Page 16 of Just Right

He felt dizzy with horror. The stick fell from his hand. He couldn't believe he'd made an error like this. He'd ruined everything. He'd been so sure. It was all in pieces now. What he had needed and longed for was beyond his grasp again.

"No," he muttered.

He tried to think the way he had to think. To make his brain work. What had he done wrong? Why had he got it wrong? How could such a mistake have happened?

Guilt pounded in his heart. He'd been so sure. He'd been so positive. And he'd made such a big mistake in not recognizing his own mother. He couldn't have been more wrong. He felt as if he should abandon all hope.

"No," he said again. "No, I can't believe it has to be this way. I can't believe this is how it's all going to end."

He was silent, looking around him at the quiet suburban scene. As he looked, the hidden part of him in the back of his mind was searching to make sure nobody had noticed him. The lost man felt that the hidden part was about to play an important role.

"I'm not beaten yet," he told himself. "I'm not beaten until I give up. And I'm not going to give up. Not yet."

He took a breath, trying to stay calm. He had to think. He'd got it wrong, but obviously, there was something that he had missed. Something that he had done wrong. There must be something he could do to reverse the situation. To fix it.

And then, once again, the light seemed to go on in his brain. Of course! He must do what he had done the last two times. The hidden part of his mind was sending messages that he understood now. Suddenly that weird, cold clarity was back in his mind, pushing him into action. This was nothing but an imposter, like the others had been. This entity, this stranger, was stealing his mother's place in the world. And just as he'd done the last time, he needed to cleanse the world of her. That way, his mother would have the chance to return. The steps of the ritual he would have to follow came back into his mind, clear and precise.

Of course. He'd been confused for a moment but now the way ahead was clear, and he knew exactly what he had to do.

Smiling, picking up the stick with a new resolve, he headed toward the home's back door.

CHAPTER NINE

Without a doubt, Nick Simmel was guilty, Cami sensed. The timing of his arrival at the aquarium was surely no coincidence. And he had a record of stalking and a previous restraining order against him.

He must be their killer. She felt certain of it.

But as she watched the dripping man, his face twitching and a towel roughly draped over his shoulders, Cami knew that suspicion alone was not enough and that Connor would now have to seek concrete proof from him.

Connor guided him, none too sympathetically, to one of the plastic deck chairs and sat him down on a cushion. Cami ran over to the cupboard near the pool, where she saw a few spare towels were folded, and brought back one for Connor. He was dripping, too, as he sat down on the deck chair opposite. But he barely seemed aware of it. All his focus was on the suspect.

"You were at the meeting with Patti Browne yesterday," he said. "She met with your arts and drama club."

Nick looked nervously at Connor. "Yes, we . . . we did meet with her," he stammered, looking cold now, as well as nervous.

"And then you came to the aquarium? Knowing she would be there?"

"I didn't come to meet her. I wasn't following her."

"You didn't? Then why are you here? What business did you have at the aquarium?"

Nick shook his head. "It was a coincidence," he said. "I was at the aquarium for an appointment. I didn't check who was there, and I had no idea Patti would be there."

"An appointment? With who?"

Nick was looking increasingly flustered. "I'm not a killer," he said. "I'm not trying to find victims. I'm trying to get my life back on track. Change direction. I had a meeting with my life coach nearby."

"At the aquarium?"

Nick looked down, shaking his head. "I was early for the meeting, so I stopped off there. Our meeting was at a coffee shop."

"You knew that Patti Browne would be here. You must have known."

Nick looked down. He had known, Cami was utterly sure.

Connor’s voice was relentless. “Either you tell us the full truth now, or we are arresting you on suspicion of this murder.”

"I—okay, I thought she was a very special woman. Attractive. I wanted to see her again. And yes, she did say she was going to be there for the dolphin feeding. I'm very shy. I don't have good social skills. I wanted to be near her. But I didn't want to intrude. I didn't want to risk her thinking I might be some kind of stalker." His voice was high and shaky.

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