Page 104 of The Final Vow

‘You don’t want to ask the audience? Phone a friend?’

‘Tilly. Final answer.’

Bethany nodded. ‘Good then. That’s where we start.’

Chapter 91

‘What does this man do, Sergeant Poe?’ Bethany asked.

‘He murders people.’

‘No! What does hedo?’

‘I was standing right next to Commander Mathers when he blew her head off, Bethany. He definitely murders people.’

Bethany shook her head, frustrated. The wire tether rattled. ‘Butwhydid he kill her?’

‘Because she’d released his E-FIT to the press. Because she’d gone on television and named him. Because she was one step closer to catching him.’

‘Wrong,’ she said. ‘Commander Mathers wasn’t the target that day.’

‘He’s an exceptional marksman and he wasn’t shooting from distance. She was the target, Bethany.’

‘She might have been the person he killed, but Alastor Locke was the target that day, Sergeant Poe.’

Poe didn’t respond.

Bethany sighed. ‘The man you’ve described is vindictive and he’s sadistic, but from what you’ve told me, killing people is just a byproduct.’

‘A byproduct . . . ?’

‘Ahappybyproduct then!’ she snapped. She took a breath. ‘But make no mistake, Alastor Locke was his endgame. Commander Mathers was just themeansto the end.’

‘But . . . but why?’

‘You said Ezekiel Puck worked for Alastor Locke?’

‘He did.’

‘Then I imagine Puck mistakenly believed it was Locke who fed his image to the press.’

‘What makes you so sure?’

‘Because someone with an ego like Puck’s won’t ever be able to imagine they’ve made a mistake. Therefore, the only explanation for his E-FIT being made public is that they’ve been betrayed.’

‘Isn’t this all a bit too . . . I don’t know, overcomplicated? Why not just shoot Alastor Locke?’

‘That’s because you’re thinking like a good person.’

‘You’re a good person too, Bethany.’

‘I stoned someone to death.’

‘Extenuating circumstances.’

‘There you go, flirting with me again, Sergeant Poe. What will Lady Doyle say?’

Poe shrugged. Even though it was hypothetical, he wasn’t feeling good about his decision to rescue Bradshaw ahead of his fiancée. And he knew he wouldn’t keep it to himself. He would tell Doyle and she’d pretend to be OK with it, but secretly she’d be upset. Or maybe she wouldn’t. Poe thought that might be worse.Sophie’s Choiceagain.