Dance flipped through one of the books. It was about the Peterson murder case in California a few years ago. It seemed well written.
TJ looked up from his laptop. "He's clean, boss. At least no priors. DMV pic checks out too."
"I'm writing a book. It's all legit. You can check."
He gave them the name of his editor in Manhattan. Dance called the large publishing company and spoke to the woman, whose attitude was, Oh, hell, what's Morton got himself into now? But she confirmed that he'd signed a contract for a new book about Pell.
Dance said to TJ, "Uncuff him."
O'Neil turned to the author and asked, "What's the book about?"
"It isn't like any true crime you've read before. It's not about the murders. That's been done. It's about the victims of Daniel Pell. What their lives were like before the murders and, the ones who survived, what they're like now. See, most nonfiction crime on TV or in books focuses only on the murderer himself and the crime--the gore, the gruesome aspects. The cheap stuff. I hate that. My book's about Theresa Croyton--the girl who survived--and the family's relatives and friends. The title's going to be The Sleeping Doll. That's what they called Theresa. I'm also going to include the women who were in Pell's quote Family, the ones he brainwashed. And all the other victims of Pell's too. There are really hundreds of them, when you think about it. I see violent crime like dropping a stone into a pond. The ripples of consequence can spread almost forever."
There was passion in his voice; he sounded like a preacher. "There's so much violence in the world. We're inundated with it and we get numb. My God, the war in Iraq? Gaza? Afghanistan? How many pictures of blown-up cars, how many scenes of wailing mothers did you see before you lost interest?
"When I was a war correspondent covering the Middle East and Africa and Bosnia, I got numb. And you don't have to be there in person for that to happen. It's the same thing in your own living room when you just see the news bites or watch gruesome movies--where there're no real consequences for the violence. But if we want peace, if we want to stop violence and fighting, that's what people need to experience, the consequences. You don't do that by gawking at bloody bodies; you focus on lives changed forever by evil.
"Originally it was only going to be about the Croyton case. But then I find out that Pell killed someone else--this Robert Herron. I want to include everyone affected by his death too: friends, family. And now, I understand, two guards're dead."
The smile was still there but it was a sad smile and
Kathryn Dance realized that his cause was one with which she, as a mother and Major Crimes agent who'd worked plenty of rape, assault and homicide cases, could empathize.
"This's added another wrinkle." He gestured around him. "It's much harder to track down victims and family members in a cold case. Herron was killed about ten years ago. I was thinking . . ." Nagle's voice faded and he was frowning, though inexplicably a sparkle returned to his eyes. "Wait, wait . . . Oh my God, Pell didn't have anything to do with the Herron death, did he? He confessed to get out of Capitola so he could escape from here."
"We don't know about that," Dance said judiciously. "We're still investigating."
Nagle didn't believe her. "Did he fake evidence? Or get somebody to come forward and lie. I'll bet he did."
In a low, even tone Michael O'Neil said, "We wouldn't want there to be any rumors that might interfere with the investigation." When the chief deputy made suggestions in this voice people always heeded the advice.
"Fine. I won't say anything."
"Appreciate that," Dance said, then asked, "Mr. Nagle, do you have any information that could help us? Where Daniel Pell might be going, what he might be up to? Who's helping him?"
With his potbelly, wispy hair and genial laugh, Nagle seemed like a middle-aged elf. He hitched up his pants. "No idea. I'm sorry. I really just got started on the project a month or so ago. I've been doing the background research."
"You mentioned you plan to write about the women in Pell's Family too. Have you contacted them?"
"Two of them. I asked if they'd be willing to let me interview them."
O'Neil asked, "They're out of jail?"
"Oh, yes. They weren't involved in the Croyton murders. They got short terms, mostly for larceny-related offenses."
O'Neil completed Dance's thought. "Could one of them, or both, I guess, be his accomplice?"
Nagle considered this. "I can't see it. They think Pell's the worst thing that ever happened to them."
"Who are they?" O'Neil asked.
"Rebecca Sheffield. She lives in San Diego. And Linda Whitfield is in Portland."
"Have they kept out of trouble?"
"Think so. No police records I could find. Linda lives with her brother and his wife. She works for a church. Rebecca runs a consulting service for small businesses. My impression is they've put the past behind them."
"You have their numbers?"