Die Again (Rizzoli & Isles, #11)(89)

“If she didn’t leave the gate unlatched, then who do you think did it?”

“That’s just it, I don’t know! The staff area is out of public view, so theoretically anyone could have sneaked back there unseen.”

“Did she have enemies?”

“No.”

“A new boyfriend?”

A pause. “I don’t think so.”

“You don’t sound too sure.”

“We hadn’t really talked much lately, except about issues at work. I know she was upset the day that I euthanized Kovo, but I really had no choice. We tried to keep that cat alive for as long as we could. In the end, it was cruel to let him suffer.”

“So Debra was upset about something.”

“Yes, and pissed off, too, that Kovo was going to be stuffed and mounted for some rich *. Especially when she found out the * was Jerry O’Brien.”

“You’re not a fan, I take it.”

“The man considers Africa his personal slaughterhouse. He brags about it on his radio show. So yes, she was pissed, and so am I. Part of our mission here is wildlife conservation. I’m supposed to go to Johannesburg next month, for a conference on rare species protection. And here we made a deal with the devil, all for money.”

“So you’re going to Africa,” she said. “Been there before?”

“Yes. My mother’s from Johannesburg, and we have family there.”

“What about Botswana? I’ve been thinking of going. Have you ever been?”

“Yes. You should definitely go.”

“When were you there?”

“I don’t know. Seven, eight years maybe. It’s beautiful, one of the last wild places on earth.”

She shut off the RECORD button. “Thank you. I think that’s all the information I need for now.”

He frowned. “That’s all you wanted to know?”

“If I have other questions, I’ll be in touch.”

“You will keep pursuing this, won’t you?” he said as she packed up the video camera. “It bothers me that it’s automatically dismissed as an accident.”

“At the moment, Dr. Oberlin, it’s difficult to call it anything but an accident. Everyone keeps telling me that big cats are dangerous.”

“Well, let me know what else you need from me. I’ll do everything I can to help.”

You already have, she thought as she walked out of his office, carrying the camera. Sunny weather and Saturday had brought crowds into the zoo, and she had to weave her way down the busy pathway. Now things could start to move fast. Four plainclothes officers were already on the premises, waiting for her call to arrest Oberlin. A tech team would swoop in to seize his computer and electronic files, and Maura was already collecting samples from the zoo’s Bengal tiger for the hair and fiber lab. The trap was ready to spring, and all Jane needed to deploy it was a positive ID from Millie.

By the time she walked into the administrative building’s conference room, where Frost and Millie were waiting for her, Jane felt electricity sizzling through every nerve. Like the hunter who’s sighted his prey, she could already smell her quarry’s blood in the air.

Jane connected the camera to the video monitor and turned to Millie, who stood gripping the back of a chair, her hands so tense the tendons looked ready to snap. For Jane, this was merely a hunt; for Millie, this could be the moment her nightmares ended, and she faced the video monitor like a prisoner begging for reprieve.

“Here we go,” Jane said, and pressed PLAY.

The screen flickered to life, and Dr. Oberlin appeared, frowning at the camera.

Do you really need to record this?

I want to have an accurate record. Plus, this frees me from having to take notes, so I can focus on the interview.

As the video played, Jane kept her eyes fixed on Millie. The only sound in the room was the recording of Jane’s questions, Oberlin’s responses. Millie stood rigid, hands still gripping the chair as if it were the only solid anchor in the room. She didn’t move, didn’t even seem to breathe.

“Millie?” said Jane. She pressed PAUSE, and the face of Gregory Oberlin remained frozen on-screen. “Is it him? Is it Johnny?”

Millie looked at her. “No,” she whispered.

“But you saw his photo yesterday. You said it might be him.”

“I was wrong. It’s not him.” Millie’s legs crumpled beneath her and she sank into a chair. “It’s not Johnny.”

Her answer seemed to suck all the air out of the room. Jane had been so certain they had the killer in their trap. Now, instead of Leopard Man, it appeared they’d caught Bambi. This was her reward for gambling everything on one shaky witness with an unreliable memory.

“Jesus,” muttered Jane. “So we’re back to nothing.”

“Come on, Rizzoli,” said Frost. “She was never really sure.”

“Marquette’s already on my back about the Cape Town trip. Now this.”

“What did you expect?” said Millie. She looked up at Jane with sudden anger. “For you, it’s just a jigsaw puzzle, and you thought I had the missing piece. What if I don’t?”

“Look, we’re all tired,” said Frost, playing the mediator as always. “I think we should take a deep breath. Maybe get something to eat.”