Think Twice

“Like, maybe the DUI victim’s family was seeking revenge?”

“I don’t know. But you hit on a good point.”

“That being?”

“Motive. In all these cases, the person convicted of the crime had a motive, so when they claimed that they were framed in some outlandish schemes...”

“It was easy to dismiss,” Myron said.

“Right. Imagine, like in this case, the time and planning it would take to get in Barry’s house, drug the son, whatever — well, who would buy that someone would go to all that trouble? What would be the killer’s motive?”

“Unless,” Win said, “there was no motive.”

“Like in the case of a serial killer,” Myron added. “It all makes horrible sense. Anything else?”

“Not much. PT mentioned a soybean farmer killed by two immigrants who worked for him. The media was quieter on this. I don’t think they wanted to arouse trouble for other immigrants in the area. I’m still going through it, but again, blood from the victim was found in the immigrants’ bunkhouse.”

Myron and Win spent a few moments studying the information on the screen.

“The evidence,” Win said. “It’s overkill.”

“Agree,” Esperanza said.

“Murderers are oft careless, of course,” Win continued. “And if we view these cases separately, yes, the convictions are solid. But when we group them together, one must marvel at the overall stupidity. Who in our modern world doesn’t know your phone location can be tracked? Who doesn’t know about CCTV or E-ZPass or DNA?”

“And the gun found in Robert Lestrano’s toolshed,” Myron added, rising and pointing to the photograph on the screen. “According to the police report, he readily admits to the police that he owned a gun. He tells the police he kept it in a locked case next to his bed. They even watch him open the drawer to retrieve it, and by the cops’ own admission, he looks genuinely shocked to see it’s missing. How dumb do you have to be to use your own gun and say it’s next to your bed and then just hide it in a shed in your yard?”

“Overkill,” Win said again.

“Except prosecutors never question overkill,” Esperanza added.

“Because,” Myron said, “it plays into their preconceived narrative.”

Win nodded. “And again to be fair, viewing any one case in a vacuum, there would be no reason to doubt anyone’s guilt here.”

Myron walked toward the screen on the wall. “Something else is bothering me.”

Win and Esperanza waited.

Myron’s eyes moved from case to case. Then he asked, “How did the FBI put it together?”

No one replied.

“I mean, think about it. Nothing links these cases. No strands of hair. No locations. No victim type. The killer has been careful about that. Ingenious even. So what made them put it together now?”

“Greg Downing?” Esperanza asked. “Isn’t that the point? He’s the link.”

“Yes, but only in two of the cases set, what, five years apart? How do you go from that to a serial killer? Chronologically, the first murder was Kravat. Greg is linked to that murder because his girlfriend’s son was involved with the victim.”

“Pretty loose link,” Win said.

“And again, going in chronological order, the, what, third or fourth murder, is Cecelia Callister’s. Okay, that’s a big link obviously. DNA and all that. But how did the FBI link those two murders to Keating or Barry or Stone or...? Wait, hold the phone.”

Myron stopped, looked up, didn’t move.

Win leaned toward Esperanza and said sotto voce: “I think our boy has a thought. I wish he’d cry ‘Eureka’ so we could be sure.”

“Funny.” Myron suddenly took his phone out of his pocket and hit the fourth number on his speed dial. Terese answered right away.

“Hey,” she said.

“I have you on speakerphone,” Myron said. “I’m with Win and Esperanza.”

Everyone did the quick-greeting thing.

“So what’s up?” Terese asked.

“The Ronald Prine murder case.”

“What about it?”

“He was killed, what, two days ago?”

“That’s right.”

“And you said they’ve already arrested someone?”

“A woman named Jacqueline Newton,” Terese replied. Then she said, “Oh, I see where you’re going with this. I was starting to wonder the same thing.”

“Tell us.”

“Newton insists she had nothing to do with it, but the murder weapon is her father’s hunting rifle.”

“Where did they find the rifle?”

“In her closet. Right where she said it was. Newton claimed that it hadn’t been fired in years, but a quick lab test showed it’d just been used.”

“Any DNA tying her to it?”

“Not yet, but it’s really early. Prine was murdered only forty-eight hours ago.”

“Where is Newton now?” Myron asked.

“Being held overnight. Bail hearing is in the morning.”

“Do you know her lawyer?”

“Very well. A guy named Kelly Gallagher. He’s a solid public defender. He’ll do his best.”

“Any chance you can get me in to see her?”

“You mean see Jacqueline Newton?”

“I do.”

Terese thought about it. “I’ll call Kelly.”

“I love you, you know,” Myron said.

“I do too,” Win added.

“I just think you’re hot,” Esperanza called out.

“I’ll take it,” Terese said through the speakerphone. “Group hug next time we are all in the same room. Myron?”

“Yes.”