Killing Ways

59

Ren spent the next morning at Safe Streets studying everything that was pinned to the noticeboards. She was briefed by the investigators present on their progress. She went for a late lunch with a paperback so she could breathe, have space, detach. Instead, she was drawn to thoughts of Duke Rawlins. She switched to thinking about Ben. And that led her to Joe.

Grr. Get out of my head.

Shaun’s graduation!

She texted Joe.

Good luck to Shaun! Forensic Psychology — we may employ him in the future. To the great horror of his NYPD dad...

Joe replied: Promise me, son, not to do the things she’s done...

‘Coward of the County’! Kenny Rogers!

Ren replied: LMFAO!

She could see Shaun Lucchesi as an FBI profiler. A sullen one. Serious. Dedicated.

Oh. Jesus.

She looked through her contacts for Vincent Farraday and dialed his number. It rang over and over, until he picked up as she was about to abandon hope.

‘Mr Farraday, it’s Special Agent Ren Bryce,’ she said. ‘I met with you and—’

‘Yes, yes,’ he said.

‘Could I ask you a question?’

‘Go ahead.’

‘You mentioned a young man from New York calling to your home to ask you questions about Duke Rawlins. You said he seemed like he was interested in the truth, so you spoke with him. Was he one of the “forensics” people you mentioned who called on you?’

The silence stretched.

Please, please, please remember this.

‘Yes,’ said Vincent, ‘yes he was.’

‘Forensic Psychology?’ said Ren.

‘That was it,’ said Vincent.

‘When was that?’ said Ren.

‘That would have been oh, last year, definitely.’

‘Did he give you his name?’ said Ren.

‘Erm... Banner,’ said Vincent.

‘Banner?’ said Ren.

‘Shaun Banner,’ said Vincent.

Banner, my ass. And no wonder Joe Lucchesi looked familiar to you, Mr Farraday.

Ren called Denver University’s Admissions Office. They had no Shaun Lucchesi, but they did have a Masters student called Shaun Banner, with an address on the Auraria Campus. Ren got there in ten minutes, and ran to his room.

There were groups of frightened-looking students gathered down the hallway, and a voice raised to an alarming level inside Shaun’s room.

That is Joe Lucchesi.

‘What have you done?’ he was roaring. ‘What the hell have you done?’

Ren held up her creds to the students. ‘Please, move along, everyone. This is under control.’

‘Nothing to see here!’ said one of the kids, and everyone laughed.

She waited for them to start moving.

There was the sound of a crash, and broken glass from inside the room.

Jesus Christ.

Ren hammered on the door with her fist. ‘It’s Ren. Open up.’

There was silence.

‘Joe!’ said Ren. ‘Open up. Now.’

Silence.

‘Don’t make me kick the door in,’ said Ren.

The door unlocked. The first person she saw was Shaun Lucchesi, sitting in the chair by his desk, but facing the door. He was ghostly, his eyes rimmed in red. There was a smashed lamp at his feet. There were books around the floor, on the bed.

Joe was standing there, red-faced, sweating, wild-eyed.

A force.

Ren closed the door behind her. She moved the books along the bed up toward the desk, cleared a space.

‘Joe — sit down,’ said Ren.

‘I’m good,’ he said.

‘You need to sit down,’ said Ren.

Whatever was in her tone, he did as she said. She leaned against the wall opposite him.

‘What’s going on here?’ she said.

Neither man spoke.

‘I’m going to get the ball rolling, then,’ said Ren. ‘I spoke with Vincent Farraday this morning—’

Joe stood up. ‘We need to talk in private for a moment.’

Ren glanced over at Shaun.

‘I’m fine,’ he said. ‘You can go into the hallway. I’m not going to do anything.’

‘Are you sure you’re OK?’ said Ren.

He nodded.

She stepped into the hallway with Joe, but left the door open.

‘He was registered here as Shaun Banner,’ said Joe. ‘For obvious reasons. But before you talk to him, you need to know that he doesn’t know we’re looking at Duke Rawlins for this case. I made up some other bullshit as to why I was working with you. And you guys didn’t release enough details to the media for him to come to that conclusion. Either way, he’s been all about getting an internship and his graduation over the past few months. I’ll let him tell you what he’s been doing. You obviously know some of it already. But, yes, as you can see, I just fucking lost it with him, Ren. I lost my fucking mind. I hope you can understand why. I didn’t lay a finger on him, but—’

‘I know that,’ said Ren. ‘Of course.’ Jesus. ‘Take a moment, OK?’

Joe nodded. He rubbed his hand through his hair, took some deep breaths.

‘I heard he was asking questions around Stinger’s Creek...’ said Ren.

‘It’ll blow your fucking mind what he’s been doing,’ said Joe.

They went back inside, and Joe took his seat on the bed. Ren stood where she had been.

‘I’m sorry, Dad,’ said Shaun, looking hopefully in his direction.

Well, your father is clearly not ready to accept that apology.

‘Tell her,’ said Joe. ‘Tell her what you did.’

Shaun looked reduced, stripped of his twenty-six years, back to sixteen, back to infuriating his father.

‘My dissertation for my Masters was on serial killers, and I included in that Duke Rawlins and Donald Riggs.’

Holy. Shit.

‘He only told me this now,’ said Joe.

‘I’m not surprised your father lost it,’ said Ren.

‘I cannot believe that he kept that from me all this time,’ said Joe.

‘I guess your professors couldn’t have stopped you doing this, if they didn’t know your real name,’ said Ren.

Shaun nodded. He turned to Joe. ‘I thought you’d be proud.’

Joe erupted. ‘Proud? Are you out of your mind? Proud that you threw yourself in the path of the man who has already done his best to destroy us and who will finish the job, given half the chance?’

Didn’t you say you believed that Duke Rawlins wasn’t after you? Oh, you lied, Joe Lucchesi. You want him to be after you. It’s your only way of getting your chance to kill him.

‘I cannot believe,’ said Joe, standing again, stabbing a finger at Shaun, ‘the risk you took, after everything I’ve done to protect you: the name, the move from New York, your little sister, for crying out loud — didn’t you consider Grace? Wouldn’t you want to protect her from even a fraction of what you’ve been through? You selfish, selfish, brat. I thought you’d grown up, Shaun. I thought you’d fucking grown up. But you’re still a self-indulgent little shit.’

Oh, Jesus. Rein it in, Joe.

Shaun stood up to face him. ‘I do want to protect Grace!’ he said. ‘I love her more than anything in the world. How fucking dare you? That’s the whole point! I wanted to find a way of getting Duke Rawlins that was peaceful, sensible, non-violent: by analyzing his psychology, predicting possible future behavior, thoughtfully studying him, not by firing a fucking gun in his direction! Which is your approach to everything!’

‘My approach to everything?’ said Joe. ‘Jesus Christ! That’s what you think?’

‘Well, look where it got us the last time!’ said Shaun. ‘Your solution to Donnie Riggs — shoot the fucker! And here we are. This is what that gets you.’

Oh, no. Worst possible thing to say to Joe Lucchesi.

I can’t even bear to see that pain in his face.

Shaun looked horrified himself.

‘Please, guys,’ said Ren. ‘Everyone is angry—’

‘Of course I’m angry!’ said Joe. ‘He has jeopardized his entire family. And all I’ve ever done is try to protect you...’ He looked deflated.

‘Sit down, both of you,’ said Ren. ‘This has gotten too... this is too much.’

They sat down, fuming, staring at the floor.

You look so alike.

‘Shaun, do you want to talk to me about what you found out about Duke Rawlins?’ said Ren.

‘I believe that Duke Rawlins was systematically physically and sexually abused from when he was a very young child. And that his mother, Wanda Rawlins, pimped him out to pedophiles in return for drugs.’

Oh, God.