Chapter 32
Chapter Thirty-Two
Cold spread out from Gary’s core. “We’ve been blind.”
Dan was at his side. “I did the math. There are twenty-two letters. He’s just getting started, isn’t he?”
“Then we’re going to do all we can to make sure he doesn’t achieve his goal.” He glanced toward the door as Lewis entered, carrying cups of coffee in a cardboard tray. Riley was behind him. “Great timing. We’ve got work to do.”
Riley took one look at his face and came to a dead stop. “You’ve got something.”
Gary picked up a pen and handed it to Dan, who wrote Pre-exposure Prophylaxis below the photos of the victims, then underlined the first seven letters. He stepped back, and Gary pointed to the board. “Recognize anything?” He caught Riley’s sharp intake of breath.
“What’s that?” Lewis peered at it.
“It’s a medicine for people who don’t have HIV but are at very high risk of getting it,” Riley said in a low voice.
“And who are those people?”
“Anyone who shares needles to inject drugs or has a partner who is HIV-positive or has multiple partners…. A lot of gay men are on it because they don’t want to use condoms. Some still use them, however, because it doesn’t prevent STDs.”
Lewis stared at him. “How come you know all this?”
Riley’s gaze was cool. “My brother is gay, all right? And even if he wasn’t and we didn’t talk about everything under the sun, I’d still know what it was, because I don’t live under a rock.” He turned to Gary. “What do you need me to do?”
“See if you can get the medical records for all the victims. I want to know how many of them were on PrEP.” He couldn’t shake the ice that had settled in his veins. “I have a feeling it’s going to be all of them.”
“If they were on PrEP, they’d have to get tested every three months, usually at a sexual health clinic,” Dan added.
Gary nodded. “Lewis, make some calls. See if any clinics have our victims on their files.” Finally. This could be the break they needed.
“How many clinics are we talking about?” Lewis demanded.
“That’s what you’re going to tell me.”
“I’ll work on the medical records,” Riley said. He shook his head. “How did you figure this out?”
“I wouldn’t have managed it on my own. Dan pointed me in the right direction.”
Riley smiled. “Thanks, Dan. We owe you.” He hurried out of the room.
“I’ll go look up clinics.” Lewis grabbed a cup of coffee and followed Riley.
Gary handed Dan a cup. “I think you’ve earned this.” Dan took it and gazed at the board, his head tilted to one side. “What is it?”
Dan wrinkled his nose, his brow furrowed. “I’m thinking, that’s all.”
“Then think out loud.” Gary leaned against the table, his own cup in his hand. “What’s on your mind?”
“I’m not a detective. I don’t see how my musings could be useful.”
“Let me be the judge of that.” He took the cup from Dan. “You get your coffee when you’ve told me what’s bothering you.”
Dan let out a mock gasp. “Oh. Now I see. You’re mean.” Before Gary could protest, he returned his attention to the board. “I keep going back to that feeling… that the victims knew their killer.”
“Okay. What about it?”
Dan glanced at him. “You remember I registered surprise? Well, what if…?”
“Don’t stop there.”
Dan studied the board. “What if they were surprised because they knew him but didn’t think he was gay?”
“That doesn’t make sense. He contacted them all on Grindr. Why would he be on Grindr if he wasn’t gay?”
Dan arched his eyebrows. “You said Lewis was on Grindr. Is he gay?” Gary blinked, and Dan nodded.
“Exactly. Think about it. Kris Lee Arill approaches them, but we know he uses fake photos. He arranges to meet, probably using WhatsApp. And when he turns up…. Bam. It’s not the guy they expect, but they know him, or at least recognize him.
But maybe they didn’t have a clue he was into guys. That’s why they’re surprised.”
“And none of them show him the door, because…?”
Dan’s brows lifted again. “He’s obviously a good-looking guy.” He sighed. “I don’t think that theory holds water.”
“Keep going. Any more theories?”
“Just one. I think you’ve been looking in the wrong direction.”
“What do you mean?”
Dan held out his hand. “Coffee, now. I need caffeine to make my brain work.”
Gary chuckled and handed it to him. “Continue. Which direction should we have been looking in?”
Dan smiled. “What if Grindr—and all the other apps—were red herrings?”
Gary became still. “Continue.”
“You’ve assumed he uses the apps to choose his victims. Okay, let’s also assume Riley is going to come through that door and tell you all the victims were taking PrEP.
What if that’s how he chooses them? Think about what I said when I first saw the letters.
He’s giving them a tramp stamp. That fits.
Maybe he sees anyone taking PrEP as promiscuous.
God knows he wouldn’t be the first to leap to that conclusion. ” He took a long drink.
Gary couldn’t drink. His pulse quickened, and adrenaline shot through his system. “Let’s take the assumptions a stage further. You said if they were on PrEP, they’d need to get tested. What if that’s where they knew him from? They’d seen him at a sexual health clinic.”
“So he is gay after all?” Dan gaped. “What is he doing, making a tour of all the clinics, picking out guys to be next on his list?” A violent shiver rippled through him. “It gives me the creeps.”
“You still feel he’s doing this out of some desire for vengeance?”
Dan shuddered. “I can’t get those words out of my head.
‘I’m doing this for you.’” He whooshed out a breath.
“Wow. What a mind trip. One minute I’m bringing up us getting tested, and suddenly I’ve steered the investigation onto a new path.
” He drained his cup. “What else can I do for you? I’m on a roll. ”
“I think you’ve done enough for today. Besides….” He studied Dan’s face, noting the faint shadows under his eyes.
“What?”
Gary bit back a smile. “You look as tired as I feel.”
“And that surprises you? Seeing as neither of us got a lot of sleep last night?”
He did not want to think about that right then, not with the prospect of Lewis walking in there at any minute. “Look, we’ve got calls to make, records to chase up. Why don’t I take you back to your hotel and you can have a nap?”
Dan frowned. “Firstly, I don’t need you to take me anywhere. There’s this wonderful thing out there called Uber.”
“Indulge me.” Gary closed the gap between them. “I want to make sure you’re safe, okay?”
“We’ve talked about this already. And I’d agree with you, one hundred percent—if the killer had left a very different note on Jack Noonan’s body.
” Dan gripped Gary’s shoulders. “He didn’t write some dire warning that I would be next if I interfered, did he?
If he’d done that, I promise you, I’d have you at my side twenty-four seven.
But think about it. He laughed at me, Gary.
He doesn’t think I can find him. I don’t think I’m even on his radar.
So please, don’t be worrying about my safety.
Not when you have far more important things to think about. ”
“And if I wanted to take you back to the hotel so I’d have the chance to be alone with you for a short while?”
Dan’s breathing quickened. “Can’t argue with that, especially when you’re standing close enough that I can still smell the shampoo you used this morning, and you know where that thought took me.”
Lord, his dick reacted. “You said firstly. What else?”
“Secondly, I’m not a kid that you can send to bed.”
“Not even if I have an ulterior motive?” Closer. “Not even if I want you to recharge your batteries before I see you this evening?”
Jesus, the size of Dan’s pupils….
“Do I need to recharge them?”
Gary hoped his grin was answer enough. “So… do I take you to the hotel?”
“Sure.” Dan’s eyes twinkled. “Can’t argue with that either.”
He felt a pang of guilt. He hadn’t lied—Dan did appear fatigued—but underlying his suggestion was the need to put a little space between them. Dan had provided them with new avenues to explore, but Gary couldn’t think clearly when he was near.
For the first time since Cory’s death, he felt as if the killer was finally within their reach—and he intended keeping Dan out of the killer’s.