Page 271 of Chameleon Killer

“No.”

“You knew I'd find it.”

“Simon made sure you would.”

“But you knew.”

“I knew he was pushing you toward me.”

“And instead of letting me find out what you'd done, you took me.”

“I brought you here because this ends tonight.” He gripped my arm as his eyes moved past me toward the road.

I understood. “Oh.”

Brewster said nothing.

“You didn't bring me here to talk to me.”

“No.”

“You brought me here for him.”

Finally, something like peace moved across his face as he pulled me toward the warehouse. I stumbled on the cracked asphalt but he didn’t let me fall.

“Yes.”

The sheer insanity of it left me momentarily speechless. “I'm bait.”

“He'll come.”

“You don't know that.”

He sounded almost—beatific. “Yes, I do.”

“You've spent weeks telling me he's incapable of attachment.”

“He's not attached.”

I laughed once. “Then why would he come?”

Brewster's face hardened. Exactly.

“He'll come because he needs to control the narrative.”

That word again. Narrative. Everyone wanted one. Look at Elliot, he’d manufactured one that he even believed. I was suddenly very tired of them.

“What if he doesn't?”

We were at the door to the warehouse and he shoved it open and pulled me inside before he answered. “He will.”

“And if you're wrong?”

He paused to look at me as the door shut behind us. The gun remained loose at his side. I didn't like the answer I found in his eyes.

Before I could respond, a voice came from the shadows ahead of us.

“You were always more comfortable when your conclusions didn't require verification.”