Alison smiled.It wasn’t just the news that Derek might have something, but the message from him was welcome at a time when she was feeling hopeless.
"All right," Detective Moore said as she sat down at her desk."We don't know what’s going on with Dr.Keller just yet, but I want to be ready when he’s brought in.I’ve read over what we have on file for him, but you know him better than that, and he obviously knows you.What can you tell me?"
Alison took a moment to think about it.Two years ago, she had consulted with the FBI on a case, and since then, she hadn’t consulted for the prison and rehabilitation system.Even before that, it had been a while since she had worked directly with Dr.Keller.Still, he was always around somewhere in the background, a permanent fixture of the system.
"He’s the Chief Psychologist for California’s Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation," Alison said."That wasn’t the role I first knew him in.He supervised some of my early cases, and I believe he considered himself my mentor, even though we didn't really click.He has the experience and skills for his current role, and he has always known how to play the game.He knew who to speak to, what to say, and how to word things to please everyone.It was always his goal to move up in the world."
"It’s safe to say that he doesn’t want to move up any longer," Moore said."Not with his current actions.He has written some internal policy papers arguing for more conservative approaches to rehabilitation assessment, but he’s not come out and said that the early release process should be done away with completely."
"Which is part of how he plays the game," Alison said."If he wanted to effect change, he would have done so more subtly, especially with such a controversial topic.He certainly has the expertise to write the reports found at the crime scenes.It could be that he just snapped.He played the game long enough without the results that he wanted, and he knew he couldn’t get what he wanted internally."
"So, he resorts to killing people?"Moore asked.
"Perhaps," Alison agreed."It gives him a good cover.He’s not outwardly outspoken about early release, so no one suspects him.He’s in a position of power, and he wouldn’t be the first person we suspected, especially if he’s been doing his job, which it looks like he has been doing until now.With such an illustrious career, he would go about his day and probably talk about the murders with everyone else."
"What about the photo?"Moore asked."The one of you and your sister we found at the abandoned facility.How would he have gotten that?"
"That’s no mystery," Alison said."I posted that to my social media feeds a few times over the years.All he had to do was print it off."
Moore sighed and leaned back in her chair.She nodded as if that helped them when it really didn't."All right, small pieces, one at a time, and it all fits together in the end, right?"
"Yeah, something like that," Alison admitted.
She was helpless.That was the only way to describe it.She and Detective Moore had done all they could to find the killer, and there was nothing left to do now but wait.
***
Alison had sat through multiple of thelongest nights of her life, and that one was another to add to the list.She went through every interaction she could remember with Dr.Keller, trying to recall some small detail that might point them in his direction.They knew where he lived and worked, but he wasn’t at either place.He’d fled, but there was no third place that Alison knew where he would flee to.
The light in the window on the other side of the office seemed to goad her as the sun rose on a new day.It was a chance for a new start, but it was also the passing of too much time without any sighting of Keller.
Moore sat at her desk, drumming her fingers on the surface, drinking coffee, and watching the phone.
"Detective Moore!"an officer called excitedly from his desk."Line 1.It’s Dr.Keller."
Moore frowned as her eyes shot to Alison, and she quickly picked up the phone.
"Detective Moore speaking…Yes…That is correct…Yes, we can do that…Thank you, Dr.Keller.We will see you soon."Moore hung up and looked in a bit of a daze.
"What’s going on?"Alison asked quietly as if it were some big secrets."You spoke to him?"
"I did," Moore admitted, still confused."He arrived at work this morning to discover that the police were looking for him, and he called us straight away.He invited us down to his office to clear the whole thing up.He told me that he wants to help with the investigation in any way he can.I don't know what to make of that."
"I don't either," Alison admitted."Could I have been wrong about him?"
"We still have three men in custody here while we look for an alibi from each of them," Moore told her."If we talk to Keller and he’s innocent, then we might have the killer in custody already."
"Then where was he last night?"Alison asked.
"There’s only one way to find out," Moore said as she grabbed her keys.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Alison was deep in thought when they reached the Department of Corrections headquarters.None of it made sense to her.She had been sure Keller had written the report when she had read it, but she was doubting that.
Just like I was doubting my previous decision.Is that what this is?He wanted me to doubt the decisions I made in the past, and now, he calls us to make me doubt what I thought was true?Or is he innocent, and I’ve been wrong all this time?
Whatever was happening, it was messing with Alison.She couldn’t figure out how the pieces fit together.If Keller was the killer, why had he called them?To prove he was smarter?Better?To play a game with them?To confront them and get away with it?To prove Alison wrong?
