Last Girls Alive (Detective Katie Scott #4) - Jennifer Chase Page 0,51
have that for?”
“Lots of things. Some patients have these patches inserted for anything from arthritis to migraines to recovering from difficult surgeries to cancer treatments. These are used for pain management, with mostly good results.”
“I see.”
“I can tell you that she had been dead about six hours before she was discovered.”
Katie was already trying to figure out how to track down Mary’s doctor.
“One more thing,” he said. “She had an abortion no more than a month ago.”
Twenty-Seven
Friday 1445 hours
“I don’t have to answer anything, but my attorney advised me that it would be best to cooperate with the investigation,” Hugh Keller stated smugly as he sat in his orange jumpsuit with his arms crossed. In the daylight, he appeared older than thirty-eight and he still reeked of stale alcohol.
Katie and McGaven had been contacted by the sergeant of the jail that Hugh Keller was available to be questioned, but had refused to be transported to the interview room in the detective division. He wanted to be released as soon as possible and kept constantly complaining about his civil rights and wrongful arrest—that he had been set up.
Katie and McGaven sat with him in a small jail meeting room that smelt of sweat and was barely big enough for all three of them to fit in.
“Well, I have to say that’s the most intelligent thing you have said since we’ve met,” said Katie.
“You’re not as smart as you think you are,” he said, leaning back slightly so that he could look down his nose at her.
“All you had to do was cooperate with me at the bar and answer a few questions and you wouldn’t be in this predicament now,” she said with little voice inflection.
He snubbed her and looked away.
“How long did you work for the Pine Valley Sheriff’s Department?”
“About six years.”
“In that time, were you ever called to the Elm Hill Mansion?” she asked.
“A few times.”
Katie pulled a piece of paper from a file folder. Reading, she said, “Would you believe, according the records of the sheriff’s dispatch, there were seventeen calls for service in six months?”
“It seems high—but that is probably about right.”
“And on every call, you were the responding officer.”
“If you say so.”
“Were you dating Shelly McDonald?”
“Who?”
“Shelly McDonald. She managed the Elm Hill Mansion and oversaw the day-to-day care of the teenage girls. Ringing any bells?”
“Went out a few times. Nothing serious. I have needs, you know.” He looked Katie up and down.
“Did you know the six girls who resided at Elm Hill Mansion before it was shut down?” she said, ignoring his crude behavior.
“Only from the calls.”
“Where were you Tuesday night?”
“Working.”
“All night?”
“Yeah,” he sneered.
“Can anyone vouch for you?”
“Don’t need it because I was working…”
“Did they refer to you as the ‘Hunter’ or ‘Gatherer’?”
“What?” he said, looking at Katie completely confused.
“What were some of the problems at Elm Hill?”
“Fighting, running away, sneaking out in the middle of the night, stuff like that.”
“Did you know Candace Harlan?”
“Doesn’t ring a bell.”
“Mr. Keller, this can go easy or I can be your worst nightmare. Start answering my questions and don’t give me the runaround.”
He stopped and stared at Katie, then, leaning forward, he said, “You really want to play rough with me, Detective?”
“I don’t play, Mr. Keller. I want answers.”
McGaven shifted his position to remind Keller that he was in the room.
“Then why don’t you ask me what you really want to know. Not just this bullshit line of questioning.”
“Very well, Mr. Keller. How well did you know Candace Harlan? And how many times did you have sex with her?”
The room was silent. Katie knew she had hit a nerve, but wasn’t proud of how she had to speak on the same level as Keller to get an answer.
“Answer the question, Keller,” said McGaven. His voice cut through the stillness of the room.
Keller fidgeted in his chair and was clearly deciding what he should or shouldn’t say. He finally said, “Yes, I knew Candace Harlan, as well as the other girls, but I can’t remember their names off the top of my head. It was always the same when I would arrive. Girls screaming about no privacy and how Shelly mistreated them. There was no proof, no bruises, no blood. They were a pain in the ass if you ask me.”
Katie leaned closer to Keller and said, “And did you or did you not have sex with Candace Harlan?”
“I don’t know what you want from me.”
“The truth.”
“Truth? That’s funny. You only want to put my head on the block so