Page 97 of Killing Mind

‘That’s fine, I’m not thirsty,’ Bryant said, taking a seat.

Kim sat before the drink and took a sip. ‘Thank you for agreeing to meet again. Could we start by finding out your real name?’

As before he was unruffled.

‘No,’ he said, simply.

Kim felt the frustration travelling along her nerve endings.

‘You do realise we’re police officers?’

‘And you do realise that I know my rights and that I am presently assisting you with your enquiries with full co-operation which, of course, can change any minute I choose.’

Oh, how Kim would have loved to be having this conversation over a square metal table with a tape recorder whirring in the background. Without any shred of evidence to tie him to any murders the option to arrest him was not in her near future.

It had been worth a try and there was more than one way to skin a cat. She hadn’t expected him to tell her but she did want him to know they’d been looking.

‘So, what can you tell me about Eric Leland?’

‘That he was the most indoctrinated individual I’ve ever come across,’ he answered, without hesitation. Was there no question or statement she could make that would incite an ounce of surprise in this man?

‘You were asked to snatch him by his mother?’

‘That’s who we worked for, yes.’

‘Does it pay well?’ Kim asked. Both families he’d helped were reasonably well off.

‘None of your business.’

‘Fair enough.’

She was beginning to feel that poor people caught up in a cult could just stay there and rot.

‘Back to Eric. How long did you keep him?’

‘Almost a month.’

‘I thought Samantha was your longest?’

‘She was.’

‘But you lied. Eric took longer.’

‘Your question was what was the longest it had taken to crack someone. We never cracked Eric, so I didn’t lie.’

Kim swallowed her irritation at his semantics. ‘So, one of your clients is dead and the other is in a psychiatric facility. Way to go on your success rate.’

‘Yeah, cos that’s why we do it.’

‘Why do you?’ Kim asked, pushing him as hard as she could.

‘For the money,’ he said, raising his eyebrows. It was a lie and he was just echoing her earlier comment.

‘What made Eric such a challenge?’

He sat back and folded his arms. ‘Have you bothered to research anything about cults since we last spoke?’

‘Well, no, Kane, I’ve been a bit busy.’