“I swear, I never met Dr. Franklin and had no connection to her.” Zello lifted both hands in the air. “I will voluntarily compile a timeline of my movements for the last month, but it’ll take me a little time to go through my calendar.”
Huck winced. “I’m not sure we shouldn’t book you right now.”
“If that’s what you want to do, then do it. I should’ve told you that I’d had a very brief relationship with Sharon Lamber, as did many other men, I believe. But that’s all I’ve done wrong.” Zello stood. “Now, I have to get to work. Also, you should watch the accusatory tone, Captain.”
Huck’s eyebrow lifted. “Excuse me?”
The officer looked from him to Laurel and then back. “I may have started a relationship with a woman on a killer’s radar, but at least I’m not sleeping with my partner or the FBI agent in charge of the entire case. Talk about a conflict of interest.”
Huck rolled to his feet, menace rushing through his blood.
Laurel stood. “All right. This interview is concluded. Until the case is over, stay away from Abigail, Officer Zello.”
“I can’t do that.” His eyes softened. “She needs protection, and since you won’t stay with her until this guy is caught, I will.”
“I’m more than happy to put her in a safe house,” Laurel countered.
Officer Zello snorted. “You can’t cage a beautiful bird like Abigail. She needs to work every day and keep that mind of hers engaged, and I’m going to keep her body safe. It’s the least I can do until this is over. But say the word and I’ll step aside so you can stay with her. Protect her.”
“I don’t think that would be a good idea,” Laurel said carefully. “I don’t know you, and right now you’ve done nothing but make my job more difficult, but I feel that I should warn you. Abigail is manipulative and dangerous, and she’s using you.” The words weren’t kind, but the motive behind them was honorable. “Be very careful with her, Officer.”
He scoffed. “You truly don’t know your sister, and that’s a travesty, Agent Snow. You have no idea what kind of a brilliant and kind soul she is.” He snapped to attention and exited the room.
“Wow,” Huck said, exaggerating the word. “One night with Abigail Caine and he’s ready to defend her to the death.”
Laurel twirled her pencil with two fingers. “He’s a good alibi for her last night when Rachel was attacked, and that’s all she wants from him.” She dropped back into her seat. “She might not have drugged him, and we don’t have enough evidence to get a warrant for his blood.”
Huck looked down at her. “You’ve changed your mind? It wasn’t Abigail last night?”
“Oh, it was definitely Abigail. But she plied him with bottles of wine, had sex with him, and then left. That man was out cold for several hours, whether his substantial ego will admit it or not.” Laurel tightened her ponytail. “The mere fact that Abigail has an alibi proves to me that she did attack Rachel.” There was no way Abigail would be interested in Frank Zello. He’d been too easy to manipulate. “She managed to convince him that she’s a kindhearted damsel in distress.”
Huck snorted and retook his seat. “Good point. Even so, are you still sure Abigail was the attacker?”
“Yes. Unfortunately.” Laurel sat back and stared at the dismal wall. “Do you think it’s telling that Officer Zello has had relations with Sharon and now Abigail?”
“Not really. Small town, few single people, he’s good looking.” Huck shook his head. “My gut says it isn’t him. Besides, isn’t one of our theories that the killer can’t keep it up during the attack and then goes into a rage? Zello obviously can go the distance.”
“It isn’t the same. A psychopathic rage-driven killer like this one could possibly be married and have a normal life. It’s in his fantasy life that he can’t keep an erection.” Laurel tossed her pencil into her laptop bag and shivered. “Also, Zello didn’t know there was a camera capturing shots of them. The techs didn’t find a camera, so either Sharon took it with her and we haven’t found it, or the killer found it during one of his forays into her house. We need to locate it.”
“True.” Huck set his hands on his hips to ease the ache in his leg from an old bullet wound. “If Zello didn’t know about the pictures, it’s possible the other men didn’t either. Including Davie.”
Laurel nodded. “I know. I’m going to call and have Davie’s mother come in and talk to me so I can at least keep her informed. Davie is old enough to consent in Washington, but he didn’t tell us about Sharon, and that’s concerning. Maybe. He might be embarrassed. Either way, I’d like to get a read on his mother.” Her voice softened. “I don’t want Davie to be a suspect.”
“Me either. He’s just a kid.” Huck partially turned toward her. “I’m starving. How about we grab some food? We can talk about the case while we eat a breakfast special at Joe’s.”
Laurel shifted on her chair. “I wouldn’t mind eating and running through this case verbally. I feel like the killer is going to murder again soon.”
“Me, too.” The whole idea made Huck want to punch a wall.
Her phone rang and she dug it out of her laptop bag. “Hi, Nester. What do you have for us? You’re on speaker.”
“Hi, boss. Davie Tate lawyered up and has no intention of coming in for an interview unless you arrest him and place him in custody. That message is from his lawyer, one Steve Bearing.”
Huck groaned.
Nester chuckled. “I took an earful, believe me. The other item I have for you is a good one. Not only am I printing out all the phone records you want after successfully gaining all necessary warrants, a certain Dr. Joseph Keyes is back in the office today. I have a unit outside the hospital if you want them to go in and secure him.”
“Yes,” Laurel said. “My patience has ended with the doctor. Have the state police bring him in.” She ended the call and looked up to Huck’s face. “We have about an hour for breakfast before Dr. Keyes arrives. I need more coffee.”
