Never Tell by Lisa Gardner

Author:Lisa Gardner
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2019-02-19T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 20

D.D.

FROM THE BEGINNING, PHIL HAD warned D.D. that she’d regret making Flora Dane a CI. The woman was a known vigilante, an avowed loner, and just plain reckless. D.D. always hated it when her mentor was right.

“So to recap,” she said briskly now, sitting at the head of the table, “you”—she skewered Flora with a glance—“took it upon yourself to call an Atlanta FBI agent and invite her into my investigation.”

“Technically, I invited her to assist in my investigation,” Flora said.

Yep, D.D.’s confidential informant had definitely gone rogue.

Flora continued. “I have an interest in all this, too, you know. What was Conrad Carter’s association with Jacob? Were there other men or predators he was meeting? Does this mean he was part of some larger network of sociopaths and I missed it? Then, talking to SSA Quincy and hearing about other missing women—”

D.D. held up a hand. She pointed at the other newcomer in the room, who appeared to be around thirty years of age, could’ve passed for a Tom Ford model, and was sitting a lot closer to Flora than strictly necessary.

“And you? What’s your role in all this?”

Kimberly Quincy was already smiling, which meant this was going to be good.

To the man’s credit, he planted both elbows on the table, leaned forward, and met D.D.’s stare. “My name is Keith Edgar. I’m a computer analyst, and, um . . . I run a forum for true-crime enthusiasts. In particular, we’ve been working the Jacob Ness case for the past six years.”

“You’ve been working the Jacob Ness case?”

Kimberly Quincy’s smile was growing.

“We’ve always suspected there were other victims. The degree of sophistication and planning that went into Flora’s abduction . . . no predator gets that smart overnight.”

If Flora was offended to be discussed as little more than a case study, she didn’t show it.

“And you know this because you’re a computer analyst?” D.D. pressed.

“No, I know this because I’ve done a great deal of reading on the subject—”

“Internet true-crime porn.”

“And I work with a group of talented experts, which included retired BPD detective Wayne Rock.”

That caught D.D.’s attention. She’d known Wayne before his retirement five years ago. Great man, brilliant detective, who had lost his battle with cancer just a few months ago. The whole department had grieved, herself included.

“Wayne also believed there were other victims?”

“Absolutely. Most predators follow a pattern of escalation. With a self-proclaimed sex addict such as Ness, he probably started young as a voyeur, then evolved to inappropriate touching, before engaging in full-fledged sexual assault, and finally, ultimately . . .”

Edgar gestured awkwardly toward Flora, who still remained completely expressionless. Briefly, D.D. felt her heart soften. This was Flora’s life. To be forever defined by a monster, whether she wanted to be or not. For the two years D.D. had known Flora, the woman had always refused to discuss her past. So to be part of this conversation now, to have invited a feebie no less, was an act in courage, whether D.D. liked it or not.

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