Silent Scream (36 page)

“How many bodies have you seen? How long have they haunted you?”

“Too many and too long,” Glenn answered levelly. “But
I
didn’t kill them.”

“Exactly. He killed her and he didn’t even have his full sanity to get him through it. Should he be held accountable?
Hell, yes
. But he is not the man he was. Twelve years ago he was an undiagnosed schizophrenic, vulnerable, looking for something. Now,
he’s pathetic. I didn’t want to feel anything for him, but I did. Maybe that makes me weak, I don’t know, but I did feel.”
He was inches from Glenn’s face and backed away, drawing a breath. “I’m not necessarily proud of that, but there it is.”

“I think I’ll sit now.” Glenn took the easy chair and briefly closed his eyes. “I shouldn’t have lashed out at you. You have
nothing to be ashamed of.”

Oh yes, I do
. “It’s all right. You were right about the danger to Ma. I wasn’t thinking straight. I should have come straight here from
the cabin to check on her.”

“
She
is right here,” his mother said pointedly. “And
she
is fine,” she added kindly. She patted Glenn’s arm as she’d done to David’s. “I have to go to dinner. I’m late.”

“I’ll drive you,” David said, raising his hand to silence her protest. “I know you’re a good driver, but Glenn is right. The
more I think about it, Lincoln had to have help finding me. Until we’re clear on who that was and why, I’m going to be more
careful with you.”

“All right, son. Are you going to be here tonight?”

He hesitated. Olivia was meeting him at the cabin. If the night ended as badly as last night had, he’d be back. If it ended
like this morning… But that was selfish. He couldn’t let himself think about what might have happened had Lincoln come up
here first. His mother’s safety was the priority until this was sorted.

Still, there were things he and Olivia needed to discuss. “Yes, but I’ll be out until maybe ten or eleven. What time will
you be finished with Evie and Noah?”

She studied him carefully. “It would be easier if I stayed with Evie tonight. That way they don’t have to drive me back after
dinner. I’ll pack a few things.” She rose, looking down at Glenn. “Invitation’s still open. You’re welcome to join us for
dinner.”

Glenn shook his head. “Thanks, but I’m beat. And I want to talk to the boy here.”

David waited until his mother had left the room. “And the boy wants to talk to you. But I have to run down to
2A and find out which of those girls talked to Lincoln and give them a talking-to. Drive with me to drop off my mother and
we can talk on the way back. I’ve got to be at the dojo at seven and after that, I’ve got a… something. Maybe a date.”

“The pretty blond cop gave you another chance?” Glenn asked, amused. “You must be one hell of a smooth talker.”

“I have my moments.”

Tuesday, September 21, 5:55 p.m.

O
livia and Kane found Ian staring at skull X-rays on the morgue’s light board.

Olivia winced. The skull shown was crushed in several places. “What’d he hit?”

“His steering wheel, his windshield, the frame of his car as he rolled down an embankment, and then, I think, three trees.
He was brought in on Monday.”

“Why are we looking at him?” Kane asked.

“You remember last night, when you were checking that camp and I told you to leave, that I had another autopsy to do? That
was this guy. Joel Fischer. No history of smoking. Then I did the cut. He had damage to his upper airways. Smoke inhalation.”

The hairs rose on the back of Olivia’s neck. “What kind of smoke?”

“First I thought he’d inhaled smoke at the accident scene, but I checked—there was no fire. Then his urine tox came back loaded
with oxycodone. I’m surprised he was even able to drive the car. On a hunch, I ran a blood test. Traces of cyanide.”

“He was poisoned?” Kane asked and Ian shook his head.

“Not in this case, especially because he’s also got high levels of carbon monoxide. He inhaled burning plastic.”

“A structural fire,” Olivia said. “Oh my God. And Tracey Mullen’s blood screen?”

“Acute cyanide toxicity. It doesn’t mean they were in the same fire, but they were in the same
type
of fire. A burning building with carpet, furniture, something polymer based.”

“He was there,” Kane said. “Sonofabitch. So how does the X-ray fit it?”

“Glad you asked.” Ian put another skull X-ray next to Joel Fischer’s. The second film showed a single crack at the base of
the skull. “Look at the same place on Joel’s skull.”

Kane leaned forward. “Same crack, although it gets lost in all the other damage.”

“Which is why I didn’t catch it the first time,” Ian said. “This second X-ray belongs to Henry Weems, the security guard.
It’s not conclusive, but I’d say it’s highly possible they were struck by the same weapon, by the same person.”

“Did Joel Fischer have gunshot residue on his hands?” Olivia asked.

“No. I checked,” Ian said. “He could have cleaned it off, but I found no trace.”

“Do you still have this Fischer kid’s body?” Kane asked.

“I do, and it’s causing me quite the headache. The Fischers are Orthodox Jews and had his funeral and burial set up for this
afternoon. They had to cancel because I wouldn’t release the body until I got this blood test back. They are very upset with
me.”

“They’ll be more upset with us,” Olivia predicted grimly. “This is good, Ian. Gold.”

“Here’s the Fischer kid’s info,” he added, handing her a printout before she could ask. “I’ve released Weems’s body and it’s
gone. What’s the status on the Mullen girl? Her dad ID’d her last night. She’s free to go.”

“Mom was supposed to claim her today. Last I heard, her flight was delayed,” Olivia said. “I have a cell number. I’ll find
out where she is. There’s still the question of who caused Tracey’s abuse injuries. I don’t want to lose that in all the rest
of this.”

“I never thought you would. The mom might come straight here from the airport. You want me to stall her until you two can
get here?”

“Definitely,” Kane said. “We need to see her and her new husband’s faces when we tell them about her injuries.” They said
good night to Ian and left the morgue. “So which first? Blue Moon for Lincoln’s alibi or Joel Fischer’s house?”

“Blue Moon. Then we can get Crawford off Abbott’s back.”

“All that’s going to do is show if Lincoln was involved in our fires,” Kane disagreed. “Crawford’s not going to give up that
our fires are domestic terrorism until we prove that they’re not. Which they could still be. These arsonists knew about the
mark on the North Pole. And if a university kid was there…” He opened the morgue door for her.

“Yeah, except for the fact that Tomlinson’s missing his face,” she said, drawing a deep breath of fresh air. She took her
hat off, sniffed it. “Morgue stink is in my hat.”

“It’ll pass,” Kane said. “Otherwise Jennie would make me keep all my hats in the garage. We’re going to want to search Joel’s
room.”

Olivia looked at Joel’s personal info. “Lived with his folks. I’ll call the assistant DA. Hopefully what we have will be enough
for a warrant.”

• • •

Tuesday, September 21, 6:10 p.m.

David’s mother waved at Evie and Noah, who were standing outside the restaurant. “I hope they haven’t been waiting long.”

“I don’t think they minded, Ma,” David said dryly, parking his truck. The couple had been holding hands, smiling sappily into
each other’s faces and the sight hit David with a wave of longing. He didn’t begrudge Evie a single moment of happiness. She’d
been through so much. She deserved to be happy with Noah forever.

David just wondered when it would be his turn.

“You have to meet them, Glenn,” she declared. “Help me down, David. I don’t want to twist my ankle jumping out of this truck
in these silly high heels.”

But Noah helped her from the truck before David could get out. He glanced at David curiously, then kissed her on the cheek.
“Phoebe, you’re looking beautiful tonight.”

“And you’re a charmer,” she said. “Evie, come here. Meet Glenn.”

Evie looked different tonight. She smiled a lot since meeting Noah, but tonight her smile was brighter. Something good was
brewing. Friends for years, David and Evie were more like siblings. Evie had been brought into the family through his brother
Max’s wife, Caroline. Through whom he’d met Dana and fallen head over heels in love.

Which seemed like a lifetime ago, now. Thoughts of Dana, images of her in the arms of another man, used to make his heart
physically hurt. Now, nothing.

Time did heal wounds. And sometimes it revealed that what a man thought he wanted so desperately wasn’t necessarily the thing
he should have.

His mother had her arm around Evie’s shoulders. “Glenn, this is Evie. I told you about her. And this is Noah, her boyfriend.
Evie, this is Glenn. He rents from David.”

Glenn had extricated himself from the backseat of the truck and shook Evie’s hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you, young lady.”
He then lifted her hand higher, a broad smile on his grizzled face. “Is this rock what tonight’s all about?”

Evie met David’s eyes. “We were going to tell you first, but you’ve been busy.”

He had to swallow the lump in his throat as he grabbed Evie up in a bear hug. “Congratulations,” he managed gruffly. “I couldn’t
be happier. Really.”

“Thank you,” she whispered fiercely. “Really.”

He put her down, the grin still on his face. “Congratulations, Noah.”

His mother was crying, hugging Evie so hard he thought she might break her. Because this wasn’t simple joy over an engagement.
His friend had suffered so much, surviving attacks on her life, brought back from the edge of death twice. She’d almost given
up. But not quite. Here she was, beaming like a star. David felt his own eyes sting.

“So when’s the date?” he asked Noah whose eyes were also suspiciously bright.

“We don’t know yet,” Noah said. “Eve just wants to be passed around and fussed over for a while, which is fine with me.” Noah
shifted his weight so that he leaned closer to David while the women chattered happily. “Why did you drive Phoebe?”

Noah was no fool, as David had quickly realized seven months before when the dark, brooding detective had led the investigation
against the serial killer who’d murdered
so many. He’d trusted Noah almost immediately and they’d become friends. That Noah and Olivia were also friends was damn convenient,
too. Noah had been one of David’s best sources on Olivia over the last seven months.

“Glenn and I were talking about Lincoln, the guy who broke into the cabin.”

“I heard about him.”

“He did some complex thinking to find me. We’re wondering if he was alone.”

“I wondered the same thing as I was driving home. You want me to drop Phoebe off at your place later?”

“She’s going to stay with you tonight, if that’s okay.” David took her bag from the backseat. “I’m going to be a little late
tonight and I’m on shift tomorrow at eight. I keep thinking that if Lincoln had gone up to the loft first…”

“Well, he didn’t,” Noah said practically. “Do you or Glenn have any thoughts on who might have been helping this guy?”

“No. Do you?”

“Not yet. I’ll make sure Olivia knows about this.”

David hesitated, then shrugged. “I’m supposed to see her tonight. I’ll tell her then.”

Noah gave him an impatient glance. “It’s about damn time, Hunter.”

“I know, I know. I’ve gotta go. Just keep an eye out for Ma.”

“You know I will.”

David started to go, but Evie stopped him. “Wait.” She wrapped her arms around his neck in a big hug, then whispered in his
ear, “You pushed me to take a chance on
Noah and on myself. Told me the chance might not come again. Do you remember?”

He did. She’d challenged him to stop watching his own life go by that same night seven months ago. “Yes. It was my fee for
fixing your roof.”

“You fixed my life instead. Now I’m returning the favor. Do not let this opportunity get away. Promise me you will tell Olivia
how you feel. And soon.”

He started, surprised. “How did you know?”

“Noah made me sign up for another self-defense class. Rudy told me.”

David laughed. “That guy’s a damn weasel.”

“No, he’s not. He’s a sweetheart, and the best source of gossip in town.” She sobered. “Promise me, David.”

“I promise.” He let her go and waved to Glenn. “Let’s go. I’ve got an appointment to get my ass kicked at the dojo and I’m
going to be late.”

Tuesday, September 21, 6:20 p.m.

He’d decided how to get Kenny out of the well-secured residential dormitory. Except the timing was wrong. If he could have
set his plan for Kenny in motion later, say around midnight when the cops and rescue teams would be busy at the fire Albert
was planning, success would be virtually guaranteed.

But Sutherland and Kane were due back at the deaf school at 7:00 p.m. He needed to get his hands on Kenny before the cops
got him to talk. Even though the timing was wrong, he didn’t have a choice.

Make the call
. He’d dialed the first few digits of the
school’s main phone number, wondering who would pick up this time of the evening. Campus security, most likely.

And then the interpreter’s phone jingled a little tune. Detective Olivia Sutherland, once again. Abruptly he canceled the
call he was about to make. Sutherland wasn’t at the school yet, because he was, sitting down the street in his van. Why was
she calling?

He held his breath, waiting for the call to go to voice mail. He gave it a minute, then dialed the interpreter’s voice mail
and listened.

He let out the breath he held in a whoosh of relief. Something else had come up. They wanted Val back here tomorrow at 10:00
a.m. Everything would be totally fine now.

Smiling, he typed a text.
10 is fine. will see you then.

He needed to get back to his shop. This was the third Tuesday of the month, when the local book club met. Luckily they talked
more about their own lives than the books they’d read. He’d managed to snag quite a few new clients based on their gossip
alone.