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“I never got a good look at him. From what I saw, he looked average. Exactly average. I wouldn’t be able to identify the guy if he walked in with a sign that said, ‘I pushed your colleague in front of that bus.’”
I laughed dutifully. But the idea of a man being invisible because he was so unremarkable—that stuck in my head.
“Any thoughts on why he might’ve pushed Kelly? We have a couple of witnesses who said it looked deliberate from a distance.”
Hollis shook his head. “I was kinda distracted, and a little nervous because I’m really into Kelly. I wasn’t paying attention to anything except her.”
The door opened and Mrs. Hollis walked in. I stood up and told Hollis, “I’ll be back tomorrow. Rest and do what your mom says.”
Hollis gave another weak smile as he said, “I always do.”
Chapter 79
An unexpected call diverted me from following up with Ms. Richard at the New York Public Library. Instead, I met FBI agent Emily Parker at a Starbucks not too far from the hospital.
Emily had requested the meeting but hadn’t explained the reason behind her invitation.
She was already seated and pushed a plain black coffee toward me. “Hail the New York hero. You single-handedly prevented Jeffrey Cedar from killing again.”
As I slid onto the opposite chair, I said, “I appreciate you not making me visit the FBI offices again, especially to congratulate me on a case that seems to be only partially solved.”
She couldn’t hide her own smile. “As much fun as that was, I’d rather Robert Lincoln not see me with you.” She took a quick sip of her own coffee. “I’m sure you get that a lot. People saying they’d rather not be associated with you. People avoiding you. The usual.”
I had to smile as I replied, “Actually, I get it more than I care to admit. Though hopefully all that will stop once I’m happily married.”
We both let out a good laugh at that.
Emily plopped down two thick case files on the table between us. “Time to talk shop,” she said, turning serious. “Tell me what you’ve found on the killer remaining at large.”
I told her about my unorthodox briefing with Hollis from his hospital bed.
“Hollis gave me the idea that he could be someone so unremarkable he’s virtually invisible,” I said. “That’s not to say it was our killer who pushed Kelly Konick in front of the bus, but I’m open to the possibility. If he blends in everywhere, there’s a likelihood he’s quite ordinary-looking.”
“Interesting,” Emily said. “Maybe that’s why we’ve got no reports of anyone noticing anything strange near any of the crimes. Not in any of the businesses where the victims worked or around where they lived.”
I had to admit it was gratifying to hear the nation’s “premier” law-enforcement agency agree with me.
Emily leaned in close. “The people at Quantico believe our killer targets women he feels have disrespected him.”
I related my interview with Luis Munoz, Elaine Anastas’s manager at Manhattan Family Insurance, that he had mentioned she’d had a phobia of loners. Maybe she had encountered one and somehow insulted him.
“Could a loner also be a ghost?” I wondered aloud. “Or a killer?”
Chapter 80
I drove home after my meeting with Emily Parker. Traffic was slow, and I was grateful. With ten kids and a busy office, sometimes it’s hard to find a quiet place to think. Like a lot of cops, the best place for me to mull things over is in my car.
For once in the progress of this case, I felt pretty good about my day. Brett Hollis seemed stronger than I’d expected, and I’d gained some valuable information that had been validated by the FBI.
Stopped at a light on Amsterdam Avenue, I tried to put all the pieces together. I believed our killer was a traveler. I didn’t think he was from New York. But how to find out more? There were no databases for jobs with travel. No businesses were going to come forward and suggest one of their employees was a killer.
I had two more employer interviews scheduled for the next morning. I thought I knew all the right questions to ask.
It felt like things were back to normal when I walked through my front door. Chrissy and Shawna gave me a hug. The other kids were doing their homework at the dining room table. There was very little drama.
Jane looked reserved, but not melancholy. I didn’t want to make a big fuss over her. Juliana had told me that the boys had circulated it at school that Jane had been the one to dump Allan. The story of her saying no to him over the phone was true enough. I guess it’s all in how you spin it. And, apparently, in how many brothers an
d sisters you have to tell the story.
