Rules for Perfect Murders - Peter Swanson Page 0,72

of person becomes obsessed with a list of books?

One of Brian’s writer’s tips he shares is that when you can’t figure something out in the plot of your book, go to bed, and let your subconscious pick at it. I decided to do that, to try and finally get some sleep, and maybe even some answers.

CHAPTER 23

I spent the next morning flipping through all my Brian Murray books. I even speed-read his latest novel, Die a Little, in which Ellis Fitzgerald solves a gang murder at a local high school. The novel was so dated that it was a little embarrassing. Brian hated research, and I got the feeling that all he did to prepare for writing his latest book was watch a double feature of Boyz n the Hood and whatever that Michelle Pfeiffer movie was where she taught inner-city kids.

At just past noon I got a phone call from Agent Perez reminding me that I hadn’t yet provided my whereabouts and movement for the times of the murders.

“Sorry,” I said to her. “I got busy. Can we do them right now? Give me the dates and I’ll see if I know where I was when they occurred?”

“That’s fine,” she said.

I opened up my calendar on my laptop and we started going over dates; first, she asked me about Elaine Johnson.

“I sent that information to Agent Mulvey,” I said. “I was in London when she died. September thirteen, right?”

“That’s right,” Agent Perez said. Then she asked me about Robin Callahan, who had been shot on August 16 of 2014. My calendar had nothing that week except for the fact that I would have been at work that day. I told Agent Perez that, and she asked if anyone could vouch for me. August 16 had been a Friday, so I told her that both of my employees had probably worked that day, and that she was more than welcome to question them. Next, she asked me about Jay Bradshaw, the man who was beaten to death in his garage in Dennis on the Cape. It turned out that that had happened on August 31.

“I flew to London on that Sunday,” I said.

“What time?”

“The flight was at six-twenty so I probably left for the airport at three.”

“That’s pretty early,” she said.

“I know,” I said. “I like to get there early if I can. I’d rather have extra time there than be running late.”

For the two other cases she asked me about—Bill Manso and Ethan Byrd—I had no solid alibi, even though they were probably days when I was at Old Devils.

“Sorry I can’t help you more,” I said.

“You’ve been helpful, Mr. Kershaw. I would like you to send me the exact flight numbers for your trip to London if you have them.”

“Sure,” I said, deciding not to remind her that I’d already sent those to Agent Mulvey.

“And just so we’re being thorough, and I know this is a long time ago, but can you tell me where you were on August twenty-seventh of 2011?”

“I’ll look. What was it that happened on that date?” I said.

“That was the date that Steven Clifton was killed in a bike accident near Saratoga Springs.”

“You mentioned his name before. I don’t know who he is. Agent Mulvey never said anything about him.”

“His homicide was in her notes,” Perez said.

I had flipped backward through my online calendars. I thought of making something up, but said, instead, “I was probably working that day, but, honestly, it was a long time ago. My calendar has nothing.”

“That’s fine, Mr. Kershaw. Not a problem, but I thought I’d ask.”

“Okay, thanks,” I said.

I thought that would be the end of the phone call, but Agent Perez coughed, then said, “I know I already asked you this, but when Agent Mulvey came to you, were you convinced right away that there was a connection between your list and the unsolved crimes? I’d like to hear your response again.”

“I wasn’t convinced, not right away, but maybe that had something to do with me not wanting to admit to a connection. It’s a bad feeling, you know, having written some dumb list, and then finding out that someone else is using it to commit actual murders.”

“I’m sure it is.”

“She told me about the bird murders, first, and how she connected them to The A.B.C. Murders—”

“The Agatha Christie book?”

“Right. It seemed a stretch, honestly. But the man killed on the train tracks—Bill Manso—that murder did sound like it was emulating Double Indemnity, but, like I