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“I’m on it.” Riley met Gary’s gaze head-on. “Expect results. He’s fast.” With a nod to Kathy, he left the room.
Kathy got up from her chair and went to the board. “Can I ask you something?” She pointed to where he’d written Anger. “This one I get. If your theory is correct, someone the killer loved died a wrongful death, and he’s out to avenge him.” Then she pointed to Guilt. “This intrigues me, however. What made you come up with this?”
Gary hesitated for a moment. “You know who’s helping us on this, don’t you?”
Her gaze grew thoughtful. “That psychic who’s worked with the police before? The one in the newspapers?”
“Yes.” Gary tapped the board where “I’m doing this for you” was written. “He feels this is the killer’s mantra. And these”—he indicated Anger and Guilt again—“were the two strongest emotions he encountered when he was at one of the recent crime scenes.”
She studied the words in silence. At last she took a step back. “We won’t find out if he’s right until we catch the killer.” She breathed deeply. “I’ll watch this case with great interest.” Kathy gave him a speculative glance. “Why did you ask me to consult on this? As far as I see, you’ve got a good grasp of what might motivate him.”
“I wanted to check that my theory made sense.”
“It does.” She heaved a sigh. “Seeking revenge for a wrongful death doesnotjustify what he’s done. He’s destroyed lives, and I don’t just mean the victims.”
Gary swallowed. “And we’re making sureweavengetheirdeaths.”
Kathy gave him an approving glance. “Good luck.” She exited the room.
Gary walked over to Cory’s photo.We’re getting closer, Cory.
God, he prayed he was right.
Chapter 34
4:00 p.m.
DAN OPENEDhis eyes and stretched.I needed that. He reached for his phone and blinked when he saw the time.Five and a half hours? That was some nap. Guess Ireallyneeded that.
He propped his head up with pillows and clicked on Google. He wasn’t sure what time Gary would finish work—not for a few hours yet—but he had to eat sometime, right? The least Dan could do would be to surprise him with a dinner reservation.
And he knew exactly where to look.
He threw back the comforter and ambled over to the window. Outside it was a lovely late afternoon, and it called to him. Since their weekend together, Dan had left the hotel for two reasons—to go to the precinct and for Cory’s funeral.
Then he remembered he had another search to do.
He went back to the bed and picked up his phone. The first clinic that popped up looked promising, and he had to smile at its name.How apt.When he scrolled through the information, he realized the clinic would close in an hour. But as he went to click on Call, he hesitated. Instead he clicked on Uber. With so little time available, it made more sense than getting his car from hotel parking, then trying to find a place to park near the clinic.
It was too pleasant an afternoon to stay indoors, and the clinic was less than half an hour away by car. He could check it out, see what appointments were available for the coming week, then grab a coffee and find a bench in the sunshine. By the time Gary was finished, he’d be back at the hotel.
A brief pang lanced through him.Gary won’t be happy about me leaving the hotel without him.But it wasn’t as if he was in any danger. The killer wouldn’t be lurking someplace, waiting for him to venture out into the open, ready to pounce.
Like I said, I’m not even on his radar.
When he saw an Uber could be at the hotel in five minutes, he made a mad scramble to pull on his jeans and a shirt.
This won’t take long.
4:20 p.m.
GARY FINISHEDreading the final autopsy report on Marius Eisler, which had come through at last. There were no surprises. If anything it was a carbon copy of the previous four. The tox screen had revealed Rohypnol and ketamine. Although the victim’s body had stopped processing the substances biologically, the markers for them remained. Del had declared death to be due to a fatal dose of ketamine.
He picked up the statements from Jack Noonan’s landlady and roommates. Nothing new in them either. There were the same comments about the number of guys who visited the apartment. Lewis had observed that they could expect nothing else, not when all three occupants were gay.
Concentration proved difficult, but Gary knew the cause of it. There was a fluttery, empty feeling in his stomach, and every time his phone buzzed, he seized it, only to put it down, disappointed, when it wasn’t what he’d expected.
He was waiting for something to happen.
