Murder Takes the High Road(83)

A game. That’s all this was to Corian. Another game. “To make it harder to identify the victims.”

Corian tipped his head as though considering this. “I wonder. Maybe. Partly, no doubt. But you’re a student of history. You understand the possibilities and precedents.”

The theory of ritualized cannibalism had certainly occurred to Elliot before that moment, but his stomach still gave a queasy roll of revulsion.

Watching him, Corian said, “You’re horrified, yes, but you’re fascinated too.”

“Mostly I’m troubled. My concern is for the families who deserve to know whether their missing child is one of your victims.”

“I don’t know that they deserve anything. After all, their children wouldn’t be missing if they hadn’t failed as parents.”

“Yeah, that’s right,” Elliot said. “It’s the fault of the parents that these young men were captured and butchered for your...art. Did you have some method, some system of record-keeping that would make it possible for you at this late date to identify the remains?”

“What remains? Who says there were any remains?” Corian was grinning. “Waste not, want not.”

It wasn’t easy, but Elliot kept his gaze level, his expression emotionless. “I’m speaking now of the sixteen previously mentioned bodies recovered from your cellar. Do you have any means of identifying them?”

“This is deal-making territory,” Corian said. “We both know you’re not in a position to offer me any deals.”

“Then why am I here?” Elliot gestured at the mesh-covered window. “What’s the point of this?”

Corian pretended to give this serious thought. “Several reasons. First and foremost, your being here annoys the hell out of your boyfriend. Special Agent Tucker Lance.”

The bastard was right about that.

“Okay,” Elliot said evenly. “You’re having your laugh now. But the joke will be on you after the jury listens to all that evidence. It’ll be too late for making deals then.”

Corian’s eyes gleamed. “Don’t you want to ask me why? Why I did it? Why I killed them?”

“I know why. You’re a sick sonofabitch.”

That was the truth. As far as it went. But even Elliot, who knew there was no possibility of understanding a brain like Corian’s, sometimes found himself questioning, puzzling over why. Certainly the families wanted to know, wanted some explanation, wanted to be able to make sense of these multiple tragedies.

How could such things happen?

Was there anything worse than losing a loved one to a random act of violence?

Probably not. But even if you could understand the pathology of one serial killer, you were essentially starting from scratch with the next. At least as far as prevention went.

Apprehension was another matter. But apprehension was moot in this case.

Corian’s lip curled scornfully. “That’s not worthy of you.”

“No? It’s the truth though. The why doesn’t matter.” Elliot’s chair scraped noisily as he rose.

“You’re leaving?” Corian couldn’t conceal his surprise.

Elliot had turned away, but he glanced back. “Yep. Things to do and places to go. I’m not interested in providing the audience for your insanity plea test run. And since you don’t plan on telling me anything I don’t already know...” He shrugged.

Corian was not used to being walked out on. His smile was slightly forced. “Are you so sure?”

Elliot smiled. He headed for the door.

As he reached for the buzzer, Corian spoke.

“Mills. About earlier. I didn’t mean you have anything to fear from me personally.”

The guard opened the door. Elliot spared Corian one final look. “No, of course not. You’re worried about my karma.”

“No.” Corian grinned, looking more satanic than ever. “No, you should be worried. But not about me. My work is done.”

“It sure is,” Elliot replied. “And wait till you see the retirement package we’ve got for you.”

*

“He’s in a good mood,” the guard observed as the door to the interview room settled into place with a heavy and final-sounding click.

The guard was probably in his mid to late twenties. Medium height, buff, boyish. Corian’s preferred type, if he only knew it.

“Never happier,” Elliot agreed. “But then who doesn’t like having company?”

By the time he made it over to the viewing room, SA Yamiguchi, Tucker’s second on the multiagency task force responsible for bringing Corian to justice, had already taken off—no doubt in a hurry to get back to the Seattle field office and deliver her “I told you so!” to SAC Montgomery.

She wasn’t alone in that sentiment.

“That was a waste of time,” Detective Pine commented. He and Elliot had history, but this time they were on the same team. Pine was short, dark and ambitious. A few years younger than Elliot. Young enough to believe he had everything under control—young enough to believe in the concept of control.

“Pretty much,” Elliot agreed.

“Why do you think he wanted to see you so bad?”

“He’s lonely?”

Pine’s laugh was sour. “Maybe it’s your sparkling conversation. I nearly spit my coffee out when you started to walk out the first time.”