voice.
There were some who would consider Salvoy’s alleged rapes of Cooper to be the most fitting of endings. The follow-up investigations of the complaints showed inconclusive findings. Hard to tell if Cooper was lying to get a single cell or if the man was truly being assaulted by his cell mate.
Harder yet to care.
“The warden’s a friend. If you give me useful information, I might be able to get you a different cell assignment.”
Cooper watched him distrustfully. “What sort of information?”
“About that kiddie auction you were attending, for starters. I want you to write down all the names of people you expected to be there who weren’t. Names of every single contact from that man-girl love association that you shared photos of Ellie Mulder with.” He caught the flicker in the man’s eyes. “Yeah, we know you were video-streaming some of your times with the girl to other NAMGLA pervs. We seized your computer, remember? I want to know who else you might have shared photos or videos with, in person or through the mail. I’m looking for names you didn’t include in the interviews after your arrest.”
“I included every name I could think of.”
Adam leaned forward, shooting the man a grim smile. “You’d better hope that isn’t true, Cooper. Because if you don’t come up with more names for me . . . names that actually pan out . . . you can just count on spending the next twenty-seven years as Salvoy’s bunk buddy.” He watched the man gray without a flicker of sympathy. “That’s longer than some people are married. Stick with a guy that long and it’s sort of like a marriage, isn’t it?”
Cooper looked past Adam’s shoulder to the armed guard at the door of the room. Then he wet his lips. “Yeah, maybe there were a couple pals that I swapped photos with. Old history, right? Doubt they even still have them.”
“A pedophile who culls his photo library? Yeah, right.” Adam pushed a yellow tablet over to the man and pulled a pen out of his inside suit jacket pocket to lay atop it. “Make it good, Cooper. Search your memory like your future depends on it.”
With a hand that shook slightly, the man picked up the pen, and after a brief hesitation, began to write.
Watching him, Adam had a brief flash of déjà vu. There had been too many men just like this one. All guilty of horrific crimes. Hunting them for so many years had immersed him in a darkness that couldn’t help but cling to him, tingeing everything else in his world.
That darkness had ruined him for doing anything else.
Their footsteps rang hollowly on the nondescript beige scarred tile floor as the prison guard accompanied Adam back to the public waiting area.
“Adam.”
Turning, he saw Warden Joe Landry approaching. A genuine smile breaking out, he switched his cane to his left hand to take the man’s hand with his right. “Joe.” He returned the man’s enthusiastic handshake. “Thought you were tied up in a meeting.”
At the warden’s short nod, the guard fell back a discreet distance as they resumed walking. “Offered the suits prison food and the meeting broke up sooner than expected.” He gave a wink. “Works like a charm every time.”
“I’ll bet.” Landry had been his senior partner in the bureau, on his first assignment to the Baltimore field office. They hadn’t been together more than two years before Adam was handpicked for special training at Quantico’s Behavioral Science unit. The older man had retired early from the FBI over a decade ago but made a point to keep in touch with friends in the agency.
They halted at the first set of heavy automated doors. Landry punched in a code, and they walked through as they swung open.
“Damn shame about that little girl. After you called I did some research to refresh my memory. I recall the Mulder case from a couple years ago now. You finding the girl gave the feds working the investigation something of a black eye.”
Adam lifted a shoulder.
There were some who would consider Salvoy’s alleged rapes of Cooper to be the most fitting of endings. The follow-up investigations of the complaints showed inconclusive findings. Hard to tell if Cooper was lying to get a single cell or if the man was truly being assaulted by his cell mate.
Harder yet to care.
“The warden’s a friend. If you give me useful information, I might be able to get you a different cell assignment.”
Cooper watched him distrustfully. “What sort of information?”
“About that kiddie auction you were attending, for starters. I want you to write down all the names of people you expected to be there who weren’t. Names of every single contact from that man-girl love association that you shared photos of Ellie Mulder with.” He caught the flicker in the man’s eyes. “Yeah, we know you were video-streaming some of your times with the girl to other NAMGLA pervs. We seized your computer, remember? I want to know who else you might have shared photos or videos with, in person or through the mail. I’m looking for names you didn’t include in the interviews after your arrest.”
“I included every name I could think of.”
Adam leaned forward, shooting the man a grim smile. “You’d better hope that isn’t true, Cooper. Because if you don’t come up with more names for me . . . names that actually pan out . . . you can just count on spending the next twenty-seven years as Salvoy’s bunk buddy.” He watched the man gray without a flicker of sympathy. “That’s longer than some people are married. Stick with a guy that long and it’s sort of like a marriage, isn’t it?”
Cooper looked past Adam’s shoulder to the armed guard at the door of the room. Then he wet his lips. “Yeah, maybe there were a couple pals that I swapped photos with. Old history, right? Doubt they even still have them.”
“A pedophile who culls his photo library? Yeah, right.” Adam pushed a yellow tablet over to the man and pulled a pen out of his inside suit jacket pocket to lay atop it. “Make it good, Cooper. Search your memory like your future depends on it.”
With a hand that shook slightly, the man picked up the pen, and after a brief hesitation, began to write.
Watching him, Adam had a brief flash of déjà vu. There had been too many men just like this one. All guilty of horrific crimes. Hunting them for so many years had immersed him in a darkness that couldn’t help but cling to him, tingeing everything else in his world.
That darkness had ruined him for doing anything else.
Their footsteps rang hollowly on the nondescript beige scarred tile floor as the prison guard accompanied Adam back to the public waiting area.
“Adam.”
Turning, he saw Warden Joe Landry approaching. A genuine smile breaking out, he switched his cane to his left hand to take the man’s hand with his right. “Joe.” He returned the man’s enthusiastic handshake. “Thought you were tied up in a meeting.”
At the warden’s short nod, the guard fell back a discreet distance as they resumed walking. “Offered the suits prison food and the meeting broke up sooner than expected.” He gave a wink. “Works like a charm every time.”
“I’ll bet.” Landry had been his senior partner in the bureau, on his first assignment to the Baltimore field office. They hadn’t been together more than two years before Adam was handpicked for special training at Quantico’s Behavioral Science unit. The older man had retired early from the FBI over a decade ago but made a point to keep in touch with friends in the agency.
They halted at the first set of heavy automated doors. Landry punched in a code, and they walked through as they swung open.
“Damn shame about that little girl. After you called I did some research to refresh my memory. I recall the Mulder case from a couple years ago now. You finding the girl gave the feds working the investigation something of a black eye.”
Adam lifted a shoulder.
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