The video cut again, showing the reporter standing in front of the courthouse, looking concerned. “We should note that the victim’s wife, Stella Rowland Brewer, was released on bail for drug possession charges this morning and Michael and one other child were removed from her custody into emergency foster care.” She made a pained face. “So this story is far from straightforward. We’ll continue to investigate. I’m Kelly Henry and this is Action News.”

Cade stared at the screen long after the segment had ended. He hadn’t known about another kid when he went to Brewer’s house to check that the five-year-old was safe. He’d looked in the other bedrooms. One was the master, where he’d packed Brewer’s clothes into a suitcase so it would look like he’d gone on a trip.

The other was a stark guest room, bed made with military precision, the furniture and walls devoid of anything personal.

The third was Joshua’s room, where the boy had been sound asleep. But he hadn’t looked for any other kids. I should have. Why didn’t I?

Because he’d considered his job done that evening. He’d killed John Brewer and Blake Emerson, the guy who’d tried to buy Brewer’s stepson. He’d cut them up and dumped their parts in the river. He’d gone back to check on the kid, for God’s sake, because it was the fucking right thing to do. He’d been exhausted, dammit, so he’d come back here to sleep.

He clenched his eyes shut, trying to focus. “Okay,” he said aloud, the sound of his own voice anchoring him in the empty kitchen. “Either way I have to get out.” Because his face was on the damn news. “At least they don’t know my name.” They didn’t know any of the names he’d been using, real or fake. “Yet.”

He could run right now. He could be in Canada in five or six hours. But if they caught him? They had an only-decent sketch at this point. They’d need an eyewitness to make any charges stick. If Garrett had been the one who’d seen him, that loose end was snipped. But if Garrett hadn’t been the witness?

He pushed to his feet and began to pace the small kitchen, feeling caged and angry. Why am I even worrying about this? I killed scum that should be dead. I killed kiddie rapists and wife beaters. I killed traffickers and thieves.

Why should he be worried that they’d catch him and send him to prison? But he knew it was because of the collateral damage, like George Garrett.

In his heart, Cade knew that Garrett hadn’t seen him at the river. But Michael Rowland lived in Brewer’s house. “He could have seen me.”