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"Killing random people who are part of a foundation is also crazy," Gabe pointed out.
"But it's happening. There has to be a logic to it. And green eyes are unusual. If only the green-eyed people are getting picked off, then it does explain why there's a lower murder rate. It's because this killer is very carefully singling them out,” Cora said.
Cora stared at Tolmay. He might not know or remember anything, but then again, he might.
"Do you remember anyone in the foundation who had green eyes like you? Who left under a cloud?"
He frowned.
"I don't remember anyone who was in the foundation with that eye color. There was a woman there with lovely green eyes, but she was much older, in her fifties, quite a petite person, and very senior. She was one of the few there that I really respected, who seemed to live the foundation’s values in the right way. And she’s still there. Other than that, I can’t remember at all."
Cora handed him her card. "Maybe you remember something later," she said. "If you do, then call me. Message, text, do whatever it takes. This man is getting bolder, and he's going to kill again."
They had to get back to the foundation. Now, they had to work out the identity of the killer with the new information they had.
"This extends the timeline," Cora said as she and Gabe piled back into the car. We're now looking from before Tolmay was injured. That might rule out a number of people that we don't have to waste time on. It'll make the list shorter."
She flattened her foot, willing the miles to pass more quickly so that they could get the answers they needed.
But Gabe was shaking his head.
"Cora, I don’t want to be the negative one here, but there's an angle to this that you haven't considered. I'm only just thinking of it myself. And it's a potential stumbling block."
"What's that?" Cora said, now feeling worried.
"It doesn't matter who he is. Maybe he's some aggrieved new recruit who left under a cloud; maybe he's someone who was kicked out, or maybe he never even made it at all. But what matters is that he's not going to be at home. So what if we get a name and address? How’s that going to help us when he's worked out a way to survive out of sight, living here? At the foundation. That's why he knows everyone's eye color. He can see who's been promoted and who's wearing white. He's watched the rituals. He's been waiting outside barns and looking in windows. My point is, we're wasting time if we get a home address because he's not going to be there."
Cora's heart sank as she realized that Gabe was right. Finding out the identity of this man, who was probably green-eyed, would be pointless when he was using the actual grounds as his campsite. Cora thought about the countless hiding places this killer could have found within the sprawling grounds of the foundation. It was a vast expanse of land, with woods, fields, and buildings scattered throughout.
They'd be lucky to find him on a manhunt, even with resources like dogs and drones, but in this particular rural suburb, resources seemed scarce. She doubted those would be available.
She flattened her foot. The miles sped by. She wasn't going to give up on this. She'd started off hating this foundation, which she'd thought of as a cult. She still didn't trust its leader or buy into its ethos, but she did believe that someone shouldn't be killing people on its premises.
She couldn't just give up and wait for the killer to strike again. She had to come up with a plan and fast.
It was only when she glanced at Gabe that the solution occurred to her.
So obvious she hadn't yet thought of it. So dangerous that it took her breath away, making her instinctively recoil from the possibility.
"We could use you," she said, hating the words, fighting the connection she'd just made in her mind, and then regretting her entire decision the moment she’d spoken them out loud. She should never have said such a thing. Why had she opened her big mouth?
But it was clear this killer was targeting Gabe. He'd tried to murder him once already by ambushing him with an ax. He'd been doing surveillance when she and Gabe had been sitting in the farmhouse living room with the leader. She'd glimpsed him there.
If they could use this, then they could turn the tables on him. She was sure it would be possible.
"As bait?" Gabe asked. He sounded intrigued rather than horrified. She was the one who felt appalled. What had she said? Why had she said it?
She was too damned honest about things. The idea had slipped out before she'd had a chance to second-guess herself.
"I don't want to do this," she said. "It's putting you in danger. It could end so badly. I didn’t mean to say it at all. It might be a way of finally putting a stop to this, but we need to explore other ways first."
She stared at him, emotions churning. She never wanted to put a partner in danger. And she didn't want to put Gabe in danger.
Now, of course, she couldn’t think of any other ways.
Gabe remained silent for a moment; his eyes narrowed with contemplation. Cora could see he was weighing it up carefully. If he was even the slightest bit unsure, she was going to can the idea. She already felt that suggesting it had been too reckless.
"I'm in," he finally said, determination now settling into his expression. "Let's catch this guy."
