Page 91 of Last Girls Alive
“I… I… wanted to pretend… to re-create in my mind that it was me that tied her up and wrote on her back… I bought those things after the crime scene—I have a receipt.” He wept. “I didn’t kill anyone. I can’t even kill an insect.”
Katie sat down and flipped through the file again. There was a quick background check done on him, showing where he went to school from kindergarten through college.
“Where did you live when you were in high school?”
“Cloverdale. Just over in the next county.”
“I see,” she said. “Where were your parents? What did they do?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know where they were or what they did?”
“No. I don’t know.”
“Do you know a Shelly McDonald?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Do you know a Hugh Keller?”
“I don’t know anyone named Hugh.”
“Who did you live with when you were in high school?” She kept the questions flowing to keep him off guard—sometimes the person being interviewed gave little insights and honest answers when they were fired at them without a break.
He kept shaking his head in defiance.
“You had to have lived with someone. Who?”
“I never knew my parents. I lived in several foster homes my entire life—no one ever wanted me. I cursed every single one of the homes I was forced to live in—every single one.”
Katie paused. This revelation changed some things, but not everything. It didn’t mean that he was that much more likely to be the killer—it put a further twist in the investigation.
“How did you feel about the other kids in foster care?”
“Just like anywhere else. Some were okay but there were always those that you steered clear of.”
“Did you ever meet girls that were in foster care?”
“No. But we met up with girls a lot.”
“How did you feel about them?” Katie gently pushed. She glanced at McGaven and he remained stoic, eyes fixed on Bramble.
“I’m sorry, what do you mean?” he said.
“It’s a simple question. How did you feel about the girls you met up with?”
“I don’t know. We were just excited to be out with the opposite sex.”
“Any girl in particular you liked the most?”
“I can’t remember. It was a long time ago.” He intentionally turned his body away from Katie, trying to focus on something else.
“Try,” said Katie. Her tone had a sharp bite to it, causing Bramble to look at her.
“Okay I liked her.”
“What happened?”
