Chapter 60
Chapter Sixty
Kain
Thirty minutes later, I sat inside Senator Falcone’s home office in the affluent town of Wellesley.
Gray walls wrapped around the space, with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined not just with leather-bound volumes but curated history—first editions, biographies of titans, legislation bound in gold-stamped spines.
Nothing here was accidental. Every title whispered influence.
A mahogany desk sat at the center with a fountain pen and a closed dossier.
A bottle of aged whiskey rested on a side table beside two crystal glasses.
He’d been ready for me. Behind the high-backed black leather chair were tall windows that stretched toward the ceiling, dressed in heavy charcoal drapes.
This was where decisions were made, alliances were forged, and lives could quietly change direction with the stroke of his signature.
In his polo T-shirt and khakis, Senator Falcone grabbed the bottle of whiskey and walked over to the lounge area, gesturing for me to sit down in the leather chair facing a round coffee table. Sitting down, he poured me a glass of whiskey.
“Thank you.” I placed it on the coaster on the table, studying the disheveled man with unkempt hair and a beard that desperately needed a shave.
“Not in the mood to drink?” he asked, his eyes looking tired.
“No,” I said. “Why do you look so tired?”
“Sleep hasn’t come easy lately.”
How could a man sleep when his life was crumbling?
“Is it because you’ve been too busy lying and harming children?”
His eyes flicked to mine briefly before looking away to finish his whiskey. He placed the glass on the coffee table and inhaled a deep breath.
“I . . .” Senator Falcone began. “I tried to get help.”
“Tried is past tense,” I retorted. “If you knew you had an illness, then you would have eradicated that disease.” Anger boiled in me. “Dammit, Bill. You fooled me and the boys. We believed in you.”
Sometimes the truth has thorns, capable of more harm than it should. His betrayal shattered me. How many other people had I trusted but shouldn’t have?
“I’m sorry.” His lips trembled. “I didn’t mean to.”
I slammed a fist into the arm of the couch. “That’s what all criminals say when they’re caught. It’s time to redeem yourself,” I scoffed. “You’re going to help me find Hawthorne.”
Fear sparked in his eyes. “I don’t know where he is. I’ve only worked with Tony.”
That had been my suspicion, but I wanted to hear it from him. “Where’s Tony?”
The senator rattled off an address for Tony that I already knew. The powerful facade that hid his sick character crumbled.
“I made a big mistake years ago, and Hawthorne got it on video and blackmailed me.” With trembling hands, the senator poured more whiskey into his glass and sipped. “I didn’t want people to know I preferred kids. It would ruin my career.”
“So you ruined children’s lives instead.”
He didn’t respond to my comment. Remorse swam in his eyes, but I didn’t give a damn. He knew exactly what he had done, and he would have continued to do it if he hadn’t been caught.
“What did Hawthorne want in exchange?”
“A secluded place to run his business. He’s got several across the country. And no, I don’t know where they are. I was focused on making sure my property wasn’t jeopardized.”
“It was jeopardized the moment you agreed to work with him,” I seethed. “How long has the compound been under the lake?”
“Construction started about twenty years ago.”
“When the boys and I escaped?” I recalled moving bricks in the corridor.
“Yes.” He nodded.
“You knew me and the boys escaped that awful place. Why didn’t you tell Hawthorne about us?”
Senator Falcone could’ve easily informed Hawthorne that his prisoners had escaped.
“Despite my dealings with the psychopath, I hated him,” Senator Falcone scoffed. “He blackmailed me, and I wanted him to fail. I wanted him to die.” He looked at me. “Your escape was something I wanted for myself too. Though I wasn’t physically trapped underground, I was also his prisoner.”
People with secrets, like the senator, were easy to control. Who else was on Hawthorne’s long list?
“I joined his organization and helped him recruit other members.” He pushed up his sleeve to reveal a cross tattoo. “He makes me attend induction ceremonies to inspire new members.”
Anger coursed through me, remembering Malory’s body. “Don’t lie to me about only preferring kids. You raped Malory and allowed others to do the same to your niece, Shelly. You’re just a sick fuck who’s making excuses for your crimes.”
The senator apologized to me again, but his words fell on deaf ears. The crimes he committed could never be forgiven. People with his predilection couldn’t be cured with a glass of whiskey and a quick apology.
“You should apologize to your family. Your sister was very distraught on TV, asking for the public’s help to find her daughter. Why didn’t you help her? You’re a senator. The media would’ve helped you.”
When he didn’t answer, I said, “You killed Shelly, didn’t you?”
“No!” he said. “I didn’t. Tony did.”
“But why would he do that?” I asked.
The senator didn’t reply, and frustration roared in my ears.
“You know what I hate most?” I flared my nostrils.
“Adults who harm kids. My patience is running thin, Bill. I have no problem killing you.” Shifting in my seat, I leaned forward.
“I’ve killed many people, so ending your life is a fantastic contribution to society.
Tell me everything I need to know, and you might live another day. ”
“I was drunk and had an urge. So when I saw Shelly and Malory at an event, I slipped a pill into each of their drinks. They took Shelly, and I brought Malory back to Massachusetts.” He wiped his hands on his thighs.
“Hawthorne removed the dead bodies for a price. Others hire him to eliminate opponents and unwanted witnesses. People in government, presidents, prime ministers, royalty, billionaires, you name it. It was and still is a big business.”
The level of filth running our world was unimaginable.
I knew Hawthorne was a serial killer but never understood his motivation. Senator Falcone confirmed the murders were business. Hawthorne, Tony, and others who committed these murders were assassins with a specific style. It would be difficult to eliminate them all at once.
“But then Tony lost Malory’s body during transit. I was shocked when her fake corpse was discovered in Etched Square and her actual body was at the hospital. He was supposed to burn it at the crematory.”
“The crematory would remove all evidence. How many other women died this way?” I asked, not expecting him to reply. He didn’t need to know that Emilio and his friends had intercepted Tony’s transportation.
Ignoring my question, he pressed his lips into a thin line.
“Do you have any evidence of your business with Hawthorne or Tony?”
The way his eyes moved told me he did, but he said nothing.
“I want everything,” I said. “Give a copy to Detective McNally, who will reach out soon. It’s over, Senator Falcone.
” I rose to my feet. “Hawthorne didn’t trap you—your disease did.
” I pointed to his head. “It’s still imprisoning you.
Set yourself free and do the right thing.
” I looked him in the eye. “Come clean.”
I reached for my shirt collar, pulled off a recording device the size of a button, and showed it to him. “I’ve got our meeting here. You will come clean one way or another. Decide carefully.”
He sagged into the couch, looking like a defeated man with nowhere to hide.
Good. That was exactly how I wanted him to feel—hopeless and helpless, just like his victims.
I left his house and shook myself clean of his energy before sliding into my car. One down, two more to go. Then my team sent a text saying they were ready for me.