Page 53 of Cold Threat

“I agree.”

Beth set a large dessert glass in front of each of them and then handed everyone a long-handled spoon. The pudding looked delicious, but Tony’s stomach was tight. He had a big problem with sloppy police work. He reminded himself that it might not have made a difference. There wasn’t any reason to get upset about it yet. Still, the idea that people may have died because someone didn’t do their job correctly really aggravated him.

Not wanting to upset his mother, he picked up his spoon. Of course, the layered pudding was incredible. Vanilla and butterscotch pudding layers with whipped cream between them kept him eating until he reached the bottom of the glass. He noticed that his dad only picked at his dessert.

“Unfortunately, I can’t take you by Sandra’s house in the morning,” Ray said suddenly. “The chief won’t give me permission. I’m sorry. If you were still with the Bureau or were police officers, he might have approved it.”

Tony was disappointed, but for now it was best to concentrate on other things. He knew that law enforcement could be very territorial. This wasn’t really a big surprise.

“That’s okay, Dad,” he said. “We understand.”

“I really don’t think there’s much more you could have seen beyond the photos I brought home. I can go back over there and take more pictures if it would help you.”

Tony shook his head and looked at River. “I think we were most interested in how he got in and if he left anything behind. Angie said he had a key for her grandmother’s house. After all these years, I’m not sure we can trust her memory. I’m fairly certainhe didn’t have a key to all his victims’ houses. He has to have left something behind. You know, Locard’s exchange principle.” Dr. Edmond Locard was a pioneer in forensic science. He taught that the perpetrator of a crime will always bring something into a crime scene and leave with something from it. And that both kinds of trace evidence can be effective forensic evidence.

“Well, except for the Christmas ornament, I think the fire may have destroyed anything else he left behind,” Ray said. “Hopefully, when we find a suspect, the other part of Locard’s theory will help us to nail our killer. We’re certain Sandra didn’t let him in, but we haven’t found any evidence of a break-in. Our crime scene techs are very good. Even if they do work out of Burlington.”

River smiled at him. “We’ve been nothing but impressed by the work done here,” she said. “We trust that you’re doing everything that needs to be done. Looking over the house wasn’t that important to us. We’re fine without it.”

“Good,” Ray said. “I felt as if I was letting you down.”

“Not at all, Dad.”

“Okay. Well, I’m going back to the office to check out Wilson. If I don’t, it’s going to bug me all night.”

“We’re kind of forgetting something important, aren’t we?” River asked. “You said Sandra saw her attacker. So did Angie Mayhew. We need to compare notes.”

Ray let out an exasperated sigh. “Of course. Sorry. I allowed myself to get upset about the possibility of shoddy police work and telling you about not visiting Sandra’s house. I totally spaced it. I’m not certain her fuller description will help us, though. She said the man who tried to kill her was average height. Black jeans, black hoodie, no distinguishing features. She could see part of his hair. Brown. Like I said, not very helpful.”

Tony frowned at his father. “What about saying he had red eyes?”

“She’s not sure about that now. I think we have to attributethat to the morphine she was on when I talked to her the first time.”

“Angie Mayhew said the man who attacked her grandparents had something dark on his cheek. A tattoo or some kind of birthmark,” Tony said. “She said it was quite noticeable.”

“I don’t understand,” Ray said, frowning. “Could we be talking about two different killers?”

CHAPTER

THIRTY-ONE

River trudged up the stairs to Ray’s office, his last words echoing in her mind. Could she and Tony have missed it again? Were there two killers? Her confidence had already been shaken once. Was the same thing happening again?

She walked into the office and sat down. She heard Tony come in behind her and close the door.

“I know what you’re thinking,” he said, “but don’t go there.”

“You mean don’t wonder if we made the same mistake we made with the Strangler?” she said. “Kind of hard not to.”

“Angie was trying to remember something that happened twenty-four years ago. You know how memories change. It could have been a shadow on his face. Besides, she probably imagined it. She was only six years old. I don’t think we should pay any attention to her supposed memory.”

His words helped to quiet her mind. He told the truth. Memories from years earlier were incredibly unreliable. Why had she reacted so strongly?

“You can’t keep second-guessing yourself,” Tony said. “Please, let’s just concentrate on this case. Can we put the Strangler behind us? At least for now?”

“Hard to do when his minion is out there, waiting to kill me.”

“Or just trying to terrorize you.”

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