Cross My Heart: A completely gripping and unputdownable serial killer thriller (Detectives Kane and Alton Book 12)
Page 19
Sucking in one last deep breath to calm her nerves, she lifted her chin and met Stone’s cold gaze as he shuffled into the room, his feet shackled, hands cuffed and secured by chains to his waist. He hadn’t changed much, and the prison T-shirt showed off well-developed muscles. Startled out of her fear paralysis by the sound of Jo’s voice beside her, Jenna gripped the back of the chair.
“Remove the shackles.” Jo placed her books on the table beside a voice recorder.
“Ma’am?” The guard couldn’t hide his shocked expression. “That’s not what we do here.”
“Well, you do now.” Jo smiled at him. “Mr. Stone is allowed to use the library unshackled and I’m told he is a model prisoner. Why would he want to have his privileges revoked? Do as I say.” She looked at Stone. “You understand the terms of my visit, Mr. Stone? There will be a reward for your cooperation.”
“Yeah, I understand.” Stone smirked at the guard. “See, Harry? I told you sooner or later Jenna would come by and see me.” He turned his attention on her. “I knew you couldn’t keep away for long.”
Fighting the need to escape the room and run as fast as her feet would carry her back to the chopper, Jenna stood rigid as the chains were removed. She could see a flash of amusement in Stone’s eyes, the twitch of his mouth in the corner. She’d seen the same when he tried to kill her; his overconfidence astounded her. Gathering her senses, she nodded to Jo in a silent communication to inform her she wanted to continue, although her gut instinct was telling her the opposite.
“You can wait outside.” Jo waved the guard away. “We can handle it from here.” She sat down, pressed the button on the recorder, and a red light flashed.
“It’s your funeral.” The guard flashed his card to exit the room but through the glass panel she could see him take up a position outside.
Although the room was comfortably cool, sweat trickled down Jenna’s back. Squashing the rising panic that seeing Stone had incited, she turned her attention to him. His pleasant expression hid the crazed mass murderer within. “Hello, James.”
“How did you get mixed up with her?” Stone indicated to Jo with a jut of his chin.
Pressing a smile on her lips, Jenna stood her ground and kept her tone conversational, as Jo had advised. She didn’t intend to antagonize him or cower. Yeah, he frightened her, but he’d never know it. “This is Special Agent Jo Wells. As you’re probably aware by now, she is researching criminal minds for the FBI. She asked me about some of my more notorious cases and I thought of you.” She waved to the chair. “Why don’t you sit down.”
“Why don’t I just reach across the table and strangle her so we can be alone? We have unfinished business.” Stone dragged his thumb across his throat and grinned.
Refusing to be intimidated by him, Jenna met his amused gaze with an eyeroll. The idea of being nice and acting like his friend to get information had left on the last train. Damn you to hell. “You just can’t get over being beaten by a woman, can you?” She waved a hand to encompass the room. “You’re never to be released, James. Locked up in here real tight, all on your lonesome. All you have are empty threats.”
“I’m not restrained, Jenna, and you don’t have a weapon. I could kill you in a second and you know it, but I’m more interested in Jo here.” Stone’s lips curled into a smile. “Maybe I’ll break her neck just to prove I can? What do you say, Jenna? You choose. Won’t that be fun?”
“That’s not your usual MO. Sit down, or we’re leaving along with the benefits we offered for the interview.” Jo remained relaxed, just leaning back, crossing her legs, and looking at him as he slumped into a chair. “I’m sure you wouldn’t get much of a buzz from just strangling me. I’ve read your files. The only reason I’m offering you another chance to cooperate is because you interest me.”
“Do I now, Agent Wells?” Stone polished his fingernails on his orange coveralls. “How so?”
“You’re IQ is bordering on genius and yet you turned to crime.” Jo raised one eyebrow. “I’m interested to know why.”
“What? You don’t want to know how I felt when I watched the life slipping from my victims’ eyes?” He barked a laugh. “‘Victims’ is a very strange word to use for the people involved in my business, Agent Wells. Competitors, or perhaps contestants, really describe them better.”
“An interesting analogy.” Jo opened her notebook and lifted a pen. “You can call me Jo.”
“Are you married, Jo?” Stone glanced at her fingers. “I don’t see a ring.”
“No, I’m not married, but I didn’t come here to talk about me.” Jo leaned forward a little. “You fascinate me. I want to know everything about you. You’ll be immortalized in my book.”
“That’s nice.” He turned to Jenna, moving his gaze all over her. “You still haven’t found anyone yet, have you, Jenna?”
The question made Jenna’s skin crawl but the few tips on the FBI interviewing technique that she had gotten along the way fell into place. She’d already broken the first rule and antagonized the subject. She had to pull back and go along with his delusions to loosen his tongue. She shook her head. “I haven’t found anyone like you, James.”
“Ha.” Stone slapped the table, sending shards of panic up Jenna’s spine. “I knew it.” He turned to Jo. “You’re way too pretty to be single.” He sighed. “Okay, one question: Is this a one-off deal or are you planning on visiting me regular?”
“That depends on your cooperation.” Jo smiled at him.
The way he changed from serial killer back to the man she’d dated astounded Jenna. He’d relaxed and had taken on a friendly attitude. She gave Jo a meaningful stare. She’d remain quiet and allow Jo to work her magic.
“I want to know everything, James.” Jo leaned forward with her hands clasped on the table. “Start at the beginning.”
“That would take years.” Stone yawned. “Give me specifics.”
“Sure.” Jo made a note in her book and smiled at him. “You mentioned the breakup with Jenna triggered a killing spree, so although you’ve told psychiatrists you had no empathy toward the people you murdered, this would indicate you’re not a person lacking of feelings, or are you?”
“Jenna would have slid into my life perfectly and she’d have been the wife of a wealthy lawyer.” He slid his gaze over Jenna and snorted. “She was an ornament is all.” He turned his gaze slowly back to Jo. “I have empathy, so I can’t be classed as a psychopath—is that right? Don’t answer, because I know about the Hare Psychopathy Checklist. Trust me, most of the high-profile people in this country wouldn’t pass that test.” He chuckled.
“Do you want the truth or are we playing games?” Jo shrugged. “You know as well as I do psychopathy isn’t an exact science. Many I’ve interviewed can turn empathy on and off like a tap. Tell me, did you have empathy for the people you killed at Bear Peak?”
“See, you’re looking at what I did all wrong, Jo.” He let out a long sigh. “It’s simple to understand. If I went out hunting to put meat on my table, do you think when I sink the bolt into an elk or whatever, I care about its feelings or if its friends will miss it?” He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “When you eat your burger or cut into a prime ribeye, do you feel sorry for the steer who gave its life so you could eat? Do you worry over how it felt being shuffled onto the killing floor and getting a bolt in the brain?”
“No, that never enters my mind.” Jo didn’t show any emotion. “I’m not a vegan. I don’t have a problem with eating meat.”
“And what do you think about the people who slaughter animals for food, Jo?” Stone leaned forward, watching Jo’s reaction closely.
“It’s business.” Jo made a few notes. She appeared relaxed and in control.
“Exactly.” Stone gave Jenna a triumphant smile. “Business. What I did was business. I ran a hunting business to make money. Once the transaction was completed, I walked away and didn’t have a reason to think about the contestants in the game.”
“Have you seen elk heads hanging on walls, Jo?” Stone opened his hands wide. “I’m no different to anyone else who likes to keep trophies of his kills. Tell me, are all the folks with taxidermy in their homes psychopaths?”
“No, I guess not.” Jo wet her lips.
“What else do you want to know?” Stone smiled at Jenna. “I like her, she understands me.”
“The method of keeping your targets alive while increasing their pain levels was ingenious. How did you learn how to do that?” Jo stared at Stone.
A shiver of disgust slid down Jenna’s spine and she moved her eyes to the mirror. Knowing Kane and Carter were just outside helped some. She found herself leaning forward a little, waiting for his reply to Jo’s question.
“Practice.” Stone leaned back in his chair, relaxed, and then moved forward and leaned on the table. “I didn’t start in Black Rock Falls. I was in foster care and there was a lot of kids coming and going. Some would tell me about how they’d been treated and so we got together and killed their foster parents.” He laughed. “They never expect it. They think they can do whatever they please and many do, but you should have seen their faces when four or five kids arrived with knives. I showed them what to do, most times.”
“How wonderfully interesting.” Jo smiled at him. “How old were you when this happened?”
“Eight, maybe ten.” Stone shrugged. “Many more followed, and then I received a scholarship to attend law school. I like to study and the urge for blood died down some. I was quiet for a couple of years and then a bunch of girls started to mess with my head. One girl, I kept alive for five days before I pushed her into a wood chipper.”
“You did that alone?” Jo took notes.
“Yeah, that one I did, but her friends knew she’d dropped by the ranch where I was living and I had to get my buddies to deal with them. We enjoyed the hunt so much, and everyone wanted more, so I devised the plan to use the dark web. There are so many likeminded people out there. People who want to hunt down and kill humans, so I decided to make it into a business.”
“Do you often encourage people to kill for you?” Jo looked up from her notes.
“Ah, if I say yes this could be construed as entrapment. I’m in jail for murder. I know this, but the lawyer side of me is very astute.” Stone’s eyes changed from soft to hard in a flash. “Trying something like that would be a very stupid move.”
“I’m only here to listen to your story and if I’d wanted to use anything you say, I’d have read you your rights.” Jo shrugged. “I have no reason to lie to you. You must have heard about the FBI’s behavioral analysis program? We want to learn from you is all. There is no ulterior motive.” She smiled. “You must have quite a few admirers in here and outside. Do you communicate with them?”
“Outside the prison?” Stone shook his head. “I have no way to communicate with anyone on the outside. I don’t mix with other inmates. I’m not allowed visitors. You see, I’m considered too dangerous and I spend most of my time in my cell. My only respite is the library.”
Jenna stared at him. It couldn’t be true, he had to be lying. Stone must have a partner in crime they didn’t know about. “If you didn’t communicate with anyone on the outside, how come we have a killer using the same methods you used out of Bear Peak? Unless you’re the copycat?”
“They were all mine. I don’t need to copy anyone else.” Stone’s eyes flashed with anger. “No one before or after me has ever devised such a plan. Before me, no one knew how to disable a person and keep them alive. Paralyzing a man is incredible fun. I can tie a torniquet around any part of his limbs and remove them while he watches. There’s no pain and they take forever to die, but the look on their faces makes up for it. They fight for life, but not the women. Those usually beg me to finish them.”
Jenna laughed. “That’s not true, James, and you know it.” She slid a photograph out of Jo’s folder and pushed it across the table to him. “Look at this: he has the same MO as you, right down to the severed spinal cord.”
“This isn’t my work, but close.” He sniffed the image and ran a fingertip lovingly over it. “They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Can I keep it?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Jo lowered her voice. “What if I told you this happened just the other day. How do you feel about someone imitating you?”
“I love it… mmm, I can smell her: perfume and the metallic scent of blood. Nothing like it.” Stone looked at Jo and a slow rumble of laughter spilled from his lips. “Can you hear her screams? How many got to look at her before Wolfe took her away? Has he cut her up yet? Can I see the autopsy photographs?”
“I can’t answer that, sorry.” Jo closed her notebook. “I think that’s enough for today. Thank you for the chat. I’d love to talk with you another time.”
“Next time, come alone. I like the way you smell. Chanel Number Five, I believe.” Stone turned his gaze slowly toward Jenna. “Am I making you jealous, Jenna?”
Jenna ignored him.
“I’ll see what I can do.” Jo pressed a buzzer on the table and stood.
The guard came in and shackled Stone, and Jo headed for the door. Jenna wanted to leave, but her legs had turned to Jell-O. When Stone shuffled closer and bent over the table not a foot away from her, his expression had changed and the psychopath had risen to the surface. The guard was just watching with an amused look on his face and hadn’t attempted to stop him. A wave of dread hit Jenna full force and, vulnerable, trapped between chair and table, she leaned back, getting her feet under her, and stared into Stone’s dead eyes. She could smell him; rancid sweat and his onion breath washed over her.
“I’d have killed you slowly, and made you suffer.” He ran his tongue slowly over his bottom lip. “It’s not over, Jenna. You’ll never be safe from me. You should have put a bullet in me on the mountain.”
Jenna snorted. “Trust me, I wanted to, but seeing you locked up in here like a rabid dog is much better.”
“Next time we meet, I’ll win and you’ll be dead. I don’t lose twice.” He chuckled deep in his chest. “Mmm, I can almost taste your blood on my hands. I’m coming for you, Jenna. Don’t close your eyes, because when you do, I’ll be right behind you.”
Thirty-Nine
Rigid, Jenna stared at the retreating back of James Stone. His words seemed to echo in her mind on a loop of insanity. She sucked in a deep breath, tasting the smell of him on her tongue, and moved away from the chair. The blinking light on the recorder caught her eye, and she pressed the button to turn it off and then just stood there staring at it. Seeing him again and hearing his threats had shaken her to the bone.
The door behind her opened and Kane’s voice seemed loud in the small room.
“Jenna. Are you okay?” He touched her arm. “What did he say to you?”
Jenna picked up the recorder and handed it to him. “I’m fine. I was expecting him to threaten me. It’s on here.” She ignored the rising panic and forced herself to act nonchalantly. She had no need to be afraid of Stone. He had no way to escape and hurt her. It was all smoke and shadows, nothing more. “He’s crazy is all.” She led the way outside and looked at Jo. “I think we should speak to the warden. I’d like to see for myself how they contain Stone. He needs to be informed we have a copycat killer and we suspect Stone is somehow involved.”
“Sure, but I played to his ego. Most psychopaths can’t resist boasting they have the power over people to make them kill for them.” Jo shrugged. “I’ll go over the tape and listen again to his replies, but he gave me no indication of being involved. He’d like to be, but he’s not.”
“Sorry, but I disagree.” Kane pulled an earpiece from the voice recorder and placed the device on the desk. “Listen to this.”
Jenna stared at the wall as Stone’s last words to
her filled the room. She swallowed hard. “Open threats, nothing more. The ravings of a lunatic.”
“Maybe not.” Jo frowned and looked at Kane. “You may have something there.”
“It sure as hell sounds like he’s planning something, to me.” Carter rested one hip on the corner of the desk. “But how? Without contact with the outside world, it would be impossible.”
“Did you see the way the guard smiled when he went close to Jenna?” Kane straightened. “He did nothing. Guards can be bought—hell, many people have their price. Stone has millions, cash no one but he knows about is hidden in bank accounts worldwide. He’d still have people in his employ just waiting for the chance to break him out of jail.”
Jenna nodded. “Yeah, what Wolfe found on the dark web would indicate he had a network of people moving money for him.”
“How come you didn’t call in the FBI to track it down?” Carter looked amused. “Wolfe is a medical examiner. You needed someone like Bobby Kalo.”
Annoyed, Jenna turned to him. “Wolfe is an IT specialist as well, but by the time we uncovered what Stone was doing, a fail-safe was used to eradicate everything on the dark web. Trust me, Wolfe did everything to uncover details but he only found fragments. Stone used the best in the business to build his page and to hide his money.” She sighed. “We’re getting way off track here. We have murders to solve and June Harris is still missing. Right now, all I want to do is make sure they have Stone under surveillance day and night.” She looked at Kane. “Let’s go. The guard outside the door will take us to see the warden. Let’s hope we’re not paraded in front of the inmates again.”