Ten Plagues

“You mean she thought your artwork was lousy, and you killed her for it,” Paul taunted.

“Your wife was the first one. I saw the evil in her. The evil needed to be destroyed so my art could be let go into the world.”

“And my daughter? What had she done?”

“Your daughter needed to die so your wife would understand what she’d done. I enjoyed making her witness her daughter’s death. Your wife was still alive after I hit her the first time. So I went back and made sure she was dead. Your wife deserved to die, and your daughter would have been another one just like her.”

“And did your mother stand by and watch you be hurt, Francis?”

“She only wanted me to be free. She wanted what was best for me,” Caldwell raged.

“Were you bad, Francis?” Paul jeered.

“Yes, I was bad,” Caldwell seethed. “But my father helped me learn discipline and control. And my mother understood and supported me in my art.”

“If you turned yourself in, it would go easier for you.”

“Easier?” Caldwell laughed. “How much easier? Life in prison instead of a lethal injection? That’s not a very tempting offer.”

“There’s more than prison for you if you come in, Francis. There’s help. You need help.” Paul fell silent.

There was an extended pause, then Caldwell returned to the chanting voice he’d used at first. “Did you enjoy finding you had company when you got home last night, my pretty Keren?”

Keren glanced up at Paul, then the two of them scanned the area in all directions.

“Yes, I know you’re listening. And I know all about you carrying on with the reverend. You don’t think that reporter came up with the idea on his own, do you? You’re a part of this now, just like the good reverend is. That’s why I sent you your own little gift. If you set out to catch me, then you have to accept that you’ve become part of what is between me and the reverend.”

Anger flushed Paul’s face. Keren glanced at her watch and decided to talk to Caldwell to keep him on the phone.

Before she could speak, Caldwell said, “I wonder who will get my next present. There are so many who are worthy to be honored. I’ve already got her, you know. But I’m not sure what door you carve your message on when a woman is homeless. I guess I’ll just carve it in her back.”

“Francis, you can’t do this. Let me help you,” Paul said fiercely.

“I didn’t really choose her, Reverend. You did, that first day. I warned you not to talk to anyone on your way to the building.”

“I didn’t talk to anyone,” Paul insisted.

Then Keren heard screaming through the phone line and Caldwell’s high-pitched laughter.

“Pastor P, help me!”

Paul’s eyes flared in recognition. “I ran into her, knocked her shopping cart over. She doesn’t know anything about this.”

The phone clicked off.

Paul pressed the phone against his forehead. “He’s got Wilma.”

Keren called Higgins to report Wilma’s kidnapping. Higgins cut her off before she could tell him.

“We got a location on him,” the FBI agent said exuberantly. “We’re moving on the place now!”

“The call gives you probable cause,” Keren said.

“We don’t need to wait for any paperwork. We can kick the door in.” Higgins rattled off the address.

“We’re already in the parking garage.” Keren headed for her car at a fast clip.

Paul was right with her. He shoved her toward the passenger side. “I’ll drive, you talk.”

Keren didn’t like the take-charge attitude, but they didn’t have time to haggle. She said to Higgins, “We’re on our way.”

“You’ll be ahead of us by a couple of minutes.” Keren could hear Higgins breathing hard. Even now he was charging toward his car. Paul started hers and squealed the tires as he backed out of the space. He was roaring for the exit before she got her seat belt fastened.

“We’re going in quiet, Collins,” Higgins shouted into the phone. “I’m sending the SWAT team so we can secure the entire building. I don’t want him to have any warning. Don’t you two go in alone.”

“We won’t. We’re going to do this right.” Keren clicked the phone.

“He’s been right across the street from the mission?” Paul asked in shock. “No wonder he knew everything about me.” Paul went in quiet, but he went in fast.

“He’s probably been studying you for weeks.” Keren got another call from Higgins and learned more.

“Longer if he knows about Juanita and LaToya. Why didn’t we search those buildings?” Paul clutched the steering wheel as he skidded around a corner.

“It’s impossible.” Keren twisted her hair and refastened her barrette to hold some of the escaping tendrils. “The mission is surrounded by buildings—thousands of apartments. We’d spend months going door-to-door.”

“He probably picked all ten girls before he hit Melody Fredericks by accident.”

“Then he figured out a new way to torment you.” Keren heard about ten thousand miles’ worth of tread being burned off her tires and only wished Paul would drive faster. “It wasn’t necessary to kill your friends, which was getting harder with all the warnings we’ve been putting out. There were other ways to make it personal.”