Page 94 of The Woman Who Couldn't Scream
“Smart kid,” Chippen said. “He’s getting out while he can.”
That was the trouble with crimes like these—they took the heart out of the whole department. Kateri asked, “Knowles, about the press conference, would you stand behind me on the left side?”
“Sure, Sheriff.” Knowles touched his hat brim. “When the citizens start lobbing the tomatoes, I’ll even throw them back.”
CHAPTER FORTY
“Sheriff. Kateri!”
Kateri lifted her head off her desk and blinked at Bergen.
He pointed at the blinking light on her phone. “Call for you from Garik Jacobsen.”
“Right.” She looked at the time. Just after midnight. She cleared her throat, picked up the phone and said, “Tell me again we don’t have an unusual spike of slashings in the U.S.”
Garik’s voice sounded grim. “Virtue Falls has always been an overachiever. The photos you sent…”
“I know.” She had tried not to look at the pictures of the faceless corpse, but a few glimpses would suffice to give her nightmares forever… and strengthened her determination to catch this sadistic bastard.
“The FBI will send someone to coordinate with your law enforcement.”
“You?”
“I’ve requested to be sent.”
“How soon?”
“Tomorrow.” He must have checked the time. “Today.”
“Are Elizabeth and the baby coming down?”
“Tomorrow Elizabeth has to give a seminar on tsunamis. Because, you know, she took the Virtue Falls tsunami video right after the earthquake and since then, she isthegeological expert for the area.” He exhaled as if he had explained this far too many times. “Kateri, thebabyis five—”
“Good Lord.” Kateri couldn’t believe it. “Since when?”
“We took Bella to the flight museumone timeand now she loves airplanes. Thatbabycan tell me what kind of plane is overhead, and if I watch a war movie she calls out the name, the class, the… whatever. Bella will be a pilot.”
Kateri remembered how much Merry Byrd had wanted to fly, the way her face used to shine when she talked about soaring toward the heavens, and she imagined little Bella wearing that expression, too. “Smart kid. You must be proud.”
“I am. I didn’t think I’d be her dumb ol’ dad until she was a teenager, but it appears I was wrong.”
Kateri laughed, then sobered. “You didn’t want her to be an expert in serial killers, did you?”
“No. God. No. I’m putting my bag in the car right now.”
“We’ll be here.”
“You sound like you need some sleep.”
“I think I just got some.”
“Get more. See you later.” He hung up.
Bergen lingered by the door. She filled him in. “I’m glad he’s coming. He’s probably the one person who can reassure the citizens and get Venegra off my back.”
The press conference had not gone well. Neither had her meeting with the city council.
Bergen said, “You really ought to go home.”
