Page 31 of D for Dead

‘So you’re saying he agreed with the decision.’

‘Well, no.’ Amy paused, a little flustered. ‘He was peed off because he wasn’t the one to end it.’

‘So he was controlling?’

‘Well… I guess he liked to have things his own way, but you can cross him off your list, he moved away six months ago.’

‘Where did he move to?’

‘Chicago, I heard. I didn’t see him before he left. We’d already severed ties.’

‘We’re still gonna need to check him out, to be certain before we cross him off the list.’

Amy shrugged. ‘I guess.’

‘What’s his name?’

‘David. David Gavin.’

Jake glanced over at Rivers to make sure he was writing it down. They would definitely need to check the ex-boyfriend out. Exes often had a score to settle.

‘How about work at the Velvet Lounge?’ he asked. ‘Have you noticed any customers paying you any extra attention?’

‘No more than normal. It’s a bar and I’m a cocktail waitress. Put men together with alcohol and there will always be situations where they try it on a little. It goes with the territory.’

‘But no one has stood out as going a little too far?’

‘No.’

‘I know you’ve already told us you didn’t know Ben Hogan or Kasey Miller. What about Shawn Randall? Does that name ring any bells?’

Amy thought for a moment. ‘No, should it?’

‘He was Kasey’s ex-boyfriend.’

‘Is he a suspect?’

‘Everyone is a suspect at this point.’

‘Including me.’ It wasn’t a question.

‘You know that’s not what I meant.’

‘Of course you are the catalyst for all this,’ Rivers piped up, far too cheerfully. ‘You may not have done the deed shall we say, but three people would still be alive if you hadn’t written those books.’

Jake wanted to punch him; tactless son of a bitch.

Amy paled further, but her tone had an edge when she spoke. ‘I write fiction, Special Agent Rivers. I didn’t expect some sicko to use my work as inspiration.’

‘She’s not to blame for this,’ Jake added, scowling at Rivers. ‘Our guy could have used anything for a trigger.’

‘I realise that,’ Rivers spluttered, his face reddening. ‘I was only pointing out he used her books and if she hadn’t written them–’

‘The victims would still be dead. He would have found another way.’

‘But–’

‘But nothing,’ Jake snapped. ‘Only one person is to blame and that is whoever put Ben Hogan and Kasey Miller in the graves. And whoever strung our latest vic up in a tree. Our attention would be better focused finding out who did that, instead of casting the blame elsewhere.’