Page 87 of The Smart Killer
“No. I don’t think he is,” Porter added, pressing up against the window. “What I would give to get in there and speak with him. Just a moment to prick his mind and find out why.”
“I think we already know why,” Noah added. “Lakeridge. His past. The curious part is why he didn’t target Michael Taylor first and why he waited so long before beginning his killing.”
Then it happened. So fast they didn’t have time to register it.
The sudden burst of the interview room door sent shock waves through the Sheriff’s Office. Out of nowhere, Callie stormed in, dressed in civilian clothes, catching everyone off guard. McKenzie’s exclamation echoed the surprise shared by the others.
“Shit. Who let her in?” he cried out, hurriedly opening the other door to enter the interview room, trying to control the unexpected chaos.
“Why? Why did you kill her?” Callie screamed. “What did she do to you?” Her anguish pierced the air as she lunged at Emmett; his hands were still cuffed in front of him, a loose chain attached, extending down to the floor. The chair toppled backward, and chaos erupted as Noah, McKenzie, and Porter rushed in to intervene.
“You son of a bitch!” Callie screamed. The room became a battleground of emotions as Callie landed on Emmett, demanding answers.
“Get her out of here!” Sheriff Rivera’s voice boomed from the doorway as she appeared on the scene. McKenzie managed to get hold of Callie, struggling to restrain her, attempting to calm the volatile situation.
“All right. All right, lassie, calm down!”
Rivera scowled, her frustration evident, and decisively closed the door, leaving Noah and Porter alone with the now-downed Emmett. The abrupt fall had caused a head injury and left Emmett with a trickle of blood marking the impact.
“I’ll get the med kit,” Porter said, exiting the room with purpose. Meanwhile, Noah carefully lifted Emmett and his chair back upright. The atmosphere in the room was tense; the aftermath of Callie’s emotional outburst still lingered like an electric charge.
“It was the drone, wasn’t it?”
Emmett’s whispered words near his face cut through the air, a haunting sound in the aftermath of the chaos.
“What?” Noah responded, his gaze fixed on the blood trickling down the side of Emmett’s face. Emmett brought up his cuffed hands, emphasizing the question with a twisted smirk playing on his lips.
“You know. How you found me,” he clarified, the gravity of his words hanging in the air like an unspoken truth. Noah stared back, his mind racing with countless questions. Yet he maintained his composure, unwilling to break police procedure. He glanced towards the door, silently urging Porter to return.
“You saw the books, didn’t you? You know now what he did, don’t you?” Emmett continued the urgency in his tone, matching the moment’s intensity. Noah clenched his jaw, retrieving scattered paperwork from the floor.
“It’s a pity three families had to die for everyone to take notice,” Emmett remarked callously, his words a bitter commentary on the harsh reality that had led to this confrontation. Noah placed the papers on the table, his expression unreadable.
“But the reality is, he is the one that killed them, not I,” Emmett asserted, his gaze locked onto Noah.
“I don’t give a fuck. You will have plenty of time to tell your lawyer.”
As Noah turned to leave, Emmett’s parting words sent a chill down his spine. “But will you have enough time to save them?”
Noah halted, his eyes narrowing as he faced Emmett.
“What did you say?”
Emmett leaned back in the chair, a sinister grin spreading. “You know Ashford is behind the narcotics. I heard him that day talking to your father. About Alicia. About Ethan. I eavesdropped on the entire conversation,” he said, tapping his ear. “It’s amazing, isn’t it? People buy smart devices for dumb people,” he said with a chuckle.
“Save who?” Noah questioned him again.
Emmett ignored his question and continued, “Your son. Your ex-wife, your brother. Even that sweet little lady of yours. They mean nothing to these individuals. You are all just pawns in their game. Useful until you aren’t. But you are different. They know that. It scares them. The only one that is keeping you alive is your father. Did you know that?” He paused. “But how tangled he has become.” He made a tsking noise with his lips. “I wonder how quickly you would rush to his aid if you knew what else I heard.”
“What do you know?”
He wouldn’t answer. He just laughed.
Noah turned to leave.
Then Emmett became dead serious.
“The real question, detective, is are you willing to do what is necessary to get their attention? Some people only understand this,” he said, touching his head and bringing his hand in front of him, rubbing blood between his fingers. “Are you willing to spill it?”
