Page 26 of For Blood

Derik slumped back in his seat, running a hand through his disheveled hair."Damn it," he muttered."That rules him out as our current killer."

Morgan chewed her lower lip, her mind racing.Even as exhaustion tugged at her, she couldn't shake the feeling that they were missing something crucial."I'm not so sure," she said slowly."Keller may be dead, but his connection to Sadie Winters' murder can't be ignored.And Sarah was so insistent that he was the killer..."

She trailed off, lost in thought.The pieces were there, she knew it, but they weren't fitting together quite right.Morgan's gut told her that Keller was the key to unlocking this whole mess, dead or not.

Derik raised an eyebrow."What are you thinking?"

Morgan drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, her other hand already reaching for her phone."I think we need more context.I'm calling Whitaker."

As she dialed, Morgan's mind whirled with possibilities.If Keller wasn't their current killer, who was?And why were they targeting witnesses from the old cases?The connection to Keller seemed undeniable, but how did it all fit together?

She glanced at Derik, noting the determined set of his jaw despite the dark circles under his eyes.They were both running on fumes, but neither was willing to stop.Not when they were so close to unraveling this twisted mystery.

The phone rang once, twice, three times.Morgan held her breath, silently willing Whitaker to pick up.They needed answers, and they needed them now.Before another witness ended up dead.

The line clicked, and Whitaker's gruff voice filled the car."Morgan?What's going on?"

Morgan put the phone on speaker, her voice tight with urgency."Whitaker, we've got some new information.I need you to confirm a few things for us."

She quickly explained their findings, including Sarah's unwavering belief that Keller was the killer.As she spoke, Morgan could feel Derik's eyes on her, his posture tense with anticipation.

Whitaker sighed heavily."Yeah, I remember that part clearly.Sarah Winters was adamant about Keller being the killer.But she was the only one."

Morgan leaned forward, her brow furrowed."What about the other witnesses?Rachel Martinez, Gregory Phillips, Vanessa Shaw?"

"We showed them all Keller's photo during the investigation," Whitaker replied, his voice tinged with frustration."Some said he looked familiar, but none could positively ID him.Rachel Martinez initially thought it might have been him, but she backtracked pretty quickly."

Morgan exchanged a glance with Derik, her mind racing."So Sarah was the only one who stuck to her story about Keller?"

"That's right," Whitaker confirmed."And let me tell you, it caused quite a stir at the time."

Morgan's fingers tightened on the phone."Why's that?"

Whitaker's voice lowered, as if he was sharing a secret."You have to understand, Keller wasn't just any ordinary guy.He was a pastor at a local church, beloved by pretty much everyone in the community."

Morgan felt a chill run down her spine.She'd seen cases like this before, where a respected community figure turned out to be hiding dark secrets."Go on," she prompted.

"Keller was known for his compassion, his charity work.He'd built up this reputation as a real pillar of faith and trustworthiness," Whitaker continued."That image...it made it damn near impossible for people to believe he could be capable of murder."

Morgan closed her eyes, picturing the scene.A beloved pastor, accused of a brutal crime.No wonder the witnesses had been reluctant to implicate him.

"Even the witnesses who thought they recognized him seemed hesitant to say so definitively," Whitaker added."It was like the idea of accusing someone so well-regarded was just too much for them to handle."

Morgan's mind whirled with the implications.Could the witnesses' reluctance to accuse Keller have allowed a killer to walk free?And if so, was that killer now exacting revenge on those same witnesses?

She opened her mouth to ask another question, but Derik's hand on her arm stopped her.He gestured to his watch, reminding her of the late hour.They needed to wrap this up, get some rest before diving back in.

The silence in the car was broken only by Whitaker's final words, crackling through the speaker: "One more thing, agents.Sadie Winters' body was found in the parking lot of Keller's church."

Morgan's breath caught in her throat.She locked eyes with Derik, seeing her own shock mirrored in his face.The connection was undeniable, like a neon sign flashing in the darkness of the night.

“Keep in touch,” Whitaker said, then he hung up.

Morgan exchanged a look with Derik, still reeling from the weight of the call.

"Jesus," Derik muttered, running a hand through his disheveled hair."That can't be a coincidence."

Morgan leaned back in her seat, her mind racing."No, it can't," she agreed, her voice barely above a whisper.The pieces were falling into place, but the picture they formed was still frustratingly unclear.

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