A Soul To Steal (31 page)

It took him only a moment to figure out what was going on.

“Either you are now hiding your secret love of Internet porn, or you’ve been doing research—on me,” he said.

Kate looked at him for a moment. He wondered if she had slept at all. She was dressed in the same clothes from last night.

“What makes you say that?” she asked.

“I caught a glimpse of my old paper on the screen as you were shutting down,” he said. “Plus, you just look guilty.”

Kate studied him for a moment more.

“I was doing research on you,” she said finally.

Quinn sat down on the bed.

“Let me guess,” he said. “You were trying to figure out if I was the killer? Or if I might be in league with him at any rate?”

“You were the only one I told, Quinn,” she said. “I told you who I was and nobody else. So if he now knows...”

Quinn nodded.

“That’s logical,” he said. But he felt like he had been cold cocked nonetheless.

“It isn’t that I think you're him, I just...”

“Had to be sure,” he finished.

“Yes,” she said.

“And are you?”

“Am I what?”

“Sure?” he asked.

She looked back at the computer screen briefly and laid her palm on the desk.

“No,” she said. “I found nothing in there that helped me.”

“I thought not,” he said.

“I have to say—you are taking this pretty calmly,” she said.

“So is that a strike for or against me?” he asked, with an air of resignation.

“I don’t know,” Kate replied.

He leaned on his knees.

“It hurts a little, you know,” he said. “I have all this... I don’t know. Since you came here and I met you, I’ve felt... Oh screw it.”

He ran his hands through his hair. He was tired. She was paranoid. What was there to say?

“You felt what?” she asked, but she looked away from him.

“A connection,” Quinn replied. “Like you and I were supposed to be together or something. I don’t know how to explain it.”

“I know you think you know me,” she began.

He cut her off.

“That’s just it,” he said. “I don’t think I know you at all. I just know I want to. But I can’t do that if you don’t trust me.”

“I think you will agree our circumstances are a little different,” she said.

“Of course,” he replied. “And probably if I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t trust anybody either. But I don’t know how to convince you. I’ve been as honest with you as I know how.”

Kate sighed.

“Here’s the thing,” Kate said. “How do you know another person really is who they seem to be?”

“You don’t, you just…”

“No, no, don’t answer quick,” she said. “People can’t see inside each other’s heads. Everyone knows that. But think about how much people really don’t know about their friends and their family. Read the papers. Read our paper. How many child molesters? Rapists? Bullies? Killers? How many of them have families who just see them as friendly old John or Joe?”

“I know,” Quinn said.

“People don’t even know themselves. Husbands and wives cheat on each other and even they can’t explain it. They betray, they lie, they steal and sometimes feel like they are watching someone else do these things. Behind each person, there is a monster. A thing that lurks deep in their brain and slithers out every once in a while.”

“That’s not true,” he replied.

“It is true and you know it,” she said. “Everyone knows it. I’ve learned the hard way. You can’t trust anybody. You can’t even trust yourself.”

There was a long pause between them.

“I don’t believe that,” Quinn said finally. “I believe you can trust people.”

“But who, Quinn? How can you be sure?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “It’s a risk…”

“Let’s take it out of the hypothetical,” Kate said. “How do you explain how the killer knows who I am? Let’s assume it isn’t you. Then how does he…”

“There are a few possibilities I was running over in my head,” he said. “For starters, what about your dad’s friend? The cop.”

She nodded.

“I’ve been trying to do some research on him as well,” she said.

“He’s a possibility?" Quinn asked.

“I don’t know,” she said. “He is one of my dad’s best friends. I find it hard to believe...”

“There is another possibility,” Quinn said.

“Janus?” she asked. “I know. He could have figured it out.”

Quinn did not know if he wanted to scream or laugh.

“This is insane,” he said. “We are paranoid. I thought about it. I want you to know that. I really considered Janus. It’s a possibility, but I don’t think so. He would have been really young the first time around.”

“Still possible, though,” she said.

“Very unlikely,” he replied. “Or there’s the paper.”

“Do they all know?”

“You blew up in a room full of reporters,” he said. “You could have made someone curious.”

“So one of the guys could be...”

“Or one of the women,” Quinn said. “Or they could be working with him. Anybody could have been curious and dug a little.”

She put her head in her hands.

“I knew this would happen,” she said. “I just knew he would find me.”

“He hasn’t found you yet,” Quinn said.

“How do you know?” she asked. “He could be here right now, waiting outside the door. He could be anyone—even you.”

“I’m not him,” Quinn said.

“I know, I know,” she said, and then she laughed to herself. “But how do I really know? How can I trust anybody?”

Slowly, Quinn reached across and took her hand. She pulled it away.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I want to trust you. And I do...”

“But only so far,” he finished.

“Yeah,” she said. “I’m sorry. But I’m on my own here. He’s hunting me, not you.”

Quinn sighed and lay back on his bed. What was he supposed to say? How do you really know somebody else? There has to be some leap of faith, but what if you’re wrong?

He raised himself up again and looked at her.

“I believe in you,” he said. “I know it sounds corny. But I don’t think you’re going to be beaten by this guy. He may know who you are, but other than that, he knows nothing else about you.”

“Like what?” she asked.

“You’re not a scared little girl anymore, Kate. You’re not the girl he saw. Don’t let him put you in that position. You grew up. You’re smart, capable and tough.”

“Plus I have a gun and know how to use it,” she added and smiled a little.

“There is that, yes,” Quinn said. “You’ll beat him. We’ll beat him.”

“I hope you’re right, Quinn,” she replied and the smile faded. “I hope you’re right.”

*****

“Any news?” Janus asked when Quinn and Kate arrived at the
Chronicle
in the morning. Quinn was used to having most of the newsroom to himself, but he noticed Kyle, Buzz and Laurence were already there too.

“Hello,” Janus said again, as Quinn stared at the Coke machine in the kitchen. “Any news?”

“What news?” Quinn asked, and suddenly he was reluctant to share too much information. “Not much help in the files, I’m afraid.”

“Christ, you are bloody stupid,” Janus said. “Not about that.”

Janus glanced meaningfully in Kate’s direction, who was already sitting at her desk.

“Oh,” Quinn said and sat down. God, he was tired. “Not much.”

“Not much?” Janus asked. “Dude, you guys came in together. And unless I miss my guess, this is the second day in a row where that’s true. Plus you look totally knackered. So what kept you up all night, eh?”

“Not what you think,” Quinn replied.

“So she didn’t stay with you?” he asked. “I mean, it’s early in the morning...”

“She did, but...” Quinn said. “Let’s just say she came by to grab some stuff here last night. What she found was not exactly the stuff of romance.”

“What?” Janus asked, sitting down in the chair across from him.

“A note from everyone’s favorite serial killer.”

“What?” Janus asked. “Are you fucking insane? Shouldn’t the police be here then? What did they say when you called them?”

Quinn shook his head.

“We didn’t. It would raise more problems than it would solve.”

“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” Janus said. “You have to tell them. What if the guy left fingerprints?”

“He never does at murder scenes. Why would here be any different?”

“But you don’t know, Quinn.”

“I know that if we bring the police in, nothing good will come of it,” Quinn replied.

“If you keep this a secret and they find out later, nothing good will come of that either,” Janus said.

“Maybe. But some things are better left not broadcast.”

Quinn was not sure why he and Kate had agreed to keep it secret. After all, the one person whom they did not want to find out her identity clearly already knew it. But there would be questions from Sheriff Brown, not exactly what either of them wanted at the moment.

“So he left a note?” Janus asked.

“He did,” Quinn replied. “So she stayed at my place just in case he figured out where she lived.”

“Where does she live?” Janus asked.

Quinn stared at him a moment.

“What makes you ask now?”

Janus’ eyes widened.

“Are you crazy?” Janus said. “What—you think I might be behind this?”

“I don’t know who’s behind it, Janus.”

“Well, it bloody well isn’t me. And you should keep your paranoia in check.”

“Just because you are paranoid does not mean they are not out to get you,” Quinn replied.

“Come on, Quinn, you can’t be serious,” Janus said. “You know I could never do any of this. I was just being fucking inquisitive. Like reporters are supposed to be...”

Quinn lifted his hand.

“I don’t think you did it,” Quinn said.

“Good,” Janus said. Then a long pause. “Why?”

“Just my intuition,” Quinn said and got up to leave.