Page 32 of Say Now
"I don't know.Maybe it’s another Castellano, but it’s not that common a name, and it’s a heck of a coincidence for that name to be used.Does he have any family?"
"I know he had a brother who was in and out of prison on misdemeanors.Let me see if there’s anything recent."The sound of the keyboard was heard down the line."Tommy Castellan was released from jail six months ago on a domestic assault charge.He has an address listed here in Missoula."
Alison grimaced.She wanted to be the one to go after Castellano with Claire.It felt obvious that Tommy was impersonating his brother.For what reason?She didn't know that yet.
"Good," Alison said."I assume you’ll have someone go over there and pick him up?"
"You believe he might be our guy?"
"I don't know," Alison said."All I know is that someone visited Dr.Laurent up here asking about the three victims.Dr.Laurent worked on a case with all three at separate times over the past two years.The man who was released lives in New York, has a family, and holds a job.Four psychologists looked at his case.Three recommended keeping him in, and the fourth advocated for release.He’s the only one who’s still alive, and he has a guy visit him, pretending to be Detective Castellano.That’s too many intersections to be pure chance.We need to bring Tommy in and discover what he’s been up to and what he knows."
"And the guy you have up there?"Dale asked.
"He’s in custody for now, sobering up.I’m sure he’s not the guy, but he’s connected now, so we need to try to get the facts from him if he remembers any of them.We’re here for a while until the storm passes.Will you keep me updated on what’s going on down there?"
"Yeah, I will.I appreciate the call, Payne.And I don't hold any grudges.You withheld information from me at the start of the case, but I’m not going to do the same.We will catch this guy."
"Yeah, I hope so," Alison said.
The call was ended, and she went off in search of Claire.They hadn't gotten anything from Dr.Laurent yet.He’d sat in his cell for the last two hours, looking down at the floor, moaning every so often.
"I sent an officer over to the bar to talk with the barman again," Claire said."I want to get exact times from him.I just want to clear Dr.Laurent fully before we leave this place.What did you get from Kent?"
"Detective Castellano has a brother, recently released from prison.He lives in Missoula.Captain Kent will bring him in."
"Shoot!"Claire exclaimed."If this is the lead that gets our killer, Kent’s going to take all the credit for himself.Could this be our guy?"
"Yeah, he could be," Alison admitted."If Tommy is posing as his brother to ask questions about three victims, possibly before they were killed, then he did that for a reason.You’ve had people talk to the family of the prison guard who was killed along with the two inmates, and we’ve gotten nothing from them.Dr.Laurent is angry at the system, and that makes sense.Those connected to the system get to see it from the inside out.They can see where the mistakes are, where the weaknesses lie.I’ve considered that this is someone in law enforcement.Possibly someone who’s been to the crime scenes."
"Like Castellano?"Claire asked.
"Exactly.He was the lead on the first two, and from talking to Captain Kent, he was somewhat involved with the third.That might create a visceral reaction.It’s one thing to see revenge for someone who was killed, but if you’re there, in amongst it, you get a different sense of it.That can do things to people.You see something like that, knowing it can be avoided, and it gets in your head.Detective Castellano is dead, but what if he spoke about that to his brother?What if the brother wants to do something about it?Do we know the details of the Castellano death?What if that was a mistake?What if it could have been avoided?It might not even matter if it could, if Tommy thinks it could.His brother talks about all these deaths that could have been avoided, and then he’s killed in the line of duty.Tommy thinks that could have been avoided, and he remembers his brother’s words.He’s been in and out of jail.Maybe it’s time for him to do something with his life."
"We should be there," Claire said."Now, we’re stuck here doing nothing."
"It was your hunch that led to the name.I’ll make sure people know that.For now, I want to know as much about both Castellanos as possible.We will get to leave soon, and I want to be ready to talk with Tommy.We’re not stuck here doing nothing, so let’s get to work."
***
Claire and Alison sat in a small office, sharing a small desk as they went through any files connected to Tommy Castellano.
"All violent crimes," Claire said.
"He assaulted a guy in a bar fight when he was eighteen, put him in the hospital for two weeks, then had time added to his sentence for attacking a guard in jail.Four months after he was released from that, he got into a fight on the street, and the guy was in a coma for a month, but there was evidence that the other guy had started it.Two counts of domestic assault, one of theft, dealing drugs, and one count of fraud."
"Okay, the fraud adds something," Alison said."He’s obviously violent, and we are looking for someone with some rage, but also someone who can control themselves.If he committed fraud, then maybe he has the mind we're looking for.Are there any psyche reports?"
"Yeah, a few from his time in prison," Claire said.He's described as very dangerous by everyone who has examined him.Violent tendencies, bouts of rage, doesn’t get on well with others, etc, etc.One doctor made a note that they believed if he was released from prison, it would only be a matter of time before he returned.He committed three more crimes after that.There is a report here that describes him as highly intelligent.Dr.Rose says, ‘Tommy Castellano hides his sharp mind behind his violent exterior.He knows exactly what he’s doing at all times, and he means everything he does.’"
"Okay, that’s more of what we are looking for," Alison said."Kent mentioned that he was released from prison six months ago.Any record of what he’s been doing?"
"Nothing except for his registered address and his parole officer."
"Give the parole officer a call and see what he makes of Castellano."
"On it."Claire took out her phone and got up from the desk, leaving the room to make the call.
Alison was looking into Detective Arturo Castellano.Arturo was a regular visitor at any jail where Tommy was incarcerated.They were a little over a year apart in age, suggesting they would have been close in childhood, perhaps sharing the same friend group and doing the same things.Arturo had visited his brother regularly, even though they were on opposite sides of the law.
