“Sorry, counselor,” Ricky said. “Kirkman was an alleged serial killer. Three missing teenage girls disappeared along rural roads. Two were discovered in shallow graves, raped and strangled. The third wasn’t found, presumably because the killer learned to hide his victims better. Classic serial predator. And Kirkman fits the classic profile—the quiet white guy who lives alone. The last girl disappeared a month before he did. There were no more after that. Which suggests he was more than a suspect.”

Gabriel conceded the point. “The police believed Kirkman was responsible and that he committed suicide somewhere in the forest, perhaps having gone for drinks to prepare himself. They continued to investigate the murders but found no other suspects. They did eventually locate and identify the third victim—her body was found buried a few miles from his home.”

“Which was near Cainsville,” Ricky said.

“That’s not the only local connection.” I enlarged another article. “The second victim disappeared during a summer visit to extended family, who lived…”

“Here,” Ricky murmured as he read. “In Cainsville.”

—

Ricky borrowed my car to take Lloergan to the Saints’ clubhouse. He had work there, and our new “next step” wasn’t something he could help with.

There were three people we could confront about Greg Kirkman. Four, if you included Seanna, but we had no idea where to find her. The question was which to choose. Which wasn’t really a question at all.

An hour later, I was back where I’d first been stalled. And where I’d first known I was being thwarted but had gotten too caught up in the sluagh business to pursue it.

“Greg Kirkman,” I said as Pamela took her seat across from me.

“I told you, Eden, I don’t know—”

“Try again.”

Pamela’s lips tightened. “This woman—Seanna—is sending you on a wild-goose chase, and I can’t believe you’re allowing it. She’s an idiot with just enough animal intelligence to know where to strike. Where it will hurt. For you, that’s your father. You need to guard your weaknesses more carefully, or your enemies will never stop using them against you.” She sat back in her seat. “I see Gabriel isn’t with you. I’m going to interpret that to mean he’s tried to dissuade you from this path, knowing his mother and her schemes. As much as I hate to say it, he’s right. Drop this, Eden.”

“Can’t. Not until I have answers.”

She let out a hiss of frustration. “You’re better than this. You have blind spots. You need to recognize them and—”