“Why would you threaten the FBI with a cleaver?” Ruby replied. If nothing else, they had him on that. Ruby’s temple still ached a little. “Save me the trouble of digging and tell me the truth.”

She watched him fidget in his seat. His eyes darted despite his calm voice.

“I didn’t expect the FBI to storm in,” Delko said.

Gabe tugged open the car door and Ruby nearly jumped, her concentration broken.

“While forensics scrubs this place clean, we get to take you away,” Gabe said, strapping himself in. He looked at Delko in the rearview mirror, tilting it down.

“Who did you think we were?” Ruby asked.

“The trespasser,” Delko replied. It almost sounded like a bad newspaper moniker.

Gabe revved the engine, causing Delko to jump again.

Ruby watched the man, his eyes wide and panicked, his mouth turned down, his curiosity completely piqued.

“He’s afraid,” she said under her breath.

“You are not going to believe me, but I am not lying,” Delko said. “Three pigs, wasted.”

His voice was full of disdain.

“You mean victims,” Gabe said pointedly.

Delko balked, looking from Gabe to Ruby for some kind of reaction or information.

“We saw your garage, Delko. No use making excuses,” Ruby said. “Sure, maybe we'll have to test the blood and that will take time, but how do you explain away a garage plastered in photos of women who look shockingly similar to our victims?”

Delko seemed to freeze in the back seat. Ruby brought up a photo on her phone, the garage in all its creepy, cult-like glory. She raised it toward Delko.

He paled like a ghost.

“I swear I've never seen that before,” Delko protested.

“You're telling us there's a garage on your property that is filled with pictures and you didn't notice it?” Gabe asked.

The outskirts transitioned more and more into the urban landscape. Delko was officially out of his territory and into theirs.

“Someone broke in! I had it chained and it was cut. You didn't see that when you were breaking into my property?” Delko snapped. A break in at both his home and his workplace seemed a little too coincidental.

“Mr. Delko, we know you interacted with Pearl Helman. We have witness testimony and evidence,” Ruby said. Some good had come out of interviewing all Pearl’s guests. It made Ruby feel a little better that their time in Pearl’s backyard hadn’t been a complete waste.

Delko chewed on that a moment. His demeanor kept shifting, as though he didn't know how to act.

“I did meet Pearl Helman. She ordered some bacon-wrapped filet from me. I tried to get her number,” he said. “Are you arresting people for asking for numbers now?”

Gabe rolled his eyes.

“Like I said, we arrest people for assaulting agents and being creepy as hell,” Gabe replied.