Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 114419 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 572(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 381(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114419 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 572(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 381(@300wpm)
“Or maybe he saw the neglect as a natural progression to abuse down the line,” Kat said, picking up Sienna’s musings effortlessly as she nodded.
“Okay,” Sienna went on, “so he decides to kill her before she can do her grandson any more damage. Then he realizes the kid might not be discovered for a while, so he takes him food.” She paused for a moment. “It makes some sense as a theory.”
“Yeah, I mean, think of all the things that could have happened to that little kid left alone like that,” Kat said. “The ways he could have been hurt. Or victimized. Between you and me, maybe he’s better off where he is. At least he has adult supervision now.”
“Between you and me,” Sienna repeated, worrying her lip. She understood the base need to do something to protect the unprotected when no one else would. She could relate to that sort of helplessness, and the thought was troubling.
“And it’s still just a theory anyway,” Kat said.
Sienna paused. Yes, and that was their job—to theorize. She’d related to other criminals before to one degree or another, and she was sure Kat had as well. Some criminals were pure evil, but most of them were not, and it was the humanity that still existed within them that made their job—and law enforcement in general—filled with so many moral dilemmas.
Relating to aspects of certain crimes could be difficult and even emotionally crushing, but Sienna had to believe that that was what made her good at her job. She had an ability to put herself in a person’s shoes—for better or worse—and figure out who they were so she could figure out what they’d done. And why.
“That theoretical motive might seem halfway understandable,” Sienna said, “but sane people don’t murder women. Sane people call the police when they have information regarding a child’s abuse or neglect.”
“So . . . he’s not exactly sane but not so crazy that he doesn’t feel some sense of twisted remorse. So that’s why he’s writing his personal tale of woe out for us. It’s an attempt to assuage his guilt or explain why he is the way he is. His mother taught him everything he knows.”
Sienna nodded distractedly. “Yes. But if that were the case, he wouldn’t bother with all the games. The posing of his victim. No, he’s enjoying this. He’s probably even watching us,” she said, thinking of the strange prickles that had gone up her spine when she’d gone to see Lucia Pechero at the coffee shop and then when she’d been at the abandoned house with Kat.
“So what should we expect next? Is this the end of his story?”
Sienna’s phone lit up with a text, and she glanced at it. Gavin. Her heart gave an odd quiver. “One sec,” she murmured to Kat, opening the message.
Just checking in. Did anything come from that address on Allegra?
She sent a quick reply, not liking her reaction to his name on her phone.
Yes. We found another installment. I’ll follow up tomorrow. Heading home soon.
Sienna set her phone down, glancing at Danny Boy’s note and forcing her focus back to the topic at hand. “It seems like it could be the end of his story,” she said, picking up the conversation where it’d been interrupted. “But I think we should assume it’s not and look for the same types of clues in this letter that he put in the last.” She made eye contact with Kat. “I feel like he’s one step ahead of us. How do we get one step ahead of him?”
“For now? I think we have to follow along as he leads the way and hope that he messes up and accidentally reveals himself.” Kat’s shoulders rose and fell as she took in a deep breath. “However, a profile could help. There’s a guy who’s really good, and the department has used him in the past. He’s a professor at the University of Nevada. I’ll ask Ingrid if she wants to see if he’s available.”
“Sounds good,” Sienna said as they both stood, Kat placing the note they’d just read into an evidence bag so forensics could process it.
“I’ll make a copy of this,” she said. “You and I will see if we can make anything of it in the morning when we’ve gotten some sleep.” She yawned, and Sienna realized how exhausted she was too. It had been another long damn day.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Sienna pulled into her driveway, giving a small startle as a dark shadow stepped into the light. She relaxed the muscles she’d just tensed, turning off the ignition. Gavin. A pizza in hand. What the hell?
She got out of her car, hefting her briefcase over her shoulder as she nodded to the phallic cactus next to the walkway, the pink flower on top sprouting in a way that made it especially . . . suggestive, if not downright lewd. “I suppose that’s how you found me.”