“Certainly,” Bree agreed without committing to any particular intervals.
Jager tipped her head back. “And you need to nix this serial killer rumor.”
“How would I do that?” Bree asked.
“Just deny it.” Jager lifted one bony shoulder.
“What if it’s true?”
“People will panic.”
“Will they?” Bree didn’t think so. “I find people panic less when they feel they’re being kept informed. They need to trust us. Lying will not facilitate that trust.”
“You don’t have to lie,” Jager hedged. “Just be vague, change the subject, don’t actually answer a direct question. It’s not that hard to be evasive. You’re clever. I’m sure you’ll manage.”
Jager pivoted on one ice-pick heel and stomped out of the room.
Except lying to the public went against every molecule in Bree’s body. The people needed to know they could rely on her to protect them. That’s what would keep them from panicking. She would not lie. Nor would she withhold information she thought the public needed. She worked for the people. Not the other way around. And while the board of supervisors controlled Bree indirectly through the budget, she answered to the people of Randolph County.
She wouldn’t let politics affect her integrity, even if it put her job at risk.
Bree waited until Jager was long gone before turning to Matt and Todd, neither of whom had uttered a word during the exchange. Neither of them had even breathed loudly. “You two were quiet.”
“Damned straight,” Matt said. “I am not a politician.”
“What he said.” Todd jerked a thumb at Matt. “She’s unhinged.”
Matt agreed with a nod. “She’s ridiculous, like a Disney villain.” Over the past few months, Matt’s knowledge of all things Disney had increased tenfold. “A redheaded Cruella de Vil.”
“Great.” Bree rubbed her eyes, as if the gesture would erase the mental image. It didn’t help that Jager was cartoonish, and Matt’s comparison was spot-on. “Now every time I see Jager, that’s what I’m going to picture.”
“Happy to help.” Matt stood and headed for the door. “Now, you’d better see the press before Jager does.”
“Shit. You’re right.” She stopped in the restroom for two minutes and used the facilities. Washing her hands, she evaluated her reflection and shoved a stray piece of hair back into her bun. She didn’t bother changing into a fresh uniform, although Marge had likely replenished the spare in her office. Her admin was efficient as hell. Bree had no time to worry about her appearance. She found Matt and Todd in the hallway, waiting. They walked as a team—a cohesive unit—through the station.
Reporters crowded the lobby. Matt and Todd stood behind Bree as she gave a basic statement. “This morning, the body of Julius Northcott was discovered at his residence.” Bree spotted reporter Nick West in the front row. He already knew the details of the case. She could tell by the smug look in his eye. She’d beat him to the punch. “Mr. Northcott was subdued with a stun gun and smothered by plastic wrap.”
Murmurs moved across the crowd. A camera flash made Bree see spots. She blinked them away.
Nick West raised his microphone. “In your last press conference, you said there was no threat to the community. Now that a second man has been killed in the same way as the first, would you like to revise your community statement?”
Bree debated which details to reveal and decided to make any information public that might help people protect themselves. “Both of our victims are in their forties, they were both killed in their own residences, and they both used dating apps—”
“Is the killer tracking people on dating apps?” a reporter yelled.
Bree continued. “All we know is that both victims were heavy users of this technology. But causation and correlation are not the same thing.” She scanned the group. “Neither home showed any sign of forced entry.”
“Is a serial killer on a murder spree in Grey’s Hollow?” Nick asked.
The room went silent.
The real answer to his question was probably. A copycat was still a possibility but looking less and less likely. Jager and the other county supervisors would lose their ever-loving minds if Bree admitted there was a serial killer in town. But could she live with herself if she didn’t? She pictured herself as the police chief in Jaws. There was no political win in this situation for her. If she made light of the danger, and someone else died, the supervisors would blame her and call out her failure.
And someone would be dead.
If she alarmed the public, they’d do the same, but at least people would be warned. The most important thing was that no one else died. Politics would be the death of her career. Some days, that thought sounded appealing.
If her career tanked, she would go down with a clear conscience, but she would compromise and not use the S word. “It’s likely that the same killer murdered both victims. My advice to the community is to keep your doors locked. If you have an alarm system, use it. Don’t let anyone into your home whom you don’t know well. Be wary of strangers you met online. Be careful with dating apps. Don’t give out your personal information. It would be sensible to be extra cautious at the current time.” Bree made eye contact with some of the reporters but also with the cameras. “Rest assured that when I have more information, I will bring it to you, and I’m going to ask the public to do the same. If you have any information, if you see something that isn’t right, call us. We want to know. The sheriff’s department is working night and day to find the person responsible for these terrible crimes.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
Matt rubbed an eye as he studied the email from forensics. The words were blurring on the screen, but he could feel excitement stirring as the case against Farah Rock began to take shape.
Across from Matt, Bree extracted data from Julius’s cell phone. “Julius and Farah definitely dated via the Cool Beans app.”
“But that was a month or so ago, right?” At the other end of the table, Todd looked up from his laptop. “Their messages would be purged.”
“True, but they communicated via text as well.” Bree tapped the phone screen with a forefinger. “And Julius never deleted her texts.” She slid a finger down the screen. “Listen to this exchange.” She read aloud. “Farah: ‘How many women are you fucking?’ Julius: ‘We never said we were exclusive.’ Farah: ‘Answer the Q.’ Julius: ‘A few.’” Bree rolled her hand in the air. “They go back and forth with a few insults. Then, Farah texts: ‘You’re a horrible person. Karma is a bitch, and she will come for you.’ That sounds like a threat to me.” Bree sat back in her chair.
“Agreed,” Matt said. “Did Monica date Julius?”
Bree held up the phone. “There’s no mention of her in the dating apps Julius used. I’ll keep her on the suspect list, but there’s no evidence to move her up.”
“What about Spencer’s brother, Jasper?” Matt asked. “Have we ruled him out as a suspect? He was bailed out Wednesday afternoon, and Julius was killed Wednesday night.”