He shrugged.“Well, maybe the jury will acquit me like it acquitted Hammond.”
“Are you saying you killed him, and you’ll get away with his murder the way Hammond got away with your father’s murder?”
“No!I’m…”
He looked back up at the ceiling again and began to tap his right foot on the floor.Hehadgotten Kate, but his brief moment of superiority was gone now that he understood the trouble he was in.
“Look, I didn’t do anything!”
“You assaulted two security guards at a benefit gala three weeks ago when they removed you from the dinner for threatening Mr.Hammond.”
“Ididn’tthreaten him!I warned him that God would deliver justice.And He did.”
His teeth were bared now, just like they were in the video.He leaned over the table and snarled.“You want to know how I feel, Agent Kate Valentine?I feel blessed!I got to see the wrath of the Lord visited on my enemy.Ipraise God!”
The door opened, and Marcus walked in.He saw the situation and gave Michael a calm look.“Everything all right, Mr.Parker?”
Michael slumped back in his chair and brought his hand to his face.He didn’t respond.
Marcus set the water in front of Kate.He didn’t leave the room.Instead, he stood to the side of the table, close enough to reach out and grab Michael if he got violent.Kate didn’t protest.Her play had paid off already.
“Can you confirm your whereabouts last night?”she asked.
“I was home.I was playingGuild Wars.”
“Playing what?”
“Guild Wars.It’s an online role-playing game.I have a YouTube channel for gaming, and last night, I was filming a campaign inVisions of Eternity.”
Kate shared a glance with Marcus.“Any way you can confirm that?”
“My guild members will confirm it.I’d rather you not talk to them, but I’m sure you’re gonna tell me you have to.”
“I will,” Kate replied.“What time were you finished?”
“I don’t know.Around two.I have the video I filmed too if that will help.”
Kate wasn’t sure if it would.Timestamps could be fairly easily faked on videos, and his guild members could lie.She would take it anyway, though.
“I’ll give you an email address to send it to when you get home.”
He lifted his eyes, shocked.“I’m going home?”
“Yes.But, you need to stay within Chicago’s city limits.We’re going to make sure local law enforcement knows to be on the lookout for you.In fact, it might be best for you to stay at home when you’re not in school, at least until we figure this out.And stop posting on social media.I’m honestly not convinced that you’re innocent, and most of that is because of the post you made gloating that God was good because Hammond was murdered.”
He nodded.“Okay.Sure.I can do that.”
He started to stand, and Kate asked, “One more question.Does the name Elijah Cox mean anything to you?”
Marcus frowned but kept quiet.Michael’s brow furrowed.“No, I don’t think so.Should I know who he is?”
Kate looked at him closely.She didn’t see any sign that he was lying or hiding something.“No.That’s fine.Thank you.”
They dropped him off across the street from his house.His mother ran halfway to their car to greet him.She wrapped him in her arms like a mother hen covering her chicks and glared daggers at the FBI agents as she led him inside.The neighbors with their blank, watchful eyes weren’t out on the street to observe this, but one of them stared through an upper window of their townhome.
Not at Michael, though.His eyes were fixed firmly on Kate.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
