The Coldest Fear. Debra Webb

had a feeling that keeping this investigation quiet would not be in any way easy. She imagined most of his department was composed of locals who had known those kids or who knew their families.

      “And frankly,” Durham added, “I’m struggling with who may have tampered with this file. No offense, but what could you or this Randolph Weller possibly have to do with my case?”

      Where to begin? Keep it simple and to the point. “Nearly a year ago I worked with the FBI on a joint task force to stop the Storyteller. Heard of him?”

      Durham nodded. “He was—oh hell. You’re the victim who survived.”

      Bobbie cleared her throat of the lump still lodged there. “That’s me.” The image of those small bones back there flashed over and over in her head. “He murdered my husband. He was the reason my little boy and my partner died.”

      “I’m sorry.” Durham shook his head. “I’m even sorrier you had to see what we found in that cemetery.”

      Bobbie stared out the windshield at the headstones of the famous cemetery standing tall beneath the moss-draped oaks. “I’m a cop. We see things.” She turned to him. “The Storyteller’s dead, but what happened with him drew another serial killer’s attention my way.”

      And Nick’s. He was the primary reason she had survived.

      “Weller?”

      She nodded. “In addition to more than forty murders in the past, he orchestrated several murders in Montgomery during the past eight days. I believe Weller is attempting to lure me into some twisted game he’s determined to play out in your backyard. If I’m right, then he may have been responsible for the murders of your two newest victims. I don’t know about the children. None of this is his usual MO but I’ve learned recently that isn’t always relevant.” She took a breath. “I’m not sure I could possibly find the right words to convey to you the depth of Weller’s knowledge and insights into other killers—or the depraved acts he’s capable of carrying out.”

      “I read the report on him that hit the wires Tuesday night.” He shook his head. “That’s the first I’d heard of him.”

      “Do you know if he ever consulted on any cases in Savannah? Before your time, maybe? Prior to being outed as a serial killer himself, he often consulted with the police and the FBI on difficult cases.”

      “I have no idea.” Durham blew out a disgusted breath. “I left Savannah right after high school. I only returned three years ago. I’m still catching up on the past sixteen years. Hell, I got the call about the Sanderses just after midnight. A noise disturbance was reported around eleven-thirty. When uniforms showed up the front door was open and the television was blaring. If one of my uniforms hadn’t needed to take a piss and literally stumbled over one of the damaged statues with bones falling out of it, we probably wouldn’t have noticed the remains until daylight. By four this morning I was digging out this damned cold case file. Sometime around my tenth cup of coffee I found the reference to you. My head has been spinning ever since.”

      “Was the 911 caller male or female?”

      “Male.” He rubbed at his temple. “One of the neighbors. He’s been interviewed, but he didn’t see anything. The noise woke him up and he called it in.”

      Bobbie digested the information for a moment. “I wish I could give you more. What I’ve told you is my best assessment based on what you have so far.”

      She decided not to mention Nick or the woman LeDoux told her about. Durham seemed like a nice guy, but right now it was best not to be too trusting even with kind strangers who were cops. She’d trusted Steven Devine. After a decade in Birmingham PD, he’d transferred to Montgomery PD a month ago to replace her partner. Fury tightened her gut.

      “If someone in my department added your name to the case file,” Durham said, drawing her attention back to him, “I need to figure out who the hell he or she is. I’ll get the Records Section working on that ASAP.” He stared out over the cemetery. “If this Weller character is the one who wants you involved in this case, there must be a reason. You think your department will have a problem with your sticking around in an advisory capacity for a few days?”

      Bobbie laughed. “That’s another complicated story, but the abbreviated answer is no. I’ll bring my chief and my lieutenant up to speed as soon as I have a better handle on what’s going on.”

      Durham shifted back into Drive. “Well, let’s get started then. The sooner we figure out this mess, the sooner we can stop it.”

      Five dead children.

      Bobbie closed her eyes as they headed back to the crime scene.

      What the hell are you trying to show me, Weller?

      He’d warned her that every ounce of courage and tenacity she possessed would be required to survive what was coming.

      Bobbie glanced at the man behind the wheel. If Weller had started this, Durham had no idea just how bad things were going to get.