Part 8 (1/2)
”Your having me look into the serial killer, Cupid.”
Shocked again for the night, he cleared his throat. ”Cupid? You named the killer that?”
”Yes. The man or woman we're looking for is deadlier than we've thought. This person has killed eight people on Ovid Island at least.”
Eight. How did she get that number? Only three others were connected by the police.
A knot built in his throat. This didn't happen to Asher much. The rich never paid attention. Sure, they played tennis, dined in high-end restaurants, chatted at charities, engaged in affairs, and gossiped all over designer hair salons and on the greens of golf course, but no one ever took notice of his activities before.
”Why did you say eight?” he asked.
”Five other rich white men were discovered in the past year. Although at the time, police never saw them as related. I have a person in the department who's working with me on this. He combed over ever Ovid Island death this past year, and found a few men that had been deemed death by accident or natural causes. Meanwhile, these same men had holes in their chest, thus confirming that the police on this island really are incompetent.”
”Do you have a list of the possible new victims?”
”Yes.”
”I want it, and any other information you can get me.”
”Why?”
”I'm funding this. It should prove that I'm just as intrigued as you are.” He raised one eyebrow. ”What else did you discover?”
”I think I know Cupid's motive.”
He stiffened. ”Do tell.”
”Well, maybe motive is too strong. I think I am understanding why he kills. He thinks he's protecting people.”
Asher looked away and hoped she didn't notice, the awkwardness creeping around his eyes. This was supposed to be a fun evening, filled with quirky comments and t.i.tillating conversation.
He hadn't intended for Diana to peg him as adequately as she did.
”Mrs. Carson, I think you're jumping ahead of yourself right now. Maybe, it's due to the tragedy of this morning. Either way, I think we should just focus on the three murders, we're sure of.”
”I won't argue against your opinion.” She smirked. ”I tend to go pretty fast when I investigate. Let's focus on the three murders, so you can catch up.”
He ignored the slight, knowing that he'd probably deserved it. ”Very well. Help me catch up, as you said. So, the police only connected three murders-Thomas Nickelson, owner of Lenwood Oil was the first body that they found with a hole in his chest that could be made with an arrow.”
”Yes.” She nodded. ”Thomas was found in his daughter's room. This murder interested me more than the other ones, so I started with him first. I just kept wondering, why would Cupid kill this man, and then leave the dead body in the guy's daughter's bedroom. What was he trying to say?”
It took all of Asher's energy to keep himself still. This was not as fun as he thought it would be. Earlier, he figured it would be interesting to get another's opinion on his secret activities, maybe play a little with the person's mind.
This was not fun. This was torture. And he had to endure it because he'd brought it all on himself.
Diana was just as good as his research had claimed. Although surely she possessed the face and body to climb up the new paper ladder of success, she'd done it with her brain.
Diana continued with her discussion, ignoring the tension that radiated from Asher's stiff frame. ”My further investigating found that Thomas's daughter had confessed to friends that her father was touching her inappropriately. She'd also told another in secret, that she saw the killer.”
”What?”
”She said, that night a man left her room right as she woke up and in the next few seconds, she spotted her dad on the floor with a hole in his chest-”
”Wait,” he might've said too abruptly. ”Further investigation? I met you this morning and am now seeing you this evening. You only had some of the day to investigate and already you have some witness's account? ”
”Yes, the daughter saw a man. I talked to her best friend, a cheerleader for Ovid High.”
Asher looked past her to calm down. ”Did the daughter describe the man to her friend?”
”No. She didn't get a good look at him. She told the police that he wore all black, maybe a one piece or body suit. The room was dark. He had on a black hat too. She didn't get his hair color. She was only sure that he was white, but that's not hard to guess being that whites represent 85% of the island's population.”
I didn't know the kid saw me. When did she wake up? I'm glad I didn't move Thomas. She kept tossing and turning. Plus, I hadn't want her to wake up to his dead body. Seeing your dead father is never good for sleep in the future. But, she kept tossing and turning.
”And then we have Jackson Mirabelli.” Diana tucked some of her waves behind her ear. ”He went upstairs with a woman who no one could find after the scene. The police originally a.s.sumed that a woman was involved. My friend got me the file to the case.”
A weird darkness fell over him. He wasn't sure if he'd somehow s.h.i.+fted into the hunt or was drowning in unease. The urge to hurt something hit him, but he couldn't point out why.
”The investigation file?” he asked.
”Yes. I read over it today.”
”You've been busy.”
”Very.”
She'd found eight of his murders in just half of a day, as well as got cla.s.sified police files. What would she discover in months of investigating him? Maybe, this was a bad idea. Maybe, mother was right. I am a fool.
Asher wiped the sweat off of his forehead.
”I did several news pieces on Jackson a few years ago. One thing that the man loved besides drugs, was women. Prost.i.tutes to be exact. Ovid Island has its secrets, but most aren't well hidden.” She winked. ”I happen to know the madam of the most used s.e.x service for the island.”
He tensed in his suit. ”Interesting. Did you find the woman that was with Jackson that night?”
”Yes.”
His nostrils flared. ”And what did she have to say?”
Diana hugged herself as if she was freezing. ”She said a man came out of the closet of his bedroom, dressed in all black, and with a mask on his face. He held a bow and arrow, and pointed it at her.”
”But he didn't kill her,” Asher declared, more to push the fact that maybe Cupid wasn't that bad of a guy. ”It doesn't seem like the murderer kills everyone, just certain people.”
”Exactly. He didn't hurt her at all. The escort said that he told her she could leave, but that Jackson had to remain.”
I should've killed her.
”Did she say anything else?” he asked.
”She said that she didn't get a description of him and truthfully didn't want to discuss it anymore. Absolutely refused to go to the police with the information, but. . .”
”But what?” Asher asked.