Carver grinned wildly and raised her free hand in the air, waggling it.
Good, she doesn’t suspect that I’ve already messaged for backup.
Alison only hoped that they didn't come with all sirens blazing.
"What have you done to him?"Alison said.
"That’s the wrong question," Carver said, pouting."It’s far more interesting to wonder what I will do to him, or whatyouwill do to him.You do understand that it was me all along, don't you?I don't have to spell that part out for you."
"You took my hair," Alison said, as if she’d just realized.She couldn’t take her eyes from the muzzle of the gun.
"None of this was planned at the time," Carver said."I knew that it would be me versus you, and some instinct told me to take your DNA.And now, we’re both here.Well, the three of us are here."
"What willyoudo to him?"Alison asked.
"It’s not the right place, but they’ll recognize it as the Angel Slayer," Carver said.
"Oregon, 1974," Alison said."The killer took people he deemed to be wicked, and then carved wings into their backs before stabbing them repeatedly in the back."
"Exactly," Carver said."You know your history.They may have had the religious connection, but they didn't see until after, not until the Slayer told them explicitly, after being caught, that the wings were copied from a stained-glass window of the church he went to.Police were in the church multiple times, and they didn't see it.If they had, they would have been able to narrow down the search."
"Another mistake," Alison said."That’s how this started out."
"That’s how it will end," Carver said."When they find you here with him, both of you dead, they’ll investigate more, for sure, but it’ll make sense to them, and when there are no more deaths after this one, it’ll satisfy them.I might even plead your case to make myself look more innocent."
"But that’s not how it ends," Alison challenged, even though she had a gun pointed at her (and not for the first time).
"What does that mean?"Carver asked, her interest piqued.
"It means that this started out with your mistake eighteen years ago, didn’t it?Then, you went to work for the DOJ after you felt you were blamed for the failure, and that ate away at you.You put my picture on the body alongside yours, but I don't think you did that accidentally or to create a diversion.Perhaps you did it in the hope I would be drawn here, and you could go up against me, or maybe you do blame me for what happened eighteen years ago.I know you don't like me."
Carver smiled, but there was anger in her narrow eyes."Of course, it’s your fault.I had my theory about the case, and you had yours.You thought you were right about theirs, but you never fought for it.If you had, I wouldn’t have been blamed for the death of three innocent victims.I don't believe it would have led to the killer, but I wouldn’t be the one left in the mud."
"You really blame me?"Alison asked, scared, but wanting to understand.
"I was blamed for all of it, and I had to leave my position.I went to work for the DOJ while I watched incompetent people around me get what they didn't deserve.Kenneth was useless, and he still had more of a consulting career than I did.You didn't fight for what you believed in, and now, you’re lauded for your work.All everyone can talk about is you.Perhaps it’s poetic justice that it’ll be the two of you at the end."
"I saw it the first time in the hotel lobby," Alison goaded, doing what she could to delay some more."I saw that anger in you.The jealousy."
"Of course, I’m jealous.One moment ruined my career, but it didn't ruin yours, and it was all your fault.Then, you get everything handed to you on a silver platter."She sighed through her nose, taking a step toward Alison, who held her ground."I’ve had to watch as ineptitude spreads and people are rewarded for their incompetence.I’ve provided superior analysis and insights to law enforcement for decades, but professionalism alone is no longer enough.Not in this corrupt world."
"And you change that by killing people?"Alison challenged.
"You asked me a question earlier about whether I believe there will be changes after I'm done."Carver rubbed her forehead."Yes, I believe there will be.That will be thanks to the two of us, but neither of us will get the credit.You will die a martyr, and people will hate you for what you didn't do.I will live on without being acknowledged for what I've accomplished.I shall have to live with that, and you…Well, you won't."
"So, that’s it?"Alison laughed.
"I’m the one holding the gun," Carver reminded her, taking another step forward."You’re amused by your impending death?"
"I’m amused by someone so brilliant relegating themselves to pettiness," Alison said.
There was a monetary flash of light to her left, but she didn't turn to look in its direction.
"My pettiness?"Carver asked.
"That's all this is," Alison told her."You can hide behind pointing out mistakes in previous cases all you like, but you can only do that with hindsight.This is not about that, but about trying to justify that you weren't the one who made the mistake back then."
"This ought to be good," Carver said with a wide smile."Go on, assess me!"
