“Do you need me to call for an ambulance?” I mean, if he’s hurt, he should be seen by first responders.
“I’ll go to my personal doctor after I fill out the paperwork.” He glares at Daisy.
Needing for Dorian to stay away from his own home, I give this a try. “Would you like to ride with me or—”
“No. I’ll meet you at the police station.” He turns to walk toward his car. Which is good except for the part where Daisy gets cuffed again.
“Gage?” she says, sounding frightened.
“I’ve got this. Just go with the patrol officer. I’ll see you at the station.” She blinks at me, and I’m afraid she’s going to cry. So, stopping in front of her, I look into her eyes. “Do you trust me?”
She thinks for a moment. “Yes.”
“Then go with the officer. I’ll see you soon.”
* * *
Everything worked betterthan I could have hoped. I followed Dr. Buchanan’s vehicle all the way to the police station, where he now sits in an interview room. I was able to convince him not to go back into his home until the security company and an officer had a chance to make sure everything was okay. What I actually did, though, was ask the officer to stand watch and not allow anyone besides the security company in, and to make sure all they did was punch in the code and leave.
In the meantime, Captain Billings was able to secure a search warrant. While the search team heads to Dr. Buchanan’s home, I get to be the one who tells him what’s happening.
“Dr. Buchanan?” I say, stepping into the interview room.
“It’s about damn time,” he growls. “Why does it take so damn long to press charges?”
“Well.” I pull out the chair across from him and sigh. “It looks like you’ll be here a bit longer.”
“No.” He stands. “I’ve got things to do. Papers to grade.”
All A’s, I’d bet.
“Please take a seat, Dr. Buchanan.”
He does so, albeit slowly.
“Unfortunately, I’ll need you to stay until they’re finished searching your home and vehicle.”
“My home and… what?” he shouts. “What the hell?”
Placing the warrant down in front of him, I give him the abbreviated version. “As you can see by this court document, we’re searching your home and vehicle for any articles or information related to the murder of Kara Becker.”
“The what?” Dorian jumps out of his chair again, this time reaching across the table.
That’s when Finch steps in and says, “Sit. Or I’ll cuff you to the chair.”
Buchanan sits. “What the hell’s going on?”
Just then, my phone chimes with a message from Dan. I open it to see shots of the contents of the pink envelope. They look similar to the photos we found beneath Kara’s mattress, except in these, you can see faces.
“Sir. Did you know the deceased, Kara Becker?”
“I…. She was a student of mine.”
“Is that all?”
“Yes.” He leans back, crossing his arms and taking on what I’d call defiant body language. “Of course that’s all.”
I turn my phone so he can see one of the images Dan just sent me. “Is this you, here?” I point at the image of a naked Dorian Buchanan.
