Page 41 of If She Remembered
"Are you okay?"Kate asked DeMarco, who was already unbuckling her seatbelt.
"I'm fine,” her partner said, though her eyes looked wide and wild.“Let's check on her."
They both got out of the sedan and approached Margaret's van cautiously, their hands resting on their weapons in case the crash hadn't ended the threat.With its front axle bent at an impossible angle and one front wheel lying several feet away from the vehicle, the van was clearly not going anywhere.
DeMarco moved to the driver's side window while Kate positioned herself so that she could see both Margaret and the surrounding area.The van's windshield was so badly cracked that it was impossible to see inside clearly, but there was no movement from the driver's seat.
"Margaret Holloway," DeMarco called out, tapping on the window with her knuckle."This is the FBI.Can you hear me?"
No response.
DeMarco tried the door handle and found it jammed from the impact.She cupped her hands around her eyes and peered through the damaged window, then looked back at Kate with a grim expression.
"She's out.Bleeding from the forehead, but I can see her chest moving, so she's breathing."
Kate pulled out her phone to call for emergency medical services while DeMarco continued trying to assess Margaret's condition through the damaged window.The irony wasn't lost on Kate that they were working to save the life of the woman who had methodically murdered three innocent people.Behind her, the wail of police sirens filtered closer, turning the morning into a field of chaos.Kate could see the flashing lights of multiple emergency vehicles approaching their location.The cavalry was arriving, though the chase was over.
Kate looked at the destroyed van and thought about how close they had all come to disaster during the pursuit.The elderly driver who had narrowly avoided a head-on collision, the jogger who had pressed herself against the mailbox, the young children who might have been playing in yards along their route.At her age, with her responsibilities to Allen and Michael, she needed to find ways to do her job that didn't involve so much physical risk.
But today, the risk had paid off.Margaret Holloway was in custody, though in bad shape from the looks of it, unconscious and injured, but alive to face justice for her crimes.The families of Carol Bennett, Thomas Rodriguez, and Linda Harper would finally have answers about what had happened to their loved ones.
As the first police cars reached the crash site, Kate felt the familiar mixture of satisfaction and exhaustion that came with closing a difficult case.The adrenaline was already beginning to fade, leaving her aware of the various aches and bruises she'd accumulated during the chase.She wished things could have gone smoother at the end, but at least they had their killer off the street.
But even above all of that, she was thinking about Allen and Michael as her heart beat like a kick drum in her chest.She’d made it through yet another dangerous series of moments, making it far too easy to imagine how good it would feel to go home to them once all the paperwork and debriefing sessions were finally complete.
And that feeling, in that moment, was all she needed to convince herself that it was time to walk away from the bureau once and for all.
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
Harsh overhead lights cast stark shadows across the interview room where Margaret Holloway sat waiting.It was 2:35 in the afternoon, and Kate had spent the past three hours processing the aftermath of the high-speed chase, dealing with damaged vehicles, witness statements, and the mountain of paperwork that came with apprehending a murder suspect after a pursuit through suburban Richmond.
Margaret had been cleared by the bureau's medical team twenty-five minutes ago.No concussion, no serious injuries beyond some cuts from broken glass and bruising from the airbag deployment.They thought her wrist might be fractured at first, but that turned out not to be the case.She was alert, responsive, and, according to the attending physician, perfectly capable of understanding her rights and participating in an interrogation.
Kate studied Margaret through the one-way glass before entering the interview room.The woman looked smaller somehow than she had during the chase, diminished by the orange jumpsuit and the reality of her situation.Her brown hair hung loose around her shoulders, no longer pulled back in the professional ponytail she'd worn that morning.Her hands were folded calmly in her lap, and for someone facing multiple murder charges, her expression was oddly serene.
"Ready?"DeMarco asked, tapping at the small recording device they would carry into the room.
Kate nodded and opened the door, stepping into the sterile space where Margaret Holloway waited to confess to three murders.
The interview room was standard FBI issue: a metal table bolted to the floor, three uncomfortable chairs, and walls painted in a shade of beige that was designed to be completely neutral.Margaret looked up as they entered, her eyes clear and focused despite everything she had been through that morning.
"Mrs.Holloway," Kate said, settling into the chair across from her."I'm Agent Wise, and this is Agent DeMarco.We'd like to ask you some questions about the deaths of Carol Bennett, Thomas Rodriguez, and Linda Harper."
"I know who you are," Margaret replied, her voice steady and matter-of-fact."And I know why you're here."
DeMarco placed the recording device on the table and activated it."This interview is being recorded.You've been read your rights, and you've waived your right to an attorney.Is that correct?"
"Yes, that's correct."Margaret's hands remained folded, her posture calm and controlled.
Kate leaned forward slightly."Margaret, we have strong reason to believe you are connected to the three deaths Agent DeMarco just mentioned.Your business phone number appears in the call logs of all three victims.We know you visited their homes in the weeks before they died."
"I did visit their homes," Margaret said without hesitation."They were all clients of New Beginnings Home Design."
"And what did you do during those visits?"DeMarco asked.
Margaret met her gaze directly."I provided interior design consultations.I helped them select paint colors, furniture arrangements, and lighting options.And I added pills to their prescription medications."
The casual way she delivered the confession was chilling.Kate had interviewed dozens of killers over her career, but few had been so matter-of-fact about their crimes.She’d mentioned it as if was a case of “Oh, and I left a few extra plush pillows for them to use as they wanted.”
