Page 68 of The Fragile Ones
He didn’t answer.
“Well, let’s just get to the point, shall we? How about the easy stuff first?”
Katie removed the eight by ten photos of him dragging the tree across the road and dropped them one by one on the table in front of him. “Can you explain these?”
“Grainy. Not very flattering.”
“You know, Mr. Rodriguez, how things are going to go depends mainly on you—and your cooperation. You understand me?”
He let out a breath. “What do you want me to say?”
“The truth is always a good place to start.”
He looked at the photos.
“Why did you block the road with the tree branch?”
He shrugged.
“Why did you carve 3 7 2 on that tree?”
He remained quiet.
“Look!” said Katie as she slammed her fists on the table. Both Rodriguez and McGaven startled. “Did someone tell you to carve 3 7 2 into that tree?” She spat out the words.
Rodriguez leaned back in his chair. “I always do what I’m told.”
“Who ordered you?”
“I always do what I’m told…always.”
Katie walked around and stood close to him. She leaned on the table. “Is it Mayfield? We’re going to find out anyway. You might as well tell us now.”
His demeanor changed from tough guy in the slammer to victim in less than a minute. But Katie remembered what Dr. Halverson told her about partial psychopaths and their emotions.
“Tell me,” she said.
He nodded.
“Does that mean Whitney Mayfield told you to carve the numbers and block the road?”
“Yes,” he said quietly.
“Why?”
“Because…so you would see it.”
“You mean me and my partner?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“He does things. I don’t know why he does it—just stuff.”
Katie felt a text buzz on her phone. She quickly glanced at the message—it was from John.
Mrs. Mayfield’s gun has Darren Rodriguez’s fingerprints all over it. Thought you needed to know.
