Page 55 of The Smart Killer
“I don’t understand. He was with me at all times. He never went into High Peaks. Why are they saying he did this?”
“That’s what we are trying to establish.”
“He had issues, of that I was sure, but he wouldn’t have harmed a fly, detective. You have to believe that. That wasn’t my Alejandro. It was against our religion.”
Noah listened, his brow furrowed in thought. He mulled over Melissa’s words, pondering the contradiction between Alejandro’s desperate action and his mother’s testimony. The way Alejandro had hesitated, pointing the gun away when it seemed like he might take his own life, gave credence to his mother’s statement. Raised in the Catholic church, Noah knew the weight that religious beliefs could carry.
“Will his name end up in the papers?” Melissa asked, her voice fragile.
“I don’t know. This is still an active investigation. Look, is there anyone I can call to come and be with you?” he asked gently.
“My sister, but she lives one state over,” she replied, her eyes pleading for help.
“Do you mind?” Noah gestured to make the call from her phone. She agreed, and he stepped off the porch, dialing the number while glancing over his shoulder at Melissa, still sitting there, lost in her thoughts.
While he was on the phone, Savannah arrived on the scene. He finished the call, returned the phone to Melissa, and excused himself. As he approached, he noticed Porter was leaning against McKenzie’s cruiser. The two of them had struck up quite a conversation after McKenzie had learned that Porter was connected by blood to one of his guys from his old department. There was a good chance Porter would receive a temporary suspension while an investigation was held into the shooting. Noah didn’t expect it to be longer than twenty-four hours based on the fact that he witnessed it.
As Noah approached Savannah, he braced for the conversation he knew was coming. “I know what you’re going to say,” he said, thinking she would rake him over the coals for letting Alejandro go when they had him the first time. Instead, she caught him off guard.
“I’m sorry about Ethan. You should have told me,” Savannah said, her voice carrying concern.
“He’s stable,” Noah replied, running a hand around his neck.
“You should be with him.”
“There isn’t much I can do right now. Kerri was kind enough to drive out. She will be there just in case he wakes up.”
She nodded. “How are things going?”
Noah glanced away from Melissa and then met Savannah’s gaze. “They found the same paper used for the letters in his room. A couple of wadded-up ones were found in the trash. I guess he didn’t know how to word it.”
He shifted his weight from one foot to the next.
“What is it, Noah?”
He rubbed his face. “I don’t know. Something doesn’t add up about it all. Porter and McKenzie think it’s a slam dunk. Case closed kind of deal.”
She studied him. “But you don’t?”
He shrugged, feeling the burden of doubt settling on his shoulders. “He doesn’t seem like our guy. It’s too obvious. Additionally, we have no CCTV of him anywhere near those homes.”
“But Porter said Alejandro told you how anyone could control the smart home devices. He didn’t need to get close, Noah,” she explained, her voice patient.
“I’m not saying he needed to be in the vicinity for that, but think about it. You get sent away for 53 months. If you were eager to exact revenge when you get out, wouldn’t you at least observe them?”
“Maybe he did. People are posting all manner of crap on social media.”
He blew out his cheeks. “But why send warning letters if you plan on killing them? It goes against everything we’ve ever seen. It makes no sense,” Noah countered, frustration creeping into his tone.
“Murder doesn’t make sense, Noah,” she replied, her voice gentle yet firm. “If anyone should know that, it’s you.” A light breeze blew against her cheeks, hair drifting before her eyes. Savannah brushed it away.
“And all that talk back at the church. Alejandro said he wanted to warn them before he got them. He never gave a name, Savannah.”
“That’s because there wasn’t one. I looked at his file from when he was arrested for spying on those homes. A report was included by a local psychotherapist after he was given a mental health evaluation. Alejandro complained that he was hearing voices. He has a long history of mental illness, Noah. The report stated that he was borderline bipolar and needed to be assessed for a potential split personality disorder.” She paused. “Whoever he was talking about, Noah, it’s safe to assume it was just him.”
“It didn’t come across that way.”
“It never does.” She took a deep breath and placed a hand on his arm. This wasn’t his supervisor now; it was his friend. “You look tired. Why don’t you go home and get some rest? After, go see your boy. Take a few days off.”
