brought on a whole slew of obsessive-compulsive habits. Oh sure, she double-checked security, but suddenly she wanted the room filled with light. She wanted the shadows and dark corners gone.
She opened the refrigerator. Grabbed a bottle of water. Twisted off the cap with too much urgency and swigged almost half the bottle while Maggie told her about the significance of the orange socks.
“Tully’s been talking to Agent Antonio Alonzo. Have you met him yet?”
“We had a long meeting today. He’s impressive.”
“He’s a data whiz. He can put together information in a remarkably short amount of time.” Maggie paused before continuing. “I remembered a recent case that involved orange socks. Last month. In Virginia. They discovered a woman’s remains that had been stuffed in a culvert. She had gone missing more than a year agoand no one had found her. The culvert was on a remote gravel road just off the interstate.”
“A year? How did they find her?”
“A prisoner tipped off a television news reporter.”
“Possibly the killer?”
“No, this guy’s in for arson,” Maggie said. “As far as Agent Alonzo can tell, Otis P. Dodd hasn’t killed anyone. In fact, it sounds like he’s gone out of his way to not kill. He’s in prison for setting more than thirty fires across Virginia. The last one was a retirement home and yet he managed to do it without any of the residents getting hurt.”
“Okay. If he’s been in prison how did he know about the woman in the culvert?”
“According to Alonzo, Otis claims he had an interesting evening throwing back a few too many drinks with a guy who confessed to murdering a woman. He told the television crew that the conversation happened before Otis got arrested and went to prison.”
“And he was convincing enough for them to search?”
“Sounds like they didn’t need to search too hard. Otis was able to tell them exactly where to look.”
“Coincidence?”
“Otis also said the guy left her in orange socks. Not exactly something he could take a wild guess at.”
Gwen wandered back to her bedroom, snatched a robe and pulled it on, suddenly chilled.
Great .
She was still nauseated and now her skin felt clammy and cold. The refrigerated water certainly didn’t help. She needed hot tea instead. Maybe with a splash of bourbon in it.
“So Otis may have met the highway killer. Well, this is definitely something the task force needs to look at,” she told Maggie.
“I’m glad you agree. There’s no way we’ll be able to keep the orange socks out of the news. Too many helpers on the site saw them. So we need to move quickly on this. I already talked to Kunze and he’s arranging the interview for tomorrow. I’d do it myself but I can’t get back yet. Tully and I are meeting a canine cadaver team tomorrow at the farm.”
“Wait a minute. An interview? What exactly is it that Kunze is arranging?”
“For you to interview Otis P. Dodd.”
“Me?”
“I can’t think of anyone who’d do a better job.”
Gwen caught a glimpse of herself in her bedroom mirror. Her pink fleece robe was cinched tight. Her strawberry blond hair had a tangled knot on one side and flat bedhead on the other. She had dribbled water down her chin and missed a spot when she had wiped at it.
Oh, yes, she definitely looked like the person to take on a serial arsonist who palled around with a slice-and-dice killer.
CHAPTER 21
Lily had more spunk than he realized.
Looking back, he should have noticed right from the beginning. She was mouthing off even as she climbed into the passenger seat, pointing at his head and telling him, “That’s not your cap.”
But it hadn’t stopped her from slamming the door behind her.
“You know she’s with the FBI,” Lily said. “Stealing from her’s probably like a big-time felony or something.”
“Maybe she gave it to me.”
She pushed back in the seat to give him an exaggerated look-over.
“Yeah, right. You look exactly
She opened the refrigerator. Grabbed a bottle of water. Twisted off the cap with too much urgency and swigged almost half the bottle while Maggie told her about the significance of the orange socks.
“Tully’s been talking to Agent Antonio Alonzo. Have you met him yet?”
“We had a long meeting today. He’s impressive.”
“He’s a data whiz. He can put together information in a remarkably short amount of time.” Maggie paused before continuing. “I remembered a recent case that involved orange socks. Last month. In Virginia. They discovered a woman’s remains that had been stuffed in a culvert. She had gone missing more than a year agoand no one had found her. The culvert was on a remote gravel road just off the interstate.”
“A year? How did they find her?”
“A prisoner tipped off a television news reporter.”
“Possibly the killer?”
“No, this guy’s in for arson,” Maggie said. “As far as Agent Alonzo can tell, Otis P. Dodd hasn’t killed anyone. In fact, it sounds like he’s gone out of his way to not kill. He’s in prison for setting more than thirty fires across Virginia. The last one was a retirement home and yet he managed to do it without any of the residents getting hurt.”
“Okay. If he’s been in prison how did he know about the woman in the culvert?”
“According to Alonzo, Otis claims he had an interesting evening throwing back a few too many drinks with a guy who confessed to murdering a woman. He told the television crew that the conversation happened before Otis got arrested and went to prison.”
“And he was convincing enough for them to search?”
“Sounds like they didn’t need to search too hard. Otis was able to tell them exactly where to look.”
“Coincidence?”
“Otis also said the guy left her in orange socks. Not exactly something he could take a wild guess at.”
Gwen wandered back to her bedroom, snatched a robe and pulled it on, suddenly chilled.
Great .
She was still nauseated and now her skin felt clammy and cold. The refrigerated water certainly didn’t help. She needed hot tea instead. Maybe with a splash of bourbon in it.
“So Otis may have met the highway killer. Well, this is definitely something the task force needs to look at,” she told Maggie.
“I’m glad you agree. There’s no way we’ll be able to keep the orange socks out of the news. Too many helpers on the site saw them. So we need to move quickly on this. I already talked to Kunze and he’s arranging the interview for tomorrow. I’d do it myself but I can’t get back yet. Tully and I are meeting a canine cadaver team tomorrow at the farm.”
“Wait a minute. An interview? What exactly is it that Kunze is arranging?”
“For you to interview Otis P. Dodd.”
“Me?”
“I can’t think of anyone who’d do a better job.”
Gwen caught a glimpse of herself in her bedroom mirror. Her pink fleece robe was cinched tight. Her strawberry blond hair had a tangled knot on one side and flat bedhead on the other. She had dribbled water down her chin and missed a spot when she had wiped at it.
Oh, yes, she definitely looked like the person to take on a serial arsonist who palled around with a slice-and-dice killer.
CHAPTER 21
Lily had more spunk than he realized.
Looking back, he should have noticed right from the beginning. She was mouthing off even as she climbed into the passenger seat, pointing at his head and telling him, “That’s not your cap.”
But it hadn’t stopped her from slamming the door behind her.
“You know she’s with the FBI,” Lily said. “Stealing from her’s probably like a big-time felony or something.”
“Maybe she gave it to me.”
She pushed back in the seat to give him an exaggerated look-over.
“Yeah, right. You look exactly
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