"I might be able to get some of the information delayed for a while, but his message will get out there," Moore pointed out."People will question your decisions."
"And they'll also question someone who is killing innocent people to make a point."Alison shook her head, trying to show the detective that she didn't care about any of that."Let them ask questions.People shouldn't blindly believe what they hear.We should all take the evidence, question it, and ensure its robust just like we do with a case.This doesn't change anything for the investigation."
"Okay," Moore said stoically."Then, I’ll get back to it.I can take a look at the list of suspects so far and see if any of them meet the description we were given."
"Concentrate on people who worked directly with me," Alison said."The killer is using my reports, but I think they also know about my emotional biases that weren’t in the assessments.I’m trying to think of a white male with brown hair whom I worked with over the years, but that’s half the psychology field.I just…"
"What is it?"Moore asked.
"Do we have a contact number for Marcus Webb?"
"Yeah, I have it somewhere.Give me a second.What are you thinking?"Moore tapped on her keyboard as she searched for the number.
"I want to see if he can confirm something.It’s a long shot, but you never know."
"Here it is."
Moore read the number to Alison, and she typed it into her phone.
After two rings, Marcus Webb answered."Webb and associates."
"Marcus, it’s Alison Payne."
"What do you want, Payne?"
"You’ve been watching multiple people for Linda Ashford.She confirmed that to us when we spoke to her earlier today.She’s trying to prove that criminals are reoffending.And by the way, you might not be doing it for much longer if she doesn’t get some more help.Just a heads up."
"Is that it?"Webb asked."You feeling sorry for hauling me in twice as a suspect?"
"Something like that," Alison countered."That’s not actually why I called.You’ve been looking at multiple ex-inmates.Have you been watching Thomas Warren and Jennifer Hayes?"
"Yeah," Marcus said."But this was long before…you know.I have nothing to do with that.I looked at them briefly and what they were doing, and it wasn’t worth keeping an eye on them.With some people, you can tell if there’s something inside.They were making an honest go of it, and I told Linda that."
"Did you ever see anyone hanging around them?"Alison asked."White male, middle-aged, brown hair, maybe a mustache, could have been wearing a suit?"
"No, but I didn't watch them for all that long."
"How about Michael Rodriguez?"Alison tried."You ever take a look at him?"
"Yeah.Is there something I should know about?"
"Anyone bearing that description around Michael?"Alison asked.
"Yeah," Marcus said curiously."Maybe.I thought maybe it was nothing, but one time I was following Michael, and I was sure someone else was following him.That’s the right description, mustache and suit included.I didn't get a good look at him, but I only saw him once, so I didn't think much of it.Has something happened to Michael?Has he been killed?"
"I can't confirm anything, Marcus.I wish I could, but I can’t."
"No, I get you," Marcus said."I hear what you’re saying.Thanks for the call."
"Yeah, thank you, too."
"Who’d have thought we’d be working together and civil about it?"Marcus added.
Alison laughed through her nose, then ended the call.
"That’s two instances of the same person," Alison said."An eyewitness saw someone enter the car lot not long before Michael left the lot and was killed.Marcus Webb was sure he had seen someone following Michael who matched the same description.I think we can assume that’s our killer."
"Okay, I’ll pass that on to the team, and we can match that to anyone who’s worked with you and would have access to your reports."
