by Nancy Mehl
“Somehow the UNSUB knew you would come to Iowa,” Noah said. “That means we have to be suspicious of everyone connected to the case.”
Kaely sighed. “I honestly don’t believe Sawyer or John Howard could be working with my father.”
“What about Tobias Bell?”
Kaely was quiet as she considered his question. “He’s got an ego, but I find it hard to believe he’s involved.”
Noah shrugged. “So maybe your father refused to answer any questions because he figured Sawyer wouldn’t have any other options but to control you?”
“Maybe,” Kaely said, slowly drawing out the word. “But it’s a long shot.”
Noah nodded. “I don’t see any other explanation.”
“Let’s put that on the back burner for now,” Kaely said, frowning.
“Kaely, why a wire angel?” Noah asked. “Did Ed ever explain that?”
She shook her head. “I have no earthly idea. He never made anything like that at home. He had a small workshop in the garage, and I saw rolls of wire there, but it never occurred to me that was unusual. Kids don’t pay attention to stuff like that. And since authorities never released the part about the angels, we wouldn’t have been alerted anyway.”
“You know, it’s almost a miracle that no one leaked that information to the public.”
Kaely nodded. “I agree, but there really wasn’t any reason for it. In the end the district attorney’s office had all the evidence they needed. Like I told you, thankfully, my father pleaded guilty, saving us from going through a trial.”
“Do you really think he did that for your benefit? Because your mom asked him to? Doesn’t sound like something a man who didn’t care about his family would do.”
“My mother thinks he did it because she asked him to. Maybe he did, but to be honest, I don’t buy it. I think he did it because he knew they had him. What was the point?”
“But don’t serial killers usually like attention? Wouldn’t a trial have given him more media exposure?”
Kaely frowned at him. “Can we get back to this case?”
“Sure. Sorry.” Why was she deflecting? Was she really convinced her father had no feelings for her? He wasn’t so sure.
“The UNSUB buried the last victim in that rail yard closer to the surface,” Kaely said. “He wanted her to be found. He was ready to reveal himself.”
Noah nodded. “But the people who found her probably bumped up his timeline.”
Kaely was quiet for a moment. “He plans so carefully. I wonder how that affected him.”
Noah popped a piece of beef into his mouth and thought about what Kaely had just said. “Well, it didn’t seem to knock him off course. He already had someone else in his sights. He killed the woman they found in front of the gas station. The ME said she was murdered on Tuesday night, and she was found Wednesday morning.”
“Yeah, he seems under control, but then he kills Marie. That couldn’t have been planned. Somehow, he found out Kenny had talked to us. This was some kind of punishment.”
Noah nodded. “He does go off script, then.”
Kaely stared down at her food. “Which makes it hard to anticipate his next move.”
“What else do we know for certain?”
Kaely took a deep breath. “We know our UNSUB has had contact with my father. He knows who this guy is.” Kaely hit her fist on the table. “He’s just as responsible for these deaths as if he were killing the women himself.” She fastened her gaze on Noah. “It makes me so angry.”
“I know. But anger won’t get him to talk to you.”
“I realize that.” Kaely took a drink of her water. “It’s so hard to sit across from him, Noah.”
“I know.”
She stabbed a piece of pineapple with her fork. “Okay, back to the case. Like I said, we know for sure that my father is communicating with the UNSUB. And now we also know our copycat is either inside the prison or has close contact with someone there. He knew about Kenneth Beck. Was able to find his wife. Your upcoming interviews will be so important. You may actually talk to our UNSUB or an individual who’s working with him. If the computer tech decides the message on the laptop was written by someone who actually entered that office, then we’ve narrowed it down more. Someone who has access to that locked area is involved.”
“Of course, it’s possible our UNSUB may have found a way to get around the security system.”
“True. At this point we can’t rule out any possibilities. I understand the secure wing is pretty new. What about technicians who helped set it up? Of course, with the password changing frequently, that probably isn’t realistic.” She pointed her fork at him. “When you’re doing your interviews, be really careful. Don’t tip your hand.”
“You’re worried.”
“Yeah, the message on the computer tells me he knows things he shouldn’t know unless he—or she—is watching us. Even if the message was sent from somewhere offsite, how did the UNSUB know we would be assigned that room? Just the fact that it was the only one available doesn’t seem to be enough. It still bothers me.”
Noah put down his fork. “You said ‘she.’ I thought most serial killers are men.”
“They are. But some have been women. Aileen Wuornos. And Jane Toppan.”
“Who?”
“Toppan killed dozens of people in the late 1800s. Then there was Nannie Doss. She murdered five husbands, a mother-in-law, her sisters, two of their children, and her own mother.”
“Yikes. I guess you could include the Charles Manson women in that list.” He studied her for a moment. “Why did you bring that up? Do you think our UNSUB could be a woman?”
Kaely shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“You’re still thinking about Dr. Engle. You think a Christian woman is murdering women?”
“Anyone can call themselves a Christian,” Kaely said, darkly. “My father went to church. Dennis Rader was a church leader.”
“But could she overpower them?”
“With a stun gun? Sure.” Kaely rubbed the back of her neck. “Maybe I’m reaching, but Engle is the only person we know who’s actually talking to my father, and she could have easily obtained access to that laptop.”
“Yeah. I guess we can’t rule out anyone, and her office is right down the hall.”
“Look, I’m not saying it’s her, but we need to figure out who it could be. Fast. A prisoner? One of the guards? Warden Galloway, Dr. Engle, Deputy Warden Clark?” She pointed her finger at Noah. “That one guy. You know. The guard who looked so menacing? He saw us talking to Kenny. He should be the first interview on your list of guards. What was his name? Raymond Cooper?”
He nodded. “But he couldn’t gain access to that secure area, right? Nor could another guard or an inmate. Unless, as you suggested, they gained access to the special code.”
Noah watched as she tapped her fingernails on the tabletop after she pushed away most of her lunch. He hoped they’d find something soon to bring this case to an end. He wasn’t sure Kaely could hold it together much longer. But what could he do about it? He didn’t know, but he couldn’t just stand by and watch her come apart. He was convinced she shouldn’t have come here. The FBI might be her life, but they’d asked too much of her this time. He was learning that the indestructible Kaely Quinn was a myth. In the end, she was just a flesh-and-blood woman, as easily broken as anyone else.
Thirty
Kaely and Noah got to the coffee shop before Kenny did. Noah offered to get them both coffee. Kaely decided to be adventurous and asked for a caramel frappe. It was delicious. She hadn’t been able to finish her lunch because her stomach was tied in knots. Thankfully, the icy coffee drink easily slid down her throat, for some reason soothing her.
She was having a tough time concentrating. Maybe she was just tired. She’d decided to get to bed early tonight since after they talked to Kenny, they’d be through for the day. She felt a little guilty about interviewing him so soon after his wife’s murde
r, but the police detectives wouldn’t allow them to interview family members of any of the other victims.
She also felt guilty about Marie Beck’s murder even though Pauline Harper had tried to convince the team—especially Sawyer—they couldn’t have moved fast enough to stop it. Marie was found in a parking lot not far from where the last victim had been found, her body dumped behind a church. When the church janitor emptied the trash last night, he’d found her. She’d been killed just like the others.
Kaely had just taken another sip of her frappe when Kenny walked in. He was wearing a cap pulled low as if trying to hide his face. Probably afraid for his life. Poor guy.
He went to the counter and ordered an iced coffee. Then he came to their table. “Thanks for meeting me here,” he said. “I can’t take a chance of being seen with you at the prison.” He sat down across from her and Noah. “Of course, there’s not much more they can do to hurt me. They’ve taken Marie. If they kill me, they might be doing me a favor.” Tears filled his eyes, and he reached for one of the napkins in the dispenser on the table. “Sorry,” he said.
“Nothing you need to apologize for,” Noah said. “We can’t help feeling as if some of this is our fault. Obviously, someone saw you talking to us.”
Kenny shook his head. “It isn’t your fault. Please don’t think that way. The only person at fault here is the person who murdered my Marie.”
“Kenny, do you have any suspicions? Someone you think might be involved?” Kaely asked.
Kenny’s eyes darted around the room as if trying to make sure he wasn’t being watched. Finally, he nodded. “Look, you might think this sounds crazy, but there’s this guard. Raymond? He’s the one who wanted me to hurry up and get all that stuff for you to look through.”
“Raymond Cooper?” Kaely said. “I remember him, and we’ve since seen him hanging around. He gives me the creeps. You think he might be involved?”
“I . . . I don’t know. But like I told you, he spends a lot of time with Dr. Engle.” He shrugged. “It’s just . . . odd.” The tightness in Kaely’s stomach increased. “Are you saying you think they’re in this together?” That would explain a lot. There had been quite a few serial killer couples. Is this what they were dealing with? If so, the profile Kaely had been shaping in her mind was completely wrong. Just like everything else she’d done lately. Why couldn’t she get a handle on this UNSUB? Why was she having so much trouble concentrating?
“Is the only reason you suspect this Raymond person and the doctor because they spend time together?” Noah asked. Kaely could hear the doubt in his voice. He was right. That wasn’t enough of a reason for Noah and Kaely to suspect them.
“No, not really. It’s the way they act when they’re together. As if they don’t want to be overheard. I walked past the doctor’s office not long ago. The door was partly open, and Cooper saw me. If looks could kill, I would have dropped dead. He got up and closed the door as quickly as he could.”
“Did you hear anything they were saying?” Kaely asked.
Kenny shrugged. “I heard their voices, but I wasn’t paying attention. Didn’t know I needed to.”
“I understand.” She couldn’t help but be a little disappointed. Kenny’s information wasn’t really helpful. “We’ll look into it. Maybe he’s not the person we’re looking for, but he could be working with our killer.” She paused for a moment before saying, “Kenny, do you mind if I ask you about what happened the night Marie was killed?”
“No. I want to help.”
“Tell me how you think the killer was able to get to her.”
“She . . . she was going to the store. We had planned to watch a movie, and we were out of popcorn.” His voice choked. “Marie loved popcorn. I should have gone for it, but I wasn’t feeling well. My sinuses were giving me fits.”
“And she just didn’t return?” Kaely had read the police report that morning and knew all the details, but she was hoping Kenny might add something they’d missed. Something that would help them.
He nodded. “When she didn’t come home right away, I tried to call her on her cell phone. No answer. After about an hour, I got in our other vehicle and went looking for her. When I found her car in the grocery store parking lot, I went inside, but I couldn’t locate her. Even had a store employee call for her over the intercom.” He sighed shakily. “I went back to the car, but she still hadn’t returned. That’s when I called the police. But it never occurred to me even once that her disappearance had anything to do with the Copycat Killer.” He shrugged. “Your mind just doesn’t go there, you know? Something like that can’t happen to you or someone you love. It always happens to someone else.”
“The police didn’t find anything when they went to the scene?” Kaely asked.
“No. Nothing. Everything was gone, along with her purse and her phone. They were able to identify her only because Marie had her ATM card in her pocket. She’d withdrawn some cash earlier in the day.”
No purse at the scene. No phone. He was taking trophies. That was a good thing. Find the trophies. Find the UNSUB.
Kaely’s phone rang, and she pulled it out of her pocket. Jason. “I’m sorry, I need to take this,” she said. “I’ll be right back.”
She answered her phone and asked Jason to wait, then walked outside. “Sorry,” she said. “Talking to a guy whose wife was killed by our UNSUB. I feel so sorry for him.”
“I can talk to you later,” Jason said.
“It’s okay. He isn’t really giving us anything that will help. When will you be here?”
“Tomorrow afternoon. I’ve made reservations at the hotel across from you.”
“Still not sure this is a good idea. Like I told you, I’m not having a kumbaya moment with Dad. I’m trying to stop a serial killer.”
“I get it. But has it occurred to you that I might be able to help? That maybe he’ll tell me something he won’t tell you?”
“No, Jason. Don’t bring up our UNSUB with him. You could ruin everything. I’m working hard to develop trust. If he thinks I sent you in to talk to him—”
“Okay, sis. I get it. Chill out. I’ll keep my visit family oriented. I’ve been told you found out I’ve been to the prison before. I think Dad and I have a pretty good relationship.”
Kaely wanted to laugh. Ed Oliphant couldn’t have good relationships. He was showing Jason whatever he thought his son wanted to see. But Kaely couldn’t tell her brother that without hurting him, so she kept that knowledge to herself.
“Wish you’d told me about your visits.”
“Sorry. I just didn’t want to argue with you.”
“We’ll talk about it when you get here.”
“Will you be armed?”
In spite of herself, Kaely laughed. “We’ll see. I’m meeting with Dad tomorrow afternoon, so I’ll phone you when I get back to the hotel. Let’s plan on going out to dinner.”
“Sounds good. At some point while I’m there, let’s drive into Des Moines and eat at Mort’s.”
“Went there right after we checked into the field office. Great minds think alike. That sounds wonderful. Let’s do it.”
“Awesome. And, sis?”
“Yeah?”
“I can’t wait to see you again.”
Kaely smiled to herself. “Me too. Love you, little brother.”
“Same to you.”
Jason said good-bye and hung up. Kaely put her phone in her pocket and went back into the coffee shop. When she got to the table, she found Kenny telling Noah about his wife. She could tell Noah was moved. These two men had been through the same kind of loss. Kaely sat down and listened, but she didn’t say anything. This was something they understood in a way she couldn’t.
“She had sable-brown hair,” Kenny was saying. “And the greenest eyes I’ve ever seen. She had a way of smiling that made everyone around her feel better.” He blinked away tears. “How am I going to live without her? And how can I live with the knowledge that my job cost Marie her li
fe?” He shook his head and stared into his coffee cup. “She didn’t want me to work at the prison. Thought it was too dangerous. She was afraid I’d be hurt . . . or killed. How could I know that she would be the one most affected by my decision? If only I could take it back.”
“Kenny, it’s obvious you loved your wife,” Noah said. “You’ve got to understand that unless you took that job knowing it would lead to her death, you can’t blame yourself. You chose a job. You didn’t choose to lose Marie.”
Kenny looked up at Noah. Kaely could see that Noah’s words had brought some comfort. They’d also helped her see her own role more clearly. If she’d had any idea Marie was in danger, she would have moved heaven and earth to protect her. No matter how many times she went over it, she couldn’t see a way she and Noah could have done anything differently. The people at the CP had been responsible for protecting Kenny and his family. She and Noah weren’t given the authority to do so.
“Why Marie?” Kenny asked, his question directed at Kaely.
“I don’t know,” she answered truthfully. “But I imagine it was a warning of some kind.”
“To me?”
“Not necessarily. It might have been directed toward someone else. Sending a message that if they told us too much—if they revealed what they knew—the same thing would happen to someone they loved.”
Kenny’s face paled. “Marie died as a warning? That’s all her life meant to some . . . twisted psycho?” He stared past Kaely as if he saw someone standing behind her. “She meant a lot more to me than that.” He looked back and forth between them. “Please, let me help. Give me a way to help catch him. I need to do this for Marie.”
Kaely understood his anger, but he could cause more trouble for all of them if he tried to inject himself into the investigation. “Please, Kenny,” she said softly. “Go home. Bury your wife. Mourn. Give it some time. When you’re better, contact us. If we’re still here, we’ll let you know if there’s something you can do. But I hope by that time, we’ll have him. Then you can watch him get thrown in jail, where he’ll spend the rest of his life.”
