“You saw her. You can describe her.”
“Yeah. That’s not good, is it? In the movies, if you see the bad guy, they kill you.”
“No one is killing you or your mother,” Matt said. He pushed at the mattress; it was as secure as he could make it. Then he walked back to the device.
Matt counted the wires. Six. He couldn’t see if there was a mechanism that might detonate it if he bumped or moved it, so he grasped the first wire as close to the C-4 as possible and pulled it out.
32
While Michael drove them to Franklin Graves’s office, Catherine spoke to Tony on the phone.
“This isn’t a good idea, Catherine,” Tony said after she explained her plan to talk to the lawyer and convince him to help. “The entire case could be thrown out. Reid could literally get away with murder.”
“Reid is working with Clara Dolan, aka Hope Davidson. She’s vanished—left work early, went home, and disappeared again. If Matt and Kara are still alive—and I believe they are—Clara’s going after them. If we can save them, it’s worth the risk.”
“I agree. But most people won’t. Matt and Kara are law enforcement officers—they know the risks. We don’t let killers walk because they threaten our people. We don’t negotiate with terrorists.”
“Becca McCarthy was Garrett’s high school sweetheart. His college roommate and even a former lover said he cared forher—maybe the only person he’s ever truly loved. They reconnected just days before she vanished, and now she’s presumed dead. Her family believed they were reconciling.”
“Or he killed her because she rejected him.”
“That was my first thought, but her parents and sister said she didn’t reject him—she was planning a visit in February.”
“Maybe he didn’t want her to. Maybe he planned to end it. Maybe the idea of a commitment panicked him.” Tony brought up all good points that Catherine had considered.
“They broke up in college, dated others, then saw each other again by chance.”
“You’ve told me—told everyone—that Garrett Reid is a sociopath. So does he have feelings or not?”
Catherine winced. People misunderstood psychology. Human behavior didn’t fit neatly into boxes.
“He doesn’t feel empathy for his victims,” she said calmly. “But that doesn’t mean he’s incapable of strong attachments. I believe Clara killed Becca because she feared Garrett would leave her for his first love. Clara dyes her hair lighter because she thinks Garrett prefers blondes. She’s beautiful—Garrett values that. All the women he has dated were attractive. But Becca was different. She was wholesome, kind.”
She paused, struggling to distill her theory.
“Garrett and Clara may have killed before, but definitely Clara,” Catherine said. “I think their primary crime, their joint purpose, was to con wealthy men and women. They have been moving across country, west to east, and picked the Sapphire Shoals to continue with their cons. Maybe Clara snapped when she saw Emily on her honeymoon—maybe that was the trigger. Or maybe she picked this resort because she knew Emily was going to be here. The other victims? Clara enjoyed killing them, picked them because of their type, not because she knew them.”
“Catherine, I trust you. But this will be a hard sell,” Tony said.
“My point is, Clara kills these women because they remind her of Becca—or because Garrett is reminded of Becca. I need some leeway.”
“I don’t have any to give.”
Michael pulled up in front of Graves’s office and stopped the car.
“I’m going to lay everything out to Graves. I need the flexibility to offer Reid a plea.”
“You’re not a lawyer.”
“Garrett Reid is a passive killer,” Catherine said. “I don’t think he would’ve killed anyone if not for Clara. When he learns she killed Becca, he’ll talk. I need something to offer him.”
Tony was silent. Catherine braced for him to shut her down. She might go through with it anyway. Losing her job meant nothing if she could save Matt.
“You can’t offer a deal. That’s up to the Flagler County DA. But you can say you’ll recommend reduced time—if he cooperates and Matt and Kara are found alive. Be careful, Catherine. If this blows up, the Mobile Response Team is finished.”
He hung up.
Catherine stared at her phone. She didn’t know if this was the right move—but she knew she had to do everything to save Matt.
