“Like a detective.” Sylvie glanced at Bryce.
“Or someone who devoted his life to studying Dryden,” Bryce countered.
Suddenly Sylvie knew why Val was telling her about these murders. “Diana. You’re afraid that Diana will be the third.”
Bryce placed his palm gently on her back.
Regaining her balance, Sylvie swung her focus to Bobby. “Do you know about the research project? The interviews Diana was doing with Ed Dryden?”
“Perreth filled me in this morning.”
“Diana didn’t tell you?”
“No.”
So Diana had kept her fascination with Dryden secret from Bobby too.
Why?
“Perreth has talked to Professor Bertram about Diana’s involvement in his research,” Val said. “Unfortunately, he never got a chance to interview Bertram’s assistant. And as I understand it, the two of you found his body last night.”
Sylvie nodded. The last thing she wanted to do was relive that moment. But if it would help, she was all in. “Detective Perreth said it looked like suicide.”
“And you don’t believe that?” Bobby asked.
“I don’t know what to believe. I suppose it’s possible.”
“Perreth seems to think there’s a chance Sami Yamal was the copycat killer. That it got to be too much for him, and that’s why he took his own life. Do you think that’s possible?” Val Ryker looked at her, and then turned those laser eyes to Bryce once again.
“I don’t know,” Sylvie said finally. “We only talked to him once. But he insisted he was the real expert on Dryden. He resented the professor’s book deal and that Diana was working with him.”
“If Yamal was the copycat, it’s over.” Bobby said.
Sylvie frowned. “I suppose it would be.”
“I mean, it could really be all over, Sylvie. If he took Diana, we might never find her.”
Sylvie’s chest felt tight. She strained to breathe.
No, no, no…
“Wait. Wait.”
All eyes focused on Sylvie.
“You have considered that Dryden could be behind this, right?”
“Behind it?” Val parroted.
“You know, pulling the strings? Didn’t you just suggest that?”
“No, you did.”
Sylvie nodded. “Right, right… and it could be possible.”
Val glanced at Bryce. “It could be. All we know for certain is that the killer knows details the general public doesn’t.”
Bryce slipped an arm around Sylvie. His body pressed against her side, solid, close. But she couldn’t take comfort in his presence this time. She couldn’t take comfort in anything.
She’d been so naive through all this. Purposefully so. She’d stubbornly clung to the hope that she’d be able to find Diana. That Bryce could help her get the answers she needed. That once Bobby regained consciousness the three of them could work together to get her sister back. But the truth was, an entire law firm of Bryces and a whole department of Bobbys and Val Rykers couldn’t find Diana before it was too late.
But Sylvie might just have a shot.
She pulled away from Bryce’s side. Forcing steel into her spine, she focused on Val. “I want you to set up a meeting for me.”
“A meeting with who?”
“I’m going to talk to Ed Dryden.”
Bryce
Sylvie’s words crashed down on Bryce’s skull with the force of a sledgehammer. She couldn’t be suggesting what she was suggesting. “You’re not meeting with him.”
Sylvie balled her hands into fists by her sides, as if readying for a knock-down drag-out. “It’s not your choice to make.”
“It might not be, but that doesn’t mean it’s one you should make. He’s dangerous. You can’t walk into that prison and have a chat with a monster like that. It’s like waving a red flag in front of a rabid bull.”
“Even if the copycat isn’t Sami Yamal, he already knows I’m Diana’s sister. He’s already tried to kidnap me. I’m already a target. Talking to Dryden isn’t going to make any difference.”
“What do you think Dryden is going to do? Tell you where Diana is? Call off his copycat?”
“I might learn something from him. Something that could help.”
Bryce couldn’t believe his ears. He looked to Bobby. “You can’t let her do this.”
“Sylvie, I’m afraid Bryce is right,” Bobby said.
Sylvie kept her eyes on Bryce. “Why are you acting like I’m not in danger already? You were there. If you hadn’t gotten me out of that van, I’d be with the copycat right now. I have nothing to lose.”
“You have your life to lose,” Bryce said.
“You’re not listening to me.”
“You’re right. I’m not listening. And if listening means thinking what you’re proposing is a good idea, I’ll sure as hell never listen.” He glared at Bobby. “You have to tell her to forget it.”
“He’s right, Sylvie,” Bobby said again.
Bryce turned to Val Ryker. She was already staring at him, as she had since they’d walked in the door… since she’d called him counselor without anyone having mentioned he was an attorney. “Sylvie can’t do this. You can’t let her do this.”
“I’m not in charge here.”
She could have fooled him. With Bobby still in bad shape, Val Ryker seemed to be manipulating the entire conversation, throwing comments out there and watching how the rest of them reacted.
Especially him.
As if she knew he was Dryden’s attorney. As if she knew all of it.
“I’d like to hear your opinion,” Bryce told her. “Meeting with Dryden will put Sylvie at risk. You can’t think this is a good idea.”
Val hesitated, as if coming up with her next move. “I’ve never been face-to-face with Ed Dryden, but I have had an experience with a man who was somewhat similar. You don’t want to let someone like that into your life. He’ll only cause you pain.”
Sylvie’s eyes glistened. She shook her head. “That’s just it. Diana’s my twin. My only family. If he has anything to do with what happened to her, he’s already in my life. I need help getting him out. Will you help me? Please?”
Val Ryker considered this for a moment. “He’s a manipulator. You’ll have to assume every word out of his mouth is a lie.”
Sylvie nodded.
“I want to observe the meeting, bring in an expert if I can,” Val continued. “And we’ll need to record it.”
Sylvie nodded again.
Bryce looked from one woman to the other. “What just happened? Have you both gone crazy? This man is dangerous.”
Sylvie glanced up at him, her chin jutting slightly. “He’s in prison. He won’t be able to hurt me.”
“Not unless there’s someone on the outside, as you pointed out before.” Val again, her eyes drilling into Bryce. “Someone who is communicating with him.”
Bryce’s throat felt thick, hot. If only he’d made time to talk to Sylvie this morning, tell her everything. Maybe he could have prevented this idea from even popping into her head. But if onlys only got him so far. “I need to talk to you, Sylvie.”
“We are talking.”
“Alone. Now.”
“I’m not going to change my mind, Bryce.”
“Just hear me out. Give me that much.”
She glanced at Bobby and Val. Finally, Sylvie nodded.