Hartley sighed.She stared at Angela for a while, hoping she would change her mind, but there was no about turn.Hartley eventually turned to Alison, and the latter nodded.Both women got up and left the interview room.
Two interview rooms with two different suspects, and one they were sure had committed a crime.Yet, that crime wasn’t the murder of four people over three different crime scenes.
"Hartley," Special Agent Carson called as he walked the hallway toward them."We have something."
"What?"Hartley asked.
"Kenneth Sterling.We didn't make the connection until the third crime scene, referencing a third case.He’s a retired profiler who worked on the Fenway Slasher case when Dr.Cowan was dismissed, but he was dismissed soon after as well.We don't know why.Anyway, he was brought on to consult on the Collector case and again was relieved of that duty soon after.He wasn’t officially a part of the Strangler case, but he was a good friend of Dr.Carver at that time.Not just a friend, but they were together for a couple of years.She would have spoken to him about the case."
"Okay, and where is he now?"Hartley asked.
"We don't know," Carson admitted."We’ve tried calling him, but there’s no answer.We sent a patrol car to his house, and no answer there either."
"Get on the phone to Judge Walker and tell him that I need a warrant for Sterling’s home," Hartley instructed."Tell him I need it fast-tracked.We’ll go over there now and take a look, and I want to be able to go in when we get there."
"All right," Carson said.
"When you’re done with that, head on to the alibis of both suspects in the interview rooms.Angela Wu is not going anywhere yet.I’ll call for a lawyer on the way to my vehicle.I’d like to rule them both out if we can, so we can focus on Sterling for now.Nice work."
"Thank you," Carson said, heading back the way he’d come.
"Does it make sense?"Hartley asked Alison."A former profiler is behind the murderers?"
"It makes as much sense as anyone else," Alison replied."He was connected to all three cases, and didn't have any success with them, by the sounds of it.Let’s see what he has to say for himself.That’s if we can find him."
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Special Agent Hartley drove them to Kenneth Sterling’s listed address, and as they approached, she hoped the warrant would come through soon so they could enter if he didn't answer.Alison watched the dot on the GPS attached to the dashboard as they closed in on the address.It was when they turned onto Sterling’s street that the phone call came through.
Hartley hit the button on the steering wheel to answer the call from Special Agent Carson.
"Speak to me," Hartley said.
"You have the warrant," Carson told them."I’ve sent you a copy over.There’s still no answer when we try to call him."
"That’s great," Hartley said."I’ll keep you updated with what we find in the house.Hopefully, it’s something."
"I also wanted to confirm that we can release Dr.Dalton. I followed up with him, and he was at a speaking engagement on the night Maria Chen was killed, and at a client meeting late into the night when Brian Callahan was killed.There was time after both, but he wasn’t close enough to make it to either crime scene and kill both victims.We can rule him out."
Hartley parallel parked between two cars on the street."Yeah, let him go," she said."How about Angela Wu?"
"She gave us two names, but we haven’t been able to get in touch with either of them yet.The number associated with the first rings out each time, and the number we got for the second is disconnected.She’s talking with her lawyer right now."
"Okay, keep trying both the first number and see if you can speak to someone.She’s not going anywhere right now, but I would like to rule her out of the investigation."
"I’ll see what we can get," Carson replied."Agent Samson has been going through her old podcasts, and she’s had multiple episodes focused on the Fenway Slasher, the Riverside Strangler, and the Collector.There’s a lot of criticism from her in the episodes, as well as from the expected guests she’s brought in."
"Anyone we know?"Hartley asked as she turned off the car.
"No names that are on our radar, but Samson is looking into them as we speak."
"Okay, good," Hartley said."If you find anything else, let me know."
"Will do."
Hartley exited the car, and Alison followed suit.The special agent went around to the trunk and opened it, grabbing a small, black bag from inside.Then, she and Alison walked up the short path to the front door.
Hartley knocked, and they both waited.Alison took a step back from the front door and looked in through the front window.The curtains weren’t drawn, but the sun did hit the glass at an angle that reflected what was outside, making it hard to see in.Still, she did see a bookcase full of books and a mirror above a fireplace.There was no sign of movement within.
