Page 46 of Girl, Reborn

Something flickered across Holbrook'sface. A shadow of the passion she'd seen in that old footage. But it was goneas quick as it came, replaced by a weary cynicism.

‘What about this dam? The one youprotested last year?’

‘Oh yeah, that old thing,’ he said, wavinga hand dismissively. ‘Ancient history now.’

‘That’s what war criminals say.’

Holbrook shrugged. ‘Too big for someonelike me to make a difference.’

Ella pressed on, fishing for a reaction.‘It’s still causing a whole lot of present-day problems for folks aroundLiberty Grove. You telling me you just... gave up on that fight?’

Holbrook's laugh was as dry as theriverbed they'd found Marcus Ayers in. ‘What's the point? Can't fight cityhall, can't fight progress, can't fight human greed. The dam's built. Thedamage is done. All the protests in the world won't bring that town back tolife.’

The defeat in his voice was palpable. Thiswasn't the fire-breathing radical she'd expected. This was a man who'd had thefight beaten out of him by years of losing battles.

Luca jumped in, his tone deceptivelycasual. ‘So where were you this afternoon, Mr. Holbrook? Around two, threeo'clock?’

‘Right here in lovely downtownMillsville,’ Holbrook drawled. ‘Been up and down this street all day, trying todrum up support for the anti-strip mall petition. Not that anyone in this ghosttown gives a rat's ass.’

Ella's eyes narrowed. ‘That's quite thealibi. I'm sure you won't mind if we check the CCTV from the businesses aroundhere to verify that?’

Holbrook spread his hands as far as thecuffs would allow. ‘Be my guest. I've got nothing to hide.’

And that was the kicker. He really didn'tseem to. The fire she'd seen in that old news report, the righteous anger thatcould drive a man to murder – it was gone. Snuffed out like a candle in ahurricane. Whatever passion had once driven Lawrence Holbrook, it had longsince curdled into bitter resignation.

Ella's gut twisted. This wasn't their guy.The killer they were after was still out there, still driven by that unholy mixof rage and purpose that turned men into monsters.

‘Mr. Holbrook,’ she said, leaning inclose. ‘You've been in the trenches of this fight for a long time. Is thereanyone else you can think of who might have a serious grudge against the peoplebehind that dam? Someone who might have... taken things too far?’

Holbrook barked out a laugh. ‘Take yourpick. Half the county's got reason to want those bastards six feet under. Butmost folks around here are too beaten down to do much more than bitch about itover beers at the VFW. Hell, even the mayor was outspoken at first. Fat lot ofgood that did.’

Ella latched onto that. ‘The Mayor? OfLiberty Grove?’

‘Yeah. Ol’ what’s-his-name. Greg Dawson.’

She turned to Luca. He gave her one of histextbook we-might-have-something-here looks. ‘Greg Dawson. He opposed ittoo?’

‘Big time. Talked a big game aboutfighting the dam, protecting the little guy. Then as soon as they built it, hedid a complete one-eighty. Started yapping about how it was gonna bring jobsand prosperity. Promised he'd make sure Liberty Grove got its fair share of thebenefits.’

‘And that never happened.’

Holbrook spat on the ground. ‘Load ofcrap, of course. Town kept drying up, people kept leaving. Last I heard, Dawsongot run out of office and went into hiding. Guess he finally figured out youcan't drink empty promises.’

A disgraced former mayor with ties to thedam project. It was tenuous, but it was more than they'd had five minutes ago.

Ella waved over a couple of uniforms.‘Boys, do me a favor. Double-check Holbrook's alibi. I want to know if he somuch as sneezed without someone seeing it.’

The cops nodded, all business. Noquestions asked. That's what Ella liked about small-town law enforcement – theyknew when to shut up and follow orders.

She turned back to Holbrook, still crammedin the back of the squad car like a hippie sardine. ‘Stick to protesting stripmalls, Holbrook. It's safer for everyone that way. Especially you.’

Holbrook just shrugged, already retreatingback into his shell of disillusionment.

Ella nodded to Luca, and they headed backto their car. The sun was starting to dip, painting the sky in shades ofbruised purple and angry red. Fitting, she thought.

‘Well, that was about as useful as tits ona bull,’ Luca muttered as they walked. ‘Guy's got all the killer instinct of adeclawed kitten.’

‘Yeah,’ Ella agreed, fishing her keys outof her pocket. ‘No fire left in the belly. Plus, that alibi's probably tighterthan a knot. Marcus Ayers was drowned and dumped within the past few hours. IfHolbrook has been here all day...’

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