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As if she understood that they needed to keep him talking, Kaely said, “But you wrote all those books. I read them. They were great. Your contribution in the early days of the BAU is clear.”
He glared at her. “My books? You and Julie were among the few people who bought them, then. Everyone wanted his books. Not mine. My books didn’t sell close to the number his did.”
“You left the FBI before retirement age,” Alex said. “If you’d stayed, you would have sold a lot more.”
Bayne strode to Alex’s chair, a venomous hatred flashing in his eyes. “I left because I couldn’t take it anymore. Couldn’t abide another minute with Davis and his insufferable ego. He ruined my career, destroyed my book sales. And then his publisher sued me, saying I’d claimed one of his cases as mine! But we worked that case together. Why was it so important that he get top billing, especially when I am the superior profiler and always have been? He said he tried to talk his publisher out of taking me to court, but I didn’t believe him. They all wanted their pound of flesh. We finally settled out of court, but it left me nearly bankrupt.”
“So you were after the insurance money,” Kaely said. “It was brought up as a possible motive, but I didn’t take it seriously.”
Bayne took a deep breath as if trying to regain control. “I deserve that three million dollars. I need it. But I had to be patient. Wait until it wouldn’t matter if my jumping off that cliff was considered suicide so the insurance company would still pay.”
His expression darkened again. “The chance to see Davis dead was the icing on the cake. And then the two of you getting accolades just like he did.... You and your arrogant colleagues all fit into my final plan perfectly. The more analysts your UNSUB killed, the less the focus would be on little ol’ dead me.”
Bayne sighed. “I thought Davis would have his gun with him, but he had a knife, and that was good enough. I just wish I could have seen him die in person. But I was busy in Australia, setting up my own death.” He chuckled. “Then I used a fake passport to fly here without detection. Agents learn how to spot fake documents and IDs in the FBI, you know. That, of course, teaches us how to create them too.”
“But you were the man in the sketch,” Kaely said. “The man Harper talked to at the convention.”
“That was Derrick Williams, a two-bit criminal who needed a break. I had him dress up in the same disguise I’ve been using to hide my identity so it would plant the seed that a crazy fan could have been involved in Davis’s death.” He shrugged. “I hoped it would send the police in the wrong direction. And since I’m not very knowledgeable about today’s phones and ... What are they called? Apps? Anyway, Williams was the master behind all that. He made certain all Davis could see on his phone was his wife. He also was careful not to leave any clues that might lead back to me. And he operated the drone so I could watch Davis kill himself. Julie oversaw everything else. Made sure it was handled correctly. She did a wonderful job, didn’t she?”
“Is Williams still alive?” Kaely asked.
“Ah no. Unfortunately, Mr. Williams died of an overdose after helping us.” He shook his head. “So sad.”
“Who killed Monty’s grandmother?” Alex asked.
“I did that. I told Cooper to do it—even if Monty killed himself first—but he refused, and I had to change my plan. You see, I’d initially promised him he wouldn’t have to take a life.” He shrugged. “It was too late in the game to get rid of him, and the window of opportunity was closing. I wore the fake stomach but decided not to use the makeup and wig. Another red herring, you see.” He sighed. “I’m still upset about losing my favorite leather jacket. But oh well. Easy come, easy go.”
Bayne gave them a wide smile. “As much as I’ve enjoyed this interesting exchange, the weather is worsening, and I have to get going. I’m not really worried. Even if I have to hole up in the area for a while, my new disguise will protect me. No one will be looking for me anyway. You’ll both be dead, so you won’t be able to tell anyone who I really am. Hopefully, by the time they find you, I’ll be long gone.”
He made a sweeping gesture with his hand as if he were bowing. “I have to leave you for a moment, but I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere.” He laughed as he walked toward the other side of the large warehouse and opened the door to a room that looked like a small office.
“Kaely, listen,” Alex whispered. “I left a note for Logan telling him I suspected Bayne. I should have told him I was concerned about Ben and Julie too, but I wasn’t as certain about them. I waited for Logan as long as I could, but I finally had to take off so I had to leave it with someone else. I’d stalled so long I was afraid Ben would get suspicious. I thought I could find you, neutralize Ben if I had to, and then call for help.” As she explained her actions to Kaely, she couldn’t help but wonder if she’d made a fatal mistake. One that would lead to both their deaths.
“Who could you trust with that note?” Kaely asked.
“I gave it to someone who couldn’t possibly be involved.” But now she was second-guessing herself. She’d thought the bakery guy was probably a safe option, but was trusting him one of the dumbest things she’d ever done? Or had he followed through? Knowing she needed to show Kaely some confidence, she smiled.
“And there’s something else.” She looked around carefully, not only to make sure no one could overhear her but also for any kind of listening device. But Bayne was overconfident. In her opinion, he couldn’t hear them. He considered them too stupid to ruin his great strategy.
She lowered her voice even more. “I told Logan I put my phone in my boot, just in case. Ben and Julie never looked there.”
Kaely’s eyes filled with tears. “If I could reach you, I’d kiss you.”
“If they triangulate my phone, it will give them an area to search. Empty warehouses should be their first thought. They could also be looking for Ben’s and Julie’s phones.” She paused a moment before saying, “It’s not a slam dunk, Kaely. It’s just a chance, but I think it’s a good chance.”
“I agree. Let’s pray it’s good enough to get us home alive.”
Alex heard a door close. Bayne was coming back. Time was running out. If they weren’t found soon, it could very well be too late.
