Page 20 of Pure Killers

"But what… he had a back-up hit in case the first slipped away?"

"That sand from the wastewater filtration… We found it at the Strangler's scene. Indicating he'd been using that location as some sort of base for a while. Maybe for supplies… maybe planning. So my theory is that he had to use the filtration plant for Masker because it was too late to prepare anything else."

Dirk nods thoughtfully. "Which would mean that he needs a new spot now."

I blow air out between my lips. "Are we back at square one?"

"Not quite. You saw him, spoke to him. That’s got to be worth something. Even if it’s not admissible."

I pick up the pen again, tapping it back and forth. "Not really, he knew who I was, but most killers know the detectives on their case. They like the feeling of importance."

"That’s it? Nothing else?"

I tilt my side to side. "He did say something strange. I can't remember word for word… being careful of what I find? Something of that nature."

Dirk's eyes narrow on me. "Did he threaten you, El? We have to be realistic if he did. You'd need to go into witness protection. The only reason I’m keeping it quiet for you is because you weren’t hurt…"

"No," I say quickly. I spent time in witness protection… too much, after Caleb was killed. "He didn't threaten me. He had every chance to hurt me." Saturday night pops into my head. Every chance tolet mebe hurt. "But he didn't."

Dirk purses his lips but otherwise drops it. "Just… don't take anything to mean nothing, okay? You hear a noise, you get a spidey tingle, anything, get around people and call me or whoever is closest."

"Okay okay."

"El…"

"I got it, alright? I'm fine. It was just a random encounter because I was somewhere stupid. I'm fine, honestly."

Dirk gives a long sigh, then shrugs. "Alright. So the case." He taps his fingers on the wood. "What does he want?"

I raise an eyebrow. "To kill people…?"

"Just killers. Serial killers, specifically. Why?"

“Notjustkillers.”

“Your late husband is, so far, the only one that doesn't fit the bill. And he was also the first.” Dirk is one of the few people here who doesn’t skirt around anything evennearingthe subject of Caleb. Sometimes it’s confronting, cold even. But overall, I appreciate it. Better than pretending like he never existed, of taking away everything he was and is just for the sake of taking away the tragedy.

"The only one we know of. There could be others, missing people. Some of his hits could be mistakes."

Dirk doesn't disagree. "And he wouldn't be the first to kill one, then come back after a break, more precise, more… thorough."

We both fall silent. It really feels like we are back to square one. "You know, one thing that always stuck out to me," I say, "Needler only takes one at a time, usually."

Dirk nods, getting where I'm going. "Tristan," he says, naming my husband’s partner.

"The corpse in the furnace at Caleb’s scene. Assumed to be Tristan Fyld, but too burnt to identify, enough that his death can't even be credited to Needler. And it’s not Needler's MO to burn. Why did he do it that night?"

Dirk runs his hand back through his hair. “Usually when someone tries to burn something… it’s to hide it. But hide what? Why, when we'd all assume it was the partner anyway?”

"Unless it wasn't the partner. I imagine you've heard the theory that Tristan’s alive and is the Cocooner? That he was all along."

Dirk snorts. "Seems fanciful. There are all kinds of theories about Tristan. One even has him alive and being the Needler. But… it doesn't fit for me, something’s off. What’s his motivation?"

"Well, his sister was killed by Cocooner, pretty horrifically. Cocooner screwed that one up. They could only identify her body by matching hair…"

"Cassandra, yeah. But it was years before the Needler made any appearance whatsoever," Dirk cuts me off, then shrugs. "I dunno. It's all a little too neat. And he faked his death for what? To wait a year and a half, then start murdering psychopaths? None of which are Cocooner? After already waiting so many years after his sister was brutally murdered. Why start there? Plus, there was definitelysomeonethrown into that furnace. Who were they if not Tristan?"

"God, I don't know. Too many questions."

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