“It’s certainly possible,” Rocky said.
“But how can you know that?” Renee demanded.
Vince was still staring hard at Rocky. “Because these murders were the same,” Vince said quietly. “God help us all. You found them the same way as Melissa.”
“Vince,” Renee murmured uncomfortably, “you can’t know that.”
But Vince shook his head. “No, I was there. And what I saw has been imprinted in my mind all these years. You found them lying the same way...outstretched, like a pentagram. The blood on the throat...”
Renee shivered. “Stop it, Vince, please.”
“I can’t. Because they’re thinking it was someone who was here at the time—and here now.”
9
“Like one of us,” Vince continued.
Silence fell for a brief second.
“Me?” Renee squeaked. “You think that it could have been me?”
“No,” Rocky said.
“He’s lying,” Vince said, and laughed bitterly. “I’m an attorney. I can tell when a man is lying. Trust me—I’ve listened to liars for years.”
“I’m not lying,” Rocky said, looking at Renee. “It would have been almost impossible for you to have killed any of the women. You’re too short.” He looked back at Vince. “Could it have been one of the rest of us? Yes.”
“So I could be a suspect?” Vince asked.
“Frankly, yes,” Rocky said. “Have you taken up the Wiccan religion recently, Vince?” he asked.
“What?”
“Wiccan—did you become a Wiccan?” Rocky asked.
“No!”
“Then why on earth did you buy an athame?”
Vince stared at Rocky in openmouthed surprise. If the situation weren’t so critical, Rocky would have been amused. Vince had come a long way—law school was no easy track—but right then he looked like the kid in class who had just been told there was going to be a pop quiz on the material he hadn’t studied the night before.
“What?” Vince asked.
“Athame. It’s a double-edged blade used in the Wiccan religion. It’s normally ceremonial, but it’s the closest match we’ve found for the weapon used to murder our victims.”
Vince reddened. “I know what an athame is,” he muttered. “You think you’re the only one who knows anything?”
“You said, ‘What?’” Rocky reminded him. “I thought you were asking what an athame was.”
“Why are you attacking Vince?” Renee asked. She was sitting next to him, which made her look even tinier—and Vince look almost like an ogre.
“Guys, this is a dinner party, not an interrogation,” Haley said.
Rocky didn’t flinch. “I’m not attacking anyone,” he assured her. He looked at Vince evenly. “I’m just asking questions.”
“How the hell do you know so much?” Vince demanded. “Oh, that’s right. You’re a fed. Big Brother is watching.”
“There’s no conspiracy here,” Angela assured him.
“Did you get a warrant to violate my privacy?” Vince asked.
“I didn’t need one. If you use a credit card, the record of your purchases is on the internet and readily available to anyone, not just law enforcement. But you’re stalling, Vince.” He smiled to take the sting out of the words. “And you’re good at it. I’m glad you got your law degree. I can only imagine how effective your arguments are in court. Back in school you already had the ability to convince half our teachers it was their fault you hadn’t done your homework.”
Vince’s jaw tightened as he looked down and shook his head. He looked back up at Rocky. “We all have our strengths. It was easy for you to get it done, and easy for me to talk my way out of it.”
“Vince,” Rocky said, “I’m not attacking you, but I need to know. Why did you buy it?”
Vince looked around at the agents. “I don’t know which of you is the computer pro, but you can check this out. I was defending Midnight Mercantile. They had a shipment go overboard just outside Boston Harbor. They lost a lot of merchandise, including a large order of athames, which was recovered and the contents unsalable. I bought one made to the same specifications to demonstrate in court that if the contents had been made to the manufacturer’s promised standards, the time they spent in the water wouldn’t have ruined them to such a degree. We subjected my athame to salt water for an equal amount of time, and I proved my point. You want the athame? I’ll get it to you.”
“I see,” Rocky said.
“That’s it—you see?” Vince asked.
“I told you. I was never attacking you, I was asking you.”
Vince laughed. “Rocky, come on. I’m a lawyer, remember? Asking questions...that’s an attack.”
“No, it’s a request for information,” Rocky told him.