“Wait, I guess there is something else. All these people he’s killed have been connected to Rainey or Platt—someone in the family, someone they worked with, someone who might know how to find them. He’s been eating his way through their friends and family. Like with Tolliver James.”

A silence settled between the three of them that no one seemed anxious to fill.

Finally, Cole said, “If the FBI comes back to you, give them my name.”

Lucy said, “Are you sure? We can delay this or stall it. I don’t want you in jeopardy.”

Cole smiled, and for the first time during the call felt a flush of comfort.

“You’re the best, Lucille.”

“Sometimes.”

“Yes, you are, but give them my name. Terry, I appreciate this, man, but if they call, put them on me. We’ll have to bring in the locals here anyway. They need to know this.”

Cole told Lucy he would call later, then printed the new pictures of Wilson and Dru. Cole corrected himself. William Rainey and Rose Platt.

Cole said, “It just keeps getting better.”

He heard Pike pull up outside as the second picture emerged from the printer, and met him in the kitchen. Cole thought Pike looked tired, his gaunt face hollow and lined behind the gleaming dark glasses. Pike drank an entire bottle of water before he came up for air.

Cole said, “How long have you been awake?”

“I’m good.”

Cole figured he was going on forty-eight hours.

“Grab something to eat.”

“I’m good to go.”

“Okay, we finally have something. Lucy found out who they are. It isn’t good news.”

Pike leaned against the counter as Cole went through it, arms crossed, as still as a hardwood statue. Pike only moved once as Cole related the information.

He said, “The names.”

Cole didn’t understand, and asked what Pike meant.

“Rainey. Rayne. You think she picked her name because it was so close to his? Maybe he picked it for her.”

Cole stared at Pike, but quickly pushed on to soothe his own aching heart.

“What do you want to do?”

“Call the police.”

“Good. I think that’s the right call. You have Button’s number?”

Pike reached into his pocket for his phone, but it buzzed with an incoming call before he got it out. The phone buzzed again as Pike studied the Caller ID, and Cole wondered why Pike was staring. Pike looked up on the third buzz.

“It’s Dru.”

Pike opened the phone and answered.

Par Five - THE SENTRY

Par Five

THE SENTRY

sentry n; a soldier standing guard at a point of passage.

—Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary

Chapter 36

36

She had not used her phone in three days, but there was her name, DRU, in the phone’s tiny window. That was how he had stored her number in the memory.