“Huh,” Joe grunts, scratching at his five o’clock shadow. “So, you think she’s hiding something?”
I wait a beat for an approaching reporter to walk past us before responding. “I’m sure of it. But she’s always with him. Whenever I try to catch her alone, AJ is right by her side. It’s like he is her shadow.”
Joe sucks on his teeth, mulling over my words. “Éabha said he was always the protective kind. Downright obsessive. He won’t allow her to stray far from him.”
I curse under my breath.
“You’re worried about her?”
“She’s autistic, according to AJ. She’s vulnerable, and he’s taking advantage of that.”
Joe frowns, making a disagreeable sound low in his throat. “Autistic does not imply incapability. She most likely has a few quirks. Given his character, I doubt AJ would exploit a disability in that manner. It’s not his style.”
“She has a past, Joe, a history of domestic violence. More calls have been logged to her childhood home than I can count. AJ knows this, and he’s using it to manipulate her.”
“It doesn’t sound like him,” Joe counters. “Look, I’m not defending him,” he adds, catching me grinding my teeth. “If it were a bloke he was pulling the strings of, I could buy it. If this girl were in a position that could benefit him, he would charm and most likely bed her to keep her happy—he’s done it before—but to manipulate her in this way, it just doesn’t add up.” He glances back at the crime scene. “Besides, it sounds like she needs him more than he needs her. If all evidence points to her, I think he’s doing everything he can to cover it up.”
“You think she started this?”
“I think she’s a catalyst. Whatever her role in it, she’s linked, and AJ is on damage control. He’s never left a shred of evidence at a crime scene. Not so much as a witness,” Joe’s eyes narrowing in thought. “Knowing everything I do about AJ, I believe what happened was that, for some reason, predators targeted this girl. He somehow got her out, be it his girlfriend at the time or not.”
“Agreed.” At least we seem to be on the same wavelength. “Let’s go with the theory that she was not his girlfriend back in January. She was not seen before then, so we’ll say he sees something dodgy at his club. Follows the lads as they lead the girls away, does God knows what, and manages to get her out.” I can see how that scenario could have played out. It fits his MO.
“Any idea what happened to the other woman?” Joe asks, his interest piqued by the developing theory.
“None.” And it’s working on my last nerve. Was she killed? Abducted? Did she overdose? Why was there only one woman in AJ’s car if those scumbags had two women on the CCTV footage? “Going with the same theory, let’s say Katie was drugged. Maybe Aiden decided to keep her around to see if she remembered anything.”
“Then what? He grew attached.” Joe challenges. “The same man who hasn’t had a relationship in like ten years. He stopped dating when Éabha left him.”
“Possibly,” I muse, deep in thought. “Even if that is out of character for him, I mean, he might not have been in a relationship, but that didn’t stop him from flaunting women on his arm at events and parties.”
“True,” Joe concedes. “But maybe he saw something in Katie that was different. Something that made him want to protect her.”
“The autism?”
“You think he could tell?”
I think AJ possesses the discernment of a fucking sniffer dog in regard to the vulnerabilities of others. “I think.” I try to rework my argument internally before granting it a voice. “If you knew what to look for, you could see it with her. I thought she was just nervous when I met her, but as soon as AJ announced her diagnosis, it was obvious to see that those “nervous tics” were her trying to self-regulate.”
“So, this girl he saves turns into a bit of an obsession; the men who tried to assault her disappear into thin air and turn out to be Walsh’s goons. Walsh goes sniffing around, AJ catches wind, and this,” Joe gestures to the crimescene. “Is the result?”
Chewing my lip, I ask, “Too far-fetched?”
“No, not for Quinn,” Joe replies with a shake of his head. “He’s fuckin’ lethal; we all know it. We haven’t been able to pin anything on him, not so much as a parking ticket. I think you’re on to something.”
“Why do I sense a but coming?”
“If we are right, if he’s as obsessed with this girl as we think he is, she’s also his Achilles’ heel.”
“Meaning she’s a target for Walsh. The perfect way to get at AJ.” I feel a knot form in the pit of my stomach.
“Which is why AJ is not letting her out of his sight. And…” Joe stops himself, his concerned gaze meeting mine.
“And?”
“I think the death toll is going to continue to climb. AJ has the time and the resources to make this shit happen. If he’s quick to kill for random people he doesn’t know, can you imagine what he’ll do if anyone targets his missus?”
“I don’t have to think.” My eyes drift to the second body bag being taken away by the forensic team. “I already know.”
