Dr. Freeman, who had been studying Cooper carefully, interrupted him. “No, that’s okay. We haven’t finished going over what you already know, have we? You wouldn’t be here unless you’d discovered Neil Gerhart’s dangerous preoccupation with Mr. Dayton.”

Cooper stiffened in his seat. He carefully didn’t look at the others and kept his face neutral, but it was hard. “What do you know about Neil?”

“I know that ever since your attack he’s been trying to investigate one of the largest, longest-running cover-ups the world has ever had: the existence of werewolves. I know it’s taken over his life, lost him his job, his relationships, his everything. I know he’s been keeping tabs on you. Believes you might be...important. Why is that?” She held up her hand before an answer could be given, not that anyone seemed keen to jump in. “I know you two were sexually involved, but surely that can’t be the only reason. No offense meant, of course.”

“Of course,” Cooper said.

“I hate to interrupt this charming exchange, but I fail to see what exactly you can offer us,” Cola said bluntly. “We all know that Neil Gerhart has some unhinged fascination with Dayton. I too find it inexplicable. But there are about two hundred people I’d sooner analyze it with before anyone in this room. So, if you don’t have anything to add—” She stood up.

“Were the victims stuck?” Freeman asked quickly.

Cola paused, still standing, but making no move to leave.

“Did they get stuck during the process of their transformation?”

Cola’s lips pursed at the incorrect language but still said nothing.

Freeman apparently took that as confirmation and continued, “I can’t tell you why Gerhart killed who he killed. Maybe to bring Mr. Dayton back into his life. Maybe because he really does believe in the legend of the Moon and considers this a sort of...courtship gift before he loses him to a rival.”

She glanced at Park again, then leaned forward. “But I hope I’m not being too forward in assuming no one at this table actually believes in fairy tales and magic.”

Beside him, Cooper felt Park shift in his seat.

“There must be a medical reason for their...malformation.”

“So, you’re offering your help as a pathologist?” Cola said skeptically. “Believe it or not, we have our own experts here. Got their own test tubes and everything. It’s only a matter time before we determine the cause.”

“You don’t understand,” Freeman said dismissively. “Mr. Gerhart has made a study of the way people think, but he doesn’t know a thing about hard science. He would have needed help to develop such a poison. Someone who knows a thing or two about the, ah, animal side of things.”

“You’re saying you think you know who this partner is,” Park said.