Kyle looked at her, his eyes filled with tears.
“I can’t catch him, Robin,” he whispered. “I can’t find any evidence against him.”
“I know,” she said.
“Then I will have to let him go,” he gasped.
“I know,” she whispered, pulling him into a hug.
“For Rose,” he said hoarsely.
“For Rose,” she said softly.
Chapter Twelve
“I think we can assume that the killer directly wanted to target the Mayor’s daughter,” Robin said. “He was hoping that if we accepted her as just another victim of the Executioner, we wouldn’t look too deeply into it. It was the perfect disguise. Everything puts it to the serial killer, and no one realizes that the Mayor’s daughter was killed by someone else for some other motive. They didn’t realize we would track down the taxi driver. When they got the hint of it, they killed him, but they didn’t have the time to arrange it as another Executioner victim.”
“This idea of yours,” Burke said slowly. “It’s rather interesting.”
Robin explained how Abby had given her the idea and where it had originated from.
“A murder novel, eh?” he asked. “Well, it makes sense. It fits the facts we have available. We weren’t looking into any of the victim’s relatives or friends because we assumed it was a copycat killer. But if what you say is true, then we need to take a closer look at everyone possibly linked.”
“Let’s have the boyfriend, the friend, and her guards in for an interrogation,” Andrews said.
“Finally growing a spine,” Burke said, smirking and patting Andrews on the back. “Speaking up about your ideas instead of scuttling away from Matthews. I am proud of you. That sounds like a good idea. Let’s also look into the other tenants of the building where the taxi driver lived. Maybe someone saw this killer of ours.”
“You are all crazy,” Lory said. “The easiest explanation is that Matthews did it. But I will check into all possible suspects before I start taking you down, Detective.”
“Have fun, Lory,” Robin said, rolling her eyes. “Maybe you will find some common sense in this investigation of yours.”
“Don’t try and be clever,” he snapped. “You will be begging me for mercy when I prove you are the killer.”
“You sure dream big,” Robin said. “I hope you don’t drift too far off reality, Detective. You remember what happens when you fly too close to the sun?”
Lory glared at her; his jaw clenched.
Robin smirked at him and then tossed her hair and turned around. It was time to get to work.
__
“I already told you all everything,” Laila whispered. The girl had clearly been suffering ever since the death of her friend. She looked tired and haggard, with clear signs of drug abuse etched all over her face.
“I know, but I just have a few questions,” Burke said. “I am sorry about this, but you will be free soon.”
“Alright,” she said, sniffing.
“Could you once again recount everything that happened that night?” Robin asked.
“Kaila came to my house that evening to hang out,” she said. “She had a long day touring some stupid factories for her dad. Kaila came to me all excited and thrilled. She even sent her bodyguards away, saying that she will go to her boyfriend’s later. She and I usually hang around and smoke – stuff – but that night, she said that she didn’t want to. Then a few hours later, a taxi that her boyfriend had arranged came, and she left. That was the last I remember.”
“Can you give us an exact time?” Robin asked.
“I am sorry, I don’t remember…,” She stammered.
“You mean you were too high to remember?” Burke snorted.
“Who is this boyfriend of hers?” Robin asked. “Adrian Vince?”
“I think so,” Laila said, frowning. “I am not sure, actually. She never told me who he was. She was always so secretive about it. She kept it all hushed up because her father would disapprove of him. I assumed she was dating Adrian. The two of them had a thing going on lately, and I knew her Dad disapproved of him.”
“What else can you tell us about her?” Burke asked. “Any enemies? Anyone who had been threatening her lately?”
“I don’t think so,” she said. “She didn’t say anything. She didn’t seem worried or anxious. In fact, she seemed rather happy the last few days. She didn’t even complain about having to work for her Dad.”
“I see,” Burke said. “Any other friends who might know more about her?”
“Kaila didn’t have a lot of friends,” Laila said. “She was the Mayor’s daughter. She had a lot of acquaintances but minimal friends. She knew that there were very few around her who actually loved her for her.”
At this, Laila burst into tears, burying her face in her hands.
“Do you think I could have saved her?” she sobbed. “If only I had probed her about that boyfriend or where she was going. If only I had stopped her. Why didn’t I stop her?”
“Don’t worry about it,” Robin said. “This was not your fault. There was nothing you could do.”
Laila looked up, her eyes shining with tears.
“I should have helped her,” she whispered. “I promised I would always be there for her, I promised.”
“You promise?” The child’s green eyes peered into her eyes. He was holding onto her hand with desperation, his hands covered in blood.
“You stupid child!” the Butcher’s voice shouted at the back. “When I get my hands on you, I am going to kill you!”
“Promise!” Robin whispered.
The flash of memory faded from Robin’s mind, and her heart started to race. What was all that about and what did that mean? What more had she forgotten about that basement?
Chapter Thirteen
“Andrews!” Robin called, trying to catch up to him. He walked on faster, and Robin had to run to grab his arm.
“Oh, Detective Matthews,” he said. “I didn’t hear you.”
Robin knew he was lying. He had been avoiding her ever since she re-joined the task force.
“Look, Andrews, I know you
