Braden looked at his wife doubtfully, but she gave him a reassuring nod. Chris’s interruption was a godsend; she couldn’t be expected to reveal family secrets with a low-level employee in the room. Besides, she didn’t know how far Polchak was intending to go with this, and Chris’s imposing physical presence might serve to remind Polchak of what could happen if things got too far out of hand.

“Pull up a chair,” the senator grumbled reluctantly. “But do us all a favor and keep your mouth shut.”

Chris dragged up a chair equidistant between Braden and his wife and sat down.

All of them stared at Nick.

“Who murdered Danny Flanagan?” the senator asked.

“An eighty-year-old woman named Agnes. She’s the head librarian in Endor.”

Chris jerked forward in his chair. “What?”

Victoria turned on him before he could say another word. “I believe my husband told you to shut up. If you wish to remain in the room, do so.”

Chris slumped back with a look of astonishment on his face.

“An eighty-year-old woman,” Braden said. “I find that unbelievable.”

“So did four other men—and one woman. That’s probably how she was able to sneak up on them: Nobody expected a grandma to pack such a wallop.”

“Are you saying this woman is responsible for other murders as well?”

“That’s right. We found three of her victims buried on top of other graves at the Patriot Center. The fourth we found near a lake outside Endor. The woman—well, we found her in the lake.”

The senator blanched. “The Patriot Center? Then this old woman—”

“Is your serial killer. I’m afraid so, Senator—she murdered each of them over a period of about forty years. She apparently dug the holes and buried them herself; great little gardener, that one.”

“But—why? What in the world did she have to gain?”

Nick slowly turned and looked at Victoria. “Do you want to take that one, or should I?”

Victoria was trapped; the best she could do was to postpone—to get Johnny alone where the issue would be simpler to defuse and the man would be easier to handle. “I’ll deal with it,” she said. “But if you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you to leave first. This topic is very personal—I’m sure you understand.”

“I need to ask you something first,” Nick said.

Braden cut in. “We’ll be more than happy to answer any—”

“Your wife,” Nick said bluntly. “I need to ask her.”

“Dr. Polchak, I assure you that anything you can learn from my wife you can also—”

“John,” Victoria said firmly. “Go ahead, Dr. Polchak. Ask your question.”

“A woman disappeared tonight—I’m trying to find her, and I think you might be able to help.”

“Who is this woman?”