Johnny Liddell was looking forward to his 2:30 a.m. date with Eve Wylie. Eve had thick red hair that fell down over her shoulders like a molten copper cascade, and Eve had a sullen soft-looking mouth that held more than a casual promise for Johnny Liddell.

So when he got to her apartment, and found the date was off, it came as an unpleasant shock.

Not that it was Eve’s fault. There was very little a girl, with her throat cut from ear to ear, could do about a broken date.