Page 107 of Compulsion
Gage ignored him.His full and angry focus was on Lily.“You didn’t know when he slipped away because you weren’t beside him.You were not with the man every single moment.No lover stays with you, and I’m sorry if that sounds fucking brutal, but it’syourchoice.You don’t let them get close.You don’t let them stay.You didn’t let me stay.So I damn well know the alibi is bullshit.He would have been able to drive to Shreveport and get back…he would have been able to make the trip.But he screwed up, and he left his cufflinks and now we have—Lily, why are you shaking your head at me?”
She was.A slow, negative gesture.
Atlas curled his fingers around her shoulders.“You are wrong, Agent Emerick.”
The agent’s fury pulsed in the air.
“I did not leave Lily last night.I slept in bed with her.Her body was curled around mine.My hands on her.I even had a nightmare once and woke up…probably due to all my recent, traumatic experiences.”
A furrow cut between Gage’s eyes.
“Lily was at my side.She comforted me.She drifted back to sleep in my arms.When she woke this morning—due to her friend Sloane’s phone call—I was in the bed with her.”Granted, he’d left to grab jeans and he’d hurried back, but Atlas didn’t see why it was relevant to share that information.Not like he could have driven to Shreveport and back in the five minutes it had taken him to grab jeans and brush his teeth.
“Lily…?”What could have been pain flashed across Gage’s face.“He…all night?”
“All night,” Lily confirmed.“I am his alibi, as I said.There is no way he went to Shreveport without me knowing.”
The brief flash of pain vanished as a mask seemed to slide over Gage’s face.“The cufflinks…”
“Yeah, about those…” Atlas did not let go of Lily’s delicate shoulders.The touch was to say many things…She’s mine.Back the fuck off.
She’s mine…don’t ever think of coming after her.
She’s mine.
Okay, fine, the touch was basically to say that one thing.
But, regarding the cuff links… “I was wearing a pair of gold, initial cufflinks when I was taken from the parking lot recently.Thought they’d fallen off during the attack.Even mentioned them to the cops who questioned me as the cabin burned.”A vague detail that hadn’t mattered.Or at least, he hadn’t thought it mattered at the time.His cufflinks could have been lost in the parking lot.They could have been lost when he tumbled down the stairs into the basement.Or when he raced from the cabin with Lily.“Check the report, and I’m sure that information can be verified.”
Lily looked back at him.“The perp wanted to set you up.”
“So it would seem.Guess he didn’t count on my ironclad alibi.”
“Or he did.”Her hair slid over her shoulder.“And he wanted to make sure we fully understood that he was the one doing the killing.He wanted us to give him credit for what he was doing.He used your cufflinks soyouwould know.”She whipped her head back toward Gage and Sharon.“He has my list.”Urgency filled her voice.The same urgency that Atlas could feel trembling through her body.“You’re standing here, threatening to arrest Atlas, when he’s been a victim all along.”
“I am a victim.”Ah.He’d almost nailed that.Theodora would have been proud.
Lily’s voice trembled with urgency as she said, “He used the cufflinks because he wants us to know it’s him.He’spunishing.Don’t you see?He was punishing here in Dallas and now, he’s?—”
“He went after Tonya Johnson because she’s a thief?”Sharon cut in to question.
“No, because she’s evil.To him.To him.She’s the product of a serial killer.It’s the blood.She’s guilty.To him.”
But Gage appeared uncertain.“You’re losing me, Lily.”
“She’s not losing me,” Atlas fired back.“Could very well be the reason why the bastard came after me in the first place.Because he knew what my father had done.And being that freak’s kid was more than enough reason for him to decide I was guilty.At least, guilty in his mind.”
“But…” Gage took a step back.“The two other kills in Dallas.Those poor bastards werenotthe kids of serials.”
“Killers evolve.”Lily’s tight voice.“They grow.They develop.This guy—he was too quick.The timing between kills was far too brief.No cooling down period, and that scared me.”
“Youwere scared?”Gage asked.He seemed surprised.
She ignored his surprise.“He would want more victims, fast.Because he likes killing.But he thinks what he’s doing isright.So that means the victims have to bewrong.” Her words tumbled out.“The kids of serials—if he believes they were born evil, then he’s justified in what he’s doing.He’s eliminating evil.He’s punishing.He has my data.He has my files.Oh, God.It’s my fault.”
“No.”Atlas was adamant.“This is not because of you.”
She whirled to face him.“He got the information from me, and now Tonya Johnson is dead.”
