“What?” He braced. Knew it was bad. Had they found ... No. He refused to believe that.
“Sit down, Kale,” the chief suggested.
“Tell me, damn it,” Kale snapped. It was all he could do not to grab the man and shake the hell out of him.
The fed closed the door.
Kale cut him a lethal look.
“Mr. Conner, you need to sit down.” When Kale didn’t do as he ordered, he added, “Now.”
Defeat drained the fight out of him. Kale dropped into the nearest chair. He hadn’t had the heart to call his parents before he came here. Because he’d come up empty-handed. They were counting on him to find her.
And he’d failed.
Goddamn it!
“Kale,” the mayor began, “Marta Hanover is with your mother, and her husband is with your father.”
Kale’s heart sank into his boots. He blinked to hold back the tears. “What the hell is it you’re telling me?” He looked from the mayor to the chief and back.
Agent August propped himself on the corner of the chief’s desk since all the chairs were taken. “At five this evening, a dozen roses were delivered to your parents’ home, Mr. Conner.”
Hours in the cold hadn’t numbed him, but that revelation numbed Kale to the marrow of his bones.
“We now believe there is a connection between this delivery and those that came to the ... others.”
The wetness that tracked down Kale’s face was the one thing he could feel. Hot, it burned his skin. “Where did they come from?” He didn’t ask what the card said, because he knew. Deepest regrets ...
“A florist in Bangor. Two days ago, someone left the order in an envelope on the counter, cash enclosed. Unfortunately, the envelope was discarded.”
So they couldn’t figure out who left it. They couldn’t do anything. Kale refused to accept it. “No one saw anyone? No store surveillance? None in the stores nearby maybe caught an entrance or exit?”
“I’m sorry,” August said. “There’s nothing. Except ...” The man’s gaze bored in Kale’s. “Since the order was left to deliver the roses to your parents’ home two days ago, we know that your sister was on his list already.”
Kale’s heart stumbled.
His sister was going to die.
Soon.
Agony twisted his insides as his mind replayed what he’d seen the morning when he and the chief had found Valerie Gerard.
“As if that isn’t bad enough,” the chief said, his voice lacking any emotion, “Rachel Appleton went and hung herself this morning. She waited until after the boys left for school. Her husband came home for lunch and found her.”
Jesus Christ. Kale wanted to scream at God. To demand why he was allowing this to happen.
The door flew open and Sarah burst in.
Deputy Brighton was close behind. “I’m sorry, Chief, I couldn’t stop her.”
Kale couldn’t look at Sarah. He knew what he would see.
Pity. Certainty.
“It’s all right, Karen.” The chief shook his head. “Just close the door.”
Karen did as the chief asked.
