Dream Eyes

Thirty-five

Gwen waited impatiently until Judson ended the call. Energy, excitement and anticipation were sleeting through her.

“I know why Louise gave her son the crystal camera,” she said.

“Yeah?” Judson clipped his phone to his belt. “I’m assuming you don’t think it was because she planned to set him up in the serial killer business.”

“No, she gave it to him so that he could use it to protect himself from his father, the demon.”

“Huh.” Judson considered that with a coolly thoughtful air. “You know, that works in a twisted kind of way.”

“Maybe she even dared to hope that Zander would do what she could not do herself—destroy the man who had abused her for so long.”

“She wanted her son to be her avenger. Yes, that works, too. You know, talking to you is useful. It helps me clarify things. You’re good at this profiling stuff.”

She was surprised by how much his praise warmed her. “Thanks. Side effect of my talent, I guess. You can get into the heads of the bad guys. Me, I sort of get into the heads of the victims.”

“The talking-to-ghosts thing.”

“Right. That’s what it’s really all about, I think. I’m profiling the victims when I do that.”

“Yes,” Judson said. He looked intrigued by that notion. “You do seem to have a talent for that.”

“We make a good team.”

“Looks like it.”

“Well, whoever the demon is, the bastard has a lot to answer for.”

“He does,” Judson agreed. “One thing is certain, everything points to the demon being a resident of Wilby. He’s right here in town. He’s been here all along. But Louise would have known that he was here. If she was terrified of him, why did she move here in the first place?”

“She was a psychologically and psychically damaged woman,” Gwen said. “Any bastard who could run a cult would have found it a snap to control her. He would have wanted her here, not only because it was convenient but also so that he could keep an eye on her to make sure she didn’t get any ideas about going to the cops.”

“And if we’re right, this particular demon bastard has some serious talent,” Judson said. “That would make it even easier to manipulate a fragile woman like Fuller.”

“Poor Louise. No wonder she was such a basket case. The next question is, did father and son know each other?”

Judson tapped one finger on the steering wheel. “Maybe not back at the beginning when Taylor first tracked down his mother here in Wilby. But at some point along the way, yes, they discovered each other. Maybe Louise told Taylor about his father, or maybe the demon discovered there had been a mother-and-son reunion and introduced himself. The father now has the camera or at least he’s got the crystal inside it. He’s been using it for the past year and a half.”

“That confirms the motive for Evelyn’s murder. She stumbled onto the identity of the demon.”

“Yes.”

“We’re back to waiting again, aren’t we?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”