to be sure I wasn’t imagining things. I read the names.
Colby Washington.
Sarah Dermack.
Michael Shane.
I grabbed my cell phone and called Lucas.
A Message of Hope
“HOLY SHIT,” ADAM SAID AFTER I’D EXPLAINED WHAT I’D found. “Well, the Cabals can fire up their electric chair. Case closed.”
“An economically efficient solution,” Lucas said. “But I believe, in a case with such a potentially life-altering—or life-ending—conclusion, it’s not unfair for the accused to expect a few luxuries, such as a trial.”
“The guy made lists of teenage Cabal kids, and half the kids on those lists are now dead. Screw due process. Hell, I’ll fry him myself, save the Cabals the cost of electricity.”
“While we appreciate your enthusiasm, I believe we’ll begin by talking to Weber—”
“Interrogate him? Hey, I picked up some good torture tips from Clay. I could—”
“We’ll begin by talking to him,” Lucas said. “Without the added incentive of physical, mental, or parapsychological duress. We’ll mention the files—”
“And say what? Do you have a reasonable explanation as to why we found lists of dead kids on your computer? Lists created before they died? Oh, yeah, I’m sure there’s a logical—”
I clapped a hand over Adam’s mouth. “So, we’ll talk to Weber. Tonight?”
Lucas checked his watch. “It’s past midnight. I don’t want to frighten him—”
Adam yanked my hand down. “Frighten him? The guy’s a serial killer! I say we scare the living shit out of him, and—”
I cast a binding spell. Adam froze in mid-sentence.
“We’ll confront him in the morning,” Lucas said. “To be certain, however, that nothing happens in the meantime, I’d suggest we return to his house, confirm that he’s still there, and keep watch until morning.”
I agreed, then broke the binding spell, and closed my laptop. As Adam recovered, he glared at me. I cut him off before he could complain.
“Are you coming with us? Or will our lack of murderous activity be too great for you to handle?”
“I’m coming. But if you use another binding spell on me—”
“Don’t give me any reason to and I won’t.”
“Remember who you’re talking to, Sabrina. One touch of my fingers and I could stop you from ever using a binding spell on anyone ever again.”
I snorted and opened my mouth to reply, but Lucas cut me off.
“One other small matter, before we leave,” Lucas said. “My father has left over a half-dozen messages on my phone, looking for updates. Should I provide one?”
“Do you think it’s safe?” I asked.
Lucas hesitated, then nodded. “My father may be overprotective, but he does trust my judgment and my ability to defend myself. If I tell him we wish to speak to Weber before taking him into custody, he’ll accept that. I’ll ask him to assemble an apprehension team.”
“What?” Adam said. “We don’t even get to take the guy down?”
“The Cabal team is trained to handle that, and I’ll let them do their job.”
Adam sighed. “Well, I guess a stakeout is still pretty cool.”
“Jesus,” Adam said, slumping into the driver’s seat. “How long have we been sitting here? Why isn’t it light out yet?”
“Because it’s only five A.M.” I said.
“No way. Your watch must have stopped.”
“Didn’t Lucas suggest you bring a magazine? He said it’d be boring.”
“He said tedious.”
“Which means boring.”
“Then he should have said boring.” Adam shot a mock glare at Lucas, who sat beside him, watching Weber’s house through binoculars.
“Boring means something which is dull,” Lucas said. “Tedious implies both long and very dull, which, I believe you’ll agree, this is.”
“Yeah? Well, remind me to pack my pocket dictionary next time you two drag me along on one of these ‘tedious’ adventures.”
“Drag?” Lucas said, arching an eyebrow. “I don’t recall any arm-twisting involved.”
“Hey, brain-flash,” Adam said. “Why don’t I slip out for a closer look? Make sure he’s still there.”
“He is,” Lucas said. “Paige cast perimeter spells at both doors.”
“Yeah, well, no offense to Paige, but—”
“Don’t say it,” I said.
Adam opened the driver’s door. “I’ll go check.”
“No,” Lucas and I said in unison. When Adam hesitated, door still open, I added, “Close the door or we’ll put my spell-casting ability to the test.”
He grumbled, but closed it. Another two hours passed. Two hours during which I had cause at least every ten minutes to wish we’d left Adam behind. Finally, at seven-thirty, a light went on in Weber’s bedroom. Adam lunged for the door handle. Lucas put out a hand to stop him.
“We’re not jumping him the moment he gets out of bed,” I said. “There’s no rush.”