Chapter 25
TWENTY-FIVE
Dustin Emmer looked like a boy who had dressed up as a professor for Halloween.
He was average, just like the guy in the video from Dani and Cassidy’s house.
Josie and Noah knocked on his front door as he was getting ready for work, which he told them almost a half-dozen times after reluctantly inviting them in.
He wore a pair of corduroy pants, despite it being July, and a blue short-sleeved button-down shirt.
The vest over the top of it was brown, like his pants.
His tie was tightly fastened around his neck and tucked neatly into said vest. All of his clothing looked a size too big.
His dark hair was slicked back from his face, stiff with gel.
In the center of the room, two leather armchairs the color of espresso surrounded a small, round table. A pile of books rested on its surface, nearest the recliner that looked the most broken in. Dustin Emmer stood next to it, his hand resting along its back, but didn’t invite them to sit.
“What do you want?” he asked bluntly.
“We’re here to talk to you about Detective Kyle Turner,” Noah said.
A slight widening of his eyes was the only indication that the question put him on alert. “I’m not sure who you mean.”
“He’s the guy you’ve been calling a couple of times a week for the last several years,” Josie said. “You two have a mutual acquaintance.”
“That’s a private matter,” Emmer insisted. His fingers dug into the leather of the chair. Was it fear or anger that had him so on edge? Or both?
“Not anymore,” said Noah. “Where were you Monday evening? Around seven?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“How about between 10 p.m. Saturday to 5 a.m. Sunday?” Josie asked.
Emmer stared at her as if she’d grown horns. “I don’t remember.”
“You keep a calendar?” Noah said.
“Well, yeah, I— That’s private. I don’t know what you think you’re doing or what this is really about, but I don’t have to answer your questions.”
“No,” Noah said matter-of-factly. “You don’t. That’s your choice. We can speak with your neighbors and your colleagues at the university instead and try to piece together what we need to know.”
Ideally, they’d just get a warrant to search everything associated with Dustin Emmer—house, phone, laptop, office, car—but they had no probable cause.
Him harassing Turner for several years wasn’t probable cause.
They had absolutely nothing connecting him to either crime.
They hadn’t even been able to find a connection between him and the Barnes women besides Turner.
Josie slowly scanned the room. “I’m sure they’d love hearing about that whole librarian thing you’re into. That’s how you came to know Detective Turner, after all.”
A low rumble came from Emmer’s throat. He looked a lot like a bull, nostrils flaring, fists opening and closing. “You have no right.”
“We do,” Josie said. “We also have an obligation. Two women have been murdered and two have been abducted, and we’re short on time, so you can tell us what we need to know and we can go, or we can speak to every person in your life instead. Your choice.”
Emmer’s brow knitted. “Murders and abductions? What does any of that have to do with me?”
“Two of those women are Detective Turner’s wife and daughter,” Noah answered. “Have you ever met them?”
Emmer recoiled. “What the hell are you implying?”
“How many years has it been since you saw Zara?” Josie asked.
When he didn’t answer, she pressed on. “You must be awfully angry with Detective Turner to still be contacting him all these years later. As I understand it, you want to speak with Zara, but Turner won’t give you her contact information. ”
No response.
“Dr. Emmer,” Noah said, using the honorific he’d insisted on when they first knocked on his door. “I know that you were a client of Zara’s through the escort service.”
Emmer’s mouth fell open but Noah cut off his protest. Josie could already tell by the way her husband’s facial expression changed from serious investigator to just a guy talking to another guy that he was about to trot out his relatable misogynist persona.
She’d seen him do it before. He was masterful.
A chameleon. If she didn’t know his heart and the truly decent man he was, the way he slipped in and out of the role would have been deeply disturbing. But it was all part of their job.
“No judgment,” Noah said, stepping forward as if to leave Josie out of the conversation.
The advantage of not having changed her name when they got married was that suspects and interviewees didn’t know they were husband and wife.
It made it far easier to play off one another.
Assholes like Emmer loved to watch sexism unfold in real time right before their eyes.
Made them feel a real kinship with relatable misogynist Noah.
“Let’s face it,” her husband continued, “dating is tedious, isn’t it?
You can waste a lot of time getting to know a woman, putting your best foot forward, doing all the things society expects of you, only to find out that when the masks come off, the real her is uptight and maybe a bitch.
Then you have to start all over again. It doesn’t mean dating is out of the question but if you can get what you want—what you need—from someone who is willing to give it to you with no questions asked, why not go for it? Even if you have to pay?”
Emmer watched Noah the way prey watched a predator—eyes narrowed and wary, body stock-still but on full alert.
“Who the hell cares if what you’re into is a little out of the norm.
That just makes it hotter, right?” Noah lowered his voice and again, Josie marveled at how the things that came out of his mouth were so far from his true character and yet delivered so convincingly.
“What guy hasn’t had the sexy librarian fantasy?
I’ll tell you, I never went to the library for the books, if you know what I mean.
Sometimes I still think about that brunette librarian from when I was in college.
Legs for days. Never could bring myself to act on that particular fantasy.
At least you had the balls to make it happen. ”
Josie made a noise of disgust because she knew that’s what Noah needed in the moment to add to this whole little misogynistic scene he was acting out with Emmer.
She didn’t need to see Noah’s face to know he was rolling his eyes.
He gave a subtle wave in her direction, dismissing her, before taking another step toward Emmer.
“It was hot as hell, wasn’t it?” Noah whispered.
Emmer’s fingers relaxed enough that Josie could see the indents they’d left on the top of the chair. Still, he didn’t engage.
“Most women don’t even want to change positions, let alone role-play,” Noah said. “Am I right? They’re always just waiting for it to be over.”
Josie saw the impact of Noah’s words in the way that Emmer’s shoulders slumped forward. It didn’t surprise her that the women Emmer had been with in the past had been less than impressed with the experience.
“Doc,” said Noah. “The only thing I can figure is that Zara was different. Even though you were paying, she wasn’t a bitch. She didn’t judge. She was cool. You two had a connection, right?”
Emmer’s nod was almost imperceptible.
“Otherwise, why would you waste your time trying to get her back?”
“She’s not like anyone else,” Emmer said, throat bobbing as he swallowed. “Turner didn’t understand that.”
“Turner doesn’t understand a lot of things,” Noah said.
“It must be infuriating,” Josie interjected, feeling it was okay to rejoin the conversation. She kept her voice devoid of emotion. “He’s the only one who knows where she is and he won’t tell you.”
“It’s selfish,” Emmer said.
“I can see that,” Josie agreed, as if she’d been just as affected by Noah’s speech. “I know if I found someone who really got me, I wouldn’t want anyone standing between us.”
Emmer’s nod was more emphatic this time.
“You ever feel like you wanted to get revenge on Turner?” Noah asked.
“Revenge?” Emmer asked. “You think I did something to those women? To Turner’s… what did you say? Wife and daughter?”
“Hey, Doc,” Noah said. “We’ve got to ask.”
“Like I mentioned,” Josie said. “When we reviewed Turner’s call records, your number came up a lot. There’s clearly an issue between the two of you.”
“We know you’ve called him a lot,” Noah said. “Do you know where Detective Turner lives?”
Emmer looked away, focusing on the stack of books piled on the table.
“Listen,” Noah said, “we don’t want to be here having this conversation any more than you do but I’m going to give you a bit of advice. It’s in your best interest to tell us the truth. If it comes out later that you lied to us, it makes you look awfully damn suspicious.”
When Emmer didn’t respond, Josie added, “If we got a warrant to search the contents of your phone, would your GPS show that you’d been to his place? The truth, Dr. Emmer.”
Emmer’s mouth moved, as if he were mumbling to himself, but the words were soundless.
“The sooner we get everything in the open,” Noah said, “the sooner we can get out of here, let you get back to your life. You’ve got classes today, probably.”
This seemed to penetrate whatever conversation Emmer was having with himself because he mumbled, “Yeah,” before checking his watch.
“We don’t want to keep you then,” Noah said. With a grimace, he looked around. “Hey, Doc. Mind if I use your bathroom? Too much coffee.”
“Sure,” Emmer said. “Through that hall, up the stairs, second door on the left.”
“Great.”
Alone with Emmer, Josie took a few steps closer to him, sending him shuffling behind the chair, putting it between them. He might trust Noah a little but he was still wary of her.