“Olivia. She wanted you to have it.”
Her hands trembled as she lifted the hat from the box. “This was his favorite.”
“Jennie said you were, too.”
Her eyes filled. “What do I do with it?”
David took her fedora from the head of the goddess bust on her desk. “Wear yours and keep his there.”
Her mouth opened, then closed before she found her voice. “And look at it every day?”
He said nothing, letting her make the decision.
It didn’t take her long. She carefully put Kane’s hat on the goddess head. “Where we can all see it every day. It’s good.” She met David’s eyes. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Your hat needs to be cleaned. It’s got blood on the brim.”
“It’s Crawford’s.” She put her hat in the box. “Kane presented this fedora when I cleared my first homicide. Said ‘Nice job.’” She smiled at the memory. “From Kane that was high praise.”
Noah cleared his throat. “His burial is Saturday. Full honors, brass in dress, bagpipes-Kane’ll get the works.”
Olivia looked at Kane’s hat, her expression sadly fond. “He’d like that. Especially the brass in their dress uniforms and tight shoes. He’d be happy that their feet hurt. Come on. Dr. Donahue called while we were in meeting. Lincoln is awake and asking to talk to you.” Olivia patted Noah’s shoulder as she passed by. “Tomorrow, partner.”
“It’s official?” David asked. Noah would be a good partner. He’d watch her back. And Olivia would watch his. “That means both Evie and I will sleep better at night.” Noah lifted his brows and David chuckled. “In our respective places. You knew that.”
Noah smiled. “I knew. How’s your partner? Zell?”
“He’s got a little feeling in his toes, so that’s good news. Nobody’s sure how much better it’ll get. However it ends up, he’ll be on disability for a long time. Which means I’ll get a new partner after these damn stitches come out. Hey, my mother’s planning a big dinner at my loft tonight, since the family’s here. You’re coming?”
“Wouldn’t miss it,” Noah said. “Your mom’s a good cook. I guess she taught you.”
“Everything I know. All the good things anyway.” He put his arm around Olivia’s shoulders. “Let’s see Lincoln, then I want to get back and see my brothers and sisters.”
Thursday, September 23, 3:15 p.m.
David had to blink as he sat down across the table from Lincoln Jefferson. Lucid and cleaned up, he looked like a different man. In one corner of the interview room stood Special Agent John Temple, who seemed rational. Always a good thing. David knew that on the other side of the glass a small army watched-FBI agents, Lincoln ’s psychiatrist, Truman, and Olivia. Sitting next to Lincoln was his attorney.
“Hi, Lincoln. How are you?”
For a moment, Lincoln said nothing. He simply sat and studied David, his eyes sharp. Piercing, even. “I’m fine,” he said finally. “How are you?”
“A bit banged up, but I’ll live.”
“I’m glad. I asked to see you. I wanted to thank you. I broke into your place and threatened you, but you were kind to me. Kinder than you should have been.”
“It’s okay.”
Emotion flickered in Lincoln ’s eyes. “They told me Mary is dead.”
“Her brother killed her. I’m sorry. Your brother told me that you two were friends.”
“I loved her. I stayed on my meds for her. But I found out she had someone else.”
“Joel.”
“Yeah. I saw them together, at the university, two weeks ago. She didn’t know I was there. I got depressed, went off my meds. When I heard a glass ball had been found at those fires, where people had been shot to death… I lost it and I don’t even remember doing it.”
“You don’t remember my friend’s cabin?”
“No. I read the police report. Read how you’d been kind. Read what I said.”
“Always there,” David murmured and Lincoln briefly closed his eyes.
“I lived with that guilt for so long. I’d go off my meds so I couldn’t see her face, but it never helped. She was always there. I’ve given a full confession about that night we set the fire twelve years ago. It’s time to face what I did. I can’t make amends, though.”
David thought about how hollowed out he’d felt after telling Olivia his own secret. There had been peace, but also the knowledge that the clock could never be turned back. “I understand. How did you meet Mary?”
“She sent e-mails to me through the webmaster address on my site. She seemed so sincere. She was a believer, or so I thought. Now I hear she was only using me to get back at her stepfather, and Truman says the police are reopening the case of his old receptionist as a possible homicide. I never saw that side of her. But she killed people. On purpose.”
“If it helps, she told my mother she wouldn’t have let Crawford kill you. ‘I won’t let him kill him,’ she said. She’d planned to kill Crawford herself.”
“That helps. Thank you. I fell for her, like a rock. I’d never told a soul about Moss, but I told her.”
“You trusted her.”
“I was a fool.”
“No, Lincoln. You weren’t a fool to trust. She deceived you.”
Lincoln shrugged. “Regardless, I told her everything. All the details. That’s how she knew to leave the ball at the fires.”
“And to scratch VE into the North Pole, for authenticity. Lincoln, right before she died, she told her brother that she knew where Preston Moss was.”
Lincoln smiled. “And believe me, this nice FBI man really wants to know where he is. That’s why you’re here. I wouldn’t give them that until I’d had a chance to meet you.” He pointed to his attorney’s notebook and pen. “May I?”
David watched as Lincoln drew a detailed map, finishing with an X to mark a spot.
“The day after that fire twelve years ago, I went to see Moss. He had a place where we’d meet, a place nobody knew about but us. His most devoted followers. We’d sit there and listen to him talk, like disciples. He was… mesmerizing. Anyway, the next day I went there, so upset. We’d all scattered after setting the timer on the device, like we always did. But I heard on the radio that there was a fatality. I couldn’t believe it. I rushed back in time to see the body and I just fell apart.”
“I can imagine,” David said steadily. “That’s the kind of thing that haunts you.”
Lincoln nodded. “Forever. I got there, found Moss. He’d taken a bottleful of pills. He was dead.” He let out a breath. “It was horrible. I couldn’t think. I just reacted. I took his body, put it in my car, and buried him.” He tapped the map. “Here. I go there often. The grave is undisturbed. You should find him there.”
“And the place where you met?”
“Burned it to the ground. Fitting, I thought.”
“And then?”
Lincoln shrugged. “Time passed and reality slipped away. I knew it and was terrified. I thought I was losing my mind because God was taking it, to punish me.”
I understand that, too. “Thank you, Lincoln, for telling me.”
Lincoln regarded him evenly. “I don’t remember going to your place. But I remember your voice. I remember… compassion. And I felt safe.”
“I’m glad. Good luck. I mean that.”
Lincoln ’s smile was sad. “I know.”
David shook his hand and watched as they took him away. Special Agent Temple took the map Lincoln had drawn. “Thank you, Mr. Hunter,” he said.
“I didn’t do anything. Not really. Will you release a statement when you confirm the remains are Moss’s? I know a lot of firefighters who need the closure.”
“Of course. I know a lot of agents who need the closure, too. And now I understand you have a celebration to attend. I’m glad it ended well for you and your mother.”
“Me too.” David found Olivia in the observation area, on her cell phone.
“I have to go,” she said. “I love you, too.” She hung up, her eyes a little too bright. “That was Mia. We’ve been playing phone tag for days. She said she worked all night to tie up some loose ends so she could come out for the weekend. I told her she and Reed and their kids could use my place. I assume we can still stay at the cabin?”