over heart attack victims.
They rode in silence for several minutes, and then Avery said, 'Tell me what you've learned about Monk. He must have a
pattern. They all do.'
He thought it was odd she'd know about such things. 'Actually he did have a pattern, but it's obviously changed.'
'How has it changed?'
'Monk always kept a low profile. In and out as fast and as clean as possible.'
'You sound like you admire him.'
'No, I don't admire him,' he said. 'I'm just saying his pattern never varied much before. In the beginning, the murders he committed all took place within a two-week span every year. That didn't change for seven years. I have a theory about that.'
'You think he holds down a full-time job somewhere? That he's living two separate lives.'
'I think he used to,' he corrected. 'Murder obviously pays a hell of a lot more, so I'm guessing he probably quit his other job. Couldn't you just picture him sitting at his desk, diligently working. He would have been the nice guy. You know, the one who draws the chart for the football pools, and because he was so well liked, people would tell him their troubles. I'll bet you this, Avery. When he gets caught, the people he worked with will be shocked. They'll all say the same thing. Bob was such a sweet, charming man.'
'So was TedBundy.'
'Exactly my point.'
'How do you know the early murders were his work? Did he leave a card or something so he'd get credit?'
'Sort of,' he answered. 'He likes roses. He leaves a long-stemmed red rose.'
'That's eerie,' she said. 'So he used to be a nine-to-fiver, and killing people was his idea of a great vacation, but now he's strictly
a professional killer… any time of the year. What else is different about him these days? You seem to have studied his work closely.'
He nodded. 'He's never tried anything like this… taking three victims. He isn't a showman. And he's always acted alone before. Now it appears that he's hooked up with a woman. Maybe he's showboating to impress her.'
They struck a bump in the road. Avery grabbed the dashboard again as the top of her head hit the roof.
'Are we still headed north?' It was impossible to tell. The trees hid the sky, and it was ominously dark in this stretch of forest.
'Northwest,' he said.
She heard a scream in the distance. No, it was more like an animal's screech. The sound gave her chills.
'How does he get his contracts? Do you know?'
'No, but I'm guessing the Internet,' he answered. 'It's easy. It's anonymous, and up until now, he's been careful and discriminating in selecting his targets. He probably has enough work to keep busy for the next fifty years. You'd be surprised how many husbands want their wives dead and how many wives would pay through the nose to get rid of their husbands.'
'My uncle Tony had nothing to do with this.'
'You're sure?'
'I'm sure,' she answered emphatically.
He let it go for the moment. 'You said there had to be a connection between the women…'
'I was analyzing what we know, trying to put it together. I made the assumption that one man or woman hired Monk to kill all three women, so that's why I was trying to think of something they all had in common. But my premise might not be valid.'
'Meaning?'
'We have to allow for the possibility that three different people hired Monk, and that, for whatever reason, he decided to kill the victims all at the same time.'
He had to admit she was right. 'One thing is certain. Monk was paid a hell of a lot of money to kill these women. He doesn't
come cheap. If he has lumped them together, the real question is, who wants your aunt dead?'
He expected her to immediately tell him what a sweet, lovable woman her aunt was and that she didn't have an enemy in the world.
'Lots of people dislike my aunt. Some, I would imagine, hate her.'
He wasn't prepared for that. He actually smiled. 'Yeah?'
'Carrie can sometimes be… abrasive.'
'Is that right?'
Avery nodded. 'She's in a cutthroat business.'
'Oh? What business is that?'
'Commercials.'
'Excuse me?'
'She makes commercials.'
He laughed, the sound harsh in the confines of the car.
'However,' she continued, ignoring his reaction, 'none of her business associates would go to such extremes to get rid of her.'
'How can you be so sure?'
'I just am,' she said.
'Okay, then that brings us back to your uncle Tony. How strong is their marriage? Any problems you know about?'
She was suddenly feeling sick to her stomach. 'Carrie thinks Tony's cheating on her.'
'Ah.'
'They've been seeing a marriage counselor.'
'Is that right?'
'Tony loves Carrie,' she said.
'How well do you know your uncle?'
'Not as well as I should,' she admitted. 'I went away to boarding school and was only home during the summer, and then I worked in Carrie's office. Still, I think I'm a good judge of character. Tony would never be unfaithful.'
'Wives usually know.'
'Carrie isn't your typical wife. She's got a very suspicious nature. I think, deep down, she can't believe any man could love her. She's… insecure, and that's why she's often abrasive. She doesn't want anyone to see her vulnerability.'
'So that leads us right back to…'
'If they are separate contracts, and one person hired Monk to kill Carrie and me, then…'
'Then what?'
'I know who he is.'
Chapter 11
The first hour was a nightmare, and then it got worse.
The crazy woman had almost blown them to kingdom come. Anne's hand was on the doorknob when Carrie tackled her to the floor. She was so skinny she went down hard, and Carrie landed with a thud on top of her. Both of them were screaming. Carrie had her hands full, and it was impossible to get the woman to listen to reason. Twisting and turning, Anne tried to claw Carrie's eyes with her long, tapered, acrylic nails. She made it to her knees and nearly got away from Carrie when Sara grabbed her by her ankles and dragged her from the door.
