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“Jesus.” Cassie cocked her head to the side. “But Shapiro—”
“No, Shapiro didn’t do it. They caught her killer. It was an ex. He’s in jail. He’ll never get out. He had quite a record, too.”
David flicked on his turn signal and guided the car to the right. “Guess that explains why he was always volunteering. Why he cared so much about the inmates.”
“I think that also explains why he killed Shapiro.” Laura paused, and Cassie could hear her flipping through pages on the other end of the phone. “Even though the guy who killed his sister got what was coming to him, he felt powerless. It didn’t bring his sister back. He couldn’t hurt the person who hurt him, and then he stumbled upon these other people, these other addicts, who’d been murdered. And the police ignored their cases. He felt like he had to do something about it.”
“Kind of ironic, don’t you think?” Cassie shook her head. “Shapiro kills all these people because he couldn’t kill the person who murdered his wife. McLaughlin killed him because he couldn’t avenge his sister in any other way.”
David’s laugh was dark. “I believe we call that poetic justice.”
Laura sighed. “But that stil
l doesn’t tell us why now. Why all these years later? There’s got to be something that pushed him over the edge.”
David directed the car into a parking lot, and when Cassie looked up, she realized they were sitting outside the Presbyterian Church in Keller, Georgia. It was a modest building that looked more like a house than a place of worship.
The smell of cigarette smoke filled the inside of the car, and it took all of Cassie’s willpower to stop herself from gagging. “He’s here.”
David put the car in park and switched off the engine. “Then how about we introduce ourselves.”
36
David hooked his fingers around the doorhandle. “Stay here.”
Cassie unbuckled her seatbelt in defiance. “No way.”
“Just wait here, Cassie. We don’t know if he’s armed. We don’t know how he’s going to react to being found.”
“Which is why you shouldn’t go in there alone.” Cassie didn’t wait for his permission to open her door and get out of the car. She waited until he stepped out of the sedan and locked eyes with her. Her heart was pounding, but she felt strong and calm, despite the situation. “I promise I’ll stay back. I promise I won’t escalate the situation. Blah, blah, blah. I know the drill.”
David rolled his eyes. “She says blah, blah, blah.”
But David didn’t argue. There was no point. They both knew that when he asked her to come along, there’d be no way she’d stay behind in the car if they caught up with McLaughlin. But they both knew he had to say it, regardless.
Cassie hung back for a few seconds before following in David’s wake. She’d sounded cavalier when she talked about being part of this final showdown, but she was nervous. She knew a few things about getting out of a sticky situation, but she’d be useless if he had a weapon.
In other words, she was a liability.
But she was determined not to put David in a situation like that. She didn’t have an ego, so she felt comfortable hanging back if that’s what the confrontation called for. David was the lead, the one with the badge and the gun. He was in charge, and she had no interest in raising a mutiny.
David retrieved his gun from his holster, but he kept it pointed square at the ground. There was no service today, but that didn’t mean the church was empty. If McLaughlin were inside, other people would be as well. If the situation went south, a long-distance chat with God could turn into a face-to-face meeting.
David pushed the church door open, and Cassie cringed as the hinges squeaked. Stale air rushed out of the opening and hit her in the face. Something about churches always made her nervous. Maybe the formality of the institution. Or the expectation. Or the fact that she had psychic abilities.
Magic powers were kind of frowned upon in most religious communities.
The pair moved forward as quietly as possible. David didn’t creep along but stepped lightly. They had to look inconspicuous enough to not be noticeable, but they also had to be on guard. Cassie’s palms started to sweat, so she rubbed them on her jeans. It didn’t do much good, but it made her feel a little better.
David looked over his shoulder at Cassie and held up a hand. She didn’t dare disobey. If McLaughlin was armed, they’d both be better off if she had one foot out the door.
David pushed forward with his gun hidden by his frame. Cassie craned her neck to see past him. The inside of the church stood in stark contrast to the exterior. It was beautiful, with rich wooden pews, an imposing organ, and several stained-glass windows.
An elderly couple sat in the front row on the righthand side. A pastor stood next to them with a sad smile, nodding his head in understanding. On the left, a few rows back, sat a lone man with his head bowed. He wore a large jacket and a hat. From this vantage point, Cassie couldn’t see if he was armed.
David walked a few feet closer and then stopped. He must’ve made a positive ID because he raised his gun and took a ready stance. No one else in the church had noticed him yet. Against her better judgment, Cassie took a few steps closer.
“Savannah PD.” David’s voice bounced around the cavernous interior of the church. “Noah McLaughlin, you’re under arrest for the murder of Robert Shapiro. Put your hands where I can see them.”
