She forced herself to turn away from Bobby and focus on Ed Dryden. She couldn’t afford to sabotage herself. Not when she needed every bit of strength to take on the man who was her father. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open and strode into the interview room.
A smile curved Dryden’s thin lips. “My little girl. I’m glad you’re here. It’s been too long.”
She concentrated on stepping to the chair and lowering herself safely into it before she met his eyes.
“I need some answers.” Her voice sounded remarkably steady, much steadier than she felt.
“Are these answers for you or the cops?” He nodded toward the small camera positioned high in the corner of the boxlike room. “They’re watching, aren’t they?”
No point in lying. “Of course they are.”
“So what answers are the boys and girls in blue after?”
“They want the identity of the Copycat Killer.”
“Why they think I have anything to tell them, I’ll never understand.” He shook his head, the fluorescent lights overhead glinting off silver strands running through his brown hair. “They’ve had a snitch in the cell next to me for nearly a year. Hoping I’ll talk in my sleep.”
“And did you?”
“It’s hard to give them information I don’t have. But I don’t care about them. What do you want, Diana? Why are you here?”
“I want to know why you sent that news clipping with Sylvie’s gift.”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
“Was it a threat?”
“Why would I threaten my own daughter?”
“Then why did you send it?”
“It convinced you to come visit me, didn’t it?”
So Bobby was right. Not that it mattered. She’d be here just the same. “Now that you’ve gotten my attention, what do you want?”
“I want you to tell me about Sylvie’s wedding.”
“Sylvie’s wedding?”
“A daughter’s wedding is special to a father. I should have been there. I should have walked her down the aisle.” He lifted his hands, jangling his shackles against the chair arms as if to illustrate why he’d failed to make it.
“You can’t be serious.”
“You’re the most important thing to me, Diana. You and your sister. Of course I want to be there for the special moments.”
Diana tried not to roll her eyes.
“I know you don’t want to believe it, but it’s true. The worst part about being in here is missing these milestones in my daughters’ lives.” He heaved a sigh. “Though I can’t say I’m sorry you rethought your plans to marry that cop.”
She resisted the urge to glance at the camera. Dryden had made his displeasure about her intended marriage clear the last time she’d seen him—about a month before her wedding. The wedding that had never taken place.
“He wasn’t good enough for you. Cops think they’re so smart. They aren’t. They’re nothing.”
The deficiencies of cops. One of his favorite topics in their previous interviews. And the perfect segue to a less personal thread of conversation. “The cops don’t just think you know who this copycat is, they suspect you’re controlling him.”
His thin lips stretched into a smile, exposing his straight, white teeth.
“Are you?” Diana pressed.
“You know I wouldn’t admit to something like that, even if it was true. My lawyer wouldn’t be happy with me.”
The last lawyer who represented him was Sylvie’s husband Bryce. That is, until Dryden became unsatisfied with him. Days later, Bryce’s brother was murdered. “You have a new lawyer?”
“Of course. If a man is worth anything, he needs a lawyer.”
“I can’t figure out why someone would be willing to represent you.”
“Your father’s an important man, Diana. I can make a lawyer’s career. They have to offer a little something extra in order to make the cut.”
“Something extra? What did this one offer you?”
“Nothing you have to concern yourself with.”
Maybe not, but she was sure Bobby would want to look into just what extras his new lawyer might be offering. “What do you know about this copycat?”
“Why would I know anything?”
“False modesty? I never would have pegged you for it.”
His smile widened.
“So, what do you know?”
“Know is a strong word.”
“Okay, how about suspect?”
“I suspect he aspires to be me. But that’s in his nickname, isn’t it?” He lowered one lid in a wink.
Even after learning Dryden was her biological father, even after several visits with him, she still felt a powerful shiver of revulsion whenever he gave her that knowing wink. Coming from him it seemed profane.
Diana sat a little straighter. She couldn’t let him know he had the power to throw her. Not unless she wanted to lose control of the exchange entirely. “Why would someone want to be you?”
“The question is, why wouldn’t they?”
“Fine. But why is he trying to do it by copying murders you committed years ago?”
“Those were justified.”
Another path they had been down several times before. “You’ve told me about your circumstances. Why is he doing it?”
“He wants the power.”
“What power?”
“My power. The power to decide.”
“Decide what?”
“Between life and death. It transformed me. It is transforming him.” He spoke evenly, matter-of-factly, the way one of her English literature professors would discuss the intricacies of Beowulf.
But despite his tone, his words clamped down her lungs, making it difficult to breathe. “Why copy anyone? Why not do his own thing?”
“He must not want to be himself.”
“He wants to be you?”
He tipped his head in a single nod. “He wants to be someone greater. Can you blame him? He wants to be transformed.”
“And you are helping transform him?”
“I’ve never talked to him. Never seen him face to face. But I must admit, I can’t help thinking of him as something of a son.” He smiled and glanced at the camera. “Is that enough to satisfy you, Detective?”
Diana could picture Bobby’s scowl. Clearly there was no way to know if what Dryden said had any significance or if he was just toying with law enforcement.
“Enough of that now. I don’t want to waste any more of our time together.” Dryden looked around the stark room. “This place… it weighs on a man’s soul. I need to see my daughters. To know you’re all right. I need you to visit more. You and Sylvie.”
She folded her arms across her chest. Bobby’s warning buzzed in the back of her mind. Don’t agree to anything. Don’t promise anything. “I’m afraid that’s impossible.”
“Impossible? For a man to see his daughters? Why?” His eyebrows dipped low. He actually seemed confused by the suggestion. Hurt.
He had to be playing her.
“Bryce Walker doesn’t want me seeing Sylvie, is that it?”
“Bryce has nothing to do with this.”
“He really was a lousy attorney.” He glanced around the room. “I mean, look at this place. The main building is under construction. The cell blocks are old as dirt. A decent attorney could have gotten me transferred to a decent facility, don’t you think? A good attorney could have gotten me out.”
Diana didn’t answer.
“I’d just hate to think he would try to come between a man and his daughter. Especially now that I finally found her again. Sylvie didn’t send me an invitation to her wedding. She didn’t come with you to see me today.” He shook his head. “A girl shouldn’t turn her back on her family just because she’s married.”