A Deadly Influence (Abby Mullen Thrillers #1)(106)

“I’d like to see a lawyer now,” he said. “I’m not saying another word until that happens.”





CHAPTER 71


“It looked like he figured something out,” Abby said.

They sat in the monitor room, drinking tepid cups of coffee.

“I think he got scared and figured he needed a lawyer to make a deal,” Carver said.

Abby shook her head. “The way his whole body reacted . . . there’s no way he faked that. He realized something. Something important.”

“He talked about Karl dying. Maybe he thought he could use that to his advantage in some way?”

“Maybe . . . he was talking about the plan to kidnap Nathan. That David would never flip on him, so it was too bad that we killed Karl. Maybe he figured out David would actually flip on him?”

“He was about to mention someone else,” Wong said.

Both of them turned to face her.

“Check the footage.” She pointed at the console. “He was about to mention a third person, but then he didn’t.”

Carver ran the footage back, and they watched the final minute of the interview. Otis lost his cool and shouted, “Well, it’s too bad you killed Karl! Because even if there was such a plan, David would never tell you anything, and—”

“I think you’re right,” Abby said.

“I don’t see it,” Carver said.

“It’s like he was about to say, ‘David would never tell you anything, and Johnny won’t either,’” Abby clarified. “Or ‘Johnny wasn’t there.’ Or something about Johnny.”

“Johnny?”

“It’s an example. Much more likely that it’s someone like Richard Styles. Suppose there were four of them. Otis, Karl, David, and someone else. They were the ones who planned the whole thing. And Otis listed them to us, telling us why we wouldn’t be getting anywhere.”

“He could have been about to say anything,” Carver argued. “He could have been about to say, ‘And I’m done talking to you.’ Or ‘And I want coffee and a pretzel.’”

“Let’s check,” Abby said brightly, standing up.

“Where are you going?”

“He said David would never flip on him. Let’s see if that’s true.” She pointed at the monitor displaying David in the other room.

The interrogation room where David waited had a flickering light that kept clicking. David squinted when they walked in. Unlike Otis, he didn’t look calm. He looked scared and exhausted.

“Hey, David,” Abby said. “We have a few questions. To tie up loose ends.”

David stared at her, saying nothing.

“Otis told us you once had a plan to kidnap Nathan and Gabrielle, but you ended up deciding not to go through with it,” Abby said.

“That’s right,” David said. “We all agreed it was a bad idea.”

“So you talked it over,” she said. “You, Otis, Karl, and, uh . . . who was the other one?” She frowned at Carver, snapping her fingers.

“Luther,” David said.

“Luther, right.” Abby couldn’t believe her luck. “You all talked it over and just decided not to go through with it?”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t you find it strange that Nathan was kidnapped after all?”

“Sometimes the Lord punishes us for our impure intentions,” David said. “It’s not my place to question his judgment. I can only strive to be better.”

“Nathan’s kidnapping was God’s punishment for your own abduction plan?”

“I’m sure of it. Nathan was kidnapped, the police are murdering us one by one, the raid on the rest of the community . . .” He shut his eyes. “‘For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.’”

Abby exchanged glances with Carver.

“That plan,” Carver said. “You were supposed to take Nathan back to the farm?”

“No, of course not,” David said. “We were supposed to take him to the other . . .” He paused.

Abby leaned back, feigning disinterest. “Where did you plan to take him?”

“If Otis told you about it, why didn’t he tell you that?” David asked.

“We didn’t ask him about it.” Abby shrugged.

“Then ask him about it.”

“Why does it matter?” Carver asked. “You said you didn’t go through with it.”

“We didn’t.”

“Then why not tell us where you planned to take him?”

David didn’t answer.

“Are you worried that Otis did go through with the kidnapping?” Abby asked. “And that Nathan really is there?”

“He didn’t.” His voice was completely certain.

“How do you know?”

“Because I know Otis better than anyone else. He would never do that.”

“But you planned to do it.”

“To get my kids back! Not to ask for ransom.”

“Karl Adkins was spotted near Eden’s house twice in the past month,” Abby pointed out. “He was away from the farm on the day Nathan was kidnapped. What if he decided to go through with it? He was supposed to marry Gabrielle, right?”