Page 24 of Forever Gone

“I doubt it.”

“Why?”

“The tongue makes it personal. The killer wasn’t only trying to hurt Karen. The removal meant something to them.”

“A warning?”

“Maybe. The message could have been for Karen herself, or for someone connected to her. Either way, I don’t think the killer chose her at random.”

Connor turned toward the board. “The word processor supports that.”

“It does. Someone wanted to destroy her means of writing as well as speaking. We need to know what was taken from her storage unit and whether any written material was among it.”

A knock sounded at the open door.

Cheryl stood in the corridor. “Karen Sloane’s ex-husband is in Interview Room One.”

Connor straightened. “Did he come voluntarily?”

“Yes. A deputy picked him up and explained we wanted to speak with him. Gerry asked if he needed a lawyer. The deputy told him that was his decision. He hasn’t asked for one yet.”

“Thanks,” Connor said.

Cheryl’s attention moved briefly to Selena before she returned to the front desk.

Selena closed her bag. “Let’s hear what he has to say.”

*

Gerry Tomes sat at the metal table with both forearms resting near the edge.

He was slim, with pointed features that made his chin and nose appear more pronounced in profile. Dark hair lay flat against his scalp, thinning near the temples. His gray T-shirt hung loose beneath an unzipped jacket. Cigarette smoke clung to him so heavily that Selena could taste it from the opposite side of the room.

A paper cup of water stood untouched before him.

Connor entered first and took the chair nearest the door. Selena sat beside him, placed her notebook on the table, and switched on the department’s recording unit.

“For the record,” she said, “I’m Special Agent Selena Raven with the FBI. Sheriff Connor Chase is here with me. Mr. Tomes, you came to the station voluntarily. You’re not under arrest, and you’re free to leave. Do you understand?”

Gerry’s fingers worried at a rough patch on the table. “Yeah.”

“Do you consent to this conversation being recorded?”

“Sure.”

Connor folded his hands. “Gerry, do you know why we asked you to come down?”

“If it’s to do with Karen, I’ve got nothing to do with it.”

Selena and Connor exchanged a glance.

Connor’s voice remained calm. “So, you know what happened?”

“Sure, I do. She called me a few days ago. Blamed me for the whole thing.”

He was speaking about something else.

Selena opened her notebook. “What did Karen tell you?”