Page 89 of Deadly Secrets
“Loretta might know him,” Rogers said.
“Doesn’t look like a homeless guy to me,” Polly added, eyeing the nearly brand new Tahoe.
“I don’t think he is.” Brooke’s gaze locked on Roman’s. “Remember the day that you came to my lecture at SDSC?”
“Yeah…?”
“I think that’s the guy that asked me the questions about The Reverend. I didn’t recognize him when we were here the other day because he looked different. He wore a cap and dirty, worn-out clothes, but I noticed the ring he was wearing. A big, gold chunky one that seemed completely wrong with the rest of his appearance. But I was so focused on finding out more about Luke and the necklace, I didn’t give it any thought.” She tapped the picture where the man’s hand was on the steering wheel, a blocky gold signet ring on his finger. It’s the same guy, Roman. And the grad student at my lecture wore a big, gold ring too. He kept running his knuckles along his jaw.”
Roman scanned his memory. He’d been behind the student, so he hadn’t noticed. “Good work, Brooke.”
Polly held up the tablet, the video rolling again. “Jamison gets in the car with him and they drive off.”
“He’s probably the killer.” Roman looked at Polly as he grabbed Brooke by the hand. “We need copies of that picture sent to our phones. Find that vehicle and who owns it.”
He dragged Brooke behind him, Polly calling after them. “You got it.”
“Where are we going?” Brooke sputtered as she nearly tripped keeping up with him.
Putting her on display was the last thing he wanted to do, but he needed both of them to get a look at the crowd. “That guy knew you were on campus the other day. He’s probably the one who broke into your car.”
“But he can’t be my childhood attacker. He’s not old enough.”
He pushed her toward the stairs in the back. “He’s got to be the guy who smashed into your car and stole your stuff.”
Their feet thudded on the carpeted stairs to the second floor where Win was filming. “And he’s tied to The Reverend’s killings.”
“Exactly. We nail him, we’ll figure out how he’s connected to your childhood attacker.”
Winslow was in a side room off the parish house with a window open and his phone in hand, videoing the crowd below. “Hey,” he said when they came in. “Any leads?”
Roman looked over Win’s shoulder at the crowd. “We’ve got a hit.”
Win glanced back at him. “Seriously?”
“Seriously,” Brooke said. She moved past Roman and Win and leaned out slightly to get a better view.
Roman joined her. “Do you see him or that Tahoe?”
Darkness had fully engulfed the city, the streetlights and flashing police strobes the only thing illuminating the crowd. Shadows hung everywhere and her eyes feverishly scanned the rows of people and the street behind the roadblock. “There’re too many people and shadows. They’re all looking toward the church or talking to each other. I can’t make out faces of anyone past the first row or two.”
“I’ve got video from earlier, when it was still lighter,” Win said. “There weren’t as many gawkers, but maybe the killer was hanging around.”
Roman’s phone pinged. He held up the photo Polly had sent him. “Here’s the guy we’re looking for and he’s driving a black Tahoe. You see anyone like that while you were up here?”
“Lot of black vehicles, but none that stood out. I’ll start scanning the video I already have.”
“Roman.” Brooke’s hand grabbed his on the windowsill, her grip nearly crushing his bones. “Look. Behind the ambulance.”
A man stood in the shadows as the ambulance pulled away, no lights or siren blaring. He wore a jacket over a shirt and slacks, his face hidden underneath a baseball cap.
As if he felt Brooke’s stare, he raised his gaze from the onlookers and Roman jerked her away from the open window, shoving her behind him and nearly knocking Win over.
Their eyes locked.
He saw the change in the man’s bearing, saw him raise his hand and offer a two-finger salute.
Then he was gone, fading into the shadows.
