AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“And you wanted him to feel demoralized? Killing him wasn’t enough, you had to humiliate the guy?”
“Yes.” He clears his throat and draws circles on the table with a single droplet of spilled water. “It was important to us that he felt like shit while this was happening.”
Coldmotherfuckers.
“Alright. So Paul is asleep in his bed, Garret goes to his top end and keeps him still, while you go to his legs and start tying him down. Is he struggling? Is he freaking out?”
“He was kicking and trying to scream, but Garret shoved the undies in and put the axe to his neck. Paul was still kicking a bit, but he knew if he went too hard, he’d slit his own throat.”
“Solid plan between you guys. What happened next?”
“He wet himself.” Finally, a slow grin works its way over Gage’s lips and confirms, at least a little, that he’s a killer. “Paul pissed himself so bad, it soaked through everything and stank to high heaven.”
“Did you stop what you were doing? Did you think maybe you were going too far?”
“Nope. I finished tying his legs, then I went to his arms and tied those too.”
“Left or right first?”
“Uh… Left, since I was on that side by then.”
“Where was Garret?”
“Standing on the same side.” He brings his water up for another sip. “We worked around each other and got the job done. I kicked his foot because we were so close and it was mostly dark. When I was done with Paul’s arms, I tied rope around his neck like a noose, so if he tried to move too much, it would get tighter.”
“Nasty work.” I sit forward and rest my elbows on the table. “Who taught you how to tie a rope like that?”
Surprised by my question, he shrugs and spins the cup. “Paul did.”
“Paul McGregor, the man you killed?”
“Yuh. He taught us lots of things, like how to chop wood and reel a fish. He taught me how to tie rope and fix appliances and clear pipes.” He settles into his chair and lets his shoulders droop. “He taught me how to drive. And how to play pool. Paul taught me all sorts of life skills.”
“And to repay him, you killed him.”
* * *
Stepping out of Gage’s interview room, I move to my desk to take a twenty-minute break to catch my breath. Because no one has given me a reason yetwhyPaul McGregor should have died.
He was a solid father figure for hundreds of kids. A pillar in society. A giver of the most selfless kind. He taught those boys how to tie their laces and to buy condoms when they eventually got serious with a woman, and still, they tore him to pieces, andsmilewhile they tell the story.
It’s enough to make my skin crawl. But I struggle to see the boys as the calloused, brutal murderers they are.
In my mind, they’re just kids telling a spooky story.
“Hey.” Striding through the bullpen in fresh jeans and high-top sneakers, Fletch flops down into his chair and lets his head drop back in exhaustion. “How’s it going with Gage?”
“Like a long,longjourney from A to B with absolutely no chance of skipping to the end. How’s it going with Jada?”
“Like a bottomless well ofwhat the fuckandwhat the hell am I supposed to do with all this? I’ve called a couple of times. No answer. I went over there, she’s still unconscious in bed.”
Dragging his head up and meeting my eyes from his side of our pushed-together desks, he sighs. “She’s still unconscious, Arch. She doesn’t even know Mia isn’t at home.” He shakes his head in that way he has since the moment his marriage fell apart and Jada insisted on making poor choices. “She doesn’t even know our daughter isn’t home. So how often is my baby fending for herself all alone in that apartment? How many meals has she gotten for herself?”
“Whatever has happened in the past, happened. It sucks, Fletch, and it’s unacceptable, but it’s done now, and Mia is safe and healthy with us. How’s it going with the nanny search?”
“Barely even started.” He presses his fingers to his temples with a groan. “I put out word and asked around with the other guys on the force who have kids. I made it an urgent thing, so contacts should start popping up soon. Until then…”
“Until then, we figure it out,” I assure him. “She’s at the nursery right now?”
