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“How did she—? Kara!”
“I see it,” she said as she swerved to avoid a too-slow moving car. “Isn’t there a law against drivingunderthe speed limit? Thisisa fucking highway,” she muttered.
Catherine let out a long breath. “How did Marcy know that Jamie was pregnant? That they moved up the wedding? Did they announce it on social media? Have a party?”
It took Kara two seconds but she realized what had happened. “It was last night at the Fish & Brew. Pete Dunlap told me everything, and I didn’t see it!”
“Everything what?”
“Cal was at the Fish & Brew last night with Jamie. I thought Marcy had left, but what if she overheard them—or part of the conversation? She left before me. And according to Dunlap, Jamie told him and Rena that she was pregnant. He already knew about the wedding. Marcy blends, she could have been hiding in the shadows, eavesdropping, fuck if I know, but that had to have been what set her off.”
Catherine considered what Kara was saying. “I can’t speak to what she was thinking at the time, but maybe if Marcy feels she can’t have a child, that she’s getting too old, or if she hasn’t been able to maintain a long-term relationship, maybe Hazel is a shortcut to the life she wants. This is good, actually, because if Marcy thinks of Hazel as hers, she’ll protect her.”
“I can work with that.”
“Be careful. If you’re right and she’s the bomber, she has the ability to plan multiple steps ahead. She won’t be easily fooled.”
“I’m not going to try and fool her. I’m going to be as straightforward and honest as I can.”
“I would be cautious in how straightforward you are. Marcy is highly intelligent, and she has shown no remorse for her actions.”
Kara considered that, then asked, “Why does she mimic people? Why copy her roommate or me? Why try to be just like her FTO, who was a guy?”
“There could be several reasons. It’s not criminal—she’d have never been in the Coast Guard or passed a police background check if she had a criminal past. But most police screenings are exemplary in weeding out sociopaths. Still, very good, very controlled sociopaths, even with psychopathic tendencies, can get in, and Marcy seems to model this—until now. Remember, we still don’t know anything about her childhood. Some abuse might not show up in psych profiles, especially if someone is intentionally trying to hide it. Or reveal a small abuse. Such as—why can’t you be more like your sister?”
Catherine cleared her throat, and Kara wondered if maybe there was a thread of truth to that statement in the shrink’s personal life. But Kara didn’t ask. They had four minutes until arrival.
“I need to let you out.” She looked for a place to pull over.
“Kara, I told Matt that you should do this, but I am not confident that you’re stable enough.”
“At least you’re honest.”
Maybe she wasn’t stable. Hell, she didn’t know. But what she did know was that she was the best person for this specific job, and damn if she was going to let this shrink demoralize her.
“I think you’re reckless and impulsive and are used to doing everything on your own,” said Catherine.
Kara swerved over to the shoulder when she saw a spot wide enough for the truck. “Great, go.”
Catherine didn’t leave. “However, you’ve shown good instincts, and you know Marcy better than any of us. Because Marcy fixated on you, you might be the only one who can de-escalate the situation—if it can be de-escalated. She may do something unexpected. Most criminals, if they feel trapped or emotionally exposed, can turn extremely dangerous. But until you can expose her true motivations and why she’d gone to these lengths, she’s not going to back down.”
Catherine opened the door, then closed it. “Kara, beverycareful with Marcy.”
“Aww, you care.”
“I’m serious here, Kara. I don’t know if Jamie is alive at this point. I think it’s fifty-fifty. And while Hazel may not be in immediate danger, she could be if Marcy gets it into her head that she wants to hurt Cal by taking away everything that he loves.”
Catherine glanced at Kara. “What else did you learn from all these people you talked to?” she asked.
“What are you talking about?”
“After an hour conversation with Madelyn Jeffries, you decided that she not only did not kill her husband, but she didn’t hire anyone to do so.”
“Hour? It only took five minutes.”
“You didn’t know anything about her background, you based your decision on a conversation and how she answered the questions, how she physically responded. Subtle clues in her psychology that manifest themselves to a trained eye.”
“That’s why it pissed me off that you didn’t take my word for it. Iamtrained.”
