know. I honestly don’t know.”
“He’s not a monster.”
“You know the facts, Jane. You know how it all fits together.”
“I’ve also met Ben. A few times. He might be a little odd, but some people just are odd. It doesn’t mean he’s capable of doing something terrible.”
“Of course not. It’s just a coincidence. Or rather, lots and lots of coincidences, all piling up.” He stared at her for a moment. “Seventeen years ago, my brother left home abruptly just after a woman was found strangled on the edge of town. Fifteen years ago, he came back for a little while, and while he was here two more women were murdered. And then nine years ago, he showed up for a short visit and, hey, what do you know? Caitlin Somers was killed and Joe O’Brien spent a month in intensive care. And then -”
“Jack -”
“And then,” he continued, “no more murders, not since then. Not while Ben has been out of town. And yet those four murders that did happen were conclusively linked to one another through forensic tests. That’s an awfully specific serial killer, don’t you think? And one whose activities just happen to coincide with Ben’s visits.”
“He’s your brother,” she reminded him. “You can’t say things like that about your brother.”
“So I should just think them and keep everything to myself?” he asked. “You’re always telling me to be more open about my feelings. Well, here I am. This is something I think about every day. Is my brother…”
She shook her head.
“You don’t know that for sure,” he pointed out.
“I’ve met him, he -”
“But you don’t know him!”
“So tell me what I’m missing!”
“You didn’t know him when we were kids.” He took a sip from his glass. “There’s always been something a little off with him.”
“Is there something you’re not telling me?” she asked.
“It’s complicated.”
“You’re in danger of doing the same thing your father did,” she replied, trying to keep a lid on her frustration. “Whatever else you think about Ben, he’s not a murderer.”
“Then who is?” he asked. “Who killed those four women?”
“I don’t know, but Alex and I keep the file open. We talk about it.”
“You talk about it? Great, cops of the year, right there.”
She sighed.
“And what if someone dies this time?” he continued. “What if, after Ben comes to town, there’s another murder?”
“There won’t be.”
“But what if there is?”
“Then we’d investigate it, the way the others were investigated.”
“Badly and without any hope of catching the killer?”
“That’s not fair,” she replied. “You know Alex is good at his job.”
“He’s getting old,” Jack pointed out. “You’ve said it yourself often enough. He makes mistakes now, you have to carry his screw-ups half the time.”
“Ben isn’t a killer,” she said, stepping over to him. “I know you don’t have a great history with him, I know stuff happened when you were kids that you won’t or can’t tell me about, but you and Beth are taking your demonization of your brother too far.”
“We’re just recognizing a pattern.”
“There’s no pattern,” she replied, putting her arms around him. “Let it go. Try to appreciate the fact that your brother is coming home for a visit, and…” She paused. “And I think it’s great if he stays here in our spare room. It’d give you two a chance to hang out, and it’d be good for the whole family. I want him to stay.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“I do,” she said, checking her watch, “and now it’s almost three in the morning. I don’t know about you, but I have a job to get to later and unfortunately, unlike you, I’m not the boss where I work, so I’d appreciate a few hours’ shut-eye. Alex won’t be happy with me if I’m falling asleep on my shift.” She waited for a response, for him to say something, anything, that might show he was finally listening to her. She
“He’s not a monster.”
“You know the facts, Jane. You know how it all fits together.”
“I’ve also met Ben. A few times. He might be a little odd, but some people just are odd. It doesn’t mean he’s capable of doing something terrible.”
“Of course not. It’s just a coincidence. Or rather, lots and lots of coincidences, all piling up.” He stared at her for a moment. “Seventeen years ago, my brother left home abruptly just after a woman was found strangled on the edge of town. Fifteen years ago, he came back for a little while, and while he was here two more women were murdered. And then nine years ago, he showed up for a short visit and, hey, what do you know? Caitlin Somers was killed and Joe O’Brien spent a month in intensive care. And then -”
“Jack -”
“And then,” he continued, “no more murders, not since then. Not while Ben has been out of town. And yet those four murders that did happen were conclusively linked to one another through forensic tests. That’s an awfully specific serial killer, don’t you think? And one whose activities just happen to coincide with Ben’s visits.”
“He’s your brother,” she reminded him. “You can’t say things like that about your brother.”
“So I should just think them and keep everything to myself?” he asked. “You’re always telling me to be more open about my feelings. Well, here I am. This is something I think about every day. Is my brother…”
She shook her head.
“You don’t know that for sure,” he pointed out.
“I’ve met him, he -”
“But you don’t know him!”
“So tell me what I’m missing!”
“You didn’t know him when we were kids.” He took a sip from his glass. “There’s always been something a little off with him.”
“Is there something you’re not telling me?” she asked.
“It’s complicated.”
“You’re in danger of doing the same thing your father did,” she replied, trying to keep a lid on her frustration. “Whatever else you think about Ben, he’s not a murderer.”
“Then who is?” he asked. “Who killed those four women?”
“I don’t know, but Alex and I keep the file open. We talk about it.”
“You talk about it? Great, cops of the year, right there.”
She sighed.
“And what if someone dies this time?” he continued. “What if, after Ben comes to town, there’s another murder?”
“There won’t be.”
“But what if there is?”
“Then we’d investigate it, the way the others were investigated.”
“Badly and without any hope of catching the killer?”
“That’s not fair,” she replied. “You know Alex is good at his job.”
“He’s getting old,” Jack pointed out. “You’ve said it yourself often enough. He makes mistakes now, you have to carry his screw-ups half the time.”
“Ben isn’t a killer,” she said, stepping over to him. “I know you don’t have a great history with him, I know stuff happened when you were kids that you won’t or can’t tell me about, but you and Beth are taking your demonization of your brother too far.”
“We’re just recognizing a pattern.”
“There’s no pattern,” she replied, putting her arms around him. “Let it go. Try to appreciate the fact that your brother is coming home for a visit, and…” She paused. “And I think it’s great if he stays here in our spare room. It’d give you two a chance to hang out, and it’d be good for the whole family. I want him to stay.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“I do,” she said, checking her watch, “and now it’s almost three in the morning. I don’t know about you, but I have a job to get to later and unfortunately, unlike you, I’m not the boss where I work, so I’d appreciate a few hours’ shut-eye. Alex won’t be happy with me if I’m falling asleep on my shift.” She waited for a response, for him to say something, anything, that might show he was finally listening to her. She
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