“There you are,” she whispered. “The sheriff doesn’t want to say it publicly, but she has some concerns about someone in the office. She discovered someone else who was a connection between all three victims.”
“Who?”
“Hang on.” She clicked a few keys, then paused. “Dr. Craig Michalski.”
Shock ricocheted through his body. “What?”
“He was the official county psychiatrist for both Newkirk and Anders. Was even asked to come in for asecond opinion for Anders for the parole board. That was one of the reasons Anders was released—because Michalski suggested it.”
Tanner rubbed his eyes. He had known Michalski had visited Carrico, although still didn’t know why. The fact that he’d been the psychiatrist assigned to Newkirk and Anders wasn’t really surprising. Dr. Michalski was part of a lot of cases. “Okay. Keep going.”
“Says here that the sheriff approved the doc’s request to talk to Duquette about eleven months ago while Duquette was in prison.” She looked up from the computer and met his eyes. “Because Michalski was trying to understand more about you.”
Tanner scrubbed a hand over his face. A year ago he’d hit a particular rough spot with his PTSD. He’d been angry, for sure, frustrated at his inability to just move past everything. Had been frustrated at the lack of noticeable progress in his therapy.
“Dr. Michalski and I haven’t always seen eye to eye. But I’m going to be the first one to argue that just because you happen to know three people doesn’t mean you killed them.”
She nodded. “Granted. But Sheriff Duggan has some concerns. She’s afraid Dr. Michalski has some sort of personal problem with you. She also says he’s been acting erratically over the past three months. Enough for her to have real uneasiness.”
“Damn it,” he muttered.
“That’s basically all that’s on this computer.” She closed it. “Tanner, I know you don’t want to jump to conclusions, but Michalski would’ve known how to taint a crime scene with your DNA. He told the sheriff and Ryan Fletcher that he thought you were actively capableof committing murder. What if he has some sort of vendetta against you or something?”
Had that been true and Tanner had just missed it? There was definitely no love lost between him and Dr. Michalski, but would the man murder people in order to frame Tanner?
A light flipping on in the far hallway caught his attention.
“We’ve got to go, now,” he said, holding out his hand for Bree.
She closed the computers, and when he heard footsteps in the direction they needed to go, he rushed her out the door and down the opposite direction they’d come in. It would force them to circle back, but at least they’d be able to do that undetected.
Tanner picked up speed and rounded the corner, Bree’s hand in his.
And ran straight into Dr. Michalski.
“What the hell?” Tanner let go of Bree, placing himself between her and the doctor. “What are you doing here, Michalski?”
This was one of the most isolated sections of the building. There wasn’t much reason for Dr. Michalski to be down here at all, and especially not in the middle of the night.
The doctor shifted back and forth, more agitated than Tanner had ever seen him.
“What amIdoing here? What are you doing here, Tanner? Do you know there’s a warrant out for your arrest?”
Tanner grabbed the man by his shirt and pressed him up against the wall. “Actually, yes, I do know that. And part of the reason for said warrant is because of yourstatement to the sheriff that you thought I was capable of murdering those guys.”
“I did nothing more than offer my honest opinion of whether you had the mental and emotional capacity for the act. Whether you want to admit it or not, you are capable of it.”
Tanner didn’t disagree, but that wasn’t the point. He didn’t let go of the other man’s shirt.
“But in the context of when and why it was being asked, you just threw me under the bus, Doc. Knowing there was a connection between me and all three victims and how it would look.”
Michalski shifted nervously again. His eyes darted all over the place before finally settling back on Tanner. “I was just offering my professional opinion. Valuable information.”
“Really? Then why didn’t you offer other valuable information, too? Like the fact thatyouhad contact with all three victims.”
The doctor cleared his throat. “My job brought me in contact with all three of them.”
“So did mine.” Tanner had to force himself to keep his voice down. “I didn’t do this. I didn’t kill those men, as much as circumstantial evidence and your opinion of my psyche might suggest otherwise.”
