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She had expected that to ratchet up the tension in the room, but instead he relaxed. It was barely noticeable, but she could tell he’d been braced for something else. He shifted so that she could see his face once more.
“I remember that,” he said. “It was nothing. It was our fourth year hunting Conrad, and I got a little weird with the women in my life. Started handing out Mace and enrolling them in defense classes. I probably came on a little strong, though.”
“Yeah, I get that,” Raisa said. But why had he been expecting a different question? Why had he been worried about it?
He stared at her, but she just sent him a smile.
The one he gave her in return was flat and forced. Then he turned and left.
She understood why Kilkenny had argued that Pierce wasn’t their second killer. The reasoning was compelling enough that Raisa hadn’t felt in danger just then.
Pierce was hiding something to do with Shay, though.
And Raisa hoped that if they figured it out, it wouldn’t be the thing that made Kilkenny realize he could, in fact, be hurt again.
EXCERPT FROMTHE MAN BEHIND THE ALPHABET: AN UNAUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY
By Delilah Marner
While much has been written about Nathaniel Conrad’s terrifically tragic and terrible childhood, as well as the years he spent as a hungry predator terrorizing the Houston area, little has been discussed about his teenage years.
After his monstrous father poisoned the rest of his poor family, little Nate was sent to three different foster homes before landing with Carrie and Michael Drysdale.
“They still can’t bear to think about it to this day,” says Linda Drysdale, Nate’s adoptive aunt. “I’ve told Carrie time and again that blood will out. Nate’s father was what he was. Are we really surprised the apple didn’t fall far from the tree?”
Linda is in the minority when it comes to those who knew Nate growing up.
“He was always very stable, considering,” says Taryn Rust, Hillcrest High’s school psychologist. “I never once had to meet with him in a professional capacity.”
Rust explains that she formed a relationship with Nate because of his interest in pursuing both social work and psychology.
“Nate had a little bit of a rough time of it right after everything with his family,” Rust says. “He wanted to make sure no other child went through what he had to go through. For a while, he focused on mentalhealth training, but once he realized all he could accomplish as a social worker, he really devoted himself to making sure he had the right grades and accolades to get into the programs he wanted.”
Linda Drysdale says she had some qualms about the idea of Nate working with troubled children. “Well, I was right, wasn’t I? We see how that turned out.”
But Martha Reinhard, the director of a nonprofit Nate volunteered with in high school, says he was a dream to work with. “All I can think was all that evil was hibernating because I didn’t see a drop of it when he was here. He was particularly good with the children, having been through so much himself.”
EXCERPT FROM A ONE-STAR REVIEW OFTHE MAN BEHIND THE ALPHABET
I think the biggest tragedy of Marner’s mess, was that it could have almost been fascinating. Marner, unlike others, decided to focus much of the biography on Conrad’s teenage years. Much like how Jesus was a baby and then a thirty-year-old prophet—with only snatches of his life shown in between—we often see Conrad portrayed as an eight-year-old and then a prolific serial killer as if his life got fast-forwarded to the inevitable conclusion.
Marner completely misses the mark, but just think what could be done with a competent hand. If you extrapolate going off the information given from the nonprofit director and the school psychologist, youcan guess he was interested in abnormal psychology in children—perhaps sensing the darkness within himself even at an early age. Did he ever try to control his urges during those years? He must have. He didn’t start killing until he got into his twenties. What did he do beyond researching what might be wrong with him? Did he ever confide in anyone about his fears? Was he afraid? Or was he a psychopath who reveled in the idea that he could take a life?
I don’t want to see the moment he became a serial killer.
I want to see the moment he realized he could be one.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Raisa
Now
Raisa tried to remember exactly what her old mentor had said about Pierce, but yesterday morning felt like a lifetime ago. It had been something about him using shady sources, she was pretty sure.
She tapped out a quick text to Matthew Nurse.
That tea you had on Pierce—was there anything more to it?