Dr. Banks nodded. “You’re perceptive. Of course I knew what was going on inside Gene could not be good. But I didn’t know how to address the problem. I had my hands full with Maggie and Scott. She continued to deteriorate. A month after her first attack, she had another one. I remember, it was the Fourth of July. Fireworks were going off outside. I gave her another shot, but her heart did not restart. She was dead.” He closed his eyes and put a hand to his head. “She was thirty years old.”

Kelly gave him a minute of silence.

“Was Gene in the room when she died?” she asked.

“No.”

“He didn’t assist you with the shot when she died?”

“No. But he came in a few minutes later and closed her eyes. They stayed closed this time.”

“I’m so sorry.”

He nodded sadly. “So you see why I’m to blame for what my son became. Those women he murdered, what he did to you … It was all my fault.”

“You mustn’t think that way.”

“It’s all I think about.”

She was not going to salvage his conscience with a pep talk.

“How was Gene after his mother’s death?” she asked.

“You’re asking if he was better. I’m not sure. He started to talk more.”

“This all happened when he was young. How was he in high school?”

“Shy. He kept to himself. He never dated.”

“Do you think he hated girls?”

“He never displayed any hatred.”

“Was he gay?” Kelly asked.

“No.”

“You sound so sure?”

“I can’t be sure of anything these days. He never showed an attraction to guys.”

“Did he have relationships with any women before he met Julie?”

“He met Julie when he was forty. He was involved with several women before then.”

“Did he have any long-term relationships?”

Dr. Banks hesitated. “No.”

“Did that concern you?”

“Sure. I wanted him to find someone that could make him happy. When he finally met Julie, I was relieved. They seemed the perfect couple.”

“You’ve heard the story of her infidelity. Do you think that set him off?”

“Yes. Don’t you?”

“It’s the obvious answer. But your son is anything but obvious.”

Dr. Banks shook his head. “Does it really matter, one way or the other?”

“Perhaps not. Where is Scott these days?”

“Forgive me. When he learned what happened, he asked that he not be brought into the matter. He has a good job and a well-adjusted lifestyle. For his sake, I’d prefer to leave it at that.”

She persisted anyway. “Does he have anything to do with his brother?”

“No. They haven’t spoken in years.”

“Why did Scott avoid Gene before all this happened?”

“I don’t think he trusted him.”

“Interesting. Did Gene ever display a fascination with acid?”

“No.”

“He used acid to torture and kill his victims. Where do you think he got it?”