“I’m in my forties.”
“The original profile was for a man in his thirties, but that was assuming the killer started killing when he himself was younger. You’re still fit, certainly still strong enough to easily navigate through the darkness of those caves.” She leaned toward him. “Is that what you do? Do you enjoy taking women into the darkness? Showing them just how much control you truly have over them?”
She searched his eyes. Could she be staring at a monster? Some people thought evil could be seen. It couldn’t. There were individuals in this world who were born actors. They showed only what they wanted you to see. The darkness inside of them might not appear until it was too late.
Anniston held her stare. He didn’t flinch. Didn’t look away. Didn’t even sweat. Completely confident.
In control.
“You have to investigate me,” he said with a nod. “I understand. Rip into my past. You’ll find I have alibis for the disappearances. All of ’em. I was working cases. Hell, I knew Lily. Don’t you think she would have recognized my voice if it had been me on the road with her?”
“Not if you had disguised your voice, I don’t think she would have.” Cadence’s immediate reply.
Anniston exhaled. His attention turned to Kyle. “Investigate me. Do what you both have to do, but I’m telling you, it’s a waste of time. The SOB is out there. He’s probably rushing across state lines right now. You’re losing him while you question me.”
Still no sweat. No tremble of his fingertips. Just a voice vibrating with growing impatience.
“We are investigating you right now,” Cadence told him as she gauged his reactions. “We’re pulling up all the work logs from your station, and comparing them with the disappearances.”
A ghost of a smile, so confident, slid across his face. “Good. Then you’ll clear me within the hour.” But then that smile faded. “Only maybe I can make that faster for you.” His hands twisted in front of him. “Remember how you said the killer had to be fit, strong?”
She remembered their profile clearly.
He lifted his hands. Cadence could easily see the faint tremble. “I’m taking early retirement in three months. Just waitin’ for the paperwork to go through.” Sadness drifted through his words. “Your agent accessed the accident reports because those are out in the open. She wouldn’t have been able to get into my recent medical history.”
Cadence sat back, her gaze sweeping over him.
“I had the stroke five months ago. The trembles still come in my hands, I still get weak on the right side of my body.” He shook his head. “I’m not the man you’re looking for because I can’t be him right now. I’m not strong enough.” There was almost…shame…in his voice. “My own body turned against me. Docs said that if I didn’t slow down, I could have another stroke, one that might just kill me.”
“Christ.” Kyle expelled a hard breath. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me?”
James’s chin jerked into the air. The trace of shame vanished and ragged pride glinted in his eyes. “Because what’s happening to me doesn’t matter. The victims—they are the ones who matter.” His gaze cut back to Cadence. “You were sure right on that one, ma’am.”
Cadence’s hand curled around Kyle’s arm before they entered the interrogation room housing Aaron Peters. “Are you okay?”
Kyle nodded. “He should’ve told me.”
“He isn’t a man who likes to admit weakness.”
His gaze held hers. “This bastard has destroyed too many lives.”
Yes.
He cleared his throat. “When will they identify the bodies?”
Not the bodies. The bones.
“The first step is to compare dental records.” Something that was already being done. “If there is enough for a match, then the IDs will happen very quickly.” Just as they’d happened fast with Jake Landers and Judith Lynn.
Footsteps hurried toward them. Cadence looked to the left. Saw Dani. Dani’s eyes were wide. Her lips pale.
“What’s wrong?” Cadence asked her as she moved closer to her friend.
“I started watching the videos.” Dani pushed back her hair. Lowered her voice. Because she didn’t want Kyle to hear her? “He recorded the women in the dark. Used infrared.” Her lips trembled. “They’re crying—begging—for help.”
Just as Maria had begged on the calls Kyle had received.
“It’s going to take weeks to go through all the footage. I identified Judith Lynn and Bridgette Chambers.” Her exhale was rough. “There are so many tapes. God, those women.”
Cadence gave a quick, hard shake of her head. She didn’t want Dani to say any more, not with Kyle just steps away.
Dani’s gaze slid to Kyle. “I haven’t seen any of your sister yet.” Her voice was a little stronger.
“You probably won’t. I think the SOB took those.” His words were flat. “He used her tapes to call me. To make me hope she was alive.”
“I’m sorry,” Dani whispered, sounding miserable.
Kyle inclined his head. “I am, too.” He cleared his throat, looked at Cadence. “Come on,” he told her. “Let’s see just what the hell the professor has to say.”
Cadence squeezed Dani’s hand, then headed for the interrogation room. Kyle opened the door. As he opened the door, it was like a mask slid over his face. The grief vanished. Only the cold agent remained.
Aaron immediately jumped to his feet. “I didn’t do it!” He shook his head, a frantic move. “You’ve got the wrong guy! It wasn’t me!”
His eyes darted back and forth between them. Nervous energy hummed from his body.
Kyle pointed to the chair. “You need to sit back down, Professor.” The bite in his voice made the title a taunt.
Aaron gulped and hurriedly sat back down. “I know how this looks. I was in the caverns. I should have found the women, but I didn’t see them! I’ve told you that already!”
Yes, he had. They just weren’t necessarily buying his story. They’d sure found the body in the Statue of Liberty chamber easily enough.
“Look, maybe the guy moved them. I had to get permission from the county before I went in with my team. Anniston and all the members of the city council had to approve my request. Word was in the local papers. I mean, hell, everyone knew I was heading into the caves back then.” Aaron licked his lips. “He knew what I was doing, and he had time to move them.”