“My brother loved horror movies as a kid and he ended up in law enforcement. It could go either way. What was the patient’s name?”
“Damn, I can’t remember. He only came once, right before my trip. I can dig in my files and I’m sure I’ll figure it out, but it might take a bit. And I’m not really supposed to share information without a warrant, but honestly if you think he might be a suspect, I’ll risk it and hand it over.”
“I need it.”
“I’ll find it. Do you have a card?”
I reach in my bag and hand him the card. “Sooner than later.”
He glances at his watch. “I actually have to go pick-up my kid now. His mom is leaving town on business, and he has a band concert tomorrow. I’ll be staying in Jersey overnight. We’ll head here tomorrow evening and I’ll get it to you.”
“Sooner than later,” I repeat and then without much more ado, I leave. Once I’m street-level, Jay is waiting for me with a coffee in hand.
I accept it and manage a grumbled, “Thank you.” Otherwise, we pretend I didn’t ditch him.
With the sweet taste of white mocha flavored caffeine on my tongue, I dial Tic Tac and then Kellerman, confirming everything Landry has told me.
Whoever that patient of his is, I need that name, and if Landry doesn’t get with me by tomorrow night, I’ll be showing up at his house.
Chapter Forty-Two
The four-hour thing has been a thing for me since I was a kid.
I’m on my way back home when Andrew calls me and he knows I didn’t sleep almost instantly. Still, he manages to update me on the interviews he’s done, which don’t prove to present much in the way of leads. And of course, he confirms Kane’s and my attendance to tonight’s event.
“Take a nap,” he orders, and hangs up on me. I’m glad. Now I can stop talking.
I head home, drink a gazillion gallons of coffee, and seal myself away in Purgatory.
At some point, the gazillion gallons aren’t enough because I nap, or more like faceplant on the desk, which I know because I wake up with notecards plastered to my face. After the faceplant, I’m a little more human and spend a considerable amount of time on the phone with Lucas and Tic Tac, digging through connections to the victims. I end up with a lead list that is extensive. In an effort to narrow the list, I work up my profile for the killer, and weed out everyone on the list who isn’t an educated, white male over thirty-five. With the persons-of-interest now a short list, Rollins assigns officers and detectives to follow-up. We also set a meeting to review both of our work today, and evaluate the outcomes of the field team’s effort, for tomorrow afternoon.
Time is not in our favor.
An interesting tidbit that hits me mid-afternoon is that I haven’t heard from Murphy today. This sits about as well as the chocolate and caffeine I used to fuel my work before that nap, rather bitter and heavy. He’s here, at least I thought he was here, to monitor the election and the Society activity during the election. I’m headed to a rally for my father tonight with Pocher present, and he doesn’t even know.
I’m still at my desk when Kane shows up about five pm, two hours before the event, with a bottle of my favorite wine in hand. “I thought you’d need this.”
“I think my father needs me to drink that to counteract the caffeine and chocolate I ingested today. Otherwise, I’m not sure what will come out of my mouth.”
He sets two glasses on the desk and fills them. “That bad?”
“I was horrible today and it was your fault.”
“Last night was worth today’s blame,” he assures me. “We’re all set for tonight. Kit will attend as our bodyguard. Jay and Enrique will be in the crowd, as will a few private hire guys I staffed for the occasion.”
“And despite all of that, I’ll be packing anyway,” I say. “I’ve said it and I’ll say it again. Had I died that night at the beach house, my father would have ridden the sympathy vote all the way to the governorship.”
“Pocher and your father are not in control tonight. We are.” He lifts his glass as I do mine and we clink them together. “To taming the beast that is the Society.”
“And the bastard that is my father.”
***
The event is at the ritzy Mercery Hotel with a heavy press presence expected. I know this, because I know that’s how these events go down, but also because my brother called two more times this afternoon to confirm our attendance. The last time was after I’d had a glass of wine and was feeling good.
“Because you have called me too much, we are no longer going.”