CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
A shudder ran down Alison’s spine. It was the anger he had inside.
He'd had the anger since he came to collect his sister’s personal belongings.
She had assumed it was because his sister was dead, and it would have been, but that anger was not only directed toward that.
He was the one who was angry at the system and took matters into his own hands.
He had been around all the crime scenes, just like Arturo.
He might not have been the lead, but he would have heard about them, perhaps visited them.
She’d seen that anger in the room. He was angry at the system.
Yet, it was his lack of anger that convinced her.
He’d made it clear to Alison that if he was ever in a room with his sister’s killer, there was no telling how he might behave.
He was now in the room with her supposed killer, and she had never seen him more controlled.
He was the one baiting Tommy to show his anger while controlling his own.
You’re not angry at Tommy because you know he’s not the killer. You know that because you were the one who killed her. You used your own sister as an example to send a message. The anger inside is directed at her killer: you.
He was too calm the entire time, too calculated in his interview. It would have been easy for him to plant the evidence in Tommy’s apartment when he heard the name, and with Alison and Claire stuck in Butte, he could have gone there himself with no interference.
Is this your endgame? Did this fall into your lap? You knew I was getting close, so you shifted the blame? You can escape scot free from this?
Everything else fell into place in her mind.
The way he had been so open to reopening the investigation when everyone else was sure they had their guy in Marcus Webb.
He did it because he knew another death was coming, and he wanted to get ahead of it.
He wanted to gain Alison’s trust, get her on side.
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
You were tired when I came to you the morning after Gates was murdered.
I remember that now. That’s because you were up through the night, wasn’t it?
You were also the one who gave the tip for Marcus, knowing that it would distract us from the real killer.
You took over the investigation so you could dictate it all.
It became so clear to Alison now. She knew that Kent was the killer.
There was only one problem. No one would believe her without direct evidence, especially when so much evidence pointed toward Tommy.
He had orchestrated it perfectly. And he was right, there was enough evidence to convict Tommy, which meant putting him back in jail, where he might be in danger if he did know something about the corruption surrounding Arturo.
Is that a part of it? Are you caught up in that, too? Can you kill two birds with one stone? Literally? Did you plan this all along? To frame Tommy for the murders? Did we play right into your hands?
Alison composed herself. Kent had brought her into the room for a reason, and that was to show how much smarter he was than she was.
He needed to know that he had bested her and then send her home.
She needed to play along for now until she could find a way out of the situation and a way to prove he was the killer.
"I was in your apartment," Alison told Tommy. "The way the files were placed on the wall was exactly the same as at the crime scenes. I will swear to that in court. Your best way out of this is to admit what you did. If you are guilty, then confess to your crimes."
"I already told you that I didn't kill anyone," Tommy said.
"Then tell us where you’ve been in the last week."
"I’ve told you already," Tommy said. "I’ve been around. I’ll take my chances in court."
Why Tommy? What’s your motivation? Do you have something on the police corruption? Is that what you’ve been doing over the last two weeks? Have you been in contact with someone? You can't talk about it, or someone might silence you before you get the information?
Alison looked at Kent and raised her eyebrows to tell him: I’ve done all I can. What she was really doing was getting a hold of Kent’s mood. Was he orchestrating more than just framing Tommy? Was he involved in more than just that?
Kent glared at Tommy. There was anger there, but there was also fear. She had no proof of it either, but she got the feeling that he was the one who threatened Lizzy and had her drop the case against the department.
Is this the grand plan? Frame Tommy for the murders, then have him killed in prison to silence him?
Alison tried to think of a plan. She had to admit that it was brilliant if it all fit together as she suspected it did.
She felt more driven to protect Tommy. She had assured his mother, but if his life was in danger and he wasn’t the killer, she had to find a way to get him out of prison.
Kent might not have to wait. He could have had him killed before the trial, and everyone would still think he did it.
"We’re done here," Kent said. "Tommy, take some time to think about how you want to proceed with this. Dr. Payne is right. We only want to help you, but you’re facing the death penalty here. Think about your poor mother. If you sign the confession, we can bring the charges down. Cooperate with me, and I’ll cooperate with you. "
Tommy remained with his arms folded in steely defiance, not looking at Kent and not saying a word. Whatever it was he knew or thought he knew, it was worth going through all of this.
Kent looked at Tommy with a smirk of satisfaction.
When the police captain got up from the table, Alison followed suit. They left the room together.
"What’s your professional opinion?" Kent asked once they were outside.
"The biggest thing I can see is that he’s definitely hiding something, and he’s not being completely honest with us.
He’s got a criminal record longer than most, and he has anger within him.
I could see him killing people. I noticed that there was no attempt to supply an alibi, and that’s in our favor.
Without an alibi and with the evidence found in the apartment, we don't need anything else to get a conviction.
I think any jury in the country will find him guilty.
And I don't believe it will go to trial. I could see it in his eyes in the interview room. He’s not going to confess to any of this. "
Kent nodded. "I’m just glad that I could get justice for my sister. This is what she would have wanted. I wish to thank you, too, for being a part of this. It wouldn’t have been so easy if you were not here. What will you do now?"
"There’s no reason for me to stick around," Alison said. "I’ll book a flight out for tomorrow morning. I’ll keep an eye on the case from there, and I have a contact in the FBI back in California who can help, too."
"Keep an eye on it?" Kent asked.
"It’s just how I work," Alison told him.
"I know we have our guy, but I like to look into everything, explore every possibility, just in case. I mean, if Tommy has an alibi for even one of the murders, then he’s off the hook for all three.
If that happens, I need to be ready to fly back.
I just want to make sure we have everything leading up to the trial, and then it will finally be over. "
That was the first amount of bait put on the hook. He still had to see her as a threat to tempt him into making a move. If she didn't have proof, she needed to orchestrate the proof in much the same way as he had done with Tommy. She wouldn’t plant evidence, but she would push him into action.
"I’ll keep you updated," Kent said. "I'm sure we can handle it from here."
"Oh, no doubt," Alison agreed. "I have full faith in you, Captain Kent, and I’m partially thankful that you brought him in so quickly. I saw the way he looked at me in there."
"The way he looked at you?"
"I think he’s been keeping tabs on me. I’m a threat to him. I should have been more careful, but I don't need to be now," Alison said.
"You think he might have come after you?" Kent asked.
"Yeah, I think he would have. I was the one to find out he went to talk to Dr. Laurent.
I was the one who didn't believe Marcus Webb was guilty. He must have known at that point that I would come after him. It would make sense for him to come after me, make it fit into the pattern, and silence me, buy himself more time to kill the others. If I hadn't gone up to Butte, we wouldn’t have found his apartment and the evidence. I’m sure he would have come after me. "
"Yeah, you’re probably right," Kent said. "Good thing you don't need to worry about that anymore."
More bait was added to the hook, and she only had to wait and see what he might do with it.
"We’re all safe now," Alison said. "I’ll be glad to get some rest at the motel tonight." She put out her hand. "If I don't see you again, it was a pleasure working with you."
Kent shook her hand, holding it tight. "You, too."
She smiled and then walked toward the exit of the precinct. As soon as she was outside, she called Claire. Her hands shook, but not from the cold. She strode far from the precinct so she wouldn’t be heard.
"Hey, how was—"
"It’s Kent," Alison said. "I’m sure of it. Listen, I don't have a lot of time to explain, but I need you to get in your car and get to the precinct as quickly as possible. You need to follow him. I hope that I’ve said enough to him to spur him into action. He might come after me, I don't know. He needs to ensure this is all wrapped up neatly, and I just gave him a way to do that. He’s been bold up until now. Let’s see how bold he really is. "
"I don't understand what—"
"I’m asking you to trust me, Claire. I’ll explain it all to you later, but I need you down here so you can follow Kent, and I can go back to my motel room.
If this doesn’t work, you’ll have to look into him before he does anything to Tommy.
He can't kill him in the precinct, and he’ll have someone else in prison do it for him, but for tonight, he might find a way to stage my motel room so it looks like Tommy killed me, and Tommy dies in the process. "
"Are you out of your mind right now?" Claire asked.
"No, I’m thinking very clearly," Alison said. "Trust me, Claire. Be on the move right now and help me to end this. The worst that can happen is you follow him and nothing happens."
"No, you just told me the worst that can happen. This night ends with you dead."
***
Captain Kent strode through the police station looking for the officer who would ask the fewest questions.
He felt pretty good about himself with how things had gone so far.
It had been wrapped up nice and neatly, but there were always a few stray pieces of ribbon and strips of paper that needed to be trimmed, and Dr. Payne was one of those.
It was fortunate then that a wonderful idea had popped into his head that would put an end to everything far quicker than he had planned. And he would come out of it looking even better than he would have originally.
He spotted Officer Brandt. He had only joined the force two months ago.
"Brandt." Kent gestured with his finger. "With me."
Officer Brandt got up from his desk and followed Captain Kent into the back.
"I just got word that we’re moving the prisoner. You are to come with me, and we’ll take him out to a car together."
"We’re moving him at—"
"I’m sorry, are you questioning me?" Kent asked. "Do as you are told, and I won't fire you for subordination. Don't you want to be a part of the biggest case this city has ever seen? I can find someone else—"
"No, no," Brandt begged. "I wasn't questioning your authority, sir. Whatever you need."
"That’s better," Kent said. "Come on, let’s get him out of here before the press gets down here to try and get photos of him."
The young officer followed Kent through to the holding cells. Kent would use that as an excuse when they asked. They had what they needed from Tommy Castellano, and it was better to move him before the media circus.
When they took him from his cell, Tommy didn’t put up a fight. He allowed himself to be led out to a patrol car, unaware that it was the real killer holding his arm.
"I can have someone bring us a transport car if—" the officer started.
"This one is fine," Kent said.
"But there’s no—"
"This one is fine," Kent interrupted again. He knew the officer was worried about there not being a metal cage between the front seats and back seats, but it was integral to the plan that there wasn’t. "Just get him in the back."
Tommy didn't resist as he was placed in the back of the car.
Kent got in and took the wheel, while the young officer sat in the passenger seat, looking behind at the handcuffed prisoner.
They didn't drive toward another police station or any law enforcement building.
They drove toward the motel where Alison Payne had a room.
That was where he would stage his greatest message.
It had not been the plan from the start, but he was adaptable.
Then, he would disappear in plain sight.
It was brilliant.
Kent stopped at a light, two blocks from the motel. The street was quiet. He applied the parking brake so he could shift in his seat. He pointed out the passenger window.
"Hey, what is that?"
Officer Brandt looked.
"Tommy, stop!" Kent shouted.
Kent slammed the officer's head into the window, once, twice, thrice, until he was out cold.
"Hey, whoah, whoah, whoah!" Tommy shouted from the back.
The officer slumped forward in the front seat. When he woke, he would believe Tommy had attacked him from the back.
"What’s going on?" Tommy shouted.
"Don't worry," Kent said. "You’ll find out very soon.