Page 53 of See How They Hide

“Do you want to explain to us why you have a false identity?”

“I—can’t.”

“Then we’ll have a problem. Because lying on federal forms, to the social security administration, accessory to felony hacking—these are all crimes.”

“You don’t understand.”

“Explain it to me.”

“Tell me. First tell me—who’s the other victim? You said three before Donny—Donovan.” His voice cracked.

“Kara,” Catherine warned in her ear.

“Robert Benson,” Kara said.

A sharp intake of breath told her that Andrew knew exactly who Benson was.

“Robert?” His voice squeaked. “A fifty-ish white man?”

“You know him,” she said bluntly.

He nodded.

“How?”

He shook his head.

“You need to tell us the truth about what you know,” Kara said.

“Your partner was murdered,” Michael added. “Three people you know—four, including Jesse Morrison—are dead. You know who’s responsible.”

Andrew didn’t say anything for a long minute, then he laughed, but it was a twisted, pained laugh. “I was going to say that if I told you, they’d kill me. But they’re already killing us. I’m as good as dead.” His voice cracked.

“If there is a threat to your life,” Michael said, “we can protect you.”

Andrew shook his head. “No, you really can’t.”

Kara saw the fear in his expression as well as hearing the resignation in his voice. “Andrew,” she asked softly, “who killed your friends and your lover?”

He took a deep breath, slowly let it out, composing himself. “I can’t tell you specificallywhokilled Donovan. I don’t know. But I know why. Because we left.”

“A gang?” Michael said, and Kara shook her head. It wasn’t a gang—not with such a wide range of demographics represented. Men, women, gay, straight, black, white—not a gang. Maybe like a gang.

“A cult?” Kara offered.

Andrew shrugged. “I don’t know what to call Havenwood.”

Kara’s heart raced. This was it. They were close to answers. “What’s Havenwood?” she asked.

“You might call it a commune or a cult, but it’s not. Well, it wasn’t. Not at first. It was heaven on earth...until it became hell.” He took a deep breath. “I—I need a bathroom. And water. Please.”

Michael rose. “Five-minute break,” he said and escorted Andrew down the hall.

In her ear, Catherine said, “Why do you always have to openly defy me?”

“Are you my mother?”

She shouldn’t have said that. This was being recorded, and that sounded downright juvenile.

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