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“We’re investigating the murders of Gerald Conway, Gigi Demetrious and George Merrill,” Faith replied. “We’d like to ask you a few questions.”
Karl’s eyes flitted between the three agents for a moment before he replied. “Well, I’m sorry, I don’t think I can be of any help to you. I don’t recognize these names.”
“Can we come inside?” Michael asked with an easy smile.
Karl took a step back and shook his head. “No. This is not a good time.”
“Why not?” Michael asked, “You have big plans for the day?”
Karl blinked and looked between the two of them again. “Well, I’m sure it’s none of your business how I plan to spend my day. Look, I don’t recognize the names you mentioned, and I’m sorry that they’ve been murdered, but I don’t have any information that will help solve those crimes, so I’m afraid I have to ask you to leave.”
“Doctor,” Faith asked, “Are you familiar with Chlor-Pheromone Six?”
Karl’s face blanched. He stammered a moment and said, “You need to leave. Come back with a warrant. You have no right to be here.”
Faith glanced into the house and saw several vials on the table. “What are those?”
Karl made to close the door, but Michael caught it with his hand. “You have a lot of dogs here,” he said. “Are they all yours?”
“Agents!” Karl cried, trying to sound forceful and only succeeding in sounding frightened. “You need to leave!”
At that moment, Faith heard loud barking to her left. She turned and saw a dozen or so dogs, all of whom were snarling and barking and chewing on the fence in their desperation to get to her. The dogs ranged from small Jack Russells to large Mastiffs. All had laid-back ears and bared teeth.
“They are guard dogs!” Karl protested.
“The Jack Russells and Dachshunds are guard dogs?” Michael asked. “What about the Pekingese?”
Karl swallowed. “You have no right to be here.”
“Does that bottle say Chlor-Pheromone seven?” Faith asked, peering at the bottles on the table. “You’ve been busy, Doctor.”
“As I said,” Karl replied, “Come back with a warrant.”
He tried to close the door, but Michael forced it open again. “I’m going to say we have enough for probable cause,” he said.
“Hey!” Karl said as he backed away, “You can’t—”
“Well, look at that,” Michael interrupted, grabbing one of the bottles on the table. “Chlor-Pheromoneeight. You reallyhavebeen busy.”
Karl licked his lips and looked nervously around. Faith took in the view and saw several piles of vials, bottles and loose pills and powders along with jugs of different colored liquids. The place looked like a meth lab. Which, in a way, it was.
“Y—you can’t—” Karl tried again, his voice thready.
“I think we’ve established that we can, Doctor,” Faith interrupted. “You’re more than welcome to call a lawyer if you think we’re mistaken. Now, IfIwere you—” she met his eyes “—I would start telling me everything. The truth, the whole truth, nothing but. You know the drill.”
Karl licked his lips again. Then he hardened his face and said, “I did not commit these murders. If you wish to detain me based on what you’ve witnessed, I will go quietly, but I will answer no further questions without the presence of my lawyer.”
“Suit yourself,” Michael said, pulling a pair of handcuffs from his belt. “Faith, you want to call Tom and let him know we have a present for him?”
***
“You’re wasting your time,” Karl said. “I already told you I didn’t kill them.”
“If I had a nickel,” Michael said. “But tell you what, Karl. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. Let’s say you didn’t kill them. How about you answer mine and my partner’s questions so we can figure out who really did kill them? Sound good?”
“I’m not talking without my lawyer present.”
“Faith, how long on the lawyer?”
