“‘Hammer’?”
“Yes, ‘Hammer’—have you ever used that alias while visiting other Web forums or sites offering adult material?”
Jason seemed to mull over the question, keen to be seen to be taking it seriously.
“No. No, I haven’t.”
“I ask because someone using that alias has a credit card registered to this address in the name of Jason Robins.”
“Must be fraud.”
“Have you reported any fraudulent activity on your card?”
“No, I wasn’t aware of it, but now that you’ve told me I’ll ring them straightaway. Get it canceled.”
Silence descended briefly. Jason was wound tight as a drum, a sheen of sweat sticking to his brow.
“Are you separated from your wife?”
Jason seemed to relax as the questioning took a new turn.
“Yes, I am. Not that it’s any of your business.”
“But you’re not divorced?”
“Not yet. But we will be.”
“So presumably you’re currently involved in negotiations about custody of your daughter, Emily?”
“That’s one way of putting it.”
“How would you put it?”
Jason shrugged and took a sip of his tea.
“I can understand why you’re being cagey, Jason. You’re in a tricky place, and the last thing you need is the police outing you as a guy who visits adult Web sites and uses the services of sex workers. It wouldn’t play well in court—I get that. But listen to me carefully. People are dying out there, and unless men like you have the courage to step up to the plate, more people will die. I could charge you with wasting police time, obstructing an investigation and more, but I know that you’re a decent guy, Jason. So I’m asking you to help us.
“We need to know about Angel,” Charlie continued. “Where you meet her, what she looks like, who else might know her. If you can give us everything you know, then we will protect you. We’ll keep your name out of the papers and minimize the disruption to your life. We’ve no interest in making your life any harder—we just want to catch this killer. You can help us do that.”
A long silence ensued, broken only by theticktockof the kitchen clock. Jason finished his tea.
“Like I said before, I’ve never heard of this ‘Hammer.’ So if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to go and call my credit card company.”
•••
Helen and Charlie said nothing as they walked away from the house, both too angry to risk speaking. It wasn’t until they were safely inside the car that Helen finally spoke.
“Lying little shit.”
Charlie nodded.
“Stay on him, Charlie. Ring him, e-mail him every day or so with a couple of extra questions, a couple of extra details. He may just be embarrassed or he may know something—keep squeezing him until you find out which.”
“It’ll be my pleasure.”
“In the meantime, we have to work harder to find the others. ‘HappyGoLucky,’ ‘Dangerman,’ ‘fillyerboots,’ ‘BlackArrow’—I want them hunted down. Someone out there knows where we can find Angel.”
“Sure. Do you want me to take the lead—”
