“Possibly,” replied Bogart. “In fact, probably. Particularly if she wasn’t supportive afterwards.”
Decker said, “But then why was the message directed at me? Why target my family, people I know? Where do I fit in all this? I don’t remember even speaking to her.”
“We’re talking about a sick mind, Decker. There’s no way we can understand or make sense out of what went on in her head. This actually didn’t start with you. This started with her being raped and nearly killed. And then her parents abandoning her afterward. And it started even before that, with her condition, and people’s reaction to it. Her life was never going to be normal.”
“And then there’s Leopold,” said Jamison. “Let’s not forget about him!”
“And then there’s Leopold,” repeated Bogart. “Decker, you’re still convinced he’s Belinda’s partner in all this? I mean, you haven’t seen him since he left that bar. I know you told me about the waitress—supposedly Belinda—and her borrowing the barman’s car, but you have no hard evidence that she actually picked up Leopold in it. She could have just used it to run an errand.”
Decker shook his head. “She left the bar for good after she brought the car back. And the temp agency hadn’t sent her. She was there to ferret Leopold away. He was the one who picked the bar. So I have no doubt that he’s involved. He confessed to a crime he couldn’t have committed. And he knew that he couldn’t have committed. He played the role of a mentally unbalanced person well, but sitting in that bar he had moments of lucidity, not random, but intentional. He overplayed his hand. He knew exactly what he was doing.”
“But why confess in the first place?”
“It was their opening salvo. After murdering my family. The confession got my attention. They knew I’d find out about it, investigate it. They lured me in. They wanted me to participate in their game.”
“Some game,” Bogart said disgustedly. “But they waited a long time in between killing your family and attacking the school.”
“It all took time to plan out. They had to find the details of the passageway, among other things.”
Jamison said, “But who’s the leader of the pack? Wyatt or Leopold? Plus, how did they meet? Where does he come from? How did they hatch this whole thing?”
“All good questions,” noted Decker. “For which we unfortunately have no answers.”
Bogart said, “We’ve had no hit on the criminal databases. The guy has no record that we can find.”
Decker jerked his head. “Criminal databases?”
“Yeah, that’s where we typically look for criminals. We ran Leopold’s prints through IAFIS, it’s the largest criminal database in the world. I should know because the FBI runs it.”
“But Belinda Wyatt wasn’t a criminal. She was a victim. Maybe Sebastian Leopold was too. Maybe that’s how they hooked up.”
Jamison gazed at Bogart. “So maybe you’ve been looking in the wrong databases.”
Chapter
54
THEY FLEW BACK to Burlington and Decker was driven to the Residence Inn. Decker looked at Bogart and then flicked his gaze to Jamison.
The FBI agent understood. He said, “Ms. Jamison, we request the pleasure of your company at our safe house.”
She snapped, “What? No, I’ll be—”
“Perfectly happy to accept or else I’ll put you in a jail cell if I have to,” interjected Bogart.
“On what charge?” she retorted.
“Publishing false information in a newspaper and inciting a riot against one Amos Decker.”
Jamison started to say something but then sank back in her seat and said with a scowl, “Fine, have it your way.”
As Decker was climbing out of the SUV Bogart hooked his arm.
“We pop anything on Leopold’s prints and DNA in noncriminal databases, I’ll call you right away.”
“I’d also like you to send me whatever you can find on Belinda Wyatt’s past.”
Bogart nodded and then he drove off.
Decker headed up to his room and sat on his bed. He eyed the gun in his waistband and thought back to when Captain Miller had come knocking on his door. If he hadn’t, would he have shot himself?
With the clarity that came after stepping back from a stressful situation, Decker knew that Miller was right. If he eliminated himself this pair would go on killing. If Decker had somehow dissed Belinda Wyatt, others could have too. Or maybe they would start on Leopold’s list of “dissers” next.
He closed his eyes and thought back to two periods of time, one recent, the other much further in the past. He took the latter first, stopping at those frames in his mind.
As he thought about this another possibility entered his mind.
He said out loud, “7-Eleven.”
That had undoubtedly been a clue. In her interview notes, Lancaster had instinctively interpreted it as a reference to the ubiquitous convenience stores. But was there more to it than that? Leopold had not wanted to come right out and say he was actually referring to 711 Duckton Avenue. But he had to know that Lancaster had misinterpreted his statement. She had actually asked him which 7-Eleven, and when Leopold had been noncommittal she had just assumed it was the one closest to Decker’s home. But Leopold had let that go. He would know that the police, that Decker more importantly, would check that out. That he would go to that store on DeSalle and see what he could see. And that meant—
He might be wrong. But he didn’t think so. In fact, Decker thought he was absolutely right.
He left his room and headed back out into the night.