Page 58 of The Sinner's Son
“Mr. Bishop isn’t a member of the SPD, so he’s nowhere near this interview room, Mr. Sands.” Her tone was a warning to Cory and them. They’d broken several department rules by allowing Alec to observe, and it had better not bite them in the ass. “He’s at the hospital enjoying a reunion with Dane Sutton. Looked like quite a love match.”
Alec jerked his gaze to Sawyer, and he gestured for him to wait a minute. Katie had intended the comment to crack through Cory’s placid demeanor, and her payout came immediately.
Cory’s gaze darkened with rage, and his lips formed a cruel sneer. “That wasn’t love. They rutted like filthy animals with no passion or genuine feeling between them. Just two men looking to get off.”
Katie didn’t physically react to her victory, though Sawyer suspected she mentally performed a happy dance. “So you admit to following Alec back home after he and Dane left the bar?”
Cory blinked as he realized his mistake. Instead of showing anger, he retreated into his cold, detached persona again. The Jekyll-and-Hyde shift was both fascinating and bone-chilling. Cory shrugged and said, “Yep. Parked down the street. But you already know this. If you’d gone back in the footage far enough, you probably would’ve seen me get out of the car and creep down to the beach for a front-row seat. Alec is even more gorgeous than I ever imagined.” He shook his head slowly. “We could’ve been so good together. I would’ve shown him what passion really looks like.”
Alec shuddered, and Sawyer rested a comforting hand on his shoulder.
“Thank you for telling me where to find additional evidence against you,” Katie said. “Not that I need it after everything I found in your home and on your computer.”
Cory chuckled. “And what did you find?”
“All the research you’ve done on Alec Bishop for the past fifteen months and the profile you made for him, detailing everything from his favorite foods to his preferred brand of shampoo.” Katie cocked her head to the side. “How did you even find out about half of these things?”
“Interviews he’s given since his book came out and posts he’s made to his social media accounts,” Cory said. “I found out about the shampoo when he posted a selfie in his bathroom. A portion of his shower was in the background, and I zoomed in.” He cocked his head to the side, and Sawyer could tell he was thinking about saying more. Katie could sense it, too, and sat in silence instead of pressing on. “I know what brand of underwear he prefers, the side of the bed he sleeps in, and I know he likes his dildos thick and long.”
Alec swayed but didn’t go down. Royce moved to stand on his other side and also placed a supportive hand on his shoulder.
“How do you know those things?” Katie asked.
Cory sighed as if bored now. “Such an amateur question, Katie. Can I call you that?”
“You may not,” she replied coolly. If Cory hoped to rattle her, he’d have to try harder.
“Detective O’Connell it is, then.” Cory fidgeted slightly in the chair, so maybe he was more nervous than he’d wanted to let on. “I broke into his home, obviously. His book tour schedule was public, finding his address was a cinch, and his security is a joke.” Cory cocked his head to the side. “I watched a video on how to pick a lock, bought a kit, and put my new skills into practice.” He snapped his fingers to demonstrate how easy it had been.
“When did you go to his home?” Katie asked.
Cory rattled three dates, shocking everyone. “I had plenty of personal time saved up, and I listened to his audiobook during my road trips.”
“Why did you keep breaking into his house?”
Cory tsked. “Detective, really. Maybe they should bring someone smarter in for this interview.” He looked at the police officer next to Katie. “Tell the detective why I kept returning to my love’s house.” When the officer didn’t respond, Cory looked him up and down. “Big, strong, silent type. Yum.” He didn’t get the reaction he’d hoped for there either, so he gave Katie his attention once more. “I wanted to feel closer to Alec. I learned something new about him from every visit and added the details to my profile, as you call it.”
“Did you take anything?” Katie asked.
“I’m not a thief.” Anger returned to Cory’s honey-brown eyes, but he blinked it away. “But I left things behind.”
Alec sucked in a sharp breath, and Sawyer worried he’d follow it up with a loud coughing fit and give them away. “Easy, short breaths, buddy.”
“What kind of things?” Katie pressed.
Cory’s sneer made Sawyer want to puke. “You can probably guess.”
“I’d prefer you tell me.”
He made a fist and crudely mimed jerking off. “In his shower, in his bed, while riding his big dildo, and on his couch. Little pieces of me everywhere. I wore his clothes, ate his food, read his books, and imagined what our lives could be like.”
“And you stockpiled his favorite things in your home,” Katie said. “Did you plan on kidnapping Mr. Bishop at some point?”
“No. I was going to make him love me as much as I love him. Knowing so much about him gave me a leg up.” The lack of inflection in his voice made Cory’s words even creepier. “But his whore came along and ruined it.”
“You’re referring to Dane Sutton as his whore?”
Cory’s eyes turned nearly feral as he leaned toward Katie. “Did you know he sells himself for money? I didn’t know that last week, but I learned it from Dane during our many conversations. He calls himself an escort, but we know what that really means. That’s who Alec chose over me. Dane isn’t good enough to share a meal with Alec, let alone his bed. I hate him.”