EIGHTY-EIGHT

Inside the Pierce house, as investigators dusted for fingerprints and collected evidence, Chief Walters took Patrick Castile aside.

“Look,” she said. “I’ve put my entire force on the lookout for Emil Deetz. If he’s out there, we’ll find him.”

Castile raised an eyebrow in her direction. “Changed your mind on the likelihood of Deetz being our man, have you, Chief?” he asked.

“I’m open to the possibility,” she said.

Castile’s arrogance really ticked Walters off. He was a kid. When Walters had started out as a rookie cop, Castile was probably still in nursery school.

“And if I’m willing to keep an open mind,” she said, “I’m here to ask you to keep yours open as well.”

“Oh, really? What should I be considering, Chief Walters?”

“John Manning.”

Castile sighed, and began to say something, but the chief cut him off.

“I’m not saying he’s the killer. Maybe he is, maybe he’s not. I’m just saying there are questions that just won’t go away and that he’s never really given us satisfactory answers. You were aware that he and Heather Pierce were having an affair?”

Castile looked at her, but made no reply.

“Manning broke off the affair. Heather made some scenes. She was harassing him. And she was convinced he’d killed her husband.”

Castile still said nothing.

“It just strikes me as worth investigating why every murder has had some connection to Manning.”

“I’d hardly say there was a connection between Theresa Whitman and Manning.”

“Not that we know of.”

“Please, Chief . . .”

“Look, Castile, Manning was the last one to see Pierce alive, after beating him up. And the victim whose corpse you just carried out of here on a stretcher sat in my office not long ago and told me she was afraid of him. Come on. This is basic police work. You’ve got to find out where Manning is involved in all of this.”

“Look,” Castile said, moving close to Walters so he could speak softly and she could hear. “I’ve already told you. We are well aware of John Manning. Leave him to us.” His face hardened. “In fact, Chief, I’d say your further involvement in this case is no longer needed. We appreciate all that you and your department have done, but we’ll take it from here.”

Walters was aghast. “You can’t tell me not to be involved when a serial killer is roaming my town.”

“I can,” he said. “And I am.”

He walked away from her.

Chief Walters seethed.