“Yes,” Judson said. “We’re dealing with a different killer who happens to have the same kind of talent. And if you believe in genetics—”
Gwen went very still. “Family.”
“What did she say?” Nick asked.
“She’s thinking what I’m thinking,” Judson said. The deep thrill of intuition heated his blood. “Based on what little we know of psychic genetics, there is at least a possibility that the killer we’re hunting is related to Zander Taylor.”
“Louise Fuller might have given up more than one baby,” Gwen suggested.
“Ah, yes, the ever-popular twins, separated-at-birth scenario,” Nick intoned. He voice lightened. “Afraid that won’t fly in this case. According to the file, Louise had no other children. Her son was delivered by cesarean section. She had her tubes tied at that time. She told the caseworker that she couldn’t risk giving birth to another baby.”
Gwen leaned forward. “Did she tell the caseworker why she didn’t want another child?”
“According to the notes, Fuller explained that her baby was the offspring of a demon,” Nick said. “She didn’t want to take the chance of repeating that mistake.”
“Damn,” Judson felt his intuition crystallizing into certainty. “We need to find him.”
“Who?” Nick asked.
“The demon father,” Judson said. “He’s the key to this whole thing.”
“Not a chance in hell I could track down one of what was evidently a very large number of customers that Fuller slept with thirty-four years ago,” Nick said. “I’m good, but not that good. That kind of street prostitution is a cash business. There is no money trail. And after all this time, there won’t be anyone left who will remember names and faces. It’s a dead end.”
Gwen leaned forward to speak into the phone. “The demon wasn’t one of the customers,” she said. “The demon is the bastard who pimped her out. That’s why she feared him. He controlled her, body and soul.”
“We’re looking for the cult leader,” Judson said. “He made a career change at some time in the past. He became a freelance contract killer. Go back to your computer, Sawyer. Find Sundew.”
Thirty-five
Gwen waited impatiently until Judson ended the call. Energy, excitement and anticipation were sleeting through her.
“I know why Louise gave her son the crystal camera,” she said.
“Yeah?” Judson clipped his phone to his belt. “I’m assuming you don’t think it was because she planned to set him up in the serial killer business.”
“No, she gave it to him so that he could use it to protect himself from his father, the demon.”
“Huh.” Judson considered that with a coolly thoughtful air. “You know, that works in a twisted kind of way.”
“Maybe she even dared to hope that Zander would do what she could not do herself—destroy the man who had abused her for so long.”
“She wanted her son to be her avenger. Yes, that works, too. You know, talking to you is useful. It helps me clarify things. You’re good at this profiling stuff.”
She was surprised by how much his praise warmed her. “Thanks. Side effect of my talent, I guess. You can get into the heads of the bad guys. Me, I sort of get into the heads of the victims.”
“The talking-to-ghosts thing.”
“Right. That’s what it’s really all about, I think. I’m profiling the victims when I do that.”
“Yes,” Judson said. He looked intrigued by that notion. “You do seem to have a talent for that.”
“We make a good team.”
“Looks like it.”
“Well, whoever the demon is, the bastard has a lot to answer for.”
“He does,” Judson agreed. “One thing is certain, everything points to the demon being a resident of Wilby. He’s right here in town. He’s been here all along. But Louise would have known that he was here. If she was terrified of him, why did she move here in the first place?”
“She was a psychologically and psychically damaged woman,” Gwen said. “Any bastard who could run a cult would have found it a snap to control her. He would have wanted her here, not only because it was convenient but also so that he could keep an eye on her to make sure she didn’t get any ideas about going to the cops.”
“And if we’re right, this particular demon bastard has some serious talent,” Judson said. “That would make it even easier to manipulate a fragile woman like Fuller.”
“Poor Louise. No wonder she was such a basket case. The next question is, did father and son know each other?”
Judson tapped one finger on the steering wheel. “Maybe not back at the beginning when Taylor first tracked down his mother here in Wilby. But at some point along the way, yes, they discovered each other. Maybe Louise told Taylor about his father, or maybe the demon discovered there had been a mother-and-son reunion and introduced himself. The father now has the camera or at least he’s got the crystal inside it. He’s been using it for the past year and a half.”
“That confirms the motive for Evelyn’s murder. She stumbled onto the identity of the demon.”
“Yes.”
“We’re back to waiting again, aren’t we?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
Thirty-six
Gwen suppressed a small groan when she saw Wesley Lancaster pacing in front of the entrance to the inn. His blond mane fluttered in the soft breeze. He glanced impatiently at the expensive black watch on his wrist. When he looked up, he spotted Judson’s SUV pulling into the parking lot. His relief and impatience were plain on his handsome face.
“I knew he wouldn’t give up easily,” Gwen said. “But I was hoping he would wait a while before he started pestering me again.”
Judson eased the SUV into one of the empty slots and shut down the engine. “Are you going to talk to him?”
“Are you kidding? Of course I’ll talk to him. It will take a while to get a psychic investigation agency up and running. In the meantime I need the income from those Dead of Night scripts.” Gwen unbuckled the seat belt, opened the door and hopped out of the front seat. “It’s just that I’m a little busy at the moment. With luck I can convince him to be patient.”
“I don’t think so,” Judson said.
He was not looking at her. His attention was fixed on the entrance to the inn. She followed his gaze and saw Wesley striding toward the SUV.