Hour Game

Bailey answered, "Maybe even an animal like that has his limits. Or maybe he thought his son was half-asleep and wouldn't remember the conversation, or that no one would believe him if the boy did tell someone. You're a lawyer. A defense counsel could have a field day with a kid that young."

King sat back in exasperation while Bailey eyed him closely. "Your partner said you were out doing some investigating of your own. Find anything?"

There was just enough mirth behind the FBI agent's question to make King want to strangle the man. As if sensing this, Michelle, for once, put a calming hand on his shoulder.

"Just be cool," she whispered under her breath.

"Is this where I'm supposed to say, ‘Screw you, Michelle'?" he muttered back.

Instead, he stood and said, "Well, if heis the guy, I congratulate you. Just keep us informed." He took out his deputy badge. "Do you want this back, Chief?"

"No. It's not officially over until we get a confession or some more evidence."

"Good, because I like being a deputy right now. In fact, it might come in handy."

He walked out.

"Talk about your sour grapes," said Bailey.

Michelle immediately rose to her partner's defense. "We don't know for sure Robinson is the guy."

"Well, we're fast approaching that point," Bailey replied.

Michelle stood to leave.

"Oh, Michelle," said Bailey, "be sure and keep us informed of any moreprogress you two make. I'm sure it'll prove invaluable to the investigation."

"Chip, that's the smartest thing you've said since I met you."

She followed King outside.

"So what do you think?" she asked.

"I think we'll let them keep Robinson locked up. He'll probably be safer in jail."

"But you don't think he did it?"

"No, I know he didn't do it."

"But you know who did?"

"I'm getting there. Did you have a chance to talk to the Battles?"

"Not after all this went down. Do you still want me to?"

King thought for a moment, his hand tapping the roof of her truck as he did so.

"No, we'll just cut to the main course. We're running out of time."

"You think he'll kill again?"

"He's arranged it so the police think the killer's locked up in jail. That's his way out. Even so, odds are Robinson must have an alibi for at least one of the murders. But the longer we wait, the less chance we have of nailing the real murderer."

"If he won't strike again, why keep Robinson in jail?"

"Because if he gets out, I'm convinced he'll be found in some alley with a bullet in his brain and a handy note clutched in his cold, dead hand that reads, ‘I did it.'"

"So what do we do now?"

King opened the door of her truck. "Now it's time to take our best shot. And hope to God it's a knockout."

CHAPTER 85

HE WAS HALFWAY THROUGH running down the list he'd taken from Junior Deaver's trailer. The others would take time, but he'd bought himself some breathing space. The police had arrested Harold Robinson. He'd actually been fortunate Tommy had woken up and identified his father as being in the house, as the papers had reported. That plus the discovery of the items belonging to the five victims seemed to confirm Robinson as the perpetrator of the killing spree. Which had been his intent all along. Whether it would hold up he didn't know. If Robinson had an alibi for at least one of the killings, it might sink the whole ship, but until that time he had room in which to work. And Robinson's wife, a natural corroborator for her husband's whereabouts, was dead. That would make the police's alibi-checking a little more difficult. There was one more killing to do, but he wasn't concerned about the police connecting it to the previous murders and letting Robinson off the hook. They'd never find the body of his next victim. Indeed, there'd be nothing left to find.

He'd recently gleaned one very intriguing piece of information. When he'd checked the recording from the phone bug planted in King and Maxwell's office, he'd heard the conversation Michelle had with Billy Edwards. Over three and a half years ago the great Bobby Battle and his imperious wife had had an argument in the car barn. And the Rolls-Royce had been damaged. Over three and a half years ago. The day before Edwards had been let go, in fact.

He sat mulling this over. There was something… If only he could remember what it was. He finally turned back to his list, which showed the people Junior Deaver had done work for in the recent past. He figured that if someone had set up Junior for the burglary, they'd have to have had access to his trailer and personal items. He further deduced that the person who'd committed the burglary had probably killed Bobby Battle. This act had not only stolen his glory but ruined everything he'd worked for. For that sin only the ultimate punishment would do.

Michelle and King were huddled in their office.