Kate crossed her arms and stared at him.He held her gaze for a moment, but finally sighed and said, “I just feel bad about the past few weeks.Working with you on the case reminded me that I actually like being around you.I wish things hadn’t gotten so awkward.”
“Well, they’re not awkward now.I mean, they’re awkwardrightnow, but not in general.”
“Yeah, but…” He took a deep breath.“Forget it.We should focus on the case.”
“We should, but we’re going to talk about this later.”
“Sure.Yeah, I know.”He sipped his coffee and looked at the board.“Any thoughts?”
Before Kate could reply, the door opened, and Winters poked her head in.Her face was lined, and her lips pressed so thin they were nearly bloodless.For a moment, Kate feared she and Marcus were about to be chewed out for some unknown infraction, but the reason for Winters’ anger became known a moment later when she said, “We got another one.”
Marcus swore.Kate sighed heavily.“Shit.Where?”
“St.Louis, Missouri.The Archdiocese contacted law enforcement when one of their deacons missed mass and didn’t answer the phone.Turns out they were right to be suspicious.”
“What’s the time of death?”Kate asked.
“Coroner says Friday night.”
Right around the time she and Marcus landed in Portland.“All right.We’ll take the next flight to St.Louis.”
Winters nodded curtly, then left the office.Kate and Marcus stood in silence for a moment before shuffling out of the office, leaving their immaculately organized and useless board behind them.Kate could almost hear Cox’s taunting laughter following her.
***
The scene in St.Louis was much like the rest except that Douglas Hale was still in his living room when the two of them arrived.The police department had left him there as a courtesy so Kate and Marcus could see the scene as it was.Decomp had started, so the body released a fragrant odor that flared Kate’s nostrils as she moved through the first floor of the large, expensive suburban mansion.
She glanced down at the deep impressions in Hale’s throat and the pool of darker bruising just above his windpipe.Cox was getting stronger.He was recovering his physically imposing stature and the mad strength that had almost killed Kate on two occasions.He would be more prepared when they encountered each other again.
“Hey Kate?”Marcus called.“I think I found the object.”
Kate followed the voice to the kitchen and saw a pearl earring on the counter.She recognized it as the mate of an earring resting on the coffee table.The pearl was aimed toward the home’s right side, facing slightly north of due east.
Kate photographed it, then looked at Marcus.“Nothing from the Church?”
“The Archdiocese believes that Mr.Hale allowed Cox inside because the parish priest, Father Thompson, was recovering from surgery.Cox probably claimed that he was there to cover for the Father.”
“Just like at every other location.”
“Yes,” Marcus agreed.“And because he’s a priest, he’s assumed to be a good person.”
Kate looked at the pearl earring.Its presence bothered her.This victim should have been repentant.There should be no stolen object to display.
“Got something interesting in Douglas Hale’s background,” Marcus said.“No criminal record and no sealed juvenile record.But it looks like our boy liked stealing identities.”
Kate’s eyes widened.“Really?’
“Yep.About twelve years ago, a colleague of his at Midland Bank sued him for the theft.She claimed he stole her identity to forge her signature and secure a personal loan.”
“Nothing came of it?”
“The case was dismissed due to lack of evidence.The civil suit was settled for an undisclosed amount in exchange for the colleague signing an NDA and waiving her right to a future examination of the claim.”
Kate’s heart dropped.“Did Hale ever come clean about his crimes?Did he ever publicize the settlement?”
Marcus shook his head.His expression was a mix of weariness and anger.“No.And there’s some evidence that he might have stolen other identities in the past but swept it under the rug before it could become a legal matter.”
Her shoulders slumped.Hale wasn’t sorry If anything, he was even less sorry than Gloria Prentiss.Her hypothesis that Cox was telling a story of repentance was wrong.She still didn’t know why Cox was choosing these specific victims or what the objects placed in their homes meant.