Alex Kava Bundle - Alex Kava [649]
“Would you mind checking on Gwen for me? Please see if she’s okay.”
“No problem. I planned to stop by her office, anyway. I’ll talk to you later.”
Maggie stared out the windshield, waiting for the tension to subside. Poor Gwen. But why hadn’t she called? No matter how upset she was, she should have called. It wasn’t like Gwen not to call.
Pakula was waiting for her, trying to pretend he didn’t mind. She locked the car door behind her. When his eyes met hers with that silent question that cops asked each other without really asking, she knew he would understand. She simply said, “A case in the District. A friend of mine just found her assistant’s decapitated head.”
“Holy crap!” He winced, but didn’t look shocked as most people might. “You need some time? We can do this later.”
“No, we’re here. Let’s do it now.”
Her phone started ringing again and she grabbed it, quickly opening it without looking at the caller ID, expecting it to be Racine, hoping it was Gwen. It was neither.
“Agent Maggie O’Dell?” asked a male voice she didn’t recognize.
“Yes?” Maggie shrugged at Pakula. He waited with his hand on the school’s front door.
“This is Father Michael Keller.”
At first she thought it had to be a joke. She brought the phone down to glance at the caller ID. But nothing had registered. Instead it read Not Available.
“Excuse me, who did you say this is?”
“I know you remember me—Father Michael Keller. I want to make a deal with you.”
Her stomach did a flip. For months after the Platte City murders she had unsuccessfully tried to track down Keller in South America. And here he was calling her as though they were old friends.
“What makes you think I would ever want to make a deal with you?”
“Because I can help you catch this priest killer.”
“Really?” So their media coverage had reached all the way to Chile, if that was where he was still hiding. “What can you possibly have that would help?”
“I’ll share that with you when I’m certain we have a deal. I’ll even bring what I have to you.”
She couldn’t believe it. Keller was offering to come back to the States. After all these years. Why would he do that?
“And why exactly are you able to help?” she asked him, keeping her voice even and calm as if she could care less that a child killer was offering to make a deal with her.
There was a long silence, and for a moment she thought she might have lost him or that he had hung up.
“Because I’m on the list.”
“What list are you referring to?” So there was a list. She shouldn’t have been surprised that he would have made the list. But how had the killer found him when she hadn’t been able to? So it was fear that had pushed him into contacting her. She restrained her urge to smile. Of course, Keller was scared. If the killer had been able to find him, there would be nothing to stop him from being eliminated.
At the mention of a list Pakula furrowed his brow, recognizing that this was about the case and stepping forward to jump in to her rescue.
“You know what list. Unless you’re further behind on solving this case than I thought.”
She could detect some anger in his voice.
“I honestly don’t think you have anything that could help us. Sorry, I’m not willing to make a deal.” She tried not to enjoy envisioning him squirming on the other end of the phone.
“So you’re not interested in who else might be on the list?”
“Excuse me?”
“I have a copy of it, of the whole list.”
“How do I know you didn’t just make it up?”
“How else would I know about Daniel Ellison? You forgot to mention him to the media.”
Her knees threatened to buckle, even before he added, “He was on the list and he’s also dead, isn’t he?” He waited, as if knowing the effect it would have when it all sank in. “I’ll bring everything I have to you…only you.”
“What is it that you want in return for your help, Father Keller?”
“Protection. And an antidote. I think he may have already poisoned me.”
CHAPTER 50
Blackwater Bay Campground
South of Bagdad, Florida
Deputy Sheriff Wendall Galt pulled his cruiser off to the side of the road. A dozen Boy Scouts stood