Think Twice

The one thing they did know about PT was that he lived in the Washington, DC, area — close enough to reach the president with a moment’s notice.

“Work.”

“I thought you retired,” Myron said.

“I often retire,” PT said. Then he added, “But my help is needed here.”

“Does that happen often?”

“Almost never,” PT said, taking a sip of the wine. “Only when an important matter requires great sensitivity.”

“And the Greg Downing case fits that category?” Myron asked.

“It does indeed,” PT said.

“It’s a murder case,” Myron said. “A double murder. That shouldn’t be enough to bring you out of retirement.”

“A double murder would not be enough, no.”

“Then it’s not a double murder?”

“Before we get into that,” PT said, “I assume you reached out to me here because Greg Downing is a client of yours.”

“That’s right,” Myron said.

“So we all know what’s what: You wish to help his defense. You’re on Greg Downing’s side.”

“I guess,” Myron said. “What side are you on?”

PT grinned. “I have no dog in this fight. I just want to get to the truth. If that means Greg Downing fries, he fries. If it means he is innocent, I’m all about clearing him too.” The waiter came in and served the first course. “So I have a bit of a dilemma.”

“That being?”

“There are things you should know. Check that. There are things I want to tell you, even though our new director would not like me confiding in you.”

“Do you like the new director?” Win asked.

“I do not,” PT said. “But I still respect his office. So to be clear: If you are here as advocates for Greg Downing—”

“We are,” Myron said.

“Then we should just enjoy the lunch.”

PT picked up his fork.

“I’m not an advocate for anyone,” Win said.

“Win.”

Win turned toward Myron. “I’m not here to protect Greg,” Win said to him. “He ended your career. He faked his own death. His DNA was found at a murder scene. If he murdered Cecelia Callister and her son Clay, then I don’t want any part in getting him off. You don’t want that either, do you?”

“No, of course not. But—”

“You also are not his attorney on this. Greg hired Sadie, not you.”

“She made me part of his legal team.”

“Then you should leave,” Win said. “I’m not here to help Greg Downing get away with murder.”

PT took a bite, closed his eyes, murmured something about gods and ambrosia.

“Neither am I,” Myron said. He turned to PT. “You know our situation.”

“I do,” PT said.

“You knew when you agreed to meet with us.”

“True.”

“So let’s stop with the semantics,” Myron said. “You know me. I won’t obfuscate justice to free a murderer.”

PT looked over at Win and arched an eyebrow. “Obfuscate.”

“I bought him a daily vocabulary calendar for his birthday,” Win said.

PT put down his fork and dabbed the sides of his mouth with his napkin. Nothing in the room seemed to change, but everything seemed quieter now, still. This was one of the things about PT. He had almost supernatural magnetism, charisma, the kind that made you sit up and listen no matter how mundane his words might be. When he was ready to speak — as he was now — everything else around him seemed to stop.

“When we first started studying serial killers seriously at Quantico — I’m talking about the seventies, eighties — I would estimate there were hundreds, perhaps even a thousand, serial killers across the United States. But now? We estimate there are only five, ten at the most who are active. That isn’t because we have fewer psychopaths or that people have somehow grown kinder as a species. It’s because it’s harder to get away with being a serial killer in today’s world. There is so much technology, inescapable CCTV, tracking tools, surveillance methodology — you are seen hundreds of times a day by the government or private enterprise. Big Brother is indeed always watching. Plus our citizens — the serial killer’s desired victims — are more cautious nowadays. They are educated on that matter via TV or movies. They don’t let themselves be easy targets. No one hitchhikes anymore, for example. If someone is involved in sex work, it isn’t as clandestine as it used to be. They tell their friends or coworkers where they are. They carry smartphones that track their movements. Our computers can analyze all the clues, the DNA, the fingerprints, the surveillance, all the mountains of information in seconds nowadays. In short, modernity has made the serial killer nearly extinct.”

Myron and Win waited.

“But I feel one may be at work here.”

The door opened. The server appeared, but PT waved him away. He slipped back out, closing the door behind him.

Myron said, “You think Greg Downing is a serial killer?”

“Before I get ahead of myself, let me say this: Most of my colleagues in the FBI believe that this is indeed a normal murder case. We don’t have a strong motive yet, but Greg Downing knew Cecelia Callister, albeit tangentially. That’s enough for most. We stick with what we know. We follow the evidence and when we do, when we adhere to protocol and procedure, what we have on Greg Downing is overwhelming. He will go down for it.”