Page 43 of So Deranged

She called the next number for Commander Dr.Henry Paloma.Dr.Paloma himself answered.He expressed regret at the loss of the victims and provided an easily verified alibi.He was at work until after six in the evening the nights of both murders and back at work at six the following day.Since he now lived and practiced in the U.S.Marshall Islands, it wasn’t possible for him to have flown to the East Coast, committed the murders, buried the bodies and flown back.

She hung up just in time for Michael to inform her that his contact had an alibi too.Once more, they were back at square… well, maybe not one, but it might as well be one.They had no idea who their killer was, and they were on the wrong side of another afternoon.It would be two days since the killer’s most recent victim, and if he kept to the same pace, he would kill again tonight.

“So what’s our next step?”Michael asked.“Where do we go from here?”

The corners of Faith’s mouth turned down.Once more, she had to accept an answer she didn’t like.“I think we need some help.”She sighed.“Call Dr.Sullivan.”

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

“I would love to assist you two, perhaps in exchange for an interview?”

Faith gritted her teeth at Marcus’s smug tone.Michael’s hands balled into fists, and Faith was grateful that Marcus wasn’t in the room.“I don’t have the authority to grant an exclusive interview,” she replied.

“Whom would I contact to secure that interview?”

Faith sighed.“Marcus, there’s no interview.All right?This isn’t research for your damned book.We’re trying to save lives.I’m calling you because we’ve been pushed to the point of desperation, and we need to identify any possible location where our killer might want to bury a body.Ideally, patrolling these areas will allow us to prevent him from taking his third victim, but just so we’re very clear, I’m asking you to help keep another father from being taken from his children or a husband from his wife or a friend from his loved ones.Is there any chance that you’re compassionate enough that you might consider helping us for that reason, or is your own personal fame the only reason you exist?”

Turk and Michael shared concerned looks with each other.Faith didn’t really care.If Marcus wasn’t going to help them, then she wasn’t interested in protecting his feelings.

"All right," Marcus replied with a hurt tone."There's no need for you to be rude.Look, you might not consider my work worthwhile, but I do, and so do a lot of other people.Of course, I don't want others to die, but I don't consider it acting against their interests to also try to advance my research.I will help you, and I will stop pestering you for an interview.Can I at least be guaranteed a mention in the media for my assistance in this case?"

Faith rolled her eyes.“Fine.If your information helps us catch this killer, I’ll make sure your name is included in the report.”

“Excellent.Would you two like some dinner?”

Faith blinked.“Dinner?”

“Yes.I assume you want me to meet you at your hotel.”

“I don’t think there’s a need for us to meet at all,” Faith said.“Why can’t you give us coordinates over the phone?”

“Because it’s much easier to show you on a map exactly where you need to go.”

Faith almost refused and told him to just give her coordinates instead, but after glancing at Michael, she sighed and said, “We’re fine without dinner—”

Michael cleared his throat, and Faith rolled her eyes again.“My partner will discuss dinner with you.After that, he’ll give you the address to our hotel.Get here as soon as you can, please.In fact, get here first, and we’ll order in.”

“That works for me.I’ll leave immediately.”

He hung up, and Faith glared at Michael.“Dinner?Really?”

“I have a feeling this conversation is going to end with us patrolling a lot of ground, possibly on foot.Possibly a chase and a fight as well.We need fuel.”When she continued to glare at him, he said, “You can glare at me all you want, but you know I’m right.”

Turk’s stomach growled, and he whined at Faith.She sighed and got up to feed him.As she did, her own stomach growled.She really hated it when Michael was right.

“Just make sure he works through his dinner,” Faith said as she spooned Turk’s food into his bowl.“We’re not here for a social hour.”

"You'll be here, and I'm sure you'll make him work through his dinner.But also, yes, I'll make him work.I don't like him either, Faith, but we're not getting anywhere right now, and our killer could be striking again tonight."

Faith’s lips pressed together, but not in anger this time.Michael was right.The entire reason they had called Marcus in the first place was because they were nearing two nights since Kevin Barnes’s murder, and they still didn’t have a lead on their suspect.Faith didn’t like staking out potential crime scenes as a method of deduction, but beggars couldn’t be choosers, and even a slim chance at stopping their killer was better than none.

So she’d have to put up with Marcus for a little while.“Order dinner, and then call and tell him what you’re ordering,” Faith said.“I have a feeling he’s the type to spend forty minutes staring at a menu before he makes up his mind.”

***

Surprisingly, Marcus didn’t protest at all when he arrived and saw the pizza Michael had ordered.In fact, he seemed excited.“Wonderful!We’ll be ready to get started right away!”

He tossed the covers off Michael’s bed and spread a large map of the northeastern coast of the U.S.across it.He grabbed two slices of pizza and set them on the nightstand, then appeared to forget about them entirely.

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