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“Tell me exactly what you did,” Cora said softly.
The man whimpered, adjusting his arm, but then whispered, “I...I invited her over. I thought...” He swallowed. “I thought I could control it. I really did, I swear!”
“And that’s why you have someone in your basement, is it? Chained to the wall?” Cora shot another look towards the keys on the hook where Mitchell had pointed.
“I—No, I was never going to kill her! Never. I was going to let her go. Tonight, actually!” he nodded urgently. “Yes. Yes, she was safe. I just...just wanted to talk with her was all. I...I’m sick. I’m just—yes, I’m sick!”
“Sick people find a doctor,” Cora said quietly. “Sadists find someone weaker than them to prey on. I don’t believe for one second that woman downstairs was going to leave here alive if you had your way. But that aside, tell me about Rachelle.”
“Well, she...two nights ago...she came over and...and we started out just chatting. You know. Some food. Nothing much. But...but I lost control. So...”
“So what?”
“So, I hit her. I didn’t mean to. I swear!”
But now Cora was leaning back, still kneeling and still clutching her knife. “Youhither?”
“Yeah,” he said, sobbing, tears streaming down his face.
She rocked back on her heels, letting out a loose little, leaking sigh. “Rachelle Castillo? You hit her.”
“I…I mean—That’s what you called her. I don’t know. Online she said her name was Candy.”
“...Online?”
“Umm...yeah. The escort service.”
“Describe Candy to me,” Cora snapped.
He winced, but then said, carefully, “Umm...Full lips. Beautiful, dark skin. Curls...I... I don’t know—”
Cora cursed and he flinched, but she stood back to her feet, glaring down now. “I’m asking you about Mrs. Castillo. Janice Lochhead. About Rachelle. Not someone you found online. Are you saying you killedanotherperson? Where are they?”
“No...I...Well...”
“This woman who called herself Candy. You killed her, then what?”
He gasped, closed his eyes. “Shit...Look, I don’t know what—”
“I askedthenwhat?” Cora snapped, her voice colder and firmer now.
“The ocean. The—I have a small boat. Just...I took her out. Dropped her. It was very tasteful. Very gentle! She’s in the water now. The ocean is lovely...isn’t it?”
Cora sneered now, pushing her foot down against the man’s chest, leaning over and staring at him. He was admitting to a murder. But not the one she was looking at. “And what about Janice?” she snapped.
“Who?” he yelped.
“The woman you took from the boat in the Keys. The mayor’s wife? The mayor’s daughter?”
“Who?” He scoffed now. “Lady,trust me,the ones who I’m interested in arenotrelated to some mayor. Not unless they really want to stick it to the man by doing—you know—thingsfor cheap cash.”
“You’re literally telling me you’ve been killing prostitutes?”
He just looked miserable now, as if trying to think ofwhatto say, hoping to assuage her rising anger.
But Cora wasn’t in the mood to be placated. She’d caught a serial killer, but a serial killer who hadn’t had anything to do with the Castillo murders. This wasn’t the man she was after. He was a pervert and a murderer, but nothermurderer.
She let out a long breath. “Where were you last weekend. Sunday. Quick!”
