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“Tate doesn’t, but Damian and Justin…” Chad gestured to his hair. “Brown hair, brown eyes, same build.”
“Maybe if you squint,” Romeo replied. “I don’t think they look like you, or at least not enough for it to set off any alarm bells.”
Chad lowered his gaze and rolled his shoe across a stray stone.
“What is it?” Romeo’s voice came out like thunder.
“There’s something I didn’t tell you, and I know I should’ve but…” Chad looked at Romeo and his excuse died on his tongue, “but I didn’t.”
Romeo folded his arms in a tight knot. “I’m listening.”
“The killer tagged his victims,” Chad took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “With your name.” When Romeo said nothing he continued, “Justin hadRomeowritten across his chest and Damian hadKnight.Ally thinks the killer’s targeting men that look similar to me as some kind of … honor. He’s killing men that look like me in your name.”
The knot of Romeo’s arms tightened. “Why wouldn’t you tell me that?”
Chad looked away. “I don’t know.”
“You must have an idea about why you’d keep that from me.”
“I don’t share Ally’s theory. I don’t think the victims look enough like me.”
“What about my name on their bodies? Do you believe he’s killing in my name? In my memory?”
“I don’t know. You have … fans.”
“Fans?”
Chad nodded. “This killer could be one of them.”
“Why the fuck wouldn’t you tell me that? If you’re in danger, I need to know.”
“I don’t believe I am. I stood next to Justin and Damian’s photographs in the outhouse, and you said nothing.”
“That was before I knew my name was being used.”
“Now you think I’m in danger?”
Romeo glanced at the outhouse. “The killer let Tate go.”
“Blond hair, blue eyes.”
“You think he would’ve realized that before getting him in his car.”
“It was dark.”
“It doesn’t make any sense. No bias,” Romeo whispered. “I killed when the opportunity presented itself, it didn’t matter who, what they did, or what they looked like. If this person was killing in my name, he wouldn’t have let Tate go. I burned a number into my victim’s flesh … what did this killer use to brand Justin and Damian?”
“A black marker pen.”
Romeo smirked. “I strangled my victims to death. I used my hands and got so close to their faces that I felt their last breath on my lips. This killer, whoever they are, uses a method that gives them distance. They don’t leave a mark on their body, and then they dump them as soon as the job is done.”
“What’s your point?”
“This killer isn’t honoring me. He’s not killing in my name or my memory.”
“You think it’s a decoy?”
“My name being used has directed this case towards a certain narrative. If your sergeant hadn’t seen my name, would she have thought Justin and Damian looked like you?”
