“I don’t believe him,” Dixon said.
“We’re not convinced, Stephen. You’ve been a journalist a long time. Do you see why that’d seem like bullshit to us?”
“It’s not bullshit. You were…you were right. My job’s on the line. I needed something big. And I needed to get the jump on Clay. This first text came in, and I…I jumped on it. I’ve never done that before. I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry?” Vail looked at Dixon. “He’s sorry that he incited a serial killer to kill an innocent woman. And her husband.”
Scheer threw his arms up. “Why do you keep saying that?”
“Because,” Vail said, “that’s what happens with this type of killer. The worst thing you can say to him-let alone in a national newspaper-is that he’s of below average intelligence. That’d incite him, big time. A guy like this, he’ll act on it.”
“He may even come after you,” Dixon said.
Good touch, Roxx. But I think he’s freaking out enough. “Give me your phone.”
Scheer jutted his chin back. “What for?”
“I’m gonna check out your story. He sent you texts, I want to see them.”
Scheer bowed his head. “I deleted them.”
Vail slapped her hand against her temple. “Why the hell would you do that?”
“I didn’t know-I didn’t want to get my source in trouble. I didn’t want any record of it. Normally we don’t have to disclose our sources. You know that. Even in a court of law, we’re protected. But carrying it around on my phone all the time freaked me out.”
“What was the number?”
Scheer slowly shook his head.
“You don’t even know the number.”
He sighed deeply. “I don’t.” He turned to face Vail. “Please. I’m really, really sorry. I didn’t mean for that woman to get killed. I didn’t realize-I thought the info was legit. I just wanted the story…”
“You hear from him again, we want that number-as soon as you get it. And don’t delete it. You hear me?”
Scheer nodded, but kept his gaze on the ground.
Vail gave Dixon a look of consternation, then headed back to their car.
“I’m sorry,” Scheer called after them.
Once in the car, they both slammed their doors.
“You believe him?” Vail asked.
“Yeah.”
“Me, too.” Vail watched as Scheer got back into his Honda.
“So what does this mean?”
“That’s a good question. Who’s leaking that info? I guess we can look into Scheer’s cell number. His carrier will have a record of the numbers of his incoming texts. Even if they don’t store the content, they’ll have the sending numbers.”
“If it’s not a throwaway, it’s worth a shot.”
“Text Burden, pass on what we discovered, and tell him we’ll meet him at the station, give him his car back.”
WITH THE TIME CREEPING PAST eight, they dropped off Burden’s Ford at Bryant Street, discussed Scheer’s anonymous tipster with Burden and Friedberg, and then the two inspectors called it a night. Vail caught a cab back to the Hyatt while Dixon met a friend of hers who lived in the city for a drink.
Vail walked into the Hyatt and took the escalator up to the seventeen-story lobby, where the atrium’s angular lines, pinpoint lights and expansive grandeur still grabbed her attention each time she returned to the hotel.
Resigned, Vail settled her back against the elevator wall, then rotated her head left and watched through the curved windows as the cylindrical car rose smoothly, the lobby diminishing in size as she ascended to the fourteenth floor. The doors slid apart and she made her way down the long open hall to her room. She dialed her son as she walked, and was surprised when he picked up on the first ring.
“Hey, honey. I was just checking in. How are things?”
“Fine.”
He’s going to grow out of this one-word teen-answer phase, right?
“You have everything ready for space camp?”
“I’m not some little kid, Mom. It’s not space camp, it’s Aviation & Space Challenge. It’s an engineering program.”
“I know, I registered you, I paid the bill. I just thought-I’m sorry, Aviation & Space Challenge.” And they say girls are temperamental? “Did you see where I packed your toothbrush? Oh, and don’t forget your raincoat. The intro packet said it rains a lot there-”
“I got it, Ma. I’ll be fine.”
Vail slid her card into the slot and the green light flickered. She pulled down on the handle and walked into the dark room. She ran her hand along the wall, fumbling for the light switch. A floor lamp by the window popped on.
“Is Aunt Faye there? I just want to go over a few things with her about getting you to the airpor-”
“She went to bed already.”
“Maybe she’s still-all right, whatever. Forget it. Do you know what time you’re leaving?”
“Early. We’ve gotta be on the road at seven.”
“Then you’d better get to bed.”
Silence.
“Jonathan, you there?”
“Here.”
“Did you call Robby, say good-bye?”
“He came over tonight, we had dinner.”
“That’s great. I’m glad you spent some time with him. All right-enough talk. Go to bed, get a good night’s sleep. I don’t want you getting sick your first day of camp.” Shit. “I mean Aviation Challenge.” Jesus Christ. This is painful. “Call me if there’s a problem. And have a great time. I wish I could be there to see you off.”
“I’ll call you when I can.”
“Don’t forget your phone charger.”
“Ma?”
Vail set her key card on the dresser. “I just want to be able to reach you if I need to.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. I’ll talk to you in a few days, okay?”
“Yeah. Yeah, that’s great. Have a great time. Love you.”
“Love you too.” And then he hung up.
Having her aunt living with them since her ex-husband’s death was a blessing in more ways than one. Being in a career where travel was a reality of the job made it difficult having a teenager, especially one in today’s times where there were so many avenues for a young mind to go astray. Faye’s continuous and steady presence in the house was an unforeseen benefit of all she had endured while handling the Dead Eyes case. She had no idea that Faye’s presence would have such a positive impact on her life.
She realized she was still standing there, staring out the large window at the nightscape and sparkling lights of the Pacific Ocean below her. Looking at it but not seeing it. She reached down to plug in her BlackBerry on the desk to her left-and froze. Lying beside the charger was something that should not have been there.