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Everything about Silver was big, from his large hands to his muscular thighs barely constrained by his jeans to his broad chest. He took off his helmet, and his bald head gleamed in the afternoon sun. His goatee was black and his eyebrows bushy.
He came to a halt in front of them. “What can I do for you?” His voice rumbled out of him.
Gary held up his badge. “Anthony Silver?” He gave a curt nod. “I’m Detective Mitchell, and this is Detective Stevens, from Homicide. We’d like to ask you some questions about Marius Eisler and Cory Peterson. Maybe some other men too.”
Silver frowned. “Who?”
Lewis arched his eyebrows. “Please, don’t even go there. We know you hooked up with both those guys. Scruff ring a bell? We can even give you the dates. But we’re not interested in what you got up to with ’em—we’re more interested in what you were doing the nights of May fifteenth and May twenty-forth. And while we’re at it, March eighteenth, 2016, December second, 2016—”
“Wait a minute.” Gary could have sworn Silver paled beneath his tan. “You think I’m the fucker who’s killing all those gay guys? Why the fuck would I do that?I’mgay, for Christ’s sake.”
“Then come with us to the precinct. We’ll take a DNA swab, and if it doesn’t match any of the DNA from the crime scenes, we can eliminate you from our inquiries.”
Silver shook his head. “Nope. I’m not your man. And I’m not going to any police precinct.”
Gary frowned. “If you’re innocent, then why not?”
Silver’s eyes bulged. “Because I don’t want to end up on some police database where you guys have my DNA forever, that’s why not.”
Lewis reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of cuffs. “Look, buddy, we can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
Silver snorted. “I’d like to see you try.” He glanced around, his fists clenched.
Goddammit, Lewis.
Gary held up his hands. “Listen to me, okay? Just listen.” He had a feeling Silver would make a run for it, and the odds of them getting a search warrant, based on what they had so far, were pretty slim. “If you bolt now, you’ll only be making it worse for yourself.” Gary kept his voice low and even. “All we want to do is ask you some questions. And take a swab.”
“Jesus, Ant, do what he says,” the guy in the flak jacket whined. “You’re no good to your mom if you’re in jail for resisting arrest or beating up a cop.”
“Yeah, listen to your coworker.” Gary didn’t break eye contact. “Come with us?”
Silver swallowed. “Okay. Am I under arrest?”
“No, you’re coming with us voluntarily. All right?”
“All right. But only so you can take your damn swab. Then you’ll know I’m not the guy you’re looking for.” He turned to his coworker. “This won’t take long.”
The guy waved his hand. “Just get it over with. And call us if you need us to arrange a lawyer. I’ve got a few contacts.”
“It’s not gonna come to that.” Confident words, but Silver’s gaze flickered toward Gary and Lewis as he uttered them.
You’re hiding something.
But was it murder, or some other guilty secret?
GARY WALKEDout of the interview room to find Dan standing by the window.
“Well?” Dan broke off when Silver was escorted out by an officer. Lewis followed, pausing in the doorway.
“The officer will show you to the main desk,” Gary called after Silver. “If you wait there, I’ll be along with your stuff.”
“And it had better be all there,” Silver hollered back.
Gary waited until he was out of sight. “We’re letting him go. We don’t have probable cause to apply for a search warrant. The DNA test will take a while, so right now we have nothing to hold him on. However, he can’t provide alibis for the dates in question, so we need to find witnesses who can ID him at any of the crime scenes before we can pull him in again.” He tilted his head. “Youmight be able to help us, however.” He waited for Lewis’s customary eye roll or derisive snort, but nothing was forthcoming.
Wow. A leopardcanchange its spots after all.
“Tell me. What do you need?”
