fun would that be?”
Matthew didn’t consider Trevor a challenge. He also despised him for what he represented. Law enforcement. FBI profiler. And though Matthew would never admit it or say it to Trevor’s face, he knew he was good at what he did.
“Give me Josie’s clue. You’ll find peace knowing your wife will have a respectable burial.”
“Peace,” Matthew sneered. “You left that part out of your profile. I am at peace.”
He would not bend. He would not hand out any more clues until Josie came to see him again. Killing all those people, Saralee included, didn’t bother him.
“You want to know where your mother is buried, you’ll do as I say. No more clues until I see Josie.”
That put him in a bind. Josie didn’t believe Matthew would give a clue. She also struggled with the drama. Going to see Matthew would be painful for her, bring up old memories she didn’t welcome. None of them did. He couldn’t blame her, but he wished she’d at least try to get the clue, go see Matthew more than once if that was what it took, even if he never divulged what he owed them all.
* * *
When Trevor arrived back at his office, the visit at the prison had left him emotionally drained. He sighed and tipped his head back, shutting his eyes and trying to block the image of Matthew Colton from his mind. His grayish pale skin. Empty eyes that only livened up when he felt in control. His frail body. On the drive back here, Trevor had actually felt a tinge of sympathy for the man. He’d die in prison. Cancer would be the weapon to do the job. Justice.
Why or how he could feel any sympathy for his murderous father confounded Trevor and upset him. As he examined his feelings, he supposed the sympathy came from the basic fact that Matthew was his father. A biological fact. He mourned the loss of a real father, one who didn’t kill and hold a psychotic grudge against his brother.
The justice, however. Ah, the justice. Trevor smiled a little at that. Matthew was where he belonged. Cancer would take him from this world, and Trevor and his brothers and sisters would never have to see him again.
A knock preceded Chris Colton saying, “Must be good. Did you catch the Alphabet Killer?”
Trevor lowered his head and sat forward. His younger brother’s sharp blue eyes crinkled in a half smile. Tall and muscular with dark blond hair, he made an imposing presence. He’d gone into private investigation, something Trevor had always been proud of, especially the similarity to his job. Except he’d seemed reserved around him since they’d reunited, more collateral damage that cancer would hopefully remove from their lives.
“Chris.” Trevor got up. “I’m surprised to see you.” Chris didn’t come to his office much, if ever.
“Yeah.” He moved into the office and closed the door.
Trevor stopped. A closed-door meeting? What was this all about? Chris didn’t talk much about his feelings, but Trevor sensed that was what had brought him here.
“There’s something I need to ask you.”
“Sure. Fire away.” He walked closer to his brother.
“It’s okay, however you answer. I just need to know the truth.”
This sounded serious. Since Chris had the most easygoing personality out of all the Colton kids, Trevor went on alert.
“I’ll tell you the truth. What is it?”
Chris hesitated, as though not sure he should hear the truth.
Trevor put his hand on his little brother’s shoulder. “Hey. Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out, okay?”
Chris relaxed in his easy way, a genuine smile lighting his face. “I’ll hold you to that.” After the brief levity faded, he said, “I need to know why you tried to adopt Josie and not me. Not the rest of us.”
That took Trevor aback. “I tried to get custody of her and the rest of you.” Trevor lowered his hand. Why did Chris think he wouldn’t?
“You tried?”
Trevor grunted in disbelief. “Of course I tried.”
“How much? Once? Twice?”
“Chris.” He couldn’t believe his brother doubted him. “How long have you thought I wouldn’t try to get us all together?”
“It couldn’t have been that hard to get custody of us. You could have. Why Josie?” As he spoke, his voice rose and his hands went to his hips.
Wow. He was really upset over this. And he’d never talked to him about it before now. Why had he kept it all bottled up? Trevor took his arm and guided him toward the two chairs before his desk. “Sit down, why don’t you. We have a lot to talk about, it would appear.”
Chris shrugged out of his touch and sat down, looking like his younger brother again, during one of their fights. Trevor’s heart wrenched. Damn Matthew. Damn him to hell.
“We were fostered out through different private agencies, Chris.”
“I know that.”
“Social workers prefer other relatives above siblings adopt or take custody. They look at lifestyle and economic standing. Where I lived, whether I was married or had a girlfriend. I had neither. And I moved a lot.”
As Chris’s face smoothed, he got his answer.
“The court felt we had the best chance at a normal childhood in separate homes. They allowed visitation, but it wasn’t enough. I made that argument over and over. But it didn’t matter. I couldn’t show financial stability at the time. I was in college and I didn’t have a steady job. Having to deal with different agencies didn’t help.” Trevor raked his fingers through his hair, agitated all over again with the frustration of hitting wall after wall. “Social workers moved or quit. Files were misplaced or lost. And then they didn’t want to talk to me once they saw I was a single college student. They saw me as young and irresponsible, even though I told them I was going to college to gain stability. You have no idea the headache I went through.”
Trevor put his hand behind Chris’s neck, coaxing, wishing he hadn’t doubted him at all. “I never gave up trying to get us all together.”
Chris nodded a few times, leaning over with his elbows on his knees. Did he truly understand or did he still have doubts?
Rage for his father intensified. Ever since he’d reunited with his siblings, the negative fallout continued to emerge.
“Do you believe me?” Trevor asked.
The burden he’d carried for so long took a while to ease, but eventually, after thinking it over, Chris turned his head, at an angle with his position, and a grin curved his mouth. “Yeah.” He sat up. “I believe you. And I should have thought to check the rules. I should have known Matthew would ruin any chance we had.”
“We’re together now. That’s all that matters.” That and burying both the Alphabet Killer and Matthew.
“Josie said you had a new murder that could be linked to the copycat,” Chris said.
“Yeah, but the DNA will take some time to analyze. According to Jocelyn, we have to wait before we eliminate the suspect in Jane McDonald’s murder as the copycat killer.”
“You don’t think her killer is the Alphabet Killer?”
Trevor shook his head. He didn’t think there’d be a link and hoped something else would break the case open.
“But Jocelyn says we have to wait for the DNA test.” Trevor smiled fondly.
“Jocelyn, huh? How are things going with you and your hot new partner?”
Did he have to call her hot? Since when had his little brother noticed how hot Jocelyn was? “She’s not my partner. She’s on my team and she’s