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That’s when I spoke up. “Yes, sir, that’s right. I’m trying to solve the murders of several young women. And your son is in photos with two of them not long before they were killed.” I held up the photographs.
Now Jaden stepped closer to look at the photos. His green eyes grew wide. “Who got murdered?”
Mr. Banning focused on me and said, “Crime like that is not our concern.”
Kyle looked at me and said, “It’s not what you think. They were just arm candy. Hell, my little brother even took one to a dance.”
I asked, “One what?”
Now Mr. Banning stepped between me and the boys. He wasn’t big. In fact, the top of his head didn’t quite come up to my nose. But he was imposing.
Jaden Banning said again, “Who was murdered?” He looked at the photos with the fascination of a kid about to get on a roller coaster.
His father snapped, “Jaden, get out of here.” Then he turned to his older son and said, “Don’t you ever learn? Keep your mouth shut. Tight.” He turned to me. In a much lighter tone, he said, “Detective…” and held his arm out to usher me from the room.
“Joan, please show the detective out. I need to talk with Kyle,” he said to Mrs. Banning.
I followed Mrs. Banning to the front door. She was clearly nervous. Maybescaredwas a better word. I could imagine what she’d been through with Kyle.
Joan Banning said, “I’m sure this is all a misunderstanding, Detective. You know how boys will be boys. My boys are just a little more intense. Jaden is still recovering from an illness that kept him out of school a few days,” she said.
“I know about Kyle’s arrest for striking the woman near Times Square.” Why not try that? I had nothing to lose.
“He was never officially charged.”
“I even know about his arrest as a juvenile.” Even though I didn’t actually know shit about that arrest, the effect on Mrs. Banning was remarkable. She sputtered and fumbled for words.
Then she said, “We’re not making the same mistakes with Jaden. We’ve been much stricter with him. In fact, that’s why we have him in the Wolfson Academy up in Bronxville. He usually lives there during the week. I think it has really matured him.”
Now we were standing just outside the door to their apartment in the wide hallway. I turned to face Mrs. Banning. “What do you know about your son’s dating life?”
Now she looked really flustered. She looked over her shoulder to make sure her husband hadn’t heard the question.
I found myself leaning forward, anticipating the answer.
Instead, Mrs. Banning took a step backward into the apartment and shut the door carefully.
Chapter50
THANK GOODNESS BEINGaround my kids chased away any regrets I had about my fumbled interview with Kyle Banning and his family.
Sunday is always family day in the Bennett household. Picnics, playing tourist in New York City by climbing to the top of the Empire State Building, or rowing boats across the lake in Central Park. Or, if the weather is bad, board games inside. It doesn’t matter.
Today was definitely an outside day. You grab those when you can this time of year in New York City. Clear and in the mid-50s. Perfect for some sort of outdoor game.
I’d lain awake much of the night, replaying the interaction with the Banning clan. My quick assessment, without any background or context, was that Banning’s father was an asshole. His comment about a homicide investigation being none of their concern told me everything I needed to know about Mr. Banning.
The mother was just trying to stay afloat. I’d seen it before. Stuck with a husband who had no idea what being involved with the family meant. Two entitled boys who thought they could get away with anything. And probably a conscience that kept her awake at night thinking about that.
Kyle Banning had actually sounded like hewantedto talk to me if his old man wasn’t around. He’d looked both bothered and surprised to hear about the deaths of Estella Abreu and Suzanne Morton. I searched for any connections between Kyle Banning and Emma Schrade. I could find nothing linking the dead Juilliard student found in the Bronx with my suspect.
But it was Kyle Banning’s younger brother, Jaden, who had worked his way into my subconscious. The way he’d looked at the photos of the girls. The fascination. I didn’t want to think about a teenage serial killer, but something told me it was a possibility. Call it a hunch or instinct or whatever you want—it was Jaden Banning I felt I needed to look at more closely.
His mother had mentioned a place called the Wolfson Academy in Bronxville. I did some research after I left the Banning residence. The Wolfson Academy’s motto wasWe turn problems into success!I knew the academy had to be expensive because there was no hint of prices on their website. There were photos of young men dressed in sharp, military-style uniforms. Everyone’s hair was cut short. Each cadet appeared to be in perfect physical condition. To me, sending your kid away to a boarding school was the last possible resort. You didn’t end up at a place like that without a solid reason.
I didn’t want to think about the methods the Wolfson Academy used to “fix” young people.
As I lay in bed on Sunday morning, considering the day ahead of me, Mary Catherine turned and put her hand on my chest. “You were restless last night. Everything okay?”
