Page 34 of Four for a Boy

Chad flung up his hands. “Hold on a second. We might have the same hair and eye color, but so do a huge percentage of the population. Not to mention I’m nearly forty, older than the victims. You can’t claim the killer is targeting men that look like me.”

“It’s a theory,” Ally said. “That’s all.”

“Rather than come up with unfounded theories, we should be focusing on the different ways they left The Desperado that night. Justin was happy, but Damian left looking furious.” Chad squeezed his brow. “He arrived thirty minutesafterclosing time and walked straight in. Why was he there?”

Faye nodded, pulling up something on her laptop. “Damian used to work at The Desperado.”

“I sent a car around to Pete Jamerson’s house to bring him in,” the DI said. “Maybe he can tell us why Damian was at The Desperado, and why he left so angry.”

The DI turned to the boards. “Recap.”

Faye nodded. “Justin Fen was last seen alive leaving The Desperado at 2:30. He was found just over twenty-four hours later, his body dumped in a layby off the A505. Damian Hunt was last seen alive leaving The Desperado at 2:45. He was found six hours later, his body dumped in the undergrowth of the B116, three miles from a service station. Damian’s cause of death is yet to be confirmed, but from the smell, Dave’s indicated another chloroform poisoning.”

“Did the victims know each other?”

“They knewofeach other, but weren’t friends, Justin was a…” Faye trailed off and answered the phone on her desk. She hung up and then looked back at the DI. “They’ve picked up Pete Jamerson.”

Ally folded her arms. “I’d like to interview him.”

“But—”

The DI waved Chad’s protest away. “You and Josh can observe, but I want Ally with me on this one.” He looked at her. “I’ll meet you downstairs.”

Chad waited until he’d left the room before sidestepping into Ally’s path. “What the hell?”

“What?”

“Are you trying to get me kicked off the case?”

“Of course not, but you’d be blind not to see the similarity between the victims and you.”

“No one else thought it.” He looked at Josh. “Did you?”

Josh scratched the back of his head. “I mean, no. Justin’s clean-shaven, and Damian has a beard. Justin has his ear pierced, and Damian doesn’t.”

Chad glared at Ally. “Exactly. You’re only seeing the similarities, not the differences.”

“It’s a theory,” Ally met his glare. “It wouldn’t bother you so much if you didn’t think it could be true. Whoever the killer is, he’s broughtRomeo Knightinto the case, and like it or not, you have a permanent link to him, and everybody knows it. Now if you don’t mind, I have an interview to prepare for.”

She pushed past, knocking Chad off balance. He stared until the doors swung shut. Josh’s mouth opened and closed a few times before he gave up thinking of something to say and turned to Faye hiding behind her laptop.

Faye closed the lid. “She’s just worried about you.”

“There’s no need. I’m not going to be forced off this case because of Ally’s wild theory. We don’t look alike.” Chad gestured to himself, then the two men at the front of the room. “Eye color, hair color. build, fine, but nothing else. She’s worrying herself unnecessarily.”

Faye’s phone chirped on her desk. She gave Chad a wan smile before answering. She listened and tapped away on her laptop. “I’ll send them down.”

“Where are we going?” Josh asked. He shuddered. “Please not the mortuary.”

“The DI asked the bar staff from The Desperado to come in.” Faye looked at her screen. “We have a Cleo Nash and a Tate Bacon downstairs. If you hurry, you can talk to them before Pete arrives.”

“Bacon?” Josh asked. “His last name is Bacon?” He petted his grumbling stomach. “That’s going to happen every time I say his name.”

Chad pushed Josh towards the doors. “Come on. I’ll get you a sandwich when we’re done.”

“A bacon one?”

“If you’re lucky.”

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