Page 48 of Nothing Watching

His haranguing was giving her a headache. He was clearly trying to evade the questioning, but doing so with a skill that wasn’t telling her anything she needed to know. For someone who was talking so much, he wasn’t dropping a single hint about the murders.

That was starting to disturb her. Trying to change things up, she attempted a different tactic.

“I see that you are a man of intellect and reason. Clearly, you’re someone who values the truth above all else.Why not speak it then, and help the course of justice?”

Vogel scoffed. “Justice? In this world? There is no such thing. Just a system of oppression and corruption.”

Now, clearly feeling at the end of his tether, Wyatt interjected.

“Listen here, sir. I’m going to tell you this in short words, because that’s who I am.” He leaned forward threateningly, wagging his finger at Vogel. “We have a warrant to search your house. Are you not worried about that? Would you not rather tell us what you’ve done, instead of waiting until we find something? Because we will.”

Vogel leaned forward in turn, tugging at the cuffs that were restraining his arms, his eyes blazing with fury. “You will find nothing. Absolutely nothing,” he snarled. “I am innocent, and I will not be bullied into admitting otherwise. Especially when I’m forced to through a corrupt system that allows people to sign up for essential processes like law enforcement without any knowledge of the integral building blocks of humanity, like literature and poetry. Short words? A sign of a tiny, puny mind! I will not speak to you again!” Looking seriously offended, he turned to stare at the wall.

Juliette leaned forward, trying to make eye contact with him. “Listen, Vogel. We know that you’re a smart man. You’re a scientist, a researcher. You know the value of evidence. If we search, it’s just a matter of time until we get a solid match.”

Vogel sneered again, without a trace of fear in his eyes. “You have nothing,” he repeated. “Nothing that can prove anything. If you want to search my home, go ahead. You’ll find nothing there but books and science equipment.”

“Where were you this morning?”

“Communing with my muse, the pursuit of philosophy.”

“And last night?”

“Changing the world, through one-on-one consultations with those who seek my knowledge to feed their souls.”

“Online, you mean?”

“My sessions are confidential. I will not reveal details.”

Now Juliette was the one to feel a surprising flicker of uncertainty. This man had a loose grasp on reality. He was unpredictable and violent and deliberately insulting, looking to bait the police. Those were truths. But what she wasn’t liking was the assurance in his tone. There was no room for doubt in his arrogant words, no hint that he was anything but the man he claimed to be.

By now, he should have let something slip, and the absence of anything was making her feel worried. What if he was telling the truth? That scary thought hadn’t even occurred to her as a possibility until now. If he was, it left them in a precarious situation.

They could continue trying to get blood from a stone, or else, they could at least consider that there was something more they had missed.

But what, what on earth could it be?

Suddenly, Juliette thought of something, such a weird and impulsive idea that she almost discounted it immediately. But then, she decided not to. They needed to use all the resources at their disposal. Right now, the resource they had was a highly unstable man, very learned, familiar with ancient texts, and who had a checkered history.

He might not be the killer but she was sure that they thought alike. So, seeing they had such a person in this chair, why not ask more about that?

She took a deep breath, thinking about how she should ask the question, and then she spoke.

“You say you are not the killer. Why is that? What do you think he would have done differently than you? You’re a perceptive and learned man. Give us your insight into his mind.”

Vogel’s eyes narrowed, and for a moment, Juliette thought he was going to refuse to answer. But then he surprised her yet again by leaning back in his chair—as far as he could, with the handcuffs restricting him. He nodded thoughtfully, surprising her by the gesture. Finally, she’d gotten something other than plain raw defiance. Pandering to his massive ego had worked.

“That’s simple,” he said. “If I was this killer, based on the great works I have read, I would make sure that I controlled my environment. I would want to keep my victims close to me. I would use my home base as a shelter, and I would know my bolt holes. I would know where to run and hide. I would be laughing at you now, because you are so, so far from the truth!”

He erupted into a loud, mocking guffaw that caused Wyatt to sit straighter, an angry expression on his face.

But Juliette wasn’t angry. Rather, she was thoughtful.

Vogel had given her a gem of an insight into the type of person who might share his mentality.

She wasn’t going to throw that away. Not when it represented their very last hope.

What Juliette needed now, urgently, was a map.

---