Alex Kava Bundle - Alex Kava [51]
O’Dell was on her knees. She had several box lids off and files scattered on the floor around her.
“Can I get you a chair?” he offered, but made no motion to leave his own.
“No, thanks. It’ll be easier this way.”
She looked as though she had found what she was looking for. She opened the file and began scanning the contents, flipping pages, then settling on one. Suddenly, her entire face went serious. Her eyes darted over the page. She sat back on her feet.
“What is it?” Nick leaned forward, trying to see what had grabbed hold of her so intensely.
“It’s Jeffreys’ original confession, right after his arrest. It’s very detailed, from the kind of tape he used to bind the hands and feet to the carvings on the hunting knife he used.” She spoke slowly, continuing to scan the document.
“Okay, and Father Francis said Jeffreys hadn’t lied. That means the details are true. So what?”
“Did you realize that Jeffreys confessed to murdering only Bobby Wilson? In fact,” she said, flipping through several more pages, “in fact, he was adamant about having nothing to do with the other two boys’ murders.”
“I don’t remember hearing any of that. They probably thought he was lying.”
“But if he wasn’t?” She looked up at him, her brown eyes haunted by something more than the file she held.
“Okay, if he wasn’t lying, and he did kill only Bobby Wilson…” Nick didn’t finish. Suddenly, he felt sick to his stomach, even before Maggie finished his sentence.
“Then the real serial killer got away, and he’s back.”
CHAPTER 27
Christine hoped Nick didn’t detect the relief in her voice when he called to cancel dinner. If this new lead panned out, she’d be working late to claim yet another front page on tomorrow morning’s paper.
“Can we do it tomorrow night?” he asked, almost apologetic.
“Sure, no problem. Is something big going down tonight?” she added, just to push his buttons.
“This newfound success of yours is ugly on you, Christine.” He sounded tired, drained of energy.
“Ugly or not, it feels wonderful.”
“So this number the paper gave me, it sounds like a cellular?”
“Yep, just one of the perks of my new, ugly success. Look, Nick.” She needed to change the subject before he asked where she was or where she was headed. “Can you please bring your sleeping bag tomorrow night when you come over? Remember, Timmy asked if he could borrow it for his camping trip?”
“They’re going camping on Halloween?”
“They’ll be back Friday night. Father Keller has mass. Remember, for All Saints’ Day? Will you remember the sleeping bag?”
“Yes, I will.”
“And don’t forget Agent O’Dell.”
“Right.”
She turned the corner into the parking lot as she flipped her cellular phone closed and shoved it into her purse. Nick would be furious if he knew where she was.
The four-story apartment building looked run-down. The bricks were weathered and chipped. Rusted air conditioners hung out windows, clinging to rickety brackets. The building looked out of place in an old neighborhood of small, wooden-framed houses. Despite being old, the houses were well kept. Their backyards were filled with sandboxes, swing sets and huge old maples perfect for tree houses and hammocks.
The air filled with the smell of burning wood from someone’s fireplace. A dog barked down the street, and she heard the tinkling of a wind chime. This was Danny Alverez’s neighborhood. Danny’s shiny, red bike had been found leaning against the chain-link fence that separated the apartment’s parking lot from the rest of the neighborhood. It was right here that the horrors of his last days began. Here in a place he had come to take for granted as safe.
Inside the main entrance a heavy metal trash can held open the security door. It overflowed with cigarette butts falling onto the floor. Christine stepped carefully.
The elevator smelled of stale cigarettes and dog urine,