Page 33

I grimaced. “I have a feeling I know which one. There were two I truly worried about, but the little old lady was just so fragile…”

“Yeah, it was her. She woke up enough to say her goodbyes, though, so you did good there.”

I appreciated hearing that. I did feel bad I hadn’t been able to fully save her. But I’d done all I could, and I must be content with that. Sadly, I couldn’t save everyone. It was a fact of life I’d had to face more than once.

Lachlan shook his head, eyes tight. “So that’s one death he’s responsible for, then. Hopefully makes his sentence worse.”

“Oh, I doubt he’ll get out of prison alive. That any of them will. Judge and jury will convict these guys harshly out of pure disgust if nothing else. Jon was also able to verify where they were getting their meal victims.”

I objected to this term. “Meal victim?”

“Skylar’s been calling them that. It’s gruesomely accurate. Apparently, the three of them were using charm and good looks to seduce people to the house. It’s how Smith got the poor victim we rescued, it was a bar hookup gone wrong.”

Now that somehow figured.

Donovan shrugged his massive shoulders and gestured for us to follow. “Anyway, come on through, let’s get your statement done.”

I followed him through the noisy bullpen and into a quieter room where I could focus and write out a statement. It occurred to me to ask, “What about the pool of blood and the dead body? Does Borrowman realize we’re finally at the stage to handle all of that?”

“He’s aware and gathering people up now. Borrowman’s going back in with forensic techs and you to dismantle it. Has to be done that way for chain of evidence.”

I nodded, as that made sense to me. “He does understand I have to fully drain and shut the thing down before anyone can touch it?”

“He does, Jon impressed it upon him. It should be safe to approach now, though? Right?”

“Safer, sure.”

“Ah. Right.”

It was like a safety on a gun. Safe to handle the gun? Sure. Safe enough to be careless with it? Never make that assumption. I’d learned that the hard way, too.

Teenage me had been stupid and cocky, let’s just say that.

Donovan offered to copy my notes with the copy machine nearby, which I let him do, as that saved me time. They couldn’t have my original notes, they were for me, and half of what I jotted down wouldn’t make sense to anyone not in my line of work. Gwyn could make sense of them, or at least most of them. The notes were for her sake, too. I tried to make sure my apprentice had records of cases so she had a guide in the future in case I couldn’t help her.

I started on the statement, and once Donovan handed my notes back, I used them to make sure I wasn’t misstating things, and carried on. By the time I wrapped up, and submitted them over, Jon waited on me outside the door. He gave me a smile as I exited.

“All done?”

“With that, at least. I’m curious, did you get any kind of motivation out of the other two?”

“Eh, not really? Because I wanted to and could was what it boiled down to. This was the first case of them doing something together, but each of them had experience with cannibalism prior to them finding each other and linking up.” Jon’s nose lifted up in a pure repulsion. “Apparently there’s a dark web site to help them find like minded individuals. Sho found it on one of their phones and has been having a field day ever since. Lots of warrants going to be issued based on his findings, let’s just say that.”

“I’m all for it.”

Borrowman caught up at that moment. “Thank you for the statement, we’re good to go there. Just undo that damn blood bowl and you’re a free bird.”

“Trust me, I want it undone. Having it sitting there has felt like a loadstone dragging at the back of my neck. Your tech people understand they’re not to do anything until I give them the all clear?”

“They are.”

“Good. I don’t want any accidents.” Blowing out a breath, I steeled myself for dealing with it. “Let’s go, then.”

Traveling over to the house wasn’t something anyone wanted to do. This was, thankfully, the last time I had to make this trip.

I planned on taking the hottest shower known to man after this. With salts.

This time, I took both suitcases into the basement with me. Lachlan handled one, Donovan kindly the other. I’d need what was in both.