Page 116 of Concealed in Death

“None of that’s true.” Philadelphia’s breath came fast; her fingers flexed and released on the table. “None of it.”

Eve drove on, hard. “She made him feel like a man, now she’s made him feel useless again. She has to be punished for that. He knows how to get into the building. He’d know how to cop a tranq. He has to make her see what they had was special. She has to give herself over to him, and to the higher power. Accept. He’ll make her accept.”

“No.”

“But she’s with another girl. He hadn’t expected another girl. She’ll accept, too. They’re not scared of him, the shy, awkward guy. Tranqing them’s not hard. Then the rest is easy, too. Maybe it goes too far, maybe he planned to kill them all along, but either way, they’re dead now. Gone to that better place, washed clean. But people won’t understand, so he has to hide them, and what’s handier than right at home? His sanctuary. It was all so easy, really, and how it made him feel? He’s found his mission now. Found his true calling. He only has to find more girls.”

“Everything you said is a lie. Everything you said is hateful.”

“It may be hateful,” Eve agreed, “but it sure is plausible. What I can’t figure is when you found out, why did you just leave the bodies where they were? Or if you didn’t know where he’d concealed them, why you didn’t make him tell you before you shipped him off to Africa?”

“We found nothing out because he’d done none of the things you say.”

“Or did you ship him off?” Eve leaned back with a thoughtful shake of her head. “That’s another puzzler. The shy introvert wakes up in Africa and becomes a born missionary. That’s long odds to me.”

“Of course he went to Africa. It’s documented. People knew him there.”

“I’m working on that. He’d killed, betrayed everything you stood for, and had put your life’s work on the line. Who would sponsor you now? What court would entrust children to your care now? Everything you’d worked for, over. That door that had opened, slammed shut. Will we find his remains, Ms. Jones? Was little brother sacrificed to your higher power?”

“That’s enough.” She lurched to her feet. “You have an ugly heart, an ugly mind. I loved my brother. He never harmed anyone in his life, and I would never harm him. Your world’s a cold and ugly place, Lieutenant, filled with that.”

She gestured toward the photos still on the table.

“I have nothing, nothing more to say to you. If you insist I stay in this horrible room, I want my lawyer.”

“You’re free to go,” Eve said easily. “Peabody, why don’t you show Ms. Jones the way out.”

“I see the door.” Spinning to it, she rushed out and away.

“Jesus.” Peabody blew out a long breath. “Intense. Is that really what you think happened? Because it’s not only plausible, but convincing.”

“It’s one way. It’s most of the way. I haven’t got all the threads knotted, but it’s most of the way.”

“Their brother killed the girls.”

“He’s the one who fits, and he fits just fine for all the reasons I hit her with.”

“Yeah, convincing. But do you really think they killed their baby brother? I mean, who went to Africa if he didn’t? Because she’s right, it’s documented.”

“I don’t know, but we’re going to find out.”

“That’s why you said to ask Owusu to see if anybody in the village had a photograph taken of Jones—the younger—when he was there.”

“Any kind of identification’s out since he’s cremated and scattered. He—whoever he was—took pictures. So I’m betting there’s some photos of him. One thing I do know after that little session. However it went down, however the last of the threads knot, she didn’t know.”

“That’s what I think, but you said—”

“I got a rise out of her, didn’t I? Got the shock and outrage, and little bits of information that fill in some blanks. What I didn’t get, once we got rolling, was fear or nerves. Guilt, some guilt over the girls, and I’d have looked at her sideways if I hadn’t gotten some of that. But if I’m right, and little brother hooked with Shelby, and that connection forged the rest of the chain, she didn’t know.”

“But... then the Africa bit? Are you saying just a coincidence?”

“Hell no. She’s got another brother, doesn’t she? She’s got a partner. Raised traditional—old traditions. Big brother, head of their little family. Yeah, it could play. We need him in here, Peabody.”

“I’ll make it happen.”

When she started to rise, Eve’s ’link signaled. She pulled it out, glanced at the readout, arched her brows. Then punched for the text. “Son of a bitch. Sebastian came through. My faith in humanity is... about where it was a minute ago. I’ve got a meet with DeLonna.”

“No shit? When?”