Page 63 of Vicious Hearts

Oliver chuckles. "It's alright, dear. I called an ambulance already. Bring me a fruit basket and a sensational story when it's all over."

I think of something. "Did you call the cops?"

"Yes. Hopefully, they'll pick Graham up. That might be why you can't reach Hillard?"

I have no idea whether the police will even try to look for Graham. For all I know, everyone from the Commissioner down is in on this.

"Do yourself a favor, and don't speak to Hillard if he comes looking for you. He may have a part to play in all this, and I don't want you mixed up in it."

"Okay, I won't. The ambulance is pulling up now anyway."

"Thank you for everything," I say.

"I wish I could have done more. You're already a hero, Roxy. Hang on in there and see it through."

I hang up and turn around to see Leo and Lois staring at me.

"Graham Fisher?" Lois says. "Is that who you were talking about?"

"Yeah." I blink hard, trying not to cry. "He just attacked my boss. From the look of things, I'd say Graham is The Dollmaker, and Hillard is trying to cover for him."

"That's sick," Leo spits. "For the sake of his job, this detective is prepared to let a serial killer—ofchildren—go free? And an innocent man rot in jail?"

"It certainly looks that way."

Little Jamie is awake and squirming. Lois sets him on the floor, and he's away, pulling books off the bookcase.

"It's alright," Leo says. "Luna does that too. Books are just glorified building blocks in this house."

"Simon knew Graham Fisher, sort of," Lois says. "They met once when Simon went to a Gambler's Anonymous charity thing. He had a big problem at one time, and GA really helped. Fisher Pharma donates, or they used to."

"Explains how they met," I say. "Now it's a case of who gets to Graham first—Hillard or Ben."

* * *

Ben

Hillard is not at the station. He isn't answering his phone either.

No one seems interested in where he is. Cops going back and forth, doing whatever they do. The desk officer says she'll keep calling him, but he's probably just busy.

No shit, he's busy.Hiding evidence, burning incriminating files, who the fuck knows?

Irritation under my collar, like hives. I felt it before. Every time I thought about Farraday.

Hillard ditched my profile, and egocentric fucker that I am, I was pissed about it. So that's what Ithoughtwas bothering me—that I didn't get the recognition I was due.

But I never realized that Farraday was so different from my profile. I said the killer would have a large house with a basement, and he did, but that was the only hit.

It's all there in Roxy's case notes. He's a family man, a hard and diligent worker. He has a couple of misdemeanor charges from his youth but no sexual or violent crimes. Historic mental health issue, isolated incident. Medicated ever since and lived a stable life. Loving wife.

Farraday isn't The Dollmaker, so the profile doesn't fit. But what made Farraday a target? Whyhim?

The desk lady turns to answer the phone on the wall behind her. I have a clear view of Hillard's office.

It's open.

I move quickly, ducking under the desk and past her. As I stride across the bullpen and into the office, no one pays attention to me. I quickly close the blinds and push the door, leaving it open an inch or two.

---