The Devil's Daughter (Hidden Sins #1)(45)
“What do you know about Lee?”
Not enough. “His name is Lee Whitby. He’s not a bad sort, as such things go. I believe he rolled into town right around the time you left—that is, if I haven’t misremembered.”
“You haven’t.”
He waited, but she didn’t give him any more. She just stared out the window like the forests edging up to the road held all the secrets of the universe. So Zach searched his memory for everything he knew about the man in question. It wasn’t much. “He’s not like Abram, or even Joseph. He seems to fly under the radar in town. I believe Martha sends him out for recruiting, though I couldn’t begin to tell you where.”
“The colleges. He’s got soulful eyes—I bet the girls just eat it up, and the boys would want him to be friends, though they wouldn’t understand why. I bet he’s the reason recruitment is at an all-time high. I knew it the second I saw him today.” She rubbed her eyes. “There are men and women like him in every cult. They’re trained to push the right buttons to play on people’s fears and dreams—and then manipulate them into joining up. He’s got more raw talent in that department than training, but I could be wrong.”
He didn’t ask how she knew that. Eden seemed to know a lot about her mother’s operations that she had no business knowing. Originally, he’d thought that meant something about her involvement with the cult. Now . . . now, he suspected that she’d been watching and waiting for the moment Martha stepped out of line, solely so she could bring Elysia crashing to the ground. He didn’t fault her that, especially with some of the information she’d let slip. Buried alive . . .
He pushed that away to focus on the present. “Why are you asking about Lee?”
She finally turned to look at him. “He’s got connections to both girls. He has a thing for Elouise, to the point where he was the lure Martha used to try to get her to stay. She ultimately didn’t, but maybe he didn’t handle it well. And apparently Neveah had her eye on him, and he indicated enough interest in her to get her back out to Elysia a second time.”
Zach frowned. “Out of all the people out there, I’d think Lee would be the least likely to bring violence to the table.”
“Do you know how many times I’ve heard a variation of that same thing?” She ran a hand through her hair, making the setting sun glint off the golden strands. The beauty of the view was dimmed by her next words. She pitched her voice so that it sounded like someone completely different. “‘I had no idea. He was so normal. We played poker every Friday night. He was always there to help out when I needed it.’”
“From what I understand, a lot of people say that about serial killers.”
“Organized ones, yes. And all facts point to this killer being exactly that.” She pinned him in place with her dark eyes. “I need to see Elouise’s body, Zach—or at least the coroner’s report. I know you’ve gone over it, and I’m not saying you missed something, but there isn’t another person in this investigation with my knowledge of Elysia and what goes on there. There might be some evidence or something that no one would notice but me.”
He knew that. There was no real reason to keep that vital report from her—not now that he was reasonably sure she was on the up-and-up. But part of him still hesitated. “After dinner.”
“Fine.” One clipped word, leaving him with the feeling she didn’t really want to see that report any more than he had. Something had happened out at the commune, something that had shaken her up.
He needed to know what. “You talked to Lee.”
“I talked to Lee.” She sighed. “I don’t know. My first instinct is that he’s innocent, but I can’t trust my instincts when it comes to anything that has to do with Elysia. He’s been there for a full decade, and in that time he’s worked his way up the ranks enough to be as accomplished a liar as my mother is.”
She doesn’t know. Zach opened his mouth, then reconsidered. Ultimately, though, Eden had to know. “He’s one of your mother’s inner circle. Him, Joseph, and Abram.”
She turned a narrow-eyed look on him. “There are three of them?”
Yeah, she most definitely hadn’t known. “I’m not sure when she added the younger two, exactly, but about five years ago Joseph started doing some of the talking on Martha’s behalf down in town, talking Abram used to take care of.” He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “Joseph likes to brag, even to us lowly outsiders. He never goes into details, but it’s clear that he’s the third in command now. Lee is next.”
“That’s . . .” Eden shuddered. “Sorry, I’m having issues with the fact my mother is apparently sleeping with two men my age in addition to Abram, which is a mental exercise all its own. Hold on while I process.” It took a grand total of thirty seconds before she gave another shudder and ran her hands through her hair. “That’s . . . wow. I knew she’d added Joseph, but I hadn’t realized Lee was as well. That changes things.”
“How so?”
She sat back and then straightened, the very picture of nervous energy. “If Lee is in Martha’s bed, that means she’d see both Elouise and Neveah as potential competition, especially if he’s telling the truth about having a thing for Elouise. My mother does not take competition well.”