In fishing for a connection, I’d been throwing my hook wide and blind, having no idea what could connect the two couples. This hadn’t occurred to me.

“That’s why they did it,” I said. “Witchcraft.”

“Satanism,” Imogen said. “It’s not the same thing.” A two-second pause. Then, belatedly, “I mean, that’s what the bitch was into. I don’t know what you mean about why they did it. Did what? I never said anything.”

“Um, yes, you said she made him do it. We both know what we’re talking about, Imogen.”

“I never said—”

“Marty and Lisa killed Amanda Mays and Ken Perkins.”

Another two seconds, during which I heard her breathing. Then a weak, “What? You’re crazy. I never said that.”

“You didn’t need to,” I said, and walked away.

CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

Was it possible that the Tysons had killed the first two victims? While my gut embraced it, my brain threw up a stop sign. It was like saying . . . well, it was like saying Cainsville had been settled by fairies. Seemingly preposterous.

“I don’t know,” Gabriel said as we slid into his car. I hadn’t asked a question. I didn’t have to. “We need to break it down.”

He started the car. When I said nothing by the first turn, he glanced at me and jerked his chin. I knew what he meant. Work this out aloud for him.

“There are a bunch of questions we’d need answered before we could seriously consider it,” I said. “Questions that we can’t get answers to, because the suspects are dead. Long dead. Where were Lisa and Marty on the night of the Mays and Perkins murders? Do they have an alibi? Any chance we can put them in the vicinity? Any chance of finding the murder weapon? That’s all gone, washed away by time. They were never suspects, so there’s no way to answer those questions now.”

A quick look. I understood that one, too. Don’t dwell on what we can’t answer.

“The big connection, then, is the so-called satanism,” I said as I took out my notebook and started writing. “We might be able to dig up something. Getting details from Imogen would help. Once we’ve come up with a list of questions for her, we can use her mother to our advantage. The woman doesn’t want anyone messing with her baby. We can convince her that there’s no way to avoid that, and compared to the police, we’re the lesser evil. Obviously, the police would still speak to her after we made our case, but I don’t think Imogen or her momma are bright enough to realize that.”

“Agreed.” Gabriel paused. “We can convince her to talk. The fact she withheld evidence and watched your parents be convicted of the murders would be important leverage.”

“Blackmail.”

“Persuasion. With an implied penalty for failure to be persuaded.”