold and the rain, she was finally able to catch her breath. Leaning against the stone wall, she pushed back her sopping hair and closed her eyes. In the quiet of the dark room, she gathered her thoughts and played through the events that had just taken place. She now had confirmation that Squeeze indeed remembered her. Not only remembered her, but resented her. Booker was wrong. He did want revenge on her for costing him his job.

"You look like a drowned rat."

Trinket jumped and opened her eyes to find a smiling Tory standing beside her. "You're real," she breathed.

Tory laughed. "Of course I'm real. What, are your hallucinations acting up again?"

Letting out a long breath, Trinket sank to the ground. "They are. On a rather regular basis. But I've managed to ignore them. Most of the time."

"Don't you remember what I told you back in Elysium? You can't ignore them," Tory said as she sat beside her. "They're the only things protecting us."

Trinket gave a crude laugh. "Your voices may be helping you, but my hallucinations are nothing but a nuisance." She looked around the musty basement and wrinkled her nose. "Are you living here?"

"For a night or so. I move around whenever they tell me to."

"The voices?"

She nodded. "They always let me know when someone has discovered where I am. See? Protection."

"Will they make you move now that I know?"

With a smile, Tory shook her head. "No, they still like you. So do I. You're one of the only trustworthy people we know."

Trinket gave a half-hearted smile. "I'm happy you got away safely last night."

"Yes, and I'm happy to see you did as well. How did that orderly end up here? Did he follow me?"

"No, he's been here for as long as I have. He and the Lipstick Woman lost their jobs after I escaped."

"Lipstick Woman?"

"The woman you attacked."

"She's here, too?"

Trinket shook her head. "Not anymore. I mean, her body might be. But she's dead."

"Good riddance. Now if only we could get rid of this ape fellow."

Tory winced, revealing her metal fangs. She closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose. Trinket couldn't keep from staring at her teeth. Would bringing them up cause Tory or the voices to stop trusting her? Still, she'd come this far. She had to take a chance.

"Tory, I couldn't help but notice your . . ."

Her friend looked over at her, one eyebrow raised. "My what?"

Instead of replying, Trinket bared her teeth and pointed at them.

"Ah, right. My new weapons. Do you like them?"

"They're quite—interesting. Where did you get them?"

Tory eyed her, as if considering whether to tell her or not. Trinket held her breath, hoping she hadn't crossed a line. But then Tory's expression changed, and she leaned forward eagerly. "Well, it all has to do with how I escaped. You see, this strange man came to Elysium one night. At least, I think it was at night. Daring escapes always take place at night in novels, don't they? And this was certainly novel material. Almost horror novel material. Or even scientific romance. Yes, a scientific romance horror novel."

"What did this man look like?"

"Tall. He was quite tall. And had dark hair. He was well-dressed. And he wore round, tinted glasses."

That sounded like Daphne's drawing of Benedict. If Trinket had had any doubts that he was the man who created the vampire, this revelation put them all to rest.

"Anyhow, he came to Elysium seeking a patient for a special project," Tory continued. "He requested to see me."

"You specifically?"

She nodded. "I was suspicious at first, thinking he was one of them. But then he asked to speak with me alone, even after the orderlies warned him about me. As you know, I garnered quite the reputation at the asylum. But he was unfazed."

That certainly sounded like someone who would be friends with Booker.

"He offered me freedom from Elysium. However, this freedom would come at a price."

"The special project?"

Tory widened her eyes. "Yes. He told me this project would require me to submit to strange procedures that would change me physically and could cause some complications. But by doing so, I would not only escape from the asylum; I would gain a secret weapon to protect myself from the people who are after me."

Trinket knit her brows together. "He knew about the people who are after you?"

"Oh, yes. He was very smart. And the voices liked him. They said I could trust him, that he would help me escape from Elysium. So I agreed."

Wetting her lips, Trinket asked, "And what happened then?"

"I don't really remember all the details. My memory is still a little fuzzy from being in Elysium for so long. But I got in a cab with him and he gave me some sort of medicine that made me fall asleep. When I woke up, I was in a strange room. It reminded me of the room with the Jar in Elysium. But this one was different. There were books and jars filled with organs. And a stuffed cat. I remember that very clearly. Anyhow, I went in and out of sleep quite a bit, so some of it may have been pieces from dreams. I dream about bizarre things sometimes."

"Do you remember where this room was? Was it here in Tinkerfall?"

Tory shrugged. "I couldn't tell you."

"So when do you remember arriving here?"

"I don't, really. I just woke up one day in a room in some alehouse. I had these things in my mouth and the tall man was nowhere to be seen."

Sitting back, Trinket took in everything Tory had told her. Had Benedict bought Tory like he had the corpses? While it was despicable that Elysium would sell their patients like that, she already knew they were horrible people. However, Benedict, a well-educated doctor, should know better than to use people as objects. And to deliberately seek out a person who was mentally unstable? Was this really the friend with whom Booker was so eager to reunite?

"Trinket!"

The sound of someone calling her name pulled her out of her thoughts. She glanced up at the window. The rain was blowing in and forming a puddle in the dirt floor of the basement as the wind howled in the alley. With all the noise, it was difficult to recognize the voice outside. Was it Gin? Booker? How long had it been since she'd left them at the coffee house?

"I have to go," she said, rising to her feet and dusting off her skirts, still heavy with rainwater. "Work calls."

Tory stood as well. "Work? What do you do for work?"

Trinket hesitated. How would Tory react if she told her that her employer was a doctor? Would she think she was trying to betray her to her enemies?

"I'm a maid," she said with a tight smile.

Laughing, Tory leaned against the wall. "What would our families think of us now? Me living in dingy basements and you working as a servant?"

"To be honest, I doubt they think about us at all."

"Isn't that the truth? Well, at least Elysium helped us in some way, right? Got us used to living in filth and performing hard labor."

"Trinket!"

"I do have to go," Trinket said as she moved to the window.

"Here, let me help you," Tory said as she cupped her hands to give her a boost.

With a bit of a struggle, Trinket managed to crawl out into the alley. Still on her knees, she turned back to the window. Tory peeked out at her.

"I hope we can visit again," Trinket said. "To catch up some more?"

"Well, you are the only person I know here, aside from that orderly. But maybe he'll meet with an untimely end like his friend. Wouldn't that be lucky?"

She flashed a grin to show off her metal fangs, and Trinket stopped herself from staring as she swallowed down a knot in her throat. "Are you sure you'll be all right? If you need a room, I could convince my employer to let you stay in his home for a few nights."

Tory shook her head. "I'll be fine. I have plenty of company."

She tapped her head and raised her eyebrows.

Trinket gave a short nod. "Well, I'll be around if you change your mind. Let's get together again soon. Perhaps somewhere a little nicer."

"Anything is nicer than Elysium."

"I can't argue with that."

With one last smile, Tory disappeared from the window and Trinket rose to her feet. Before heading back into the street, she checked to be sure Squeeze was gone. The rain hadn't let up, but she was already so wet that she hardly noticed. After walking a little ways, she heard her name again. Gin came running down the street with Booker's umbrella in hand.

"Gin!" Trinket called out as she made her way towards her.

The urchin spun around, her shoulders sagging in relief. Breaking into a jog, she met her halfway. "Where the heck did you run off to?" she panted, handing her the umbrella.

Trinket held it over Gin as she caught her breath. "I'm sorry. I hope you didn't worry too much."

"For someone who's always so anxious about everyone else, you sure like to make people anxious about you."

A soft smile spread over Trinket's face. "I know. I apparently have just as much of a reckless streak as you and Booker. I'm sorry."

Standing up straight, Gin let out a long breath. "Well, let's go find Booker before he tears the city apart looking for you."

Trinket held the umbrella over them both as Gin led the way. Casting a glance back at the apartment building where Tory was hiding, she wondered again about Benedict. How could the friend of someone she cared about so deeply be such a horrible person? And would Booker feel the same way about him when he learned the truth? Or would he resent her for thinking so poorly of the man who had inspired him to pursue science and medicine?

He'll resent you all right.

But more for the blood on your hands.

Swallowing down her doubts and fears, she tore her eyes away from the building and focused on the muddy road before her as she half-listened to Gin nag her about her newfound recklessness.