Daddy's Little Killer

Chapter 33

Chapter 33

 

Charlie hit the outskirts of Downey and didn't slow down. Instead, the lights on the unmarked car flashed in warning to motorists to get out of his way. 

"Why aren't you saying anything?"

"I'm not sure what I should say, Helen. Don't you think that was a rather important detail to omit?"

"I promise you, whatever Kelly and Varden did was unrelated to this case. How could it have been? Gwen Foster was still alive when it happened."

"You're saying you've got some other link to this city, one that you don't want to explain?"

I was convinced that Haverston had what it took to make a good detective. He missed very little. "It's complicated, Charlie. And no, the link wasn't mine personally. It involved someone I once knew very well. At least I thought I knew him well."

"I need to know the truth."

"What you need to know pertains to this investigation. Everything else is background noise. Let's get back on topic. Candy Blevins wasn't scared of the guy we're trying to find. How he reacted to that is the significant point in the evolution of his pathology. Perhaps he was getting bored, feeling that his routine had become stagnant. He might've given Candy a chance to spice things up for him."

"How?"

The truly horrific thought that occurred to me earlier returned. "By offering someone who not only fit this guy's exacting and specific type, but would be terrified of him."

"Sweet mother. You think Candy offered up her own sister? Not just a sister, her twin?"

"I suspect that the only emotion Candace Blevins feels is negative. She would hate her sister, because Carrie is sweet and kind and loving. Even through all of this, Carrie is the only person who refuses to give up on her sister."

"She hoped that Carrie would fight this guy, didn't she?"

"In a way, it makes a lot of sense. It's all theory until we can find Candy and talk to her. I should warn you in advance. You've never been manipulated until you've tried to pry the truth out of a true antisocial. They're the best natural profilers in the history of mankind."

"Are you telling me something about yourself, Helen?"

"I don't follow."

"You're pretty damned good at this profiling thing yourself. Without your insight, no way would we be this far on the case. In fact, I'm pretty sure that Rogers and Daltry would be at the bar by now, tossing back a few cold ones and watching the NBA finals."

Maybe Charlie was right. Except I didn't suffer from a conduct disorder when I was a child, which is a prerequisite for the diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder. Or so we in the field believe. Even viruses mutate and evolve. Was I the next stage in conscienceless killers?

"Hey," he reached across the console in the car and bumped a fist into my shoulder. "I was kidding."

"Candy Blevins won't be easy to coerce into honesty. I'm not sure she knows how to tell the truth. Anyway, her interview is moot if we can't find her."

"Adams and Taylor will get the job done. We've got Carrie helping now, remember."

"Right now, I can't put off talking to Orion."

"I figured as much. We're only a few minutes away from central."

"Has anyone had time to move my car to the house?"