Dead Certain - Mariah Stewart [97]
“I thought of that, but trust me, it’s the same guy. Took a souvenir from each of the ladies—a piece of jewelry from Marian’s shop, a ring from the hairdresser’s finger—but nothing from Derek, even though he was wearing several good pieces.”
When Evan failed to respond, Sean said, “Evan? You still there?”
“Yeah. Listen, we had a case not long ago down in Lyndon, the damnedest thing. Two killings with the same MO, one different. Two really violent rapes—these women were butchered with a knife—and one shooting, cool as ice. Couldn’t find a motive until we realized that all three victims had a connection to a man down in High Meadow: Vince Giordano. All three of these victims had pissed off Giordano in a major way before he was locked up. At the time of the murders, he was still in prison. No visitors, no mail, no phone calls.”
“Just like Archer Lowell. No apparent contact with the outside, but he sure enough has connections with the victims.”
“It was the same thing in Lyndon. This guy Giordano was locked up tight, no contact with anyone—I mean anyone, except his lawyer—but people connected with him were dropping like flies.”
There was silence on the phone as each man turned it over in his mind.
“Maybe Giordano and Lowell are somehow orchestrating this from prison,” Sean thought aloud.
“Giordano has been out for about six, maybe seven weeks now,” Evan said softly.
“About a month before Derek was murdered,” Sean murmured.
“Trace him. See if you can find out where he’s hanging his hat these days.”
“Parole officer?”
“He wouldn’t be on parole. His conviction was overturned. One of those cases you wish you never heard about.”
“What do you mean?”
“The son of a bitch was guilty as sin and everyone knew it. Unfortunately, the first cop on the scene turned out to be a guy who’d been real sweet on Giordano’s wife back in school, so he planted some evidence, swore he saw Giordano leaving the house that day. The entire prosecution was built around his testimony and the evidence he says he gathered from the scene. But Giordano was miles away by the time that cop showed up at the house, and a crowd of people swore old Vince had been there all afternoon, and they couldn’t tie him to anything the cop said he found at the scene. They had to let the sucker walk. And the sin of it was, he was guilty and everyone in that courtroom knew he was guilty. But every piece of evidence the prosecution presented had been tainted.”
“What had he done?”
“He put a bullet through the back of the heads of his sleeping children, then turned the gun on his wife.”
“Jesus . . .”
“Yeah.” Evan sighed. “Yeah.”
“And this was the guy who committed those other murders you mentioned, the ones in Lyndon?”
“No. They were killed by a man named Curtis Channing.”
“I’m confused. I thought you said all three victims were connected to Giordano. What was the connection to Channing?”
“I was never able to figure that out. But this is all just as weird. Think about it. Three people connected to Lowell. Before that, three people connected to Giordano. Now, Giordano is out, Lowell is in.”
“And Channing?”
“No longer in the picture.”
“Can I get a copy of your file on Channing?”
“I’ll call the department right now. I was the lead investigator on that case. I’m no longer with the Lyndon P.D., but my ex-partner is still there. I’ll have someone call you when it’s ready for pickup.”
“I appreciate it.”
“I appreciate your keeping my sister alive and well.”
“Nothing is going to happen to Amanda,” Sean assured him.
“I’m counting on that.” Evan paused, then asked, “Have you thought about bringing in the FBI?”
“I’ve thought about it, yes.”
“They have some pretty good agents in the area, Sean. Don’t write off asking for help just because you’re afraid they’re going to take over your case. That hasn’t been my experience.”
“Good to know.”
“Look, if you don’t mind, since I’m already down here, I want to run this past one of their profilers.”
“Evan . . .” Sean’s voice tightened.
“No, no, it’s not what you think. Really. She’s extraordinary.