Page 344 of Faking the Goal

The room goes still.

I look up just in time to catch Detective Matthews and Kentaro exchanging a brief glance.

Not a confused one.

A knowing one.

The realization hits me so hard I slap a hand over my mouth.

Oh...

Oh, God...

My eyes widen.

"No..."

The word barely escapes me.

"He..." My voice cracks. "He wasn't talking about a girlfriend..."

Nobody answers.

Nobody has to.

I bury my face in my trembling hand.

"How..." I whisper. "How did I not see it?"

Detective Matthews' voice is gentle when he finally speaks.

"Because he didn't want you to."

I slowly lift my head.

"Predators who spend years stalking someone rarely introduce themselves as a threat, Miss Lewis." His expression softens. "They build trust. They make themselves feel safe. They become someone you would never think to question."

A chill runs the length of my spine.

Detective Matthews closes his notebook.

"But don't worry, because everything you've told us today is a major breakthrough. It gives us our first real connection between Charlie Maddox and the man you've known as Conrad, and it moves this investigation forward considerably."

A small wave of relief washes through me.

"So... you'll arrest him now?"

Detective Matthews' expression softens with regret.

"I wish we could." He slowly shakes his head.

"At this point, we don't have enough evidence to prove Conrad and Charlie Maddox are the same individual."

Kentaro frowns.

"But Taylor recognized him."

"She did," Matthews agrees. "And her identification gives us probable direction. It doesn't give us probable cause for an arrest."