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“Interesting that Shauna can leave the compound,” Dee said.
“She didn’t have anything to do with Autumn’s murder.” Jonathan sighed. “Anyway, she can’t just leave any time she wants. It’s on special occasions if I approve.”
Dee raised her eyebrows. “What else is not allowed around here?”
“There’s no TV or music other than what I approve of, and they can get online a few times a week but I monitor what they do online. It’s for their own goods.”
“Yeah.” Dee nodded with sarcasm. “Is that it or do they have to have blood tests every day too?”
Connie sipped lemonade. “What if people get sick?”
“We have a doctor here at the compound.” Jonathan smiled at Connie. “The only medicines we use are organic and herbal medicines. I create most of the medicines we use from the plants I study.”
“You mean, they can’t even leave if they get sick?” Dee batted her eyes. “What if someone needs to go to the hospital?”
“We have an infirmary on the compound that can envy any hospital.”
Dee stared at Jonathan in awe. “What if they need medical treatment you can’t provide?”
“Being in The Circle means sacrifice and everyone understands that when they agree to be here. It’s how I run things and there’s no negotiation.”
“Can members leave the group?” Connie chewed cheese. “If they don’t want to be a part of it anymore?”
“Sure.” Jonathan’s rigid voice wasn’t convincing. “But, no woman’s ever wanted to leave.”
“What about Prisha Banerjee?” Dee asked. “Did she wanna leave?”
“Prisha had a problem.” He sat erect, squinting. “She couldn’t stick to the rules.”
“Is that why she’s no longer here?”
Jonathan wiggled his head. “Next question, Detective Quarter.”
“Ah, I hit a nerve with Prisha?” She noted his attitude on her pad. “Anymore rules?”
“No, smoking, drinking or drugs. They can use a cell phone I’ve provided twice a week.” He smiled. “I’m not a complete monster. We monitor the texts to keep any outside influences from sabotaging their growth.”
“What about sex?” Dee asked. “They have to sleep with you?”
“I don’t rape anyone.” His jaws sunk. “It’s their choice to give themselves to me. They even fight for the chance.”
“Is there anyone in The Circle who had issues with Autumn?” Connie asked. “Did she have beef with any of the women?”
“Not that I’m aware.”
“Could Shauna have gotten jealous of your relationship with Autumn?”
“No, Detective Wilks.” He laughed from the back of his throat. “That proves you don’t get our community. The women don’t have those emotions.”
“They’re human,” Dee said. “No matter what you wanna believe I can bet your ass that at least one of them is jealous of another.”
He exhaled, swallowing.
“You can pretend Autumn was like all the others, but you cared about her,” Dee said. “Your eyes glow when you speak about her. Did you love Autumn?”
“If you mean did she become a little closer than the others, yes.” He cleared his throat. “But, if anyone was jealous, it would’ve been Autumn.” He stood. “She wanted to take Shauna’s place, or she didn’t want to be in the group at all. Now if you’ll excuse me.”
“Where are you going?” Dee scowled. “We’re not done here.”
“I’m done, Detective.” He bowed and walked to the path. “It’s time for our daily cleansing session where we strip ourselves of any impure or negative thoughts.”
“Oh, I see,” Dee said. “Was the questioning too much for you? Got to get your lies straight?”
“I’ve not lied to you.” He ignored Dee and smiled at Connie. “Have a nice day. Tran will show you out.”
“Wait, a minute.” Dee stood as Jonathan left. “Did he just leave?”
****
“My god.” Dee whistled, walking into Jonathan’s plant laboratory that night. It resembled a grocery store but instead of aisles of food, there were shelves full of containers of plants in and out of test tubes.
“Detective Quarter.” Jonathan stooped over the steel table in the middle of the room, looking into a microscope. “It shocked me when you asked to come back.”
“We have unfinished business.” She stopped beside the table. “It’s freezing in here.”
“It’s good for the plants.” He straightened the small leaf on the slide. “What can I do for you?”
“What are you doing?”
“Checking out the primary meristems of this plant.”
“The what?” Dee leaned over beside him.
Jonathan lifted his head. “Primary meristems are groups of tissues.” He focused back on the slide.
“You must know everything about plants.”
“Not everything.” He switched slides. “I love learning about plants,” He rose, his gaze landing on her bosom. “And people too.”
“All people or just women?” Dee winked. “You got an Environmental Science degree from Harvard.” She poked out her lips, nodding. “Very impressive.”
“Anyone can do it if they put their mind to it.”
She laughed. “I doubt I’d ever get a degree from Harvard no matter what I do.”
He stood straight. “You should believe in yourself. If you believe, then it can happen.”
“Look, I told you.” She stood from the table and put her hands in her pockets. “That stuff you pull on those chicks in The Circle won’t work on me. You’re wasting your time.”
“I don’t consider it a waste of time.” He sat with half-moon eyes.
“How did you get interested in plants?” She walked around, checking out the specimens on the shelf.
“I’ve always been fascinating with knowing how things operate.” He turned in his swivel chair, eyes following her movement. “Plants are just like people. Different things contribute to how both grow whether it’s science or the environment. I guess plants help me understand people.”
“What about you?” She turned around, facing him. “Are you hard to understand, Mr. Wild?”
He chuckled, muscles flexing in his cheeks. “Believe it or not I’m the least complicated person here.”
“Somehow I doubt that.”
“I love studying things.” He looked at his hands. “I’m studying you.”
“For how long?”
“Since you first came.” He stretched out his long legs. “I’m interested in you.”
She sighed. “Why?”
“Let’s say I wanna be a step ahead.” He stood, inching toward her. “Do you love him?”
She stiffened. “Excuse me?”
“The man in your life?” He stopped in front of her, too close.
“Have you been spying on me?”
“No, just guessing.” He pulled lint from her blouse. “A woman like you has to have someone.”
“Yes, I love him very much.”
He brushed her hand. “What’s his name?”
“None of your business.” She moved from between him and the shelves.
“Is he a cop?” He turned to face her.
“Stop it, okay? I’m telling you this won’t work. I came here to talk about the case.”
“Really? Because you’ve been here ten minutes and haven’t mentioned Autumn once.”
She stuck out her chest. “I—”
“You’re drawn Deidra, and that’s okay.”
“Deidra? I didn’t say you could call me that.”
His eyebrows wiggled. “You didn’t say I couldn’t.”
“I don’t have time for this nonsense.” She hurried to the door.
“It’s not about control,” he said. “It’s about being set free. I can set you free.”
She swung around, scoffing. “How can you set me free when I can’t?”
“You think you should be happy, yet you’re empty inside.” He inched toward her, crossing his arms. “I felt like that until I created The Circle. I had to change things, Deidra. Everyone needs help sometimes.” He touched her shoulder. “Let me help you.”
“I—”
“Let me help you.” He stroked her chin with his thumb. “What do you want? I can make it happen.” He closed his eyes, moving his mouth toward her.
“What are you doing?” She jumped back, covering her mouth. “Are you trying to kiss me?”
He pressed his hands to the wall, locking her in between his arms. “Do you want me to kiss you?”
“Get away from me.” She shoved him. “This won’t work. You’re trying to throw me off so I’ll think you’re innocent.”
“I assure you your case is the last thing on my mind right now.”
“This isn’t happening,” she shouted. “I’m not falling for your bullshit.”
He reached for her. “Let’s talk—”
“You want to talk?” She walked from the door. “Let’s talk about Prisha then. I researched and found out she was pregnant. You have a strict rule about that don’t you, Jonathan? If a woman gets pregnant, she’s out of The Circle. Am I right?”
“Deidra—”
“Am I right? Isn’t that your biggest rule and the one you forgot to mention earlier?”
“Yes, it’s true.” His lip curled. “Pregnancy is not allowed. There are things the women do to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
“But, Prisha got pregnant, and I bet you were angry. Did you do something to her?”
“No, damn it. I told her to leave, and she left. End of story.”
“She disappeared, Jonathan. People don’t just disappear.”
“Why would I hurt Prisha? It’s true I don’t want babies and even if I were mad, I wouldn’t have hurt her. If something happened to Prisha, it had nothing to do with me or The Circle.” His lip trembled. “I’m not a killer, Deidra.”
“Then why are you hiding from the world? You use The Circle so you don’t have to face reality. What are you so afraid of?”
“The same thing you’re afraid of.” His stare burrowed into her. “Of being alone. We’ve both lost our fathers, and they meant the world to us.”
“Stay away from, Jonathan.”
He grabbed her wrist as she passed. “Winston is a very lucky man. I hope he appreciates what he’s got.”
She yanked free. “What don’t you know about me?”
He winked. “Nothing.”