Path of Bones

by L. T. Ryan

  He patted her hand. “I want you to keep helping people for as long as you’re up to the task. But you must take care of yourself occasionally, too.”

  “I’m trying.” Cassie blew out a large breath. This was not the conversation she was expecting to have tonight. “After Novak, when all the ghosts left, I didn’t feel as relieved as I thought I would. I felt empty. I was on edge. Like at any minute they would come back unannounced.”

  “And they did.”

  “But it felt good to help tonight.” She stared out the windshield and watched as police officers came and went from the building. “It feels good to know that I can help bring peace to Elizabeth, Hannah, and the others. It feels good to know I saved Katie’s life tonight. I love my job at the museum, and I wouldn’t give it up for the world, but my abilities make me who I am.”

  “It sounds like you’re trying to convince yourself more than you’re trying to convince me.”

  Cassie’s laugh was watery. Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. “That’s true. It’s not always easy, but tonight reminded me how strong I can be. It was a good feeling.”

  “I’m glad. Don’t do it again.”

  Cassie laughed, and she was relieved when David joined in with her. “I’ll try to be better. I promise. No more late-night texts about hunting down a serial killer on my own.”

  “I don’t think that’s too much to ask,” David said. “C’mon. Let’s get you situated. I need to call Lisa so she can stop worrying about you.”

  “Tell her I’m sorry, too.”

  David led Cassie into the precinct where she was passed off to another officer. It was the cop she had seen at Sage’s crime scene, the one who had talked to the reporter. Now that she was up close, she could see how young he was. He couldn’t have been on the force for more than a year, two at the most.

  Cassie was taken to an interrogation room so she could get her statement down as soon as possible. The walls of the room pressed in on her and she remembered the countless times she had been somewhere similar. The bad memories stuck out.

  It didn’t take long for her to write out and sign her statement. She and the rookie went over it twice to ensure she had included every detail. And she had.

  She started at the graveyard and the vision from Jessica and went on to her decision to search downtown Savannah for the medical transport van. While it would make things more complicated in court, given the way they stumbled upon the evidence, they caught the killer red-handed and that was the most important fact.

  When the rookie was satisfied, he left the room and was replaced by David.

  “How’re you holding up?” he asked.

  “Pretty good, all things considered. I’d like to get out of this room, though.”

  David stepped to the side and held the door open for her. “How do you feel about watching the interrogation?”

  Cassie paused in the hallway outside the door. “Really? Harris is okay with that?”

  “She suggested it,” David said. “Said it was the least she could do. Might help you with some resolution.”

  “Speaking of, how’s Katie?”

  “Katie is fine. She’ll make a full recovery. She’s an incredibly lucky woman and I think she’s aware of how close she came to death tonight. That’s not something she’ll get over soon, as you’re well aware of, but she’s alive. That’s the important part. She’s grateful to you, by the way.”

  Cassie smiled. It felt good to hear that. “Is Lisa mad at me?”

  David chuckled. “She’s relieved you’re fine and that I made it back in one piece. She’s glad we caught the bastard, but I’m sure she’ll have some strong words for you when you see her next.”

  “Sunday roast?” Cassie asked. They hadn’t had one of those in a while, but it seemed like a good time to pick back up on tradition.

  “Sounds good to me.”

  David opened another door, and he and Cassie filed into a dimly lit room. There were two other officers inside, including the Chief of Police. Cassie had run into her a few times, but they were not friends. By the tight-lipped smile she gave Cassie, Cassie was certain she was aware of the night’s events.

  Cassie’s attention was taken over by what was happening on the other side of the two-way mirror. The doctor was seated on one side of a shiny metal table with his hands cuffed in front of him. A man in a crisp navy suit sat next to him.

  David leaned down to whisper in Cassie’s ear. “He lawyered up the second he was arrested.”

  “He’d be dumb not to with all the evidence against him,” Cassie said.

  At that moment, the door to the interrogation room opened and Harris walked in. She was followed by another detective. He was tall and lean, but his imposing figure was offset by his boyish features. He had sandy hair and a clean-shaven face. Something about him screamed army to Cassie, but she had not met him before.

  “I’m Detective Adelaide Harris and this is my colleague Detective Payton Beauregard.” Harris’s demeanor vastly different from how Cassie had ever seen it. She had a confident, almost arrogant air about her, and she seemed so at ease with the situation at hand.

  “I love this part,” David said wistfully.

  Harris arranged a stack of folders in front of her and sat down, folding her hands across the top of them. The other detective mirrored her movements, though his stiffness implied he had little experience sitting across from a serial killer.

  Harris didn’t bother wasting time. She turned to the lawyer with a genuine smile on her face. “Mr. White, it’s always good to see you, though I’m a bit surprised you’re here. I know you’re used to touting the so-called innocence of your clients, but it’s going to be pretty difficult to do that in this case.”

  Mr. White’s smile was as genuine. “I’m going to cut straight to the chase, Detective Harris. My client is willing to provide you with a full confession in exchange for a reduced sentence.”

  Harris laughed, shocked by the audacity of the statement. “It’s not going to be difficult to prove he committed all four murders, Mr. White. Why would we consider your offer?”

  Mr. White leaned back in his chair. “My client was coerced. To have his charge reduced, he’s willing to provide you with every detail of this particular, ah, situation, as well as information on the man who’s been blackmailing him.”

  Harris looked between Mr. White and the doctor. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.

  Mr. White leaned forward again. “Shall we get started?”

  Thirty

  “Whenever you’re ready, Dr. Langford,” Harris said.

  Cassie took a step closer to the interrogation window and looked at the doctor for the first time since their standoff in the woods. He was, in fact, a handsome man, but there was something about his eyes. Something missing. They looked like shark eyes. Cold. Dark. Void of empathy.

  Not for the first time that night, Cassie wondered how someone like that could be a doctor.

  Langford turned to his lawyer. “I don’t know about this. It doesn’t feel right.”

  Harris leaned forward. “Dr. Langford, it is far from a little-known fact that I’m not the biggest fan of Mr. White, but I can assure you that he’s an extremely capable lawyer. He always has his best interests in mind and therefore his clients’ best interests in mind. If he has advised you to provide us with an explanation as to why you murdered four women and attempted to kill two more, take the advice. If you don’t, I can guarantee we’ll be able to pull enough evidence from your van in order to nail you to the wall. Several walls, in fact.”

  Langford glared at Harris for a second or two while mulling over his options. His steepled hands separated and fingertips fell to the table. He provided her a tight smile. “Very well. Where should I start?”

  “Tell them about Lucy,” Mr. White said. “Start at the beginning.”

  “I had been dating Lucy Sitwell for about two years. She found out I had been cheating on her with one of the nurses at wo
rk, and when she came to confront me, we had a big fight. She tried to leave, I grabbed her arm, she yanked it away, and proceeded to fall down the stairs at my house. I heard her neck crack when she hit the bottom. Her head started bleeding. Just from the sound, I already knew she couldn’t be saved.”

  Cassie put a hand over her mouth. “My God,” she whispered. “He said it like he’s reading from a textbook. He doesn’t even care.”

  Harris nodded at Beauregard, who started taking notes, and turned back to Langford. “How long ago was this?”

  “About six weeks.”

  “Did you report her death to the police?”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “It would’ve ruined my reputation.” Langford’s voice was easy, relaxed. “If I reported her death to the police, I would’ve looked like a suspect. It would’ve been easy enough to discover I had been cheating, easy enough to see she had shown up to confront me. Even if I was not arrested or convicted, my colleagues would’ve always wondered if I’d done it. That would’ve impacted my work at the hospital.”

  “What did you do instead?”

  For the first time, Langford looked uncomfortable. “I chose to cover it up.”

  “How?”

  “I buried her body in the woods on the edge of my property in the middle of the night. I cleaned up my house, made sure it was spotless. I took all of her clothes and everything she’d left behind and put them in her car, and I drove her car back to her apartment.”

  “That same night?”

  “Yes.”

  “What did you do next?” Harris asked. She glanced over at Beauregard’s notes and apparently satisfied, returned her unflinching gaze to Langford.

  “I made sure no one was around, and then I packed a bag and made it look like she’d decided to leave town. Her sister lives in Oregon. They were always emailing back and forth. I sent her a message as Lucy saying she needed to get away and that she was going to drive up to visit her. Lucy was always talking about wanting to take a cross country trip.”

  “I take it you had no interest in that?”

  “It seems like a waste of time,” Langford said coolly. “If I wanted to visit the west coast, it would be California and I’d fly there. I’d also make sure to go alone.”

  “Did you care about Lucy?” Harris asked. “At all?”

  Langford smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Of course, I cared about her. We were a good fit. She was good looking. Easy to please.”

  “You mean easy to manipulate?”

  “Detective Harris,” Mr. White leaned forward, “please don’t put words into my client’s mouth. He’s cooperating with your investigation.”

  “We’ll see about that,” Harris said. “What did you do after you sent the email?”

  “I drove her car an hour west. Left it in a gas station parking lot. Then I called one of my buddies and asked him to pick me up.”

  “Your friend didn’t think that was strange?”

  Langford looked at Harris like she was a simpleton. “We were always doing stuff like that. Going out, getting drunk. Picking up women and going back to their place. We have a strict no questions asked policy.”

  “And your friend will be able to corroborate your story?”

  “Colt Morrison. He’ll tell you the same thing I did.”

  “We’ll be sure to find out,” Harris said. “What about Lucy’s friends and family? They must’ve been worried about her.”

  “Her sister tried calling her the next day.”

  “Then what happened?”

  “Obviously, she didn’t pick up.”

  “Mr. Langford, do I need to remind you that you are in an incredible amount of trouble? Your life, as you know it, is over. I am your best shot at getting what you want from this. I suggest you use less sarcasm.”

  Langford rolled his eyes. “Of course, Detective. My apologies.”

  Harris brushed it off. “Did Lucy’s sister call the police?”

  “Yes.” Langford’s tone was one of forced civility. “They paid me a visit. I was upfront about the fight, but I said she left. I played the part of a grieving boyfriend, regretful of having cheated on her.”

  “Were you aware of whether they suspected foul play?”

  “They probably did, but you’d have to talk to the cops who interviewed me. Given my profession, I was afforded the benefit of the doubt. As far as I know, the investigation is ongoing.”

  “And Lucy’s family?”

  “Her sister tracked me down at work, asked all sorts of questions.”

  “Did she suspect you?”

  “I don’t think so. Like I said, being a doctor has its perks.”

  “Did your colleagues have anything to say? Your friends? Did Colt Morrison suspect you?”

  “Colt’s an idiot. We were pre-med together, but he couldn’t cut it. Dropped out and became a real estate agent. Like I said, he doesn’t ask questions.”

  “And your colleagues?”

  “They felt bad for me.” Langford looked proud of himself. “I was grieving. Got some time off out of it, too.”

  “And the nurse you were sleeping with?”

  “She didn’t care. She knew I had a girlfriend at the time. She thought I had bad luck. Made her feel bad for me. Worked out in my favor.”

  Harris looked disgusted.

  Cassie leaned over to David. “This guy is a joke. He watched his girlfriend die and has no remorse.”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised if he pushed her,” David said. “But it’s going to be hell trying to prove that given his story.”

  “Why is he admitting to all of this anyway? He knows he’s going to prison.”

  “He would’ve gone to prison regardless. Better to go for covering up your girlfriend’s death—accidental or not—than to take the blame for killing those four women.”

  “But he did kill those four women,” Cassie said.

  Harris spoke again, cutting off whatever David was about to say.

  “I assume you’ll be telling us the exact location for Lucy’s body?”

  Mr. White answered for his client. “My client is more than willing to cooperate in any way deemed necessary.”

  “So, you’ve said. Many times.”

  Harris turned back to Langford. “So, I want to get this right. Your girlfriend catches you cheating and confronts you at your house. You get into a fight and accidentally push her down the—”

  “I didn’t push her.” Langford’s face was red. “I’m not a common criminal, Detective Harris. Please don’t treat me like one.”

  “My mistake,” Harris looked pleased with herself. “You get into a fight and she falls down the stairs. Then, instead of calling the cops and reporting the accident, you decide to bury her body and make it look like she left town.”

  “An action my client regrets,” Mr. White said.

  “Of course.” Harris wasn’t convinced. “And when the police showed up with questions, you doubled down on your story. Is this all correct?”

  “More or less, yes,” Langford said.

  “So, I guess the question is, how does any of this tie to the reason you decided to kill four other women?”

  “I didn’t decide anything.” Langford sat up straight in his chair. “Like I said, I was coerced.”

  “And who coerced you?”

  “Oh, I have no idea.” Langford was dead serious. “He hasn’t told me who he is.”

  Thirty-One

  Harris kept her composure, but Cassie could tell she was fighting to keep her frustration at bay. She plastered a smile on her face and turned to the lawyer. “Mr. White, if your client is wasting my time, so help me—”

  “I assure you, Detective Harris, he is quite serious. As he relayed the story to me, a letter showed up a week later. The sender knew my client had buried his girlfriend in his backyard and proceeded to mislead the police every step of the way in their investigation into her disappearance.”

  “H
ow did he know?” Harris asked.

  “Not a clue.” Langford’s voice was cold. “He didn’t stop and explain his evil plan before he told me to commit murder for him.”

  Harris leaned back in her seat and crossed one leg over the other. “All right, start from the beginning.”

  Langford looked over at his lawyer again. When White nodded, Langford turned back to the detectives.

  “A week after Lucy died, a letter showed up in the mail. No return address. It pretty much said he knew what had happened. He told me that if I wanted it to stay a secret, I had to do a few things for him.”

  “That was it?” Harris asked.

  “That was it. A few days later, another letter showed up. This one told me to go to the junkyard and pay cash for an old medical transport van that was about to get scrapped.”

  “Given your mode of transportation, I assume you did it.”

  “At the time, it seemed like a small price to pay to keep my secret, uh, buried, for lack of a better word.”

  Harris’s smile was tight. “Did another letter come after that?”

  “Next, he told me to steal some tools from the hospital, including an electric bone saw. Again, it didn’t seem like a big deal.”

  “When did it start becoming a big deal?”

  “A few days later, he sent me a picture in the mail, along with a name and some basic information.”

  “One of your victims?” Harris asked.

  “One of the blackmailer’s victims,” Mr. White clarified. “My client was—”

  “Coerced, yeah I got it.” Harris looked back at Langford. “Who was it?”

  “Hannah Williams. This guy told me he’d set her up on a date through one of the dating apps using a fake profile. When that guy stood her up, I would swoop in and flirt with her. Then I’d drug her drink, get her to leave with me, and transport her using the van. We’d go to whatever park I could get into without being noticed and slit her throat, collect the blood, and cut out her heart.”

  “Just like that?” Harris asked. “Why not admit to Lucy’s accidental death and go to the cops with the information you had on the blackmailer?”