by Fuller, Levi
Landers didn’t look her way but replied to her words. “I think that would be a waste of Dr. Summers’s obvious talent.”
“You, a man with no forensic experience, have a better plan?” Kate grated, not liking his tone, choice of words, or obvious meddling.
“I . . .”
“That was a rhetorical question, Mr. Landers,” Kate said, stalking a single pace closer. “Let me make something clear, right now. You are here as a witness, as a member of the public called in to aid us, the law enforcers here, in closing these cases accurately. You will answer the questions put to you as best and as honestly as possible, then you will leave.”
Landers took her in and a slow smile spread across his face. He rose, nodded once to the others, and stepped up to Kate. Despite only being tall enough to reach her shoulder, he still seemed to somehow be looking down on her.
“When you are ready for answers, Dr. Summers, I will find you.”
Kate watched him leave, not knowing whether she should be angry or afraid.
5
“Are you sure you want us to let him go?” Jack asked, as the door swung shut behind Landers.
Kate lowered the arm that she had lifted to stop his mad dash in preventing Landers from leaving. “We’re not chasing him. Make a formal request for his testimony regarding my parents’ case and then ask for his opinion on its possible connections to this case. After that, cut him loose.”
“Why? It is obvious he seems to have a great deal to say,” Kyle said, tilting his chair back on two legs. “It is also obvious that he seems only willing to say those things to you.”
Kate rolled her eyes. “Come on, Kyle, he is clearly just trying to play head games. I’m not letting some justice for hire in Olsen’s back pocket throw me off this case. Get what you can. We’ll manage the rest ourselves.”
Kyle shrugged, and Jack nodded. “You’re right. Just ignore him. I’ll make sure that he gives us whatever he has.”
Kate managed a smile of thanks, instead of a sigh, at his obvious attempt to be her knight in shining armor.
“If you have nothing to add, Dr. Adams, I’m going to get to work on the small finds.”
Adams nodded. “That’s fine. There’s still a bunch—including the few you brought in yourself.”
Kate turned for the door. She’d forgotten all about the microscope in the rush of everything else. It was probably nothing, but along with it, she’d found other things too. Somewhere in those little evidence bags might be the clue she needed to solve this, without giving Landers the satisfaction of begging for what he seemed to know.
He probably knows nothing and is just a charlatan. Olsen wouldn’t care if it got me gone.
Although the words were strong, she had to fight another shiver and the feeling of being watched, as she walked to the evidence sorting labs at the back of the building.
****
“What are you doing?”
Kyle heard Jack but didn’t break off his train of thought. They’d decided that their first steps, especially before talking to someone like Landers, was to compile a set of questionnaires, after sifting and debating points of Kate’s simulations. She’d brought up some interesting points, such as the change in the killer’s physique. While there was no denying that the marks clearly linked the two sets of murders beyond a doubt, the change in the killer meant one of two things. Either she was wrong, and there had always been two killers, one bigger and stronger than the other, but who had known of those benchmarks? Or the killer had been a juvenile at the time of the first fire and had grown up in the twenty years that followed. The idea sent a chill down his spine. Could an adolescent child truly have been capable of the murder of Kate’s parents?
“You planning on answering my question, or are you going to stare out the window all day?” Jack asked, an edge of annoyance to his tone now.
“I’m thinking. Let me think,” Kyle said.
Landers’s voice had seemed to have embedded itself in his brain. The man either knew something he wasn’t saying or had serious issues. Kyle frowned, tapping his chin. It had been almost like Landers was prodding Kate, in a carefully thought out and methodical pattern, but to what end? Had he simply been trying to cause a breakdown as she had suspected? He didn’t deny Olsen’s attempt to bribe him. Kyle shook his head. What other option was there? That Landers had discovered something about the case, or that he thought Kate knew something?
Kyle felt his muscles freeze, knowing, with some instinct born of a lifetime of this kind of work, that he had managed to get there. Landers believed that Kate knew something and was, what, suppressing it? He nodded to himself. It didn’t matter. What mattered now was why Landers thought that and whether he was right or not.
“What are they up to?”
Kyle had already turned back to Jack, meaning to tell him of his epiphany, only to find the man peering through a crack in the blinds, looking like a poorly trained spy in some thriller.
“Who?”
“Olsen, Adams, and Landers.”
Kyle rushed to the blinds and found his own gap to peer through. Jack was right. The three were walking towards Olsen’s office, but what gave him real pause for thought was the fact that Landers was leading them, not Olsen. Olsen looked to be having some kind of internal debate, fluctuating between almost smiling and then followed by a minute shake of the head. Adams, too, looked odd, walking almost dreamlike after the other two.
“I knew it,” Jack said, stepping back, as they entered Olsen’s office and the door shut, blocking their view. “I knew they were conspiring against Kate. I just didn’t think Adams was in on it.”
“What?” Kyle said, realizing how different a conclusion they had just come to.
“What do you mean, what? You saw them as clearly as I did. Hey, do you think Olsen has forced Adams in somehow? I mean, we know it isn’t beneath him to resort to illegal methods to achieve what he wants. We need to find out what he has on her before he makes trouble for Kate.”
Kyle shook his head. “We don’t know any of that. It could simply be because of the simulations earlier. Landers was shown some pretty sensitive stuff and then was allowed to just leave. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if we get called in soon, too, and get raked over the coals.”
“Are you sure you’re not just making excuses?”
Kyle met his partner’s eyes. “What do you mean?”
“You owe Kate. She saved you from Olsen’s plans twice. She gave you your life back. Don’t you realize what it will do to her if she’s thrown off the case?”
Kyle straightened and took a step closer to his partner. “Let’s make a few things clear, Jack. I know Kate far better than you do. We were friends since before we could walk, and despite the recent break in communication, we never went more than a day without talking. So don’t try to tell me what her emotional state would be if Olsen is playing dirty again. I know everything Kate did. I know I owe her, but I also know that it will make things far worse for her if we go jumping to conclusions.”
Jack held his gaze, then nodded once. “Fine. But I am going to start keeping tabs on them.”
Kyle shrugged, “Just don’t make it obvious, for all our sakes. If you are wrong, you’ll do far more damage than simply breaking Kate’s heart.”
Jack nodded again and began scribbling in his notepad, eyes tight, a silent signal that he was fighting a wave of anger.
Landers really has us pegged, Kyle mused, thinking of Landers’s rude, but accurate greeting earlier. He already knows so much about us, yet all we have on him is public forum information.
He stepped back to the blinds, looking at the large office across the way. The door was still closed, the blinds still drawn. His conclusion, unlike Jack’s, had been that Olsen and Adams had both been let into the inner circle by Landers. Whatever he knew from twenty years ago had become shared knowledge between the three of them. Kyle tilted his head slightly. Whatever it was, hadn’t been good news. Neither looked like th
ey wouldn’t have been happy to find out it was all a dream.
Or maybe I’m seeing what I expect to.
“Are we ready to go with those questions?” Kyle asked, not looking away from the object of his thoughts.
“I think so, why?”
Kyle glanced back over his shoulder at Jack. “Because I think now is the perfect opportunity to go and invite Landers to be questioned—don’t you agree?”
Jack started, then a huge grin split his face. “You know what, I think you are right. The timing couldn’t be better.”
****
Kate watched from the corridor. She had gone to find Adams, as she learned that the microscope wasn’t available for her to use[NLS2] and was told that Dr. Adams had been called here, to the police building.
She had followed up and arrived in time to see Adams, Olsen, and Landers leaving one of the interview rooms, heading towards Olsen’s office. Landers led the way, of course.
Now, as Kyle and Jack left their office and moved towards Olsen’s, she felt her hands snap into fists. Was everyone working without her, behind her back? No. She shook her head, catching the look on both detective’s faces. They didn’t look how Adams and Olsen had. They were likely still on her side.
She turned away as they knocked, and the door opened. She didn’t want to be seen here. Didn’t want Olsen’s snide remarks or, worse, Landers’s strange questions and comments. Something about that man was off, and she was going to find out what before he blew this whole thing.
6
Kate sat back in frustration. Nothing. There was nothing on Landers apart from what everyone knew. He was the grandson of immigrants who became a private investigator, breaking into the public sphere at age twenty-two, a year before her uncle called him in. He was famous for always solving his cases, even when the trail seemed stone cold.
But I know that is wrong, she thought, looking at his spotless record. He didn’t solve my parents’ case.
Kate felt a chill spread over her, starting at her stomach, it reached out across her body. All she had was a recording of Landers saying that he wouldn’t take the case, but her uncle had said that he had come back on his own. As far as she could tell, this meant that after Landers had refused the case, he had done more digging anyway, and found something that was enough to bring him back. She didn’t know more than that because her uncle had refused to tell her over the phone, and anything physical that might have helped was likely made useless by the fire. No one alive had the answers now.
Kate bolted upright in her chair. That used to be true, but it wasn’t anymore. Landers knew. He would obviously know why he had come back, what he had found that made him return, and even simply what it was that had piqued his interest enough to keep looking into a case he had already turned down.
She rose and was halfway across the building when she stopped, glancing down at her watch, it had only been an hour. Now was not a good time to do this. Kyle and Jack seemed intent on breaking up Olsen’s little conclave. The only valid reason she could think of was that they needed to question Landers. If their plan had worked, they were likely still busy with him. If Olsen had thrown the detectives out, then there was no guarantee that Olsen was done with his meeting yet, or that Landers hadn’t simply walked after it was.[NLS3]
She sighed, turning back towards the evidence labs. She’d carried on working there, despite her search shifting to Landers, and hoped that Kyle or Jack would invite her to a late lunch, as had become their custom. Now that she thought about it, she was feeling very hungry.
“Dr. Summers! There you are. Thank goodness.”
Kate turned to the young tech in confusion. “I’m sorry?”
“It’s half past five, and no one’s been able to find you for over three hours. They were getting worried. Especially seeing as your personal belongings were all still in the room you’d booked down in evidence.”
Kate raised an eyebrow. “Is this a prelude to some kind of prank? I have a watch.”
The tech frowned, glanced at the watch, then smiled. “Oh, I see. It must have stopped. It really is half-past five, look.”
They pulled out their mobiles and then walked a little way ahead. He pointed through an open door that led to one of the outer rooms containing windows and not just fluorescents. Kate had noted the time on the phone but followed and clearly saw a sunset-streaked sky.
She raised a hand to her head. “I see. Thank you, I guess. Please let them know I am fine.”
The tech walked away, and a new voice spoke from behind. “If losing chunks of time is considered fine, then I must assume this happens to you with some kind of regularity.”
Kate only half turned, sparing Landers a muted glare. “You again.”
Landers’s lips twitched. “Is it? A regular occurrence?”
Kate sighed, not liking his tone. Yes, she lost time, so what? She was busy; that’s what happens when you get so involved trying to unravel things. “Everyone loses track of time when they are very busy.”
“Ah. You were so lost in thought that you didn’t realize you’d skipped lunch or heard your phone ringing. I see.”
Kate resisted the urge to snarl. “Seeing as you are here, maybe you could answer some of my questions.”
“I answered many questions today. The consensus seemed to be that no one much liked my answers.”
“Why did you come back to find my uncle after turning down the case?”
Landers’s eyes sharpened, and Kate felt a breakthrough. She had simply ignored his comment—acted as if she hadn’t heard him. It seemed to have created some change. “I came back because I felt I had to, even if I knew that it would be pointless.”
“Why pointless?”
“I have told you already. If people aren’t ready to hear, it doesn’t matter how loudly you shout.”
“Or maybe you were simply spouting nonsense,” she bit out, annoyance getting the better of her again.
“Have a good evening, Dr. Summers. It seems I must wait for you a little longer.”
“Hey! I’m not finished, you—”
“Kate!”
She turned to see Kyle rushing towards her, Jack hot on his heels. She noticed Landers stop and decided to offer the men a quick apology, now that it seemed her quarry wasn’t about to vanish. “Hi guys, I’m sorry. Totally lost track of time, and my watch broke to boot,” she added, holding out her wrist and glancing back to see that Landers was still there.
He was, dark eyes fixed firmly on Kyle.
“Why didn’t you answer your phone?”
Kate looked back at Kyle as he spoke over Jack’s relieved babble. “You called? I don’t know. Maybe the battery is dead, or maybe the signal down in the evidence labs is too weak.”
Kyle eyed her a moment and then sighed. “Right. Well, go grab your things. We’re having supper with the Nortons’ remember?”
Kate felt her confused expression morph into realization. “Oh damn, right.”
“He’s coming back tomorrow. Signed and sealed,” Kyle added, seeing her torn look, as she glanced at Landers again.
“I’ll be back soonish then. I’ll have to file all the evidence back. Give me twenty?”
“Sure.”
“I’ll come with. We might get done faster,” Jack offered immediately. “Why don’t you see Mr. Landers out? The doors will have been secured by now.”
Kyle nodded, watching Jack and Kate walk away. He felt the unease in his belly grow. Her watch wasn’t dead. It had been ticking steadily when she’d held out her wrist, only it was set five hours behind. He’d bet good money that her phone wasn’t dead either.
“Her behavior doesn’t surprise you. Did she lose time often when you knew her?”
Kyle felt his thoughts derail, as Landers’s soft question reminded him that the man was not only still there, but still watching him like a humanoid bird of prey. “What do you want, Mr. Landers?”
“What mankind has wanted since their dawn.”
Kyle
raised an eyebrow in silent question.
“Truth.”
“And you think that truth is hidden in Kate’s past more than twenty years back?”
Landers’ lips tilted up on one side. “You could be an amazing detective if you learned to let go of your preconceived notions.”
Kyle fought down a wave of irritation. The earlier questioning had been much like this. All strange answers, or statements that didn’t seem readily relatable to the question posed. But in the hours since, he had gone through enough to know that that was not the case. Enough to know that Landers was the key, but he didn’t quite know what the lock was yet.
“Why do you do it?” Kyle asked, beginning to walk and gesturing Landers to follow. He was testing his own theory here. If Landers was the type of person that he was thinking of, then Landers would not need to ask what he meant.
“Do you really wish to know?”
“I do.”
“Because of the fragility of human nature.”
“Can you elaborate?”
“Some truths cause less devastation when reached by the person who holds them, rather than flung out by strangers.”
Kyle felt his lips tilt down and paused at the door, but spoke confidently, for once not confused by Landers’s answer. “You mean Kate has suppressed something—an important something—from her parents’ case, and you’re trying to irritate her into remembering it?”
Landers laughed, the sound somehow wholesome and too big for his small frame. “You know what, Detective Green, I like you. I was worried at first. A lot of people can’t work with their enemies, and you were a key player.”
Kyle felt his confidence fade again, swallowed by renewed confusion. “I’m your enemy? How?”
“Wrong again. It is alright. You’re getting better at this,” Landers said, still smiling.
Kyle sighed. “Is throwing people some kind of thrill for you?”
Landers shrugged. “If I help people become their best self, I’ll accept being known as the flea. Good evening to you then, Detective Green. I would like to continue this discussion. Perhaps tomorrow.”
