She rummaged blindly against the car's leather, hoping Iris wasn't watching her from the front seat. Her hand touched the cold metal strap of her bag, and she pulled the bag toward her little by little so that the chain wouldn't clink. She unzipped it and felt for her phone, but it was gone. She wanted to scream in frustration—she was exhausted, and she'd wasted all that energy for nothing.

Fumbling around the inside of the bag, Catherine brushed something cold and metallic—her nail ...