What Burns Within (48 page)

“The physical side isn’t where I see women falling short. It’s the mental toughness and the psychological fitness. Your old partner, Lori, she’s heading for a big brick wall that’s going to come crashing down on her, and she’ll have no career left if she keeps at it.”

“Which is actually sad, because she is very capable.”

“But at this point in time, she’s not up to the task. She’s dangerous, not thinking rationally. I don’t care what women think about me saying this. I wouldn’t want her backing me up on the street right now.”

Craig was silent for a moment. “So all these comments between you and Tain…” He shrugged.

Ashlyn laughed. “You know, it sounds terrible, but this case brings back memories. I think we just had to let off some steam to cope with it. Every time I think about one of these girls being grabbed, or when I was standing over Isabella’s body…all I could think about was…” She shrugged. “You know.”

Craig watched her draw a deep, shaky breath, but he didn’t comment on it.

“So, you ready to share your views?” she asked.

“On this subject? Not a chance.”

“You really are impossible, you know that?”

He stood up, paused by the end of the couch where she was sitting and placed his hand on her shoulder with just the lightest touch. “I’d choose you to back me up on any call, Ashlyn. You’ve always held your own on the street and in the office.”

“Even if I am making predictable, sexist remarks to Tain?”

“Even then.”

She put her hand on top of his. “Thanks, Craig. Do you want some dinner before you have to go?”

“That’s okay. We eat together at the hall.”

She got up as soon as he’d pulled his hand away. “I guess that means micro wave entrees for me alone, then.”

“If this goes on long enough, I could always teach you to cook.”

“I’m capable, you know.”

“Really? I’ll withhold judgment until you present me with some evidence.”

Tain was just about to open the door to the interrogation room when he saw Sims walking toward him. He passed Doug’s lunch to the uniformed officer and sprinted down the hall.

“What did you find?”

“Hell of a hunch, Tain.”

“So you got the information we need?” Sims passed him his notes, as well as an old file.

“I had to chase that down. It took longer than I thought it would.” Sims glanced at his watch. “Shit, sorry.”

Tain held up his hand as he glanced over the notes, whistling. “Forget about it. This is perfect. Ashlyn and I had a feeling.”

“How do you want to handle this?”

Tain tore a scrap of paper off and wrote on it. “Have someone else go get him for an ID and then come join me.”

Sims turned to leave, and Tain looked up to see Daly walking toward him.

“Good work with Wilson.”

“Thanks. It looks like we’ll have another arrest before the day is through.”

He relayed what they’d learned and Daly nodded. “That’s great, but I take it this means you’re no closer to nailing our child abductor?”

Tain shook his head. “Ashlyn’s on it, as much as she can be. We haven’t had any hits so far, though.”

Ashlyn stretched the phone cord as far as it would go and just managed to nudge the door to the refrigerator shut.

“Hi, yes, I’m still here.”

She listened to the voice on the other end rattle off the info, the rushed words becoming a jumble.

“Sorry, can you say that again, a bit slower?”

“Look, I don’t have time.”

“Make time, or I’ll come over there with a warrant and shut you down while I go through your records myself.”

“What’s your badge number?”

Ashlyn rattled it off. “And be sure to mention that you were failing to cooperate with an investigation into the abductions of five local girls, two of whom have been found murdered. Wait, never mind. I can mention that for you when the press starts camping on my doorstep.”

The person on the other end of the phone repeated the information, and Ashlyn wrote it all down.

“Thank you very much,” Ashlyn said. “This has been really helpful. I’d like to send a sketch artist down to work with you to make a drawing of this guy.”

“Yeah, yeah, what ever,” the voice muttered, and then the phone clicked.

Tain introduced Sims to Doug Fisher when they returned to the interrogation room. “Sorry we took so long.”

“Whatever. I wouldn’t mind getting out of here soon, though.”

“Well, we just have a few more things we’d like to cover.”

Doug shrugged again. “I’ve probably told you all there is to know about the people at the recreation center.”

“But it must bother you, working there, having to serve people like Alex Wilson.”

Doug blinked, his cheeks turning a pasty white. “Wh-why should it?”

“Oh, come on, Doug. You know,” Sims said.

“Does it bother you when he sits and watches the kiddie pool?” Tain asked.

“Or do you set him up with special viewing privileges?”

“I…” Doug licked his lips, then reached for the soft drink. “I should maybe call a lawyer.”

“What would you need a lawyer for, Doug? You didn’t have anything to do with those girls, did you?”

“No. I swear I didn’t.”

“And we all know Alex doesn’t swing that way,” Sims said.

Doug crumpled down against the table. “You guys know.”

“We aren’t interested in playing games with you, Doug. It’s better if you give us your side of the story, straight. Alex has been arrested, and we’ve got police going through his house right now. If you don’t tell us what we need to know, the evidence will.”

Doug pushed himself up. “He took some photos of me when I was a kid.”

“Was that all he did?”

“I thought you knew.”

Tain shrugged. “We know enough.”

“Yeah, things eventually got out of hand. It started with me raking leaves and mowing the lawn at his house. Turned into me coming in for cookies and…and when my parents found out, they freaked.”

“Didn’t he go to jail?”

Doug shook his head. “Boiled down to my word against his, and the cop who caught it back then, this Hawkins guy, he was on a bigger case at the time, just wanted to clear this up. I didn’t really remember, but my mom told me once, after my dad left. The police convinced them I’d be labeled and everyone would know.”

“So your parents split over this?” Sims asked.

Doug nodded.

“And you never got any counseling or anything.”

Tain waited until Doug shook his head.

“We’ve got police officers bringing someone down here. Are they going to tell us you’re the one peeping at boys in the change room where you work?”

Doug finally looked up and met Tain’s relentless stare. He nodded.

“Okay, what I want you to do is write a confession. But before you do, have you ever touched a boy? Ever?”

His head shook, not emphatically, but with the tiniest motion.

“Don’t lie to me, Doug. I’m going to work something out for you, but this is a one-shot deal. You blow it, everyone really will know about your problems.”

Doug’s head shook again. “I swear. I-I’ve wanted to, okay? I…It’s like I’m my own worst enemy, and I want to stop myself because it’s sick, but I can’t.”

His whole body was shaking. Tain stood and slid a pad of paper across the table, along with a pen.

“Write your confession, Doug. I’m going to go talk to my boss.”

Sims followed Tain back into the hallway.

Tain turned to the officer outside. “Keep a close eye on him.”

Daly was at his desk, and Tain didn’t even pause when he knocked but walked right in. Sims hesitated at the doorway.

“That boy came down, Marvin. He identified Doug Fisher,” Daly said.

“We’ve got to make sure he gets help.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“He needs therapy, not jail.” Tain sat down.

“Tain, you never struck me as such a bleeding heart.”

“I’m serious, Daly. He said an officer named Hawkins persuaded his parents to let it go without pressing charges, his parents split up, and he’s been drifting ever since. Alex Wilson should have been jailed years ago, but because Hawkins was apparently on a more important case at the time, Wilson was left to prey on children in this community for more than a de cade.”

He watched the color drain from Daly’s face.

“Look, all I’m going to say here is that I think Doug needs help. He needs counseling. So far, all he’s done is look. Name one teenage boy who hasn’t snuck a peek at a girl, given the chance? I’m not saying it’s okay. I’m just saying, with what he’s been through, we can try to understand.”

Daly nodded. “There are some programs, places that deal with kids like this. I’ll make some calls.”

“And Hawkins?”

“Get a statement from Doug and from Mrs. Fisher, and bring them to me.”

Tain nodded.

There she was. Like so many other Mondays before, friends nowhere to be found, hanging out all alone.

He didn’t know what the deal was. Friends at swimming lessons, having extra long weekends with the part-time parent…. He didn’t really care. All that mattered to him was that it was predictable.

Which made what he had planned possible.

He had to admit he didn’t have the best vehicle for this either, but with the minor modifications, nobody ever suspected a car like this would be carrying a child he’d snatched off the street.

It was the perfect vehicle because it wasn’t a van or an SUV. No darkened windows that hinted at what they might conceal. Just a classic car with an average guy behind the wheel, his crosses and crucifix tucked away beneath his shirt and jacket, nothing external to hint at any eccentricities.

Aaron knew there were some who thought he was insane. He knew the guys on the department, where his cousin worked, thought he was a right-wing nutjob. They’d conspired to make sure he never got on the department, he was sure of it.

No matter how much Adrian swore it didn’t work that way.

But it didn’t matter. He’d thought helping others would give his life meaning.