The Darkness of Evil (Karen Vail #7)(56)

That was a variable that had to be accounted for. They needed to work fast. Depending on Kubiak’s involvement, they might need to have Linscombe hook him up. But the timing was key; handcuff him too soon and he might ask for a lawyer. And it would be better if he was secured when the family walked in. Even better if they could be gone before the wife and son arrived.

They could legitimately get Kubiak for the marijuana, but it would be weak. She preferred something stronger. But at the very least, an arrest on state charges for obstruction—as well as possession—would buy them some time to dig deeper into Kubiak’s interactions with Marcks, both before and after the escape. She would give it a few minutes to unfold and if nothing better materialized they’d go with what they had.

“So why’d you really come out here?” Kubiak asked.

“Just some things that we need to clarify,” Vail said. “Like when you said you don’t really know who Roscoe Lee Marcks is.”

“That’s right. He’s one of two thousand inmates and he’s not even on my block.”

“But he was on your block. When you were kids.”

Kubiak swallowed but did not answer.

“We know you’re friends with him.” Vail waited but Kubiak did not react. “We know about the incident with Vincent Stuckey and Eddie Simmons when you were fourteen.”

“So what? Nothing against the law about having friends.”

“You don’t see the problem here?” Ramos snorted. “You’re a correctional officer at a facility that houses one of your childhood friends. And not only didn’t you disclose that, but you lied to us about it.”

“I didn’t lie about it.”

“Really?” Vail said. “Lance, you’re a law enforcement officer. Let’s not play games. Now’s the time to come clean. We need to know of anyone you can think of who’d have contact with Marcks after the escape. Or who might know how to get word to him.”

“Don’t know anyone like that.”

“You must have a shovel here,” Ramos said, “Because you’re doing a good goddamn job of digging your own grave.”

Vail reached forward and gathered up a small, framed photo of what was likely Kubiak’s son. “We know you talked with Booker Gaines. You were trying to warn Marcks that we’re getting close. And that his daughter’s cooperating with us.”

“So now you’re going to answer some questions for us,” Ramos said.

Kubiak worked his jaw, staring straight ahead. “I want a lawyer.”

“You’re not under arrest, Lance.” Yet. “Miranda doesn’t apply. But even if you were, and you went that route, we wouldn’t be able to help you.”

“I don’t know what I should tell you. I—I don’t want to lose my job.”

That train’s left the station, bro. “Let me make this as simple as possible for you, Lance: You should tell us anything that would help us find Marcks. You do that, I’ll see what I can do about keeping you out of the system. We’re not talking about you keeping your job. Your law enforcement career is over. But I’d hate to see you end up in a prison cell with the general pop, especially as a former CO. That’d be a death penalty without having to go through all the years of legal appeals. You know I’m speaking the truth.”

“Yeah.” Kubiak took a long, uneven breath. “So what do you want me to do?”

She held up the frame. “Good-looking boy. Think of him while you answer these questions.”

His Adam’s apple rose and fell sharply.

“So we want you to cooperate with us. Call Gaines and leave a message for your buddy Rocky that you can help him, that the feds came around asking questions and you know what they’re looking for. You want to meet him. You’ve got money and a fake passport so he can get into Canada because you told us that you’d heard that he planned to go south, to Mexico. So that’s where we’ll be looking.”

“You want me to lie to my friend?”

Vail’s jaw tightened. “Look. Instead of being with my fiancé tonight, I’m sitting in a house in West Virginia trying to track down a goddamn serial killer who’s already murdered three people since he escaped—an escape you helped facilitate. Then you had the balls to lie to us by saying you hardly know the guy when you’re friends going back forty years. And let’s not forget about Eddie Simmons and what happened to Vincent Stuckey. You lied about that, too.” Probably. “And you’re concerned about lying to a convicted killer?”

Kubiak’s right leg began bouncing as his eyes darted left and right.

“Nothing to think about, dipshit,” Ramos said. “Do the right thing here and maybe you save your skin.”

“I’ll do it. I’ll make the call. But Rocky’s real smart. He’s not gonna fall for that.”

“You might be right. We’ll see soon enough. For your sake, I hope he buys it. Which means you’d better do your best to sell it.”

Vail called Hurdle so he could triangulate the call, then Kubiak phoned Gaines and left the message they discussed, providing a location to meet.

“Tell me how you ended up at the same prison as Marcks,” Vail said. “That’s a stupidly convenient coincidence.”