“Robbins had opened Gabby up. Her charred skin was peeled back, and her ribs were removed. She was pink inside, like steak that had been burned on a high heat but remained raw in the middle.”

“Her body was spattered with tiny bits of the reverend’s flesh and blood, like someone had combined shrimp and tomato soup and then forgot to put the lid on the blender.”

“Something about the way she moves through the world does not lend itself to the care of fragile objects.”

“Something about the way she moved through the world did not lend itself to the care of fragile objects.”

“Great. First the anonymous call. Now letters. Body parts all over town. It was like a scavenger hunt for psychos. Running after clues with a half-deranged, serial-killer-obsessed, recovering-addict cop was not a good idea. Then again...”

“Ugly people kill people all the time. But when pretty people did, it got attention.”

“Our relationship is complicated by the fact that I am emotionally retarded.”