by Robin Mahle
“You’re convinced it isn’t Shalot?” Katie asked.
“Everything in my gut says he didn’t kill Brown. I’ve got three other victims miles from each other. Shalot couldn’t have killed all of them. For one thing, he was in class with you the night that my victim in Kentucky was killed. And as for the woman in Colorado, seems our Mr. Shalot was on a date with the now deceased Ms. Brown.”
Scarborough paused for a moment. “The more likely conclusion? Someone got wind of the details and decided to make it look like the Highway Hunter killed Lindsay Brown, maybe even going so far as to frame Shalot for it. We need to find out who. The only way may be for Katie to have a chat with our friend, Eddie. It’s gotta be someone he knows or who knows of him. Someone who knew he was dating Brown. Someone who has access to police records or knows who does. Avery, we don’t have much choice. I can’t have a copycat out there and, if we have an in, then we need to use it.”
Katie looked to Marshall once again. It seemed he would resign to the fact that she needed to do this.
“Okay. Let’s get her to talk to him again.”
10
THE LACK OF sleep from which Katie now suffered could have easily been blamed on the morning light that was forcing its way beneath the drawn shades of their bedroom window. Instead, it was the idea that burrowed its way into her mind. The idea that Edward Shalot was at best a stalker and, at worst, a killer and she had had no idea.
Any sense of privacy Katie might have had prior to Hendrickson had all but vanished as a result of the high-profile case. She’d become a reluctant celebrity and with her newfound status came the admiration of people whom she’d never met. Even now, more than a year later, some people still recognized her and stopped her on the street; coming out of a store or a post office, it didn’t matter. Men and women alike approached her, took hold of her arm or her shoulder, telling her how brave she was, that she was a hero. Katie never felt like a hero.
For all the accolades and admirers, there were those who took it a step too far. After she’d returned home from Rio Dell, after Hendrickson’s death, she had received letters at the station, sometimes emails, if the people got hold of her email address, which wasn’t that difficult, considering the standard format the department had for email addresses. That, however, changed quickly at Marshall’s insistence and the ones that posed a threat were filed and the people tracked down by their IP addresses.
It was all so unexpected and frightening. She often had to remind herself, This will all die down, don’t worry about it.
And it did, mostly. Until now.
His body shifted and a guttural moan escaped him. Marshall was awake.
“You okay?” he asked as his eyes squinted, appearing to focus in on her shadowed face.
“Can’t sleep. Did I wake you?”
“No. I’ve been drifting in and out mostly. What time is it?” He raised his head slightly to catch sight of the clock on the bedside table, then quickly dropped back down. “Guess we’d better get up now anyway.” Marshall sat up, tossing his legs over the edge of the bed. “You don’t have to do this, you know. Everything doesn’t rest on your shoulders, Kate.”
“I know that, but we both know that there have been people out there, since the incident, who’ve been drawn to me. If Shalot is one of them, then I should be the one to get what I can from him.”
He looked over his shoulder towards her curved frame, which was still beneath the covers. “I’m sorry for what I said yesterday; earlier this morning, that is. I just worry about you. I know you’re completely capable of handling yourself and I’m sorry if I treat you otherwise.” He turned back. “I love you and I’m scared to death of losing you.”
Katie reached across the bed, resting her hand against his back. “You’re not going to lose me, Marshall, and no one is going to hurt me again. Hendrickson is gone and I don’t think for one minute that Edward Shalot has any intention of harming me. That was a lie. I think he, like some of the others, are just fascinated; nothing more. Besides, I’ve got the entire department at my back, not to mention a few good FBI agents. I just need to feel useful. You know that.”
“You’re right. I’ll go hop in the shower.” Marshall pushed up from the bed. “Care to join me?” He smiled.
“Well, I think that’s the best idea I’ve heard all week.” Katie soon followed.
***
The substantial glass doors of the police station reflected the sun’s early morning rays into Katie’s eyes as she approached. She waited for Marshall to catch up and looked out onto the street, noticing how quiet it was. It had finally occurred to her that it was Saturday morning and that was the reason for the empty roads. The days were slipping by almost completely unnoticed.
This morning was the first time she hadn’t felt nauseated. The doctor said it would take a while, but it too would pass. Maybe it was because she’d had other pressing matters that required her attention, but she was grateful to be through the worst of it now.
The conference room where they were to meet with Scarborough appeared more chaotic than the rest of the station. Scarborough had set up three separate workstations, tied into the department’s AV system and displayed a map on the wall-mounted screen of the Highway Hunter’s crime scene locations.
“Did you get any sleep, Nick?” Katie asked, marveling in all that had been accomplished in such a short period of time.
“Not exactly. Got back to the hotel, then got a call from the Virginia office. They’ve been able to further analyze the video from the gas station where the Richmond victim was last seen. I’d spotted someone taking cover in the trees adjacent to the facility and asked that they work to identify the individual. Unfortunately, the cameras were fixed and only took intermittent shots in various locations. Not a very high-tech system, but it was better than nothing. We can only assume that person made his way into the victim’s minivan while she was paying for fuel inside. They’ve come up with a few possibilities. I’m going over them now.”
Katie set her coffee down and moved towards Scarborough, who was studying the images on his laptop. “So, you’re trying to get an ID?”
“Yeah. I came back down here about an hour ago and recruited some of your people to help me get set up. When can you get in to talk to Shalot again?”
Katie looked to Marshall. “We need to know if his lawyer has arrived yet, right?”
“Let me get with Gibbons and find out.” Marshall quickly made his way back out into the hall.
“You sure you’re ready for this, Katie?”
She pulled out a chair and sat down next to Scarborough. “I think this will be the only way to get answers out of Shalot. I know we tried before, but we didn’t know what he had then.”
“You mean anything and everything pertaining to you?” Scarborough appeared almost as troubled by that fact as Marshall had.
“Yeah. Although if his lawyer is present, I don’t know how much he’ll say. We really need to get forensics back.”
“I’ve already got a call into the ME.” Scarborough continued analyzing the data on the screen. “What I find interesting is the geographic locations of his victims.” He proceeded to walk towards the TV monitor and began tracing with his finger the locations of the victims as marked by large red circles. They had all been discovered in remote locations – all small towns, and what emerged was a pattern that related to the highways. “Why is he choosing these particular areas? The chances these victims would never be found seems fairly high. Travel along these roadways is sparse at best.”
The exception to this was Lindsay Brown.
Marshall appeared in the doorway, pressing against the wall as he leaned in. “His lawyer has arrived; we can go ahead and see him now. Let’s go.” He tossed a nod in Katie’s direction.
Katie and Nick followed a few steps behind Marshall and she considered the questions she would be asking Shalot. The first question that came to mind was how he got his hands on her files in the first place.
>
“I’ll be in the observation room with Agent Scarborough,” Marshall said. “You need anything, just look into the camera and nod.”
Katie tilted her head forward in acknowledgment as the officer opened the door and allowed her into to the interrogation room.
At her entry, the pleading look from Edward’s face softened Katie’s demeanor. No one seemed to believe he killed Lindsay Brown; it was appearing too much like he’d been set up. But the question remained: what was he after?
“Good morning.” Shalot’s lawyer rose from his chair, extending a hand to Katie. “I’m Nathan Bender and I’ve been assigned to represent Mr. Shalot.”
“Katie Reid. I’m an evidence technician here at the department and I have a relationship with Mr. Shalot. We both attend UCSD.” Katie pulled out her chair, sitting down in a more hesitant manner than she’d wanted to come across.
“I understand charges have not yet been filed against Mr. Shalot as it relates to the death of Lindsay Brown,” Bender began. “Can you tell me why my client is still in custody? And where is the arresting officer?”
“Detective Gibbons has already spoken to Mr. Shalot. In fact, it was Mr. Shalot who asked to speak with me. From what I understand, Edward has obtained some personal information as it pertains to my student records. Detective Gibbons and Avery searched your client’s apartment as allowed by warrant and discovered files that should not have been in his possession.” Katie looked to Edward, surprised that he had appeared ashamed by her revelation.
“I’m sorry, Katie. I just wanted to get to know you better; that’s all. I tried to talk to you after class a few times, but you never seemed to have time for me.”
Bender raised his hand to pre-empt his client from further elaborating. “Mr. Shalot, you are not required to answer any questions. We are here only to ascertain if the prosecutor will be filing charges against you. As per California law, they can only keep you in custody for forty-eight hours without charges. I believe we have now advanced beyond the twenty-four-hour mark.” He returned his attention to Katie. “Ms. Reid, as you are not the arresting officer, nor are you an officer of any kind, I think it best if your superiors take over this interview.”
Gibbons had entered the small monitoring room. “How’s it going in there?” he asked Marshall.
“Not well. That damn public defender won’t allow Shalot to answer Kate’s questions. Now he wants her out of the room, insisting only the arresting officer continue with the inquiry.”
“Goddamn lawyers.” Scarborough knew the drill, but still disliked it.
“That’s what he wants? Then that’s what he’ll get.”
Gibbons immediately proceeded to the adjacent room. “I’m Detective Gibbons. You know, we were trying to keep this civil, let Mr. Shalot explain why and how he had possession of personal files of a member of our staff. Considering he knows Ms. Reid, we thought he might better explain himself, but I can see that won’t be possible now.” Gibbons turned to Katie. “Ms. Reid, if you’d like to get back to your work, I’ll take it from here. I appreciate your help.”
Edward quickly stood. “Wait!”
“Mr. Shalot, sit down please,” Bender said.
“Katie, I’m sorry. I really am. I just wanted to get to know you. I know what you’ve been through and I thought maybe I could be a shoulder to lean on.”
Marshall zeroed in on the monitor. His pulse began to rise as Shalot continued to speak.
Katie’s brow furrowed as she listened to Edward insist that he knew her on some personal level. “What is it that you think you know about me, Edward? What you read in the papers? What you saw on TV?” She shook her head and smiled. “That person is not real. The person standing in front of you now; this is me. I’m a real person, with real feelings.”
Katie stood there for a moment longer, wondering how she could use this situation to her advantage. There had to be a way to make Shalot talk. She wanted to appeal to him personally. Katie glanced into the camera, then turned her head towards Gibbons.
He seemed to know what she was going to do and wasn’t about to stop her.
Katie sat back down in her chair. She placed her arms on the desk, folding them carefully. She looked at the attorney, who seemed to be waiting for her to continue, and then back to Shalot. “Edward, we could have been friends. You didn’t need to go behind my back and violate me in that manner. Can you tell me, how did you get my school records?”
Edward cast his eyes down and was silent for a moment, then continued, “I got them from someone who works in student records. The kid had a penchant for gambling and needed some money. In return for payment, he pulled your file for me. I thought that if I learned more about you, you might think of me as more than just a friend.”
Marshall gripped the edge of the desk, which caused the monitors to shake a little. Heat had begun to rise beneath his collared shirt.
“You gotta cool down, man. I know what you’re thinking, but let her do this,” Scarborough said.
Katie’s face softened. “You understand that I am not available?” Katie inhaled a deep breath, pondering her next question. She needed to point the conversation into a different direction. Get him to answer the real question and that was how he got the files. “Edward, this friend of yours in records, what’s his name?”
For the first time, Edward looked to his attorney for guidance. Of course, anything that might point the light of accusation to another would only serve to help his client, so Bender nodded in reply. “Just some kid I know: Shaun Hudson.”
Edward looked directly in Katie’s eyes. “I thought you might see that I could make you happy. We’re so much alike. If only you’d have let me show you. I could have protected you too, you know; make sure no one would ever hurt you again.”
That was enough for Marshall. He yanked open the door and headed immediately into the interrogation room before Nick could stop him. Marshall held the door handle, his hand trembling with anger, then remembered what he’d said to her just this morning. She needed to do this on her own.
The chair screeched beneath Katie as she pushed up from the table. “I don’t need anyone’s protection, least of all yours.” She opened the door to the sight of Marshall. “Jesus, you scared me.”
“You all right?”
“Yeah. I’m fine. I guess we need to talk to Shaun Hudson.” Katie began walking along the corridor.
Marshall quickly caught up to her. “Hey.”
She stopped and turned to him.
“You did great in there, Kate. I mean it. I would have lost it on the guy. I’m really proud of you.”
She eased a little at the comment. “Thanks. I don’t think it went as I was expecting, but at least we have a name. Now, we just need to get something back from the medical examiner; prove one way or another what we’ve got on our hands here.”
***
Bender had kept a short leash on his client and Detective Gibbons had gotten no further than Katie had. It was approaching midday now and Scarborough’s team continued their work on the other cases and remained in the conference room, waiting for something, anything from forensics.
Documenting the final pieces of evidence from Lindsay Brown’s apartment was the first priority for Katie. The crime scene photos were always the hardest to catalog. It was the first time she’d seen the body of the woman, as it had been covered prior to her arrival on scene. Katie looked at the monitor, the image so vivid, and it was the dandelion that caught her attention amid the lacerations Lindsay had suffered. It had been placed with extreme care inside the victim’s laced fingers.
Katie studied the flowers; only some of the white fluff remained attached to the stems while one still flowered with yellow pedals. She began to think of the poem. “I’ll be back again tomorrow.”
A dandelion was essentially a weed that could grow anywhere, its seed carried by the winds when the flower turned to white fluff. Countless children have yanked them from the ground, made wishes, and blown th
em away, scattering the fluff into a million different directions, chaotic in nature.
“I’ll be back again tomorrow,” Katie whispered. She carefully studied Lindsay’s face. She had suffered blows to her cheek, lips, and right eye. Her hair had been yanked out in places. Lindsay had tried to fight back; defend herself from her attacker, as evidenced by the cuts on her forearms. The knife that had been used to carve her skin left marks on them.
The events of Katie’s past were so deeply ingrained in her identity now that it was impossible not to think of what Lindsay Brown would have done to defend herself. Was it possible to believe Edward had done those things? Would he have done them to Katie as well, given the chance?
Katie turned away just for a moment, searching for meaning. “The flower is a weed, spreading its seeds, giving life to new ones.” She dropped her voice, hoping no one was listening as she rambled away, trying to make sense of the thought that was beginning to form. “I’ll be back again tomorrow.” And then it came to her. They were not dealing with just one killer and it didn’t seem possible to her that this could have been the work of a copycat. She didn’t know how many, but it was the flower that convinced her. “If one was caught, others would be back tomorrow.”
11
KATIE HURRIED TO the conference room, where Scarborough was just ending a call on his cell phone.
“That was the ME. She’s got the labs back,” Scarborough said, spotting Katie as she entered. He turned to his team. “Myers, come with me. We need to know what she’s got.”
“This wasn’t Shalot, Nick.” Katie blocked the door. “I know we’ve already assumed that to a degree, but I also don’t think this was a copycat killing. A copycat just couldn’t have known the level of detail of the other murders. Look, I think we’re dealing with more than one suspect and I think they’re working together.”