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As she approached the wreck, she could see the doctor struggling to free himself from the mangled car. His eyes widened in terror when he spotted her, his hands desperately clawing at the seatbelt.
"Dr. Theo Caldwell!" she shouted over the wind, her voice firm and authoritative. "You're under arrest! Now step out of the vehicle with your hands up!"
The doctor's gaze flickered between her and the steering wheel, as if willing his car to continue.
But then he released a pent-up breath, and he sagged, deflating.
Rachel gestured at him with one hand, her other gripping her weapon.
Reluctantly, he pushed out of the back of the car, wincing as he did.
"What the hell was that for!" he yelled at her, his face twisting into an expression of anger.
"Hands where I can see them!" she said sharply.
Caldwell was staring at her, panic in his gaze. "It isn't what you think!" he yelled. "you've got it all wrong."
"What do I have wrong?" she said, gun pointed at him.
But he flashed a nervous grin. He wagged a finger from side to side. "No, no," he said. "You're trying to trap me with your words. It wasn't anything bad. This is a setup."
He was rambling, and his eyes were bloodshot.
"Mr. Caldwell, are you high?" she said slowly.
He frowned as if offended by the inference, but as he tried to step towards her, he walked with a wobbly gait.
"Please," he said, his voice moaning. "I lost someone dear to me. Very dear. I didn't...." he hiccupped. "Didn't mean to cause trouble."
She was surprised to see tears slipping down his cheeks now.
He approached her again, taking another step. "Stay back!" she snapped.
Caldwell now stood in front of her car, the bright lights illuminating his features and giving Rachel a long look at the man.
He was older than she had initially thought, with deep lines etched into his forehead and wrinkles around his eyes. His hair was unkempt, and his clothes were rumpled and stained. His once sharp features were now haggard, and he appeared to be on the brink of collapse.
"She died," he whispered. "She... died."
Rachel stared at him.
"Who? Three women died, didn't they? Did you kill them?"
He let out a long sigh. "It's just so sad... So very sad."
He grimaced and shook his head.
"What's the point?" he asked, scuffing his foot in the sand. "I mean... do you ever just think about that? What the point is?"
"Caldwell, stay back, and put your hands up," she said cautiously.
But Dr. Caldwell didn't listen, and instead took another step towards Rachel's car.
"I'm not going to hurt you," he said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. "I just need someone to talk to."
Rachel hesitated, her gun still trained on the man. She had dealt with her fair share of suspects trying to manipulate her.
"Talk to me then," she said finally, her tone firm but not unkind. "But keep your hands where I can see them."
