“Truthfully, it was all I could think of in the moment,” he admitted.“I’m not some mastermind.I’m just a guy trying to get by in a terrible situation.”
“Of your own making,” Webb jabbed.
Mannix glowered at the agent.
“I didn’t ‘make’ a situation where a woman I loved had her throat slit,” he shot back angrily.“My personal life may be a mess, but I’m not a killer.”
“Well, your personal life is about to get messier,” Webb said with a sneer.
“What do you mean?”
Jessie could feel Webb about to spill the beans and wanted to cut him off.But it was too late.
“Because Sarah Winters was found murdered in her home last night, the same home you lied about being at the night before.”
Jessie watched as the color drained out of Mannix’s face.He looked at her, as if to get confirmation about whether what Webb had said was true or some cruel manipulation.
“Sarah is dead?”he asked.He sounded like a child who’d been told Santa wasn’t real.
She nodded.Everything about his demeanor suggested that he was genuinely shocked.But she’d encountered multiple killers who’d been excellent actors, so she refused to proceed only on her instinct.But for now, she was willing to play along.
“I’m afraid so,” she said softly.“I understand this is a lot to take in.But from our perspective, there’s more going on.Two women you have an intimate connection to have died in the last two days.It’s hard to imagine that their murders aren’t connected.And right now, the main connection between them seems to be you.”
Something about what she’d said made the pallor of his skin disappear.His face was suddenly flushed.He seemed to have made a connection of his own.
“That means the others might be at risk too,” he said, fear in his voice.
“What others?”Webb demanded.
Mannix froze, apparently unsure how to convey what he had to say next.Jessie prodded him.
“What others are you talking about Mr.Mannix?”she asked forcefully.
“My other wives.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“I’m sorry,” Webb said in disbelief.“What?”
Even as she tried to wrap her brain around what Jason Mannix had just said, she saw that he was doing some mental processing of his own.He closed his eyes for several seconds before opening them and quietly responding.
“I have two other wives,” he said, wincing.“They’re not official either.But as far as they know, we’re married.And I’m worried that whoever killed Lauren and Sarah won’t care about that distinction.”
Jessie sat with what he’d said for a moment.The idea that Mannix had four fake wives spread out over who knows where was a lot to process on its own.But he was right.The more pressing concern, assuming he wasn’t the threat facing them, was their safety.She pulled out her phone, called the research department, and put the call on speaker.
“Hello, Ms.Hunt,” Jamil said before the first ring had even finished.
“Jamil,” she said, “there’s about to be a lot of information coming your way in a short amount of time.Is Beth with you?”
“Yes, she’s right here.”
“We’re questioning Jason Mannix right now and he’s about to share some details that I need you both to follow up on in real time.Got it?”
“Got it,” Beth chimed in.
Jessie turned back to Mannix.“Mr.Mannix, you just told us that you have two other fake wives in addition to Lauren Mitchell and Sarah Winters.I need you to give us their names and locations right away.”
Mannix didn’t need to be prodded.
