Page 41 of For Rage

Morgan flashed her badge, along with Derik.

"Is Jerry home?" she asked.

Mary frowned. Behind her, children's toys littered the grass. "My brother is out back playing with my kids. What's this all about?"

"We need to see him, ma'am," Derik said. "Please, if you could show us to him."

Mary's frown deepened, but she stepped aside and gestured for them to follow her. They walked through the house and out to the back yard, where two young children were playing on a swing set. Jerry stood back, watching them with a proud smile on his face. He looked like a normal man on the surface—tall, slim, with dark hair and a clean face. Able-bodied, that was for sure. He had the look of a worker.

When Jerry noticed Morgan and Derik, he turned to them, frowning.

"Jerry Jameson?" Morgan called out, flashing her badge, and Jerry's eyes went wide.

"Yeah?"

"We'd like to have a word with you in private, if that's okay," Morgan said. "Would you mind coming with us?"

"Why?" Jerry leaned away. "Is something wrong?"

The kids now looked on, curious, and Morgan thought about Milly, Jim Alba's daughter. She didn't want to see another kid put through something traumatic, and she hoped Jerry would just come willingly.

"If you come with us to the station, we can explain everything," Morgan said.

"The station?" Jerry frowned. "I haven't done anything illegal, have I?"

Morgan knew he had. He'd not declared all his income on his taxes, but that wasn't what this was about. Still, Jerry wasn't outright resisting, so she kept calm.

"We'll explain everything if you come with us," Morgan said.

Jerry's eyes flicked between the agents and then over to his sister and the children. He seemed to be weighing his options. Finally, he nodded and turned to Mary."I guess I'll be back later," he said.

"Of course, Jerry," Mary said, looking worried.

Jerry followed the agents to the car, his shoulders hunched and his eyes darting around as if he expected police to be waiting for him.He got in the back of Derik's car, and Morgan and Derik hopped in the front. Morgan watched as Derik pressed the lock; it was childproof in the back, so Jerry wouldn't be able to get out if he tried.

As they drove, Morgan could see Jerry's nervousness increasing. He fidgeted in his seat, and his eyes darted around as if he were looking for a way out. Morgan could tell he was trying to come up with a story to explain everything away.

But she wasn't going to let him. She would get to the truth, no matter what it took.

***

When they arrived at the FBI HQ, Morgan and Derik led Jerry to an interrogation room. They sat down at the table, and Morgan placed a photo of the Bleeding Woodbine in front of Jerry. "Do you know what this is?" she asked.

He looked down on it, frowning. "Yeah, of course. I studied horticulture in university, before I dropped out and realized I'm really more of a hands-on worker. What's this all about?"

Morgan glanced at Derik, then said to Jerry, "We understand you had quite the fascination with the plant when you were in school."

"Did I?" Jerry frowned. "I don't think so. No more than any others. I know that shit is poisonous so you gotta be able to identify it, make sure the kids don't eat the berries."

His clueless attitude almost made Morgan believe him. Was there a chance Johnson had made the whole thing up?

"We heard from one of your former professors that you got in trouble for experimenting with the poison found in the plant," Morgan said.

"I never did that," Jerry said. "Honestly, it kind of scared me a little."

Morgan leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "We also know that you had access to all four of the victims' homes."

Jerry's eyes widened, and he shifted in his seat. "This is about those killings, isn't it? I was waiting for someone to talk to me."

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