“We can do that,” Jessie assured her, trying to hide her disappointment at how this was playing out.
“Can I ask a question?”Sullivan’s voice was tremulous.“If someone is killing women that Jason was with and it’snothim doing it, am I safe?”
Hearing the question made a light go off in Jessie’s head.But rather than pursue it now, she set it aside.
“We plan to put you in protective custody until this is resolved,” she said, “along with your family, of course.In fact, if you wait here on the porch for a moment, I want to get that process started.”
Sullivan moved over to a bench on the porch while Jessie and Webb headed over to the SUV.
“You’re really treating her with kid gloves,” the agent said sourly.“What if she’s the killer?”
Jessie didn’t see it that way.“Whether she is or not, if she’s in custody, we can keep eyes on her.If she’s guilty, her victims are safe.If she’s innocent, then she and her family are secure.”
Webb grumbled under his breath but didn’t object.If that had him annoyed, what she planned to say next would really get under his skin.
“Speaking of keeping folks safe, something that Sullivan said gave me an idea for a new lead.”
“What is it?”he asked, trying but failing to pretend that he wasn’t excited by the prospect.
“You’re not going to like it,” she told him.
“Why not?”
“Because it’s risky.Very risky.”
CHAPTER TWENTY NINE
Jason Mannix was surprised.
“Are you sure?”he checked even though he knew that asking questions wasn’t in his best interest.
The detective nodded as he led him from the interrogation room down the hallway to the lobby of Central Station.
“Yes,” said the detective, whose name was Hernandez.“I just spoke to Ms.Hunt and Agent Webb.They confirmed Rebecca Sullivan’s alibi.She’s not our killer.”
“I’ve got to say—I thought it might be her.She was pretty obsessed with me back then.It didn’t seem like a stretch to think she might still be.”
Detective Hernandez didn’t look convinced.
“I’m not sure she was obsessed as much as she was pissed by you betraying your marital vows within weeks of saying ‘I do.’That seems to be an ongoing issue for you, Mr.Mannix.”
Jason’s heart sank at hearing that.Not because of the dig, but because of the memories that flooded back into his head.Three out of the four women he loved, whether he was officially married to them or not, were dead.And somehow, it was all connected to him.Jason wasn’t big on guilt, but there was no way he could avoid it right now.He tried to push the feeling away.
“If you guys are letting me go, then you obviously don’t think I’m responsible either,” he said.
“I think you’re responsible for a lot of things, Mr.Mannix,” Detective Hernandez said as they reached the station lobby.“But my colleagues say that you’re not going to be charged with the four murders they’re investigating, so I guess you can look at that as a win.How responsible you feel?That’s for you to work out.My job is to tell you that the crime scene folks have finished their work and officially cleared your house.”
The detective turned and started to walk away.
“So, what do I do now?”Jason asked.
“You’re free to go home,” Detective Hernandez said.“That’s what I would do.”
*
And that’s exactly what Jason did.
As he made the last turn onto his street, he tried to focus on the positive.He wasn’t being charged with murder.That was a good thing.He always knew that the police would eventually come to the realization that he wasn’t involved.He was just glad that they did so before he had to hire a lawyer.
