“You think Lemuel abused them?”

“Broadly speaking, he could have.”

“Does any of this fit the profile of someone who stalks and kidnaps children? Preteen boys?”

She considered that before asking, “Is that what you’re investigating?”

“In part, yes.”

“If you’re asking if such a man could have a wife and kids, the answer is, you bet. They aren’t all creepy guys living alone with bodies under the floorboards. John Wayne Gacy was married and had children. These are often psychopaths, Joe—clever, likable, chameleonlike in society. They’re hard to spot.”

There was a lull as Glowa’s words sank in.

“But Lucy never mentioned anything to you?” Joe finally asked.

“No,” was the answer, followed by, “I only knew a woman I suspected was haunted by devils. What those were, I was never told.” She sighed. “I think that’s why I went to her wake. To apologize for not pushing harder.”

“You do realize how many nights we’ll be doing this,” Lester suggested.

Willy, in the passenger seat, plucked the bag of chips off his lap. “Could be a few,” he agreed airily, digging in. “Sue already complaining? This is our first night.”

“She mostly works nights anyhow,” Les countered, pulling to the curb and killing the headlights. “I bet Sam hasn’t even noticed.”

Willy paused, his chip-laden hand halfway to his mouth. “You could be right. But you know—and don’t give me any shit—I miss Emma at night. Kid’s really grown on me.”

Lester kept a straight face as Willy started chewing. Willy would be the last to admit a love affair with his own family.

The two of them had first discussed tailing Shaw and Seamus Kyle separately, keeping in touch by phone. But it didn’t appear Shaw was going anywhere, choosing to hunker down at his house, so on the off chance that Kyle might meet someone deserving to be followed, Les and Willy had teamed up.

At the moment, they were glad for that. Now back in Keene, they’d followed Seamus to one of the town’s poorer sections and seen him leave his car and enter a former old factory, now converted into apartments.

“Interesting gesture,” Willy remarked through his mouthful.

“Locking his car? Yeah, I noticed that, like he’s gonna leave it for a while. You wanna watch the back or should I?”

Willy opened his door, which, as with most unmarked police cars, did not trigger the dome light. “You’re driving. I’ll go.” He waggled his phone in the air as he moved. Lester understood and switched his own phone to intercom mode, the current replacement of the clumsy walkie-talkies of yore.

It didn’t take long. Under four minutes after Willy vanished around the edge of the building, his voice quietly filled the car. “He’s comin’ out the back with another guy—Caucasian, black puffy parka, red baseball cap, jeans, white sneakers. I took a picture. Swing around the south entrance of the alley and pick me up. Looks like they’re aiming for a pickup at the other end. Keep your lights off.”