“Very well.” Jo pulled open the door to the interview room and waved Jenna forward. “Bring in the prisoner.”
Thirty-Eight
Heart thundering in her chest and with a sick feeling in her stomach, Jenna stood at the table staring at the door as it opened slowly. It had been some time since she’d laid eyes on James Stone. The couple of dates they’d been on had been a disaster. As an attractive man and a wealthy lawyer, he’d been quite a catch, but the connection hadn’t been there. He hadn’t been good company. In fact, he’d become a problem, almost stalking her and not taking her refusal for more dates as final. It had taken Kane’s man-to-man chat with him to make him back off. From all accounts her refusal to see him again triggered a killing spree. Well organized, Stone ran a service through the dark web for hunting humans. Jenna hadn’t discovered who was behind the murders until she’d come close to being his next victim, but she’d brought him to justice with the help of her team. The last time they’d met, Stone’s hatred for her had been palpable and he’d threatened to get even. The man entering the room had committed unspeakable crimes and he was dangerous with a capital D.
Sucking in one last deep breath to calm her nerves, she lifted her chin and met Stone’s cold gaze as he shuffled into the room, his feet shackled, hands cuffed and secured by chains to his waist. He hadn’t changed much, and the prison T-shirt showed off well-developed muscles. Startled out of her fear paralysis by the sound of Jo’s voice beside her, Jenna gripped the back of the chair.
“Remove the shackles.” Jo placed her books on the table beside a voice recorder.
“Ma’am?” The guard couldn’t hide his shocked expression. “That’s not what we do here.”
“Well, you do now.” Jo smiled at him. “Mr. Stone is allowed to use the library unshackled and I’m told he is a model prisoner. Why would he want to have his privileges revoked? Do as I say.” She looked at Stone. “You understand the terms of my visit, Mr. Stone? There will be a reward for your cooperation.”
“Yeah, I understand.” Stone smirked at the guard. “See, Harry? I told you sooner or later Jenna would come by and see me.” He turned his attention on her. “I knew you couldn’t keep away for long.”
Fighting the need to escape the room and run as fast as her feet would carry her back to the chopper, Jenna stood rigid as the chains were removed. She could see a flash of amusement in Stone’s eyes, the twitch of his mouth in the corner. She’d seen the same when he tried to kill her; his overconfidence astounded her. Gathering her senses, she nodded to Jo in a silent communication to inform her she wanted to continue, although her gut instinct was telling her the opposite.
“You can wait outside.” Jo waved the guard away. “We can handle it from here.” She sat down, pressed the button on the recorder, and a red light flashed.
“It’s your funeral.” The guard flashed his card to exit the room but through the glass panel she could see him take up a position outside.
Although the room was comfortably cool, sweat trickled down Jenna’s back. Squashing the rising panic that seeing Stone had incited, she turned her attention to him. His pleasant expression hid the crazed mass murderer within. “Hello, James.”
“How did you get mixed up with her?” Stone indicated to Jo with a jut of his chin.
Pressing a smile on her lips, Jenna stood her ground and kept her tone conversational, as Jo had advised. She didn’t intend to antagonize him or cower. Yeah, he frightened her, but he’d never know it. “This is Special Agent Jo Wells. As you’re probably aware by now, she is researching criminal minds for the FBI. She asked me about some of my more notorious cases and I thought of you.” She waved to the chair. “Why don’t you sit down.”
“Why don’t I just reach across the table and strangle her so we can be alone? We have unfinished business.” Stone dragged his thumb across his throat and grinned.
Refusing to be intimidated by him, Jenna met his amused gaze with an eyeroll. The idea of being nice and acting like his friend to get information had left on the last train. Damn you to hell. “You just can’t get over being beaten by a woman, can you?” She waved a hand to encompass the room. “You’re never to be released, James. Locked up in here real tight, all on your lonesome. All you have are empty threats.”
“I’m not restrained, Jenna, and you don’t have a weapon. I could kill you in a second and you know it, but I’m more interested in Jo here.” Stone’s lips curled into a smile. “Maybe I’ll break her neck just to prove I can? What do you say, Jenna? You choose. Won’t that be fun?”
“That’s not your usual MO. Sit down, or we’re leaving along with the benefits we offered for the interview.” Jo remained relaxed, just leaning back, crossing her legs, and looking at him as he slumped into a chair. “I’m sure you wouldn’t get much of a buzz from just strangling me. I’ve read your files. The only reason I’m offering you another chance to cooperate is because you interest me.”
“Do I now, Agent Wells?” Stone polished his fingernails on his orange coveralls. “How so?”
“You’re IQ is bordering on genius and yet you turned to crime.” Jo raised one eyebrow. “I’m interested to know why.”
“What? You don’t want to know how I felt when I watched the life slipping from my victims’ eyes?” He barked a laugh. “‘Victims’ is a very strange word to use for the people involved in my business, Agent Wells. Competitors, or perhaps contestants, really describe them better.”
“An interesting analogy.” Jo opened her notebook and lifted a pen. “You can call me Jo.”
“Are you married, Jo?” Stone glanced at her fingers. “I don’t see a ring.”
“No, I’m not married, but I didn’t come here to talk about me.” Jo leaned forward a little. “You fascinate me. I want to know everything about you. You’ll be immortalized in my book.”
“That’s nice.” He turned to Jenna, moving his gaze all over her. “You still haven’t found anyone yet, have you, Jenna?”
The question made Jenna’s skin crawl but the few tips on the FBI interviewing technique that she had gotten along the way fell into place. She’d already broken the first rule and antagonized the subject. She had to pull back and go along with his delusions to loosen his tongue. She shook her head. “I haven’t found anyone like you, James.”
“Ha.” Stone slapped the table, sending shards of panic up Jenna’s spine. “I knew it.” He turned to Jo. “You’re way too pretty to be single.” He sighed. “Okay, one question: Is this a one-off deal or are you planning on visiting me regular?”
“That depends on your cooperation.” Jo smiled at him.
The way he changed from serial killer back to the man she’d dated astounded Jenna. He’d relaxed and had taken on a friendly attitude. She gave Jo a meaningful stare. She’d remain quiet and allow Jo to work her magic.
“I want to know everything, James.” Jo leaned forward with her hands clasped on the table. “Start at the beginning.”