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Could the killer have a group of adherents, all of them subscribing to the same deluded beliefs the killer used to justify murder? The very possibility caused Sheila to shudder.
The door to Celeste's interrogation room opened, and Finn stepped out, looking clear-eyed and thoughtful.
"Well, I've softened her up for you," he said. "I think all she needs now is a woman's touch. Should I talk to the kid?"
Sheila shook her head. "Give him some time."
As she entered Celeste's interrogation room, she noticed the older woman's hands trembling slightly. Celeste's eyes were red-rimmed, her earlier composure completely shattered.
"Mrs. Moon," Sheila began gently, taking a seat across from her. "We're not here to cause trouble for you or your nephew. We just want to understand what's going on. People have died, and we need to prevent more deaths. Can you help us with that?"
Celeste's eyes welled with tears. "I...I never wanted anyone to get hurt," she whispered, her voice cracking. "It wasn't supposed to be like this."
Sheila leaned forward, sensing a breakthrough. She kept her voice soft, sympathetic. "Tell me about the man who came to your shop, Celeste. The one who bought the custom seal."
Celeste hesitated, glancing toward the door as if expecting Jasper to burst in and stop her. Her fingers twisted the hem of her flowing shirt, now wrinkled and stained with tears. Finally, she began to speak, her words coming out in a rush.
"He came to the shop about six months ago, talking about the stars and divine judgment. At first, I thought he was just another New Age enthusiast. We get a lot of those, you know. But there was something...compelling about him. He spoke with such conviction, such certainty. It was like he could see things the rest of us couldn't."
"What did he look like?" Sheila asked, her pen poised over her notepad.
Celeste's brow furrowed in concentration. "He was...average. Medium height, medium build. Long, shaggy brown hair."
"Did he have a small scar just above his right eyebrow, by any chance?" Sheila asked, recalling Francine Albright's description.
Celeste frowned. "I don't think so."
"Did he look like he was wearing makeup?"
"Not that I recall."
Sheila took a long breath, calming herself. By the sound of it, this was not the same man Francine Albright had seen. Francine had described the priest as having hair that was gray and 'very neat,' not long, shaggy, and brown.
"He talked about the stars a lot," Celeste continued. "Said they held the key to understanding God's plan. Jasper was fascinated. I think...I think that's why he dropped out of school. To devote himself to this new...philosophy, I guess you'd call it."
"And what about you? Did you buy into this philosophy, too?"
Celeste licked her lips. "I…it seemed harmless enough, you know? And for the first time ever, it seemed like Jasper had a direction, a plan."
"Mrs. Moon, there's a good chance that the person you and your son spoke with was the Coldwater Confessor."
Celeste went pale. "I had no idea he was going to kill anyone," she said. "I thought it was all symbolic, spiritual—otherwise I never would've sold that seal to him."
"I know this may be difficult to answer, but it's important that you're completely truthful with me, for your son's sake as well as yours. Is it possible this man could've recruited Jasper?"
Celeste stared at Sheila in stunned silence for several seconds. "Are you asking whether Jasper could've had anything to do with the murders?"
Sheila waited, saying nothing.
"Absolutely not!" Celeste said. "Jasper may have gotten caught up in some strange ideas, but he's not a violent person. He wouldn't hurt anyone, no matter what philosophy he believes in."
Sheila nodded, her expression neutral. "I appreciate your conviction, Mrs. Moon. Can you tell me where you and Jasper were this morning?"
"We were at the shop, of course," Celeste replied, her voice steadier now. "We're always there during business hours. You can check the camera footage if you don't believe me."
Sheila raised an eyebrow. "You have camera footage?"
Celeste nodded. "Yes, we installed security cameras last year. I can access the feed on my phone if you'd like to see it."
