Law of Five

by Robin Mahle

  12

  AGENT SCARBOROUGH APPROACHED Gibbons as he stood near the interrogation room. Edward Shalot was inside along with his court-appointed attorney. “Guess we should give him the good news?”

  Gibbons opened the door and followed Scarborough inside.

  “I didn’t kill her, I swear to you. I’m being set up. I’m not this damn Highway Hunter,” Shalot pleaded.

  “I see your attorney has informed you of the charges?” Scarborough replied. “Then I guess you know you’ll be handed over to the FBI until your court appearance?”

  “I’m telling you, I did not kill Lindsay!” Shalot’s actions were becoming erratic. His hands trembled and his face had grown pale.

  “Calm down, Mr. Shalot.” Bender placed a hand on Shalot’s forearm.

  “What kind of goddamn lawyer are you?” He yanked his arm away. “You haven’t done shit for me and now I’m going to prison!”

  “Don’t fuck around with me, man,” Scarborough started, his eyes in a deadlock with Shalot’s. “You killed that woman and you and whoever else you’re working with have killed other women in exactly the same way. The sooner you tell us who your friends are, the better off you’ll be.” Scarborough walked towards the detention officer. “Please, uncuff him from the floor.”

  The officer pulled the key ring off his belt, kneeling down to unshackle Edward. Scarborough reached for the man and led him into the corridor, where Agents Myers and Jameson waited.

  “Let’s get him to the field office,” Scarborough said.

  Agent Jameson took hold of Shalot and proceeded to lead him to the front of the station.

  Along the way, Shalot spotted Katie still inside Marshall’s office. He threw himself at the window. “Katie, please. I’m innocent. I didn’t kill Lindsay. You have to help me. I’m begging you. I shouldn’t have taken your file. I’m sorry. But that doesn’t make me a murderer.”

  Katie hadn’t yet revealed the contents of the manila folder to Marshall, still holding it in her hand. Instead, she leapt to the door and pulled it open. “What the hell is all this, then, Edward?” She flipped it open and showed him the pictures.

  Scarborough eyed the photographs and quickly looked to Katie. She didn’t acknowledge him, only continued staring directly into Shalot’s eyes. “Avery, what the hell is this?”

  Marshall’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. He seemed at a loss as to why she had not shown him this first.

  Edward lowered his shoulders. “Nothing. It’s nothing. I go to clubs once in a while, okay? I didn’t do anything to any of those women. I know they post shit about me, but not once was I charged with any crime!” He must have realized his voice had risen considerably and lowered it once again. “I can explain all of this.” Shalot tried to reach for Katie’s shoulder, but cringed as Jameson pulled back on the cuffs.

  “All right. You’ve done enough damage here. Let’s go.” Jameson pulled Shalot along, nearly tripping him up as they disappeared around the corner.

  She watched as he was dragged away. Confusion settled in her mind. She didn’t know what the hell had just happened. Here was a man who stole personal information about her, frequented strip clubs and other places where he harassed women. How was she supposed to believe he didn’t kill Lindsay, or that he was at least a part of the Highway Hunter killings? They had his DNA.

  Katie turned to Marshall, who now stood directly behind her. “I don’t think he killed her, Marshall.”

  He threw his hands up and returned inside the office. “You mind explaining to me what the hell all that was about? Where did you get this?” Marshall pulled the file from her hand. He tossed it onto his desk and began sifting through its contents.

  Scarborough moved in to get a better look, appearing to disbelieve what he was seeing. “My God, Katie. When were you going to let us in on this little bit of information?”

  “I was about to tell you, Marshall. That’s why I came in here. I met with Marc Aguilar.”

  “The reporter?” Scarborough asked. “The one you asked that I speak with the other day?”

  She was beginning to feel as if trapped in a corner. Her intention was not to withhold this information. It simply hadn’t yet been revealed. When she saw Edward in the hall, a switch had gone off inside her and she lashed out, demanding an explanation.

  “Look, I was about to hand that over to Marshall. I’m not trying to impede the investigation, I’m trying to help! Marc knew we had Edward in custody. He’s got a source. This source told him that the Highway Hunter was on his way here. This same source contacted him again and said he had something for Marc. It was this file. Marc and I just met up a short time ago and he told me everything. He said he had to be sure the guy was for real. That’s why he wanted to talk to you last week. He’d gotten some vague information and wanted to know what you knew.”

  Katie started to feel a sense of betrayal by the men who had both taught her so much. She was being treated as if a child under threat of a scolding. “Now, if you’ll both get over yourselves for just a minute, we can figure out who killed Lindsay Brown because I can tell you, it sure as hell wasn’t Edward Shalot.”

  Agent Scarborough was the first to concede. “Katie. I’m sorry. I overreacted.” He stepped away from the desk and began to pace the small office. “We have Shalot’s DNA. How can you possibly think he didn’t kill that woman? Yes, she was different than the others, but we’ve already discussed the possibility that we’re dealing with more than one person. We just got a call about another victim. So what we’ve got is a man whose DNA was found on a victim’s body, who killed her in a similar fashion as the others that we’ve found so far, and you’re insisting it wasn’t him.”

  Marshall said nothing, only waited for her reply.

  “Because he wants me.” Katie looked to each of them. “That would clearly not be possible if he was in jail for murder. I believe it was made to look like he did it for reasons that remain unclear and what’s in that file there? Just more evidence to stack up against him.” She looked at the photos and papers spread across Marshall’s desk. “Why else would Marc’s source bring up Shalot’s history? He is not a nice man – that’s become very clear to me – but someone who knows him well is working pretty damn hard to see him put away for life.”

  Marshall appeared to study the information. “That doesn’t explain why he had your records. You’re so sure he didn’t kill Lindsay Brown, but what if she was like you? What if Shalot had become obsessed with her, same as you?”

  “I don’t know how all this ties into the fact that this poor woman died at the hands of someone either trying to emulate the Highway Hunter or was a party to the other murders, but what I do know is that someone else is dead now and we’d better figure out who gave this shit to Marc Aguilar. Shalot’s going to take the blame for the Brown murder. What I want to know from you, Agent Scarborough, is will the FBI tell the public there’s more than one killer out there?”

  Nick shifted to his feet. “Myers, Jameson, and I need to get to Phoenix. The reports are starting to filter in from the other medical examiners. We’ll figure out pretty quickly how many we could be dealing if we get any hits in the system. As far as Shalot goes, we’ve got too much on him now to consider anything other than what that evidence shows. He’s in custody and, as far as I am concerned, Katie, you are safe from him. Your reporter-friend has uncovered interesting information, but nothing more.” He began to step towards the door. “That being said, the cooperation and help of the San Diego Police Department is critical to this investigation. If you, Detective Avery, or Detective Gibbons believe we have not reached the bottom of Ms. Brown’s death, then I will leave it in your very capable hands to continue on. I’ll be in contact once I’ve had a chance to see what we’ve got in Phoenix.”

  Katie looked to Marshall as the door clicked behind her. Agent Scarborough was gone and the two were now alone.

  “I was out of line earlier, Kate, and for that I am very sorry.” Marshall l
eaned back in his chair, crossing his legs. “Scarborough was right. He said to me earlier that you weren’t the same person he met last year. Not the same as the quiet girl who walked into that meeting when I first met you, absorbing information, learning. It took some time for me to see it. All you needed was a push in the right direction.

  “Kate, you are an extraordinary woman. I’ve always known that, even if I haven’t always shown it. It has proven difficult for me at times, letting you go; letting you do the job. Please know that it was not for lack of confidence, but my own insecurities. My fear of losing what has become the single most important thing in my life. I do fear for your safety. I do fear that you will be hurt. I tried to instill in you the ability to let go of the past and I have not followed my own advice. And for that, I am truly sorry.”

  It was those words that she longed to hear from him. Even now, almost eighteen months into their relationship, he rarely spoke of himself, or his feelings. He had been so guarded for so long, she figured he simply didn’t know how to bare himself to anyone.

  “I’m not going anywhere, Marshall. Nick thinks he sees something in me and that makes me feel very proud of how far I have come, but he doesn’t know me, not the way you do. He wasn’t there after it all happened. You were the one who wiped away the tears at night months later. You were the one who held me close when the pain became unbearable. You were the one who made me see who I really was.”

  “But you could be a great…” Marshall began.

  She raised her index finger to her lips, respectfully requesting that he let her continue. “What makes me a great anything—is you.” Katie turned away for a moment when the stinging in her eyes threatened to spill tears. “I had hoped, in return, to someday give you all you have ever wanted. A happy life full of love and children.” She returned to him, catching the briefest glimpse of regret that had crossed his face. He could hide behind his wall better than anyone she knew, but that tiny crack revealed his true feelings.

  “I have no doubt that you and I will have everything we’ve ever wanted and we will be happy,” Marshall replied.

  Her thin smile conveyed what he wanted to see; her acceptance of the hand they’d been dealt, but she was almost as good a master of concealment as he was. “Nick’s gonna call us after he makes it to the scene. I think we need to find out who Shalot hangs around with in the meantime.”

  Marshall appeared to take notice of the shift in conversation. “We also need to get Aguilar to tell us who he’s been talking to. Shalot’s got to have some friends at the school as well. There might be something there. I’ll do some digging around on the people named in this file. Maybe talk to Vice and see if any one of them know the women in the pictures.” Marshall took to his feet. “In the meantime, if you hear from Scarborough, let me know. I’ll do the same.”

  Katie stood up to meet him. “Okay. I’ve got a class tonight. I’ll ask around, but as far as Marc goes, I already tried to get a name out of him. He says he doesn’t know. I believe him, but there has to be a way to find out.” She reached for his hands. “Thank you.” She touched his lips with hers in a brief but tender kiss. A kiss that conveyed what they both could not fully express in that moment. It was enough, for now.

  13

  THE CLASSROOM WASN’T one of the larger lecture halls at the university, but rather a moderate-sized room with about forty or so students. Most were professionals, working towards a graduate degree as she was and were now packing up.

  However, rather than listen to the professor’s lecture, Katie spent the better part of the hour studying each and every one of her classmates, working to determine who might be friends with Shalot, if in fact he had friends. Most likely, they were simply acquaintances. Still, she needed more insight into the man.

  Marshall had succeeded in identifying a couple of the women in the pictures. He was already working with Gibbons to speak to them. Now it was her turn.

  In her observations, three people stood out as possible “friends” of Shalot. Pinpointing her reasoning for why she suspected as much was difficult. It was just a feeling, but better than nothing.

  Katie jogged to catch up with Will Mathers. She didn’t know him well – she didn’t know any of her classmates well, least of all Edward Shalot. “Will?”

  “Katie? What’s up?” He stopped in the corridor and waited.

  “Listen, you know Ed Shalot? He’s in our class?”

  “Edward? Yeah.”

  “Do you ever talk to the guy? I mean, do you two ever hang out or anything?”

  He tilted his head as if he hadn’t understood the question. “No. I—I don’t know him. We aren’t friends. Why do you ask?”

  It wasn’t a secret that Katie worked for the police department. Everyone in class knew exactly who she was. Sometimes the professor would ask for her opinion, as she was in the rare position of working in the industry in which they were all studying, although most were sensitive to her past and never questioned what she had been through.

  Now, she felt as though she had been too transparent with her question and had given away the fact that her inquiry was likely based on something the department wanted to know.

  Will Mathers took pause.

  “It’s just that I didn’t see him in class tonight and I wondered if you might have an email address for him that you could use to get him the notes from tonight’s class.” She stepped back. “I didn’t realize you weren’t friends. Sorry about that.” She began to walk away.

  “Wait.”

  It appeared she had read him correctly. Of course he knew Shalot. He gave it away the second he called him Edward, a preference Shalot had made known to those with whom he was acquainted.

  “I don’t really know him that well. I mean, you wouldn’t call us friends by any stretch of the imagination. But I caught up with him a few times at the sports bar not too far from here. He goes there every now and again after class, but I don’t have any contact information for him.”

  “Alone?”

  “What’s that? Oh, you mean go to the bar alone? Mostly. But I saw him with this guy, um…” Will turned up his eyes in search of the missing information. “Shaun Hudson. That’s right. He’s an undergrad. Met him once or twice, I think. Apart from that, Edward usually sat by himself, tossing back a few drafts. He might have Edward’s email.”

  A surge of recognition welled up in her. She recalled Edward mentioning that name. He was the guy who copied her records for him.

  “Listen, I gotta go. I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help to you, Katie. Maybe someday you’d like to have a coffee or something? Talk, you know?”

  “Sure. That’d be great.” Katie smiled, waving as Will walked away.

  ***

  On the drive home, Katie pressed the call button on her steering wheel.

  “Katie. Thanks for returning my call.”

  “Sorry for the delay, Nick. I just finished class. How’s it looking in Phoenix?”

  “Not good. So far, it appears there are two distinct characteristics in these victims. Two distinct styles.”

  “So we’re looking for two people, aren’t we?”

  “I’d like to think we’ve already got one in custody. This victim, the marking in her torso was the same as all the others. Something similar to a scalpel or very sharp knife had been used, but the cut went deep, not like with Brown. The woman bled out before she was dumped off the I-10, in the desert, heading towards Tucson.”

  Katie could hear the frustration in his voice. “We’re working on a few leads on our end. Detectives Avery and Gibbons are questioning a few of the women in the photographs and I just talked to a classmate who says he’s an acquaintance of Shalot’s.”

  “Any luck there?” The speaker cut out for a brief moment, then returned.

  “Maybe. He said Shalot hung out with that guy who sold him my information. Shaun Hudson. Said he saw them at the sports bar near campus a few times. He thought they were friends.”

  “Listen, Kat
ie. If you’re going to be talking to people, do me a favor and just be cautious of what’s around you. Don’t go off someplace secluded. So what about Aguilar? Is he gonna talk to us?”

  “I put a call in to him, but I haven’t heard back yet. He doesn’t know who’s giving him the information, but I’ll talk to him again. Shalot may have been charged and won’t be going home any time soon, but that doesn’t mean we’re out of the woods yet, clearly, or you wouldn’t be in Phoenix right now. Tomorrow, I’m going to look up this Shaun guy and figure out how I can meet up with him. I’ll be sure to let Marshall and Detective Gibbons know what’s going on.”

  “All right, all right.”

  If Nick was standing in front of her, Katie could swear he would be holding up his hands in surrender.

  “Thank you. Listen, you be careful yourself. It sounds like this thing is far from over.”

  “You got that right. I’ve got the media and my bosses breathing down my neck, wanting to know why the hell we’ve got Shalot in custody and people are still dying. This shit’s gonna hit the fan soon enough. There’ll be an all-out manhunt for this bastard, or bastards. I’m just pissed I let it get this far.”

  “You’re doing your job, Nick. You and your team.” Katie turned into her building’s parking garage. “Listen, I gotta go. I just got home. Call me tomorrow?”

  “Will do. Be safe.”

  The call ended. Katie cut the engine and stepped out of the car. Her heeled footsteps echoed in the otherwise quiet parking garage. Pressing the button, she waited for the elevator to return to the bottom. Her thoughts turned to Shalot. His pleading eyes, begging for her to believe him. Still, he was clearly not a nice man, something she had missed during previous conversations after class. He was clever at hiding his intentions.

  The apartment was dark when she opened the front door and that was when Katie noticed the time. It was 10:30 and Marshall should have been home by now. Her phone showed no missed calls or texts. Last she had spoken to him, he and Detective Gibbons were leaving one of the clubs that Shalot had frequented. That was before class, almost two hours ago.