Page 43 of If She Stayed
Kate increased her grip on the Glock but still maintained a safe distance.The intensity of his rage was palpable, filling the small room with dangerous energy that could explode into violence at any moment.
"You don't understand," Robert continued, his voice raw with emotion."Eleanor Whitman came to my house six months ago.She confessed to everything.She told me how they were drunk, how they hit Brandon, and decided to just drive away.She said they formed that book club to stay in contact, to make sure their secret stayed safe.She said… said the only reason she was coming clean was because some friend in the club of hers had recently been diagnosed with cancer and made her think about… about life and… and…"
Kate could see the complete breakdown of a man who had carried unbearable grief for two decades."Mr.Fisher, I do understand.But killing those women won't bring Brandon back.Did it?"
"It's not about bringing him back!"Robert screamed, kicking over a small side table."It's about them paying for what they did!It's about them understanding what it feels like to lose everything!"
DeMarco appeared in the kitchen doorway, her own weapon drawn and ready to provide backup if Robert's rage escalated further.The sight of a second armed agent seemed to deflate some of his anger.Kate could see the dawning of defeat on his face.He realized that he was outnumbered and surrounded.
Robert looked between Kate and DeMarco, and the fight seemed to drain out of him all at once.The canvas bag he had been carrying slipped from his fingers and hit the floor with a soft thud.His shoulders sagged as the full weight of his grief returned, no longer masked by the adrenaline of revenge.
"I just wanted them to pay," he said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.He was essentially weeping the words out."I wanted them to understand what they took from me."
Kate approached him slowly, her weapon still drawn but her voice gentle."I know you did.But this isn't the way."
Robert nodded weakly as Kate reached for her handcuffs."I lost everything when they killed Brandon.My wife, my career, my whole life.And they just went on like nothing happened.I’ve seen them… as I studied them.Smiling.Enjoying life.So… so...free."
"Robert Fisher, you're under arrest for the murders of Margaret Carlisle, Jennifer Haynes, and Eleanor Whitman," Kate said.As she spoke, her gun still trained on him, DeMarco circled him and secured handcuffs around his wrists."You have the right to remain silent."
As Kate continued reading Robert his rights, she could see that the man was no longer listening.He had collapsed into himself, overwhelmed by the grief that had driven him to murder three women in pursuit of a justice that could never truly heal his broken heart.He was shaking so badly now that she expected him to fall to his knees at any moment.And God… she didn’t blame him at all.If what he was saying was true… she couldn’t imagine the torment.
"I promise you that Janet Klein will face questions about what happened to your son," Kate said as she holstered her gun."But you'll have to face justice for what you've done as well."
Robert nodded again, tears still flowing down his face.They came faster now, glistening over his cheeks."I know.I just couldn't let them get away with it anymore."
Kate wasn’t sure what to say because, God help her, deep down she understood.
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
Twenty-five minutes later, Kate sat alone in a small office on the third floor of the FBI field building.It was an office she had commandeered for privacy in the past, and, in the years since her active span as an agent, it had still remained mostly unused from what she could tell.She was using it to hide out while the chaos of Robert Fisher's processing continued down the hall.The overhead light was off, leaving only the glow from her phone screen to illuminate the tears streaming down her face as she stared at the series of text messages from Allen.
The first message had arrived at 6:55:"Dinner's ready whenever you get home.Michael helped me make your favorite pasta."
The second came at 7:15:"Food's getting cold.Should I put yours in the fridge?"
The third, sent just twenty minutes ago at 7:35:"Kate, I'm worried about you.I know you're working, but the least you could do is text me back so I know you're okay."
Kate wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and looked at the time on her phone.7:55 PM.She had promised Allen she would be home by seven o'clock, and she had completely failed to even send a simple text message to let him know she would be delayed.The weight of her broken promise felt almost as heavy as the emotional toll of the evening's events.She knew it had been worth it because they’d caught their killer.But a broken promise was still a broken promise.And this one hurt even worse because she had fully intended to keep it.
With trembling fingers, she typed a response:"I'm so sorry.Got caught up in an arrest.DeMarco and I caught the killer and time got away from me.I'll be home as soon as paperwork and processing is done.I love you, and I'm sorry for not texting sooner."
She sent the message and immediately felt a fresh wave of tears threatening to overwhelm her.The case was closed; Robert Fisher had confessed to all three murders, and justice would be served.He had provided detailed information about his methods, his timeline, and his motivations.There would be no trial, no lengthy legal proceedings, no question about his guilt.He had surrendered completely once confronted with the reality of his situation.But Kate couldn't wipe from her head the image of Robert's broken expression when he spoke about his son Brandon, or the way twenty years of grief had poured out of him in Janet Klein's living room… of how she’d nearly sympathized with him.
Kate's phone buzzed with a new text message, and for a moment her heart lifted with the hope that Allen had responded with understanding and forgiveness.But when she looked at the screen, she saw DeMarco's name.The disappointment she felt added another layer to her emotional exhaustion.
"Come to my office when you can.Local PD found Janet Klein and brought her in.We need to talk to her."
Kate dried her eyes and took several deep breaths before leaving the small office and walking down the hallway to where DeMarco was waiting.Janet Kelinwassort of a missing piece to this whole thing.Just because they had caught their killer in the form of Robert Fisher did not excuse likely manslaughter at the hands of a drunk driver.
She came to DeMarco's office and found the door partially opened.She peered in, and DeMarco looked up from her desk as Kate entered.Apparently, she easily noticed the redness around Kate's eyes.
"You okay?"DeMarco asked gently.
"I will be.I sort of broke a promise to Allen.But I’ll be fine once I get home.Let's get this done so I can go home to my family."
DeMarco nodded and got to her feet right away.They made their way in silence down to Interview Room B.There, they found a very frazzled and confused Janet Klein sitting alone at a metal table with her hands folded in her lap.When Kate and DeMarco entered the room, Janet looked up with an expression of resignation mixed with relief.
"Ms.Klein," Kate said as they settled into chairs across from her. “I’m Special Agent Wise, and this is Agent DeMarco.We need to ask you some questions.”
