Page 16 of Say Now
"Alison!"Claire called a few seconds later."You’ll want to see this."
"He’s here!"Alison screamed as the door flew open to reveal Marcus Webb carrying a stack of logs.
He looked as surprised to see her as she was to see him, but he didn't drop the wood.Until an FBI agent and two officers ran through with guns pointed at him before Alison could draw hers.That was when he put his hands up and dropped the wood.His expression didn't change the entire time—he was stoic.
"Marcus Webb, you need to come down to the station with us," Claire said.She nodded to one of the officers, who put his gun away and took out his handcuffs."Alison, the back room."
Alison watched Marcus for a second as the officer cuffed him.There was no fight, no resistance, nothing.Then she left the living room and went into the rear of the cabin.It wasn’t hard to figure out exactly what the special agent was talking about.The bedroom was half bedroom-half obsession.
The walls were covered with newspaper clippings about crimes committed in the city, printed case files from previous murders, surveillance photos from multiple people, including Rachel Kent and Kevin Hartley, and psychological assessments.Some of them were drawn on with a red pen, notes on the files, some things crossed out, other things circled or underlined.
Alison moved into the room, taking it all in.A lot of the scribblings were angry and backed up exactly what Alan White had told them.It was an obsessive mess.Files on top of files, parts ripped off or cut out, incoherent words and phrases in places.It was unorganized chaos.
It showed a very unstable mind.
***
Alison felt warm again.She stood in the police station with a cup of hot chocolate in hand, and she wanted to drink it before going into the interview room.She had the after Marcus had asked for a lawyer.She didn't want to go into the interview room with the hot chocolate as it felt unprofessional.She would have been fine with a tea or coffee, but didn't want to interview a possible serial killer with a mug of hot cocoa.
"He didn't put up a fight," Claire said.She looked through the one-way glass as they both watched Marcus talking with his lawyer without being able to hear the confidential conversation."He knew he was caught.Calling in a lawyer tells me he’s guilty.All we have to do now is get him to confess or to mess up."
"He’s volatile and angry," Alison said."I’ll admit that the walls in his bedroom don't look good, but what did you notice about that scene compared to the crime scenes?"
"They were disorganized while the crime scenes were not," Claire replied."Yeah, I get that, but that means nothing right now.I’ve seen people be disorganized in one area of their lives and completely organized in others.He had a ton of information about both of the victims.He fits most of the profile, right?"
"Yeah, he fits most of it, but something’s still off.I don't know.I won't know more until we get in there and talk with him, but experience has told me that it’s never this easy.He didn't expect us to be out there.Our killer is smart and careful.Maybe he’s arrogant in himself, or maybe not."
The lawyer stood up from the table and went to the door.
"Come on," Claire said."Let’s see what he has to say for himself."
Alison drained the last of her hot chocolate and placed the cup down on the desk in the room annexing the interview room.They left the room and found the lawyer exiting the room beside theirs.
"My client would like to speak with you," the lawyer said.
His name was Bertie Douglas, and he wore a plaid shirt and a pair of brown slacks as if he were only hired by outdoorsmen and dressed for the part.
"Good, because we want to speak to him," Claire said.
Derek often dresses down and is underestimated.I see the intelligence in you, Bertie.Are you doing the same?
They followed the lawyer back into the room, and the three of them went to the table and sat down.Before Claire could start to say anything, Marcus spoke.
"I have instructed my lawyer to press charges against the FBI and the Missoula Police Department," Marcus said.He spoke evenly and without emotion.
"Charges?"Claire asked."You do understand why you are here, don't you?"
"You entered my client’s residence without a warrant," Bertie said.
"The door was unlocked," Claire replied.
"So, that’s what law enforcement does now?They go into any place they like as long as the door is unlocked.You had no right to be in that cabin, and anything you found in there will be inadmissible in a court of law."
"Oh, come on," Claire said."Stop wasting our time.What do you want me to say?We're in the middle of a double homicide investigation, and we believe your client was inside."
"It’s a Fourth Amendment violation," the lawyer said.
"Maybe I heard something," Claire replied."I’m sure both officers will swear to the same thing.Two people are dead in one of the biggest cases to hit this city in a long time, and you’re arguing Fourth Amendment violations?Have you taken a look at the evidence we took from the cabin?"
