“So you’re admitting Christian is still alive?” It was the same pretty blonde reporter I’d met earlier. She was young, and the excitement in her voice sickened me.
“Certain evidence found at the murder-suicide of James Day and Amanda Clark leads us to believe Salyer may still be alive. We’re waiting for verification of the samples taken from that scene.”
Rumbles went through the crowd. “What about the note that Christian Salyer was innocent?”
I faced the speaker. “In this case, Salyer is innocent. The killer should be ashamed of himself for trying to make someone else look guilty for his crimes.”
“Do you believe your life is in danger, Miss Dale?” The reporter was older and, from his question, a believer that Salyer was guilty.
“My life”—I let my gaze stray to the young female reporter—“and that of every woman that catches his attention.”
Gabriel stepped forward. “I believe Miss Dale has answered your questions for the moment. As soon as we have an identity, we’ll call you for another news conference.” He took my arm and turned me back toward the car.
“Miss Dale, is Detective Browne a better lover than Christian?” The hand on my arm tightened.
“Let it go, Dakota,” Gabriel whispered.
But I didn’t feel like letting it go. I shook off his hand. The reporter’s gaze was arrogant, and every eye in the crowd was fixed on the two of us. I glanced at the name tag. Gabriel had said he’d dated her. “Perhaps your fellow reporters should ask you that question, Rowena.”
“You need to work on your people skills.” Gabriel opened my door for me.
I glanced back at the crowd, which was slinging questions at the pretty blonde. “I was nice.”
He chuckled and took his seat behind the wheel. “Don’t expect a glowing report from her news station.”
“I never asked for a glowing report. Just the truth.”
He started the car and drove away from the crime scene. “Truth doesn’t sell newspapers or advertising. We’ll head back to the station and see if we can get a hit on a missing girl that matches this one. We’ll also talk to Chief Sampson about visiting that naval base in Charleston.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a pack of gum. “Want a piece?”
“No, thank you. Where are your cigarettes?”
He shot me a grin. “Somebody laid a guilt trip on me, so I’m trying to quit. Don’t get your hopes up, though. I seem to be failing at a lot of things lately.”
“My father always said failure is just an excuse for giving up.”
“Did you ever consider giving up when Salyer was holding you?”
It wasn’t a question I wanted to answer, but something in the tone of his voice told me it was a question he needed answered. “I was terrified when I first realized I was pregnant, and I prayed I’d lose the baby so he couldn’t get his hands on it. But when he found out, everything changed. He brought in a mattress and blankets for me to sleep on. I had all I needed to eat and drink. He didn’t beat me or prod me with that cattle prod or whatever it was.” I stopped for a moment to catch my breath. The memories were painful. “After the baby was born, he was still sweet and attentive to both of us. Then he told me she died, and nothing mattered anymore. That was when I gave up. I think that angered him. I was broken but not in the way he wanted. Some part of me still refused to give in to him. I think the final straw was when he shot Max. I stopped eating, drinking, talking, or responding to his torture. Christian became more and more agitated until one day, he strung me up, painted me, and shoved a knife in my stomach.” I twisted in the seat so I could see his face. “What made you give up?”
“Acceptance. I realized no matter how many people I killed, I couldn’t bring her back. When she died, no one wanting me to live was left.”
I couldn’t argue with his reasoning. After my father’s death, it would have been easy to give up again. Max wanted me to live, but in the end, my death would make his life easier. “You’ll have to settle for those who need you to live. Right now, Bethany Phillips is going through hell, and we’re the only two out here who know what he’s capable of. If Emma is alive, she’s in the hands of a madman, and he’ll raise her to be like him. I can’t let that happen.”
“You did a good job with the media. If I were the killer and knew anything about Salyer, I’d turn myself in.” He took his normal parking place behind the station. “I’m going to have a word with the chief about letting Max have access to our equipment and work with Calvin. He’s too damned good to be wasted.” Gabriel turned in the seat. “That wasn’t what you had planned to say today, was it?”
“No.” I unclipped my seat belt. “We need to take a look at that naval base in Charleston.”
“I’ll let you slide this time, but we’re gonna finish this conversation.”
“Of course we are.” I walked ahead of him, not waiting for him to lock up and follow. I did feel a certain bond with Gabriel. We had the same mission in life. And I needed him to live—in case I failed.
14
“Dakota Dale, Chief Donald Sampson.” Gabriel made the introductions.
I shook Sampson’s hand. “Nice to meet you, sir.”
“And you. Have a seat.”
I sat in the armchair near his desk.
“Gabriel has been bringing me up to speed on Salyer. What are the odds he’s actually at this naval base in Charleston?”
“It’s feasible. Using I-95 and US 17 North, he could make it there in about two hours, which would fit in with the timeline for Angelina Clark’s murder. It’s only an hour and a half from Beaufort. One of the mistakes we made was expecting him to be local.”
Sampson rubbed his chin. “This is day six. If he’s behind Bethany Phillips’s kidnapping, do you think she’s still alive? And if she is, what’s she going through?”
“If she’s strong enough to survive the first five days, he’ll start the pain, emotional deadening, and humiliation. I believe she’s still alive. Otherwise, we would have found her body.”
Sampson frowned. “I know this has to be hard for you, and I hate to ask this, but can you explain that?”
“The murders he’s committed are his only claim to fame. He wouldn’t kill her without making sure her body was found and attributed to him.” I knew that wasn’t all Sampson wanted to know. “On day six, he brings in a full-size mirror and sets it up. He forces you to look at yourself and laugh. If you don’t laugh when he tells you to or stop before he tells you to, he uses a taser or a cattle prod. Once you’ve mastered laughing, he moves on to crying. He also forces you to say, ‘Please, Christian’ and ‘Thank you, Christian.’”
Gabriel grumbled something under his breath, rose, and began to pace. “If she survives that, how long before he kills her?”
“If she can endure the pain, she’ll last longer. He doesn’t kill you until he’s sure you’re broken. Which I think is why I’m still alive. He wasn’t sure, but after shooting Max, he had to get rid of me.” I had been a cop long enough to know where the conversation was going and the decision Chief Sampson was trying to make. “If you’re asking should we charge the base and try to save her or set up surveillance and try to catch Salyer, sir, I’m voting for surveillance. He’ll kill her before we even get close.”