I jog upstairs, head into my secret room, and touch the apple on my desk. It’s a wax apple, brilliantly red, and there are seven nails sticking out of it. Still many more to go.
Glancing around, I question how stupid it is to leave a murder room inside a house with a cop. Logan respects my privacy and would never snoop. But this guy? I don’t know anything about the guy coming to stay in here.
I really hope that hidden door stays hidden. I also hope the metal door with a combination lock is enough to keep a nosy cop out if the door doesn’t stay hidden.
Chapter 4
Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?
—Confucius
LOGAN
“He’s been quiet for two days,” Elise says, still studying the latest reports from the forensics found.
“He’s being cautious. He wants attention, but he doesn’t want me to win, and especially not before he reaches his endgame.”
“What’s his endgame?”
“Lana,” I say, gripping my pen tightly.
“We don’t know that,” Lisa argues.
I ignore her. She’s acting like a jealous girlfriend, after having not acted that way in over a year. I’m not sure what her issue is all of the sudden, but it’s petty and pointless, especially now of all times.
“We have a problem,” Donny says, taking brisk steps on his way to my desk.
“We have a board full of problems,” I remind him, gesturing to all the unsolved cases.
“Two guys from Delaney Grove are missing.”
My skin prickles, and I sit up straighter. “Is it just a coincidence? The unsub has been killing them in their homes.”
“He’s also been targeting single males who live in seclusion. Lawrence Martin lives with a roommate, and is a twenty-nine-year-old ad executive from New York. He went missing sometime in the past ten or eleven days.”
“Holy shit,” Elise says. “All of them have been found no later than four days. It has to be a coincidence, especially since he doesn’t fit all of the victimology.”
“Too coincidental,” I tell her, then focus on Donny. “Why didn’t the roommate report him missing sooner?”
“He wasn’t sure if Lawrence had hooked up with a girl, or if he was staying at the office. I also got the impression he didn’t really care, but rent is due, and he said Lawrence is always there to hand over his half. He never showed up yesterday, he’s been missing at work, and no one has seen him.”
“And the other?” Elise prompts.
“Tyler Shane,” Donny answers. “Twenty-seven-year-old tech analyst from West Virginia. Moved there from Delaney Grove straight out of high school. His girlfriend just reported him missing today.”
“So he has a girlfriend?” I ask, confused. “Our unsub has been targeting single males only.”
“He also has a wife,” Donny says, his eyebrows raising. “Apparently she got pictures and screenshots of messages between Tyler and a Denise Watkins—the girlfriend—from an anonymous tipster. She left that day and hasn’t been back. She didn’t even know he was missing, and I don’t think she cares.”
“Any chance she’s responsible for him missing?” Lisa asks, glaring daggers through me. “After all, crimes of passion are more likely than a serial kill.”
Everyone looks between us, as though they’re asking questions, but I have no clue what her problem is.
“She’s been in L.A. since she left,” Donny says, clearing his throat as he gets back on point. “Her work requires a lot of travel, and she just decided to stay gone this last time and take a couple of days to herself. Across the country is a damn good alibi.”
“Check it out,” I tell him. “Make sure she’s legit. Check into Lawrence Martin’s financials too. See if he made any large withdrawals. Same for Tyler Shane. Also check into the roommate and girlfriend. Our guy hasn’t been taking them from their homes, and has only been targeting single, solitary men.”
“And if it is our guy?” Leonard asks, joining us.