Page 345 of Faking the Goal

My stomach sinks.

"He could deny everything."

"Exactly."

The detective nods.

"He could claim you've mistaken him for someone else. Unless we can place Charlie Maddox and Conrad as the same person through fingerprints, DNA, official records, surveillance, or catch him committing another crime, the case remains circumstantial."

The room falls quiet.

After a long pause, Matthews speaks again.

"There is one advantage we have."

Kentaro crosses his arms.

"What?"

"As far as Charlie knows..." Matthews says carefully, "Taylor still believes he's Conrad. He has no reason to think his identity has been compromised. If he realizes we've connected him to Charlie Maddox, he'll disappear."

Kentaro's jaw tightens.

"So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying..." Matthews hesitates, choosing every word carefully. "We may have an opportunity to draw him out before he realizes we're onto him."

Kentaro lets out a humorless laugh.

"You mean use her as bait."

"No."

The detective's answer is immediate.

"I mean create circumstances that Charlie believes he can control while we control everything around him."

"And how exactly do you plan on doing that?"

Matthews looks at me.

"Based on everything we've learned, Charlie's attacks escalated whenever he believed someone was taking Taylor away from him."

He glances toward Kentaro.

"Specifically... you."

Kentaro's expression darkens.

"So if Charlie suddenly believes that obstacle has been removed..." Matthews pauses. "...there's a strong possibility he'll try to approach Taylor again."

The realization slowly dawns on me.

"You want him to think..."

"...that the relationship is over," Matthews finishes.

Silence fills the room.