“We can talk to the Archdiocese,” Marcus said, “see if they might give us a lead on Cox or maybe clear up what happened with Hale and the colleague years ago.”
Kate nodded.“Sure.Let’s do that.”She nodded at the CSIs politely waiting in the foyer.“Scene’s yours now.Call us if you find anything.”
The CSIs murmured acknowledgment, and Kate and Marcus left to complete their busywork.
And that’s all it was.Busy work.Chasing their tails.Kate was still a rat crawling through a maze, feeling the smoke choke her lungs but with no idea how to escape.Once again, she was at his mercy.
They nearly collided with a police officer on the front porch.The officer took a step back, then said, “Agents?We might have something.”
Kate’s ears perked up.“What do you have?”
“A resident down the street noticed the priest park a Toyota Crown sedan at the end of the cul-de-sac and walk to Douglas Hale’s house.She remembered thinking it was odd that he parked so far away.We got a description of the vehicle and tracked it to a rental agency near the airport.It was rented to a man named Ethan Foster.”
Kate and Marcus exchanged a look.“Did you get a description for Ethan Foster?”Kate asked.
“Yes.He was described as shorter and muscular with a deep tan and a mustache.”
Marcus frowned.“That doesn’t match Cox’s description.The tan and the mustache could be faked, and he can’t have bulked up between Schulz and Hale.”
“That’s because Ethan Foster isn’t Cox,” Kate said, realization dawning.“He’s Cox’s disciple.”
Marcus’s eyes widened.“He’s working with a companion.That’s why there’s no paper trail pointing to him.”
“I’ll call the Field Office,” Kate said.“We need to start looking for Ethan Foster and anyone matching his description.He’s the one renting Cox’s vehicles and hotel rooms.We find him, we find Cox.”
They left the home with an ember of hope still burning.They weren’t in time to save Hale, but they’d found that bit of shed skin Kate was hoping for.They would follow those scales and find the snake.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“Screw it,” Marcus said, getting to his feet.“I’m going for a walk.”
Kate nodded, still staring at the photographs, or rather, the image of the photographs on her laptop screen.They’d elected to remain in St.Louis.Kate didn’t expect to find Cox here, but she didn’t want to waste another four hours on a flight home.
So I’ll waste four hours staring at pictures instead.
Ethan Foster had evaporated within hours of looking for him.The name was fake, the social security number stolen from a man who had died five years ago, the driver license fabricated, the credit card registered to a nurse in Poughkeepsie who had no idea her credit was being used to facilitate serial murder.
Poppy had even checked back with the previous scenes.No one matching Ethan Foster’s descriptions had rented a car or a hotel room within the time frames of the murder.
The door to the room closed behind Marcus, leaving Kate alone with her thoughts.What was Cox trying to show her?How many times had she asked that question and found herself no closer to the answer?
Her phone buzzed.Gabe.She felt a spark of hope.Had he found something?“Hello, Gabe.Please tell me you have information for me.”
His heavy sigh quenched her spark.“I’m sorry, Kate.”
Kate sighed and lifted a hand to her forehead.She caught an acrid odor wafting off her arm.When was the last time she showered?“It’s all right.We’re not getting anywhere either.We figured out that he’s working with a companion, but his companion isn’t leaving a trail either.”
“Wouldn’t that make itnotall right?”
She chuckled but didn’t really mean it.“Well, it’s not your fault.I don’t know what Cox is trying to say.I thought he was trying to tell a story about repentance and returning to God, but our latest victim threw that on its head.I’m starting to wonder if he’s trying to say anything or if he’s abandoned that angle entirely and is just trying to get away with killing as many people as possible.”
“He’s definitely trying to say something,” Gabe replied.“He wouldn’t take the time to position those objects if he wasn’t trying to make some sort of point.The question remains: whatisthe point?”
“Hell if I know,” Kate grumbled.
Gabe was quiet for a moment.When he spoke again, he was slightly tentative, as though afraid of hurting Kate.“There might not be one.”
“There has to be,” Kate insisted.“There always is.”
