Page 40 of So Deadly
She seemed genuinely relieved when Faith’s ID came back legitimate.She smiled apologetically and disappeared from the window.A moment later, the door opened, revealing a petite woman of maybe five-two at the most and barely more than a hundred pounds.The wide round lenses of her glasses made her face seem even smaller, almost girly.Her brown eyes had long lashes, and she had full lips adorned with a liberal amount of dark red lipstick.The effect could have been seductive except she was dressed in a pair of overalls and a baggy, long-sleeved sweater, so instead it came across as cute.
Jessica cast Faith a brief glance as though to ask,Really?You thinkshetried to kill Robert Big-Man Crawford?
Faith had seen small killers kill big victims before, so she wasn’t ready to let this girl off just because she looked like a children’s show character instead of a murderer.“Jennifer Suleiman?”
“Yeah, that’s me.”She blinked, frowning and hesitating for a moment.When she spoke again, it seemed like she was just realizing that theFBIwas talking to her.She lowered her eyes, swallowed, and asked, “Um… What’s this about?”
“We’re investigating the murders of Margaret Hayes and Thomas Webb,” Faith said, choosing to be blunt, “as well as the very recent attempted murder of Robert Crawford.”
Jennifer flinched at the mention of murder, but she didn’t seem to recognize the names.“Well… I didn’t kill anyone.”
“You mind if we come in and talk about it?”
Jennifer hesitated, once more looking up and to the right.Her brow furrowed slightly.Faith wondered if she had some sort of learning disability that made it difficult for her to process information.After a moment, Jennifer said, “Um… Sure.I guess.”She smiled at Turk.“He’s cute.I’m glad he’s a real K9.He looks like a sweetie.”
“Yeah, he’s a good dog,” Faith said.
And what was more, he didn’t seem threatened by Jennifer, just confused, a bit like Faith was.He accepted Jennifer’s head pats but gave Faith a questioning look that she couldn’t answer.
Jennifer led them into the house.The interior showed the same odd emptiness as the exterior.The house and furniture were all spotless, not as though she’d feverishly cleaned recently to hide evidence but as though she had never left any sign of living here in the first place.The furniture included all the typical necessities: sofa, easy chair, coffee table, widescreen tv on a stand, kitchen table and chairs, but it was all devoid of adornment or decoration.No placemats on the kitchen table.No potpourri on the coffee table.The television remote sat next to the television, and not a single picture hung anywhere on the walls.
“Did you just move in?”Faith asked.
Jennifer frowned quizzically, thought for a moment, and said, “No, I’ve lived here for fourteen years.”
“Ah.”Odd.
“Would you two like some water?”Jennifer asked.“Or maybe I can bring some for your dog?”
Her voice was tremulous, soft, timid.Many killers came across as timid in their daily lives, but upon closer inspection, the potential for violence was easy to spot.Faith didn’t get that impression from Jennifer.
But the house.It was too perfect.Too bland.Like a psychopath asked to construct a house who understood the need for functional items but didn’t understand the desire for decoration.And there was the odd hesitation each time Jennifer was asked a question, like she was waiting for someone else to tell her what to say.
“Water’s fine,” Faith replied.“Thank you.”
Jennifer returned with four water bottles and a steel dog bowl.She set the bowl down in front of Turk, carefully opened one of the water bottles, and poured it into the bowl.Turk lapped gratefully, and Faith noticed grief cross Jennifer’s face.
“You miss your dog, huh?”she said with genuine sympathy.
“I do.She was my little princess.”Her eyes narrowed, and her jaw tightened briefly.Then her eyes popped open, wide as saucers.“Is that why you’re here?Because my dog was killed by that fake service dog?”
“We believe this killer is seeking revenge for wrong suffered at the hands of people with fake service dogs,” Jessica replied.“We think they see it as justice, not revenge.They believe they’re doing the world a service, protecting people from those who see the rules as optional.”
“Well… I don’t believe in murder, but I understand why the killer would feel that way.”
Tears welled in her eyes, and she took off her glasses, folded them, and set them on the coffee table.Every movement was careful, not planned but cautious.She seemed afraid of everything and everyone around her.Faith wondered if she was always like that or if she had changed after the death of her service dog.
“I’m sorry,” she said, wiping tears from her face with the heels of her palms.“That’s a horrible thing to say.”
“We’re not here to judge you,” Jessica said gently.
“You know, I saw her die,” Jennifer said, sniffing.“Her throat was ripped out.She was trying to breathe, but she just made this horrible sucking noise.Bubbles came out of the hole in her throat.She… She looked at me…”
She pressed her eyes shut so tightly her head shook.Faith looked at Jessica and saw no suspicion in her partner’s face, only compassion.She felt sorry for Jennifer too, but she couldn’t shake the sense of offness about her.It was nothing more than a sensation tickling the back of her mind, but it was a sticky sensation, one that refused to leave.
“I almost saw my dog die once,” Faith said.“I told the person threatening him that if they killed him, I would kill them.And I meant it.If Turk hadn’t found a way out of that situation somehow, I would be in prison for murder right now.”
Jessica frowned at Faith, but Faith kept her eyes on Jennifer.She was telling their suspect the truth, but when it came down to it, Faith hadn’t committed murder.Jennifer might have, and if she had, then sympathy wouldn’t be enough to stay Faith’s hand.
