“All the more reason for Colin to be guilty,” Gavin said. “Only killers with a connection to the victim would bother to create a crime scene that makes it seem like something happened that really didn’t. They would want to throw the investigation in the wrong direction. That’s what staging’s all about. He wanted his wife’s death to look like it was connected to the others.”

“But why would he do that? Mitch, as you know, the most common type of staging is usually when someone tries to disguise a murder as suicide or accident, hiding the fact that the manner of death is really homicide. The guilty person wants to avoid apprehension. Here, they are masquerading in a completely different way. Someone wants us to know a murder occurred, a violent murder no less,” Thomas said. “And the circumstances practically point to who’s responsible.”

Gavin shrugged his shoulders. He didn’t seem to care.

“The pillowcase was the same but the sheets were changed. It’s the signature. Only the killer would know to do this. The murderer of Jeanne Coleman and Francine Donohue committed this crime. Why would he need or want to stage this crime scene—unless he was implicating someone else?” Thomas asked. He took a deep breath, adding, “I think the killer intentionally made this crime scene look like his others.”

Jack joined in. “If Colin were the killer why would he stage a crime scene in a way that would only incriminate himself for multiple murders? He would be the prime suspect. This is his wife. They were going through a nasty, complicated divorce and he was the last one to see her alive.”

Both Warren and Gavin stared, having no quick reply. Gwen grabbed Val’s arm and mouthed, “Oh my God.”

“It doesn’t make any sense,” Thomas said. “It tells us that Colin’s either incredibly stupid as a murderer or he’s been set up. And the person committing these crimes is anything but stupid. So, this makes me believe that the killer not only knew these women, this killer knows Colin and has an agenda because the staging focuses the investigation on him.”

Gavin’s cell phone began to ring. He glanced at who was calling. “I have to take this,” he said and then walked out of the room.

He was gone for only a few minutes before he hurried back in. A smile was on his face and Val wondered what the phone call was all about.

“Well, gentlemen. I hate to spoil your theory. That was the crime lab calling with the DNA results from Colin’s clothing. I must admit that your idea sounded interesting, that Colin was set up, but we have more against him now. It’s overwhelming. The district attorney is going forward with murder charges for Julia and Francine Donohue. The inclusion of Samantha Ritcher is pending the final results of the toxicology report.”