Page 69 of The Fragile Ones

“Well, Mr. Rodriguez, you certainly have some explaining to do.”

“What?” he said. It was the first time he looked scared.

“Did you kill Robin Mayfield?”

“What? She’s dead? I didn’t kill her or anyone else.” He kept Katie’s gaze.

“That’s not what forensics says. Your fingerprints are all over the gun that shot her in the head.”

“What gun? I didn’t know she was even dead. When?” He tried to stand up.

“Sit down,” said McGaven.

“Did you kill her daughters, Tessa and Megan?” she said.

“What? No!”

“Too messy to use a gun. So you strangled Tessa and bashed Megan in the head, right?”

“No. I would never kill anyone, especially little girls.” He put his head down.

“Is that what Mayfield told you to do?”

“No, he never told me to kill anyone. Ever!”

“Why were your prints found on the gun at Robin Mayfield’s crime scene?”

“I…” he said, shaking his head.

“Killing women and little girls. It’s not looking good for you.”

He began to cry. It was unclear if it was sincere, but it appeared to be.

“Look,” said Katie. “If you didn’t kill Robin Mayfield, who did?”

“I don’t know.”

“Who killed Tessa and Megan?”

“I don’t know.”

“I think you do.”

“What’s my motive? I didn’t kill anyone.”

“You said you do what Whitney Mayfield says.”

“Yeah, well. You don’t know him. I’ve known him a long time and you don’t argue with him.”

Katie sat down in a chair across from Rodriguez and pulled up closer. “Tell me.”

“He’s actually a nice guy…like any other guy, but when he sets his mind to something… That’s it.”

“Like what?”

“It’s when he goes into this…strange state…he has a thing with numbers…he doesn’t think like you and me.”

“Explain it to me.” Katie softened her approach and he seemed to respond. She had guessed from his relationship with Sissy, and the fact that he ran home to his mom, that this might work.