“I know,” Ford said. “We’ve got one shot at this. I’m going to give him an opportunity to come in and submit DNA on his own to rule him out and get his statement.”
“He’ll lawyer up before any of it.”
“As he should. We can’t allow for any mistakes.”
She took a deep breath and then another. “Go tell him now. I need to see his face when you do it.”
“Gale, this doesn’t concern you.”
“Yes, it does. Someone tried to kill Rory. Then they targeted me. I want to see his face when you tell him what you found. I’ll keep my mouth shut. I’ll stay in the car and you can call him out. I promise.”
Ford looked at her. She could see he was battling this. “It’s just a conversation. Nothing more. I’m telling him we’d like him to come in voluntarily to get a statement and keep this quiet. A courtesy of sorts.”
“Which he and his father will fucking eat right up,” she said. “I hate that part.”
“Let him think we don’t believe it’s him,” Ford said. “It’s our only play.”
She flopped back in the seat. “I want to tell Rory.”
“Not yet,” Ford said. “When we bring you home we’ll talk to him. I can’t risk him going after Kane alone, and you know as well as I do, he will because it’s what all of us would do.”
Ford's hands were flexing on the steering wheel. “You want to now, I know it.”
“I do, but I won’t. I can’t risk the conviction.”
“Which is why you aren’t calling Clay either,” she said. That brother of hers would beat them to Kane’s and get a confession for sure. Not something anyone wanted to happen.
Ford took a deep breath and drove to Kane’s. “Looks like Daniel is visiting.”
“Even better,” she said. “Let’s see both of their faces.”
“Stay in the car,” he said. “I’ll get him outside.”
She watched Ford climb the stairs, ring the bell and wait. Ashleigh answered, then a few seconds later, Kane came to the porch.
Gale had to hear this. She wanted to see the fear in the asshole’s eyes and got out of the SUV to stand next to it.
“Ford,” Kane said. “What can I do for you?”
“Why don’t we step down here and have a talk away from everyone?”
“I don’t need to do that,” Kane said.
“What’s going on?” Daniel asked.
Ashleigh had come out on the porch as well.
“We’ve got a break in the Rene Connors’ murder. A DNA match has come back and confirmed a male genetic match to Daniel McGregor.”
Daniel's face turned bright red. “You can’t do that.”
“I can do what I need to to find a murderer. This is a courtesy visit, Kane, asking you to come down and make a statement and give your DNA voluntarily. If you choose not to, I’ll get a warrant.”
“It wasn’t me,” Kane shouted. He had a panicked look in his eyes, his head moving everywhere as if he was going to run. “I was drunk. I’ve got witnesses.”
“Shut up, Kane!” Daniel shouted.
“You know it, Dad!” Kane yelled. “Tell them. There is proof. I wrecked my car thirty minutes before it happened. The police were there. You had to come get me. You told them to make sureno one knew about it like you always did. I remember that day. The officer was called away to search for her and you told him not to leave yet until it was taken care of.”
