“What is yourpassword?” Adele repeated, enunciating her words.
He mutteredsomething beneath his breath, but then a bit louder, after clearing his throat,he said, “If you let me type it in…”
Reluctantly,Paige fished a key from her pocket. “If you try anything,” she said, snarling, “Iwill shoot you dead.”
Mr. Waterswagged his head, but waited patiently, almost eagerly, for the agent to unlockhis cuffs. Adele listened to a quiet click then a rattle; Gabriel Waters’sright hand emerged from behind his back. His left followed, still dangling withthe cuffs. He wiggled it toward Paige expectantly, but she glared in return.
“Your hands arefree,” she said. “The cuffs stay on. Open the phone.”
For a moment,Waters glanced toward the door. Adele tensed, her hand moving to her holster.But then Waters sighed and he lifted his phone; with his free right hand, hetapped in the password.
He handed itover with a slight droop of his hand toward Agent Paige. Then, as the suspectmassaged his free wrist, Paige took his phone and began scanning through it.
After a fewminutes, she snorted in disgust and held it up so Adele could see. “He’s notlying,” she said. “He has at least fifty message chains with women. Their namesseem American. Most the texts are in English.”
Adele looked atMr. Waters. “Why are you communicating with all these women?”
Gabriel flasheda white smile, shamelessly eyeing Adele. “Why do you think? A man can getlonely sometimes, you know? It isn’t like French women are super excited to bewith an American. So I have to sometimes go fishing someplace privatelystocked, if you know what I mean.”
Adele wrinkledher nose. “I’m not sure I want to. Fishing metaphors aside, you’re telling meit’s purely coincidence you were texting both Amanda Gardner and StephanieRiddle when they died?”
Again Waters shrugged.“Like she said, I text a lot of women. If they’re American and in Paris… theycan get needy,” he said, with a significant tilt of his eyebrows. “There’s nopredicting what a lady will do when lonely. There aren’t that manyAmericans in Paris—especially not of,” he cleared his throat, “noticeable assetsand age. If someone else is taking shots at the same community, that’s none ofmy business. I’m not killing anyone.”
Agent Paige continuedscrolling through the messages, her eyebrows ratcheting up with each passingsecond. She snorted, and Gabriel glanced up, frowning at the expression on herface.
She smirked. “Haveyou ever heard of using a razor?” she asked in an innocent tone.
Gabriel clenchedhis teeth briefly, and his frown became fixed. “Can I have my phone back?”
Agent Paigesmirked again, but at last lowered the phone to the table. Gabriel reached outto grab it, but Paige snared his wrists, twisted them back, despite his protests,and cuffed him once more.
“Honestly, askinky as this is,” Gabriel said, “I’m telling you the truth. I’m really brokenup over their deaths; Michelle and Susan…”
“Stephanie andAmanda,” Adele shot back.
“Whatever,” hesaid. “I’m serious, it’s real sad to hear about.”
“Oh,” saidAdele, “you sound very sad.”
Gabriel began toroll his eyes, but caught the gesture and cleared his throat. “Whatever. I’mjust telling you, I had nothing to do with any murders. I like a little cookieon the side, so sue me. You’re wasting your time.”
“Cookie on theside?” said Agent Paige, snorting in disgust. “Is that what they call it inAmerica? Cookie?”
Adele glancedbetween her partner and their suspect. “Hang on,” she said, raising her hand. “Ifthat’s true, why did you bolt? When we showed up, you took off. Explain that.”
Gabriel had beenstarting to look more relaxed and annoyed. But at this, he slunk lower in hisseat once more, his shoulders straining from where they twisted behind hisback. He glowered at the table and muttered again beneath his breath.
Adele tapped herfingers against the glass mirror behind her, trying to regain his attention. “Lookat me,” she said. “Why did you run? You could have been shot.”
Agent Paigeleaned back too, putting one arm akimbo in an impatient posture.
Gabriel glancedbetween the two of them and shifted in his seat once more, still slouched low.At last, barely loud enough to hear, he said, “It was when I heard your accentthat I bolted.” He looked over at Adele with narrowed eyes.
She returned theglower. “Why?”
“Not a fan ofAmericans?” said Paige, raising an eyebrow. “Your phone says otherwise. Want meto read you some?” Paige cleared her throat; her accent in English was strong,but Adele could still make out the words well enough as Paige read from thephone, “I want to lick you all over and lather you with honey. Just imagine,the thought of my rock hard—”
“Okay!” Gabrielsaid quickly. “I get it, I get it. That’s private property, isn’t it?”
Adele shrugged. “You’rein France now, friend. Mind telling why you bolted?”
Again hehesitated, and Agent Paige read, “…the thought of your lips, covering me andbringing breath from my lungs and filling the—”
“Fine! Look, Imay have had a little bit—a very little bit—of trouble back stateside. Ididn’t kill anyone. It’s really nothing at all. Really.”
Adele shared alook with Paige. Adele said, “You had trouble with the law in the US? For what?”
Gabriel glaredat Paige still flipping through his text messages. “Practicing medicine with a suspendedlicense,” he said.
“You’re adoctor?” Adele asked.
“Kind of,” hesaid in a sullen reply. “I mostly do dental work.”
“So you’re onthe run.” Adele raised an eyebrow as Gabriel twisted uncomfortably in hischair.
“Sounds bad ifyou put it like that. I had a little bit of trouble is all. Look, this is allbeing blown out of proportion. I didn’t kill anyone.”
Adele studiedhim, then shook her head. “I don’t believe you.”
He gaped. “Whatdo you mean? I told you everything you wanted to—”
“We looked upyour name. You’re not in any American database.”
With one lastglare across the table and a defeated sigh, he said, “Try Marcus Short. I’m notinterested in catching a murder rap.”
Adele felt afinal twinge of regret. She was nearly certain now; they’d caught a criminal,just the wrong one. “You’re using a fake name? Marcus Short. If we look thatup, what are we going to find in the database? Save us some time here.”
He paled againand shifted in his seat. “It wasn’t a big deal,” he repeated, shaking his head.“Out of proportion. Not a
