thumbprint from the Nexum arson that I’d bet my pension belongs to one of the three suicides. And I have a suicide note that takes credit for the fires and expresses remorse for Dr. Payne’s death.” She was exaggerating the last point, but there was no law saying she couldn’t lie to suspects while in questioning.
Cole’s face remained impassive, his eyes never leaving her face.
Nora continued, “This is what
As if on cue, the attorney objected, “Professor Cole has
Nora frowned and glared. “I’m not out to get your client, and I never was. I don’t think he’s a killer. I don’t think that he burned down Butcher-Payne. What I
Nora continued. “Maybe at first you didn’t know about Anya and the boys. But you’ve admitted to a relationship with Anya, and you probably figured it out. If I had to guess …” She mentally ran through the three previous arsons. “… I’d say it was after the security guard was injured at Sac State. Anya would have been distraught at hurting a human being. She probably confessed everything, or hinted enough so you knew-and you told her to say no more. So she kept quiet about her other activities.”
Nora raised an eyebrow. “I have doubts as to whether those three kids killed themselves. Maybe it was a murder-suicide.” Nora wasn’t about to let on that the suicide note had been written by a woman.
She watched the professor’s mind working, as he tried to figure out how to talk to her without incriminating himself.
“I would say-”
Shepherd cleared his throat. “Leif, I need to advise you to-”
Cole shook his head and continued. “There are many truths in your story.”
She’d nailed it. He didn’t incriminate himself, but gave her what she needed-information.
“If Anya learned that she had accidentally killed someone,” Cole said cautiously, “she would have been extremely upset. But never have I imagined that she could be suicidal. She loved-” His voice cracked and he cleared his throat. “She loved everything. The outdoors, flowers, animals. She valued life, all life, human and animal and plant.”
“What about Chris and Scott?”
“Chris is a hothead and his academic work is hit-or-miss, and Scott’s quiet, restrained, a solid student. Chris is the one who speaks up in class, Scott never raises his hand. But I don’t see either of them killing Anya. They loved her.”
Lance Sanger spoke up for the first time since the beginning of the interrogation. “Maybe,” Sanger said, “they disliked your relationship with her. Maybe we’re dealing with a love triangle.”
Nora refrained from shaking her head. That didn’t fit, though she couldn’t articulate exactly why.
It ticked off Cole. “That’s bullshit and you know it, Lance. Chris and Scott were Anya’s best friends, and they knew about us. Have for a long time. And Scott had a girlfriend. He wasn’t thinking about Anya like that.”
Nora’s ears practically twitched like a cat. “Who’s Scott’s girlfriend?”
“Maggie O’Dell, Anya’s former roommate.”
Cole’s eyes widened at the same time Nora had the sense that she’d just heard something crucial to her case.
“Who’s Maggie O’Dell?” Nora asked. “Anya doesn’t have a roommate this year.”
“Maggie left last Christmas.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. Anya didn’t know, Maggie simply told her she was dropping out of college.”
“Was Maggie one of the gang?”
“Don’t answer that, Leif,” his attorney said.
Cole said, “Where Anya went, Maggie went. They were inseparable. I heard she was back.”
“I want my client released immediately,” Shepherd said.
He glanced at his attorney, then said, “Where’s Anya now?”
“I don’t know,” Nora said. “Possibly the hospital or maybe she’s been transported to the morgue. You don’t want to go in there.”
“I want to see her. Please.”
Nora glanced at Sanger. They really had no reason to hold Cole. Yes, he knew about the arsons and was an accessory after the fact, but he hadn’t said anything that could be used against him. He had been forthcoming without being self-incriminating, a great trick if you were a criminal with information cops needed.
“I’ll take you,” Sanger said.
“I’ll take him,” Shepherd insisted.
Sanger glared at him. “I’ll do it.” He said to Cole, “I’ll let you out if you promise to stay in town. No major trips for the next couple weeks.”
Cole wanted to argue. Then he flipped like a switch. “I understand. Thank you, Lance.”
CHAPTER
SIXTEEN
By the time Nora pulled back into Sacramento FBI headquarters, it was after seven in the evening and she was both exhausted and exhilarated. Two long days notwithstanding, she had her first, solid lead.
And no one was in the office.
That wasn’t completely true. Duke was with computer analyst Jason Camp in the small computer room. She poked her head in. “How’s it going?”
“The hard drive was wiped,” Jason said, frustrated. “We’re trying to capture some of the data. If we can get enough, we may be able to rebuild the drive. But we’re not going to have answers tonight.”
“Thanks,” she said. To Duke, “Anything on the backgrounders?”
“On your desk, sweetheart,” he said.
She frowned as she walked away. “Sweetheart”? Did he think that because he’d kissed her she was now his sweetheart?
Her heart raced. She was panicked and excited at once. But now was not the time to think about relationships, especially a relationship with Duke Rogan. She’d turned him down a dozen times in the last four years, couldn’t he take a hint? She did not want to go out with him.
She closed her eyes as she sank into her chair. She was interested in Duke Rogan, had been from the beginning, but she had no time for a serious relationship. And though Duke flirted and joked, when he looked at her she saw that he wasn’t going to be content with a few dinners, hot sex, and sayonara, baby. He wanted a long- term commitment. She didn’t want a relationship. Any involvements were few and far between, and Nora didn’t want to risk her heart again.
She opened her eyes and looked through her inbox, finding on top Dr. Coffey’s autopsy report on Jonah Payne. Attached was a note.
