“Corrigan couldn’t have done anything that night. He was with Bryce.”

“Are you sure? They left the party, didn’t they? Are you sure Corrigan was with his buddy the entire time? He could’ve disappeared for a few moments. It doesn’t take long to bash a girl in, move her body, and rape her.” She paused. “And he wasn’t with you last night.”

“He was with Logan, his girlfriend.”

“Was he? He didn’t arrive with her this morning, did he?”

The arrow found its target. And I had had enough as I lashed back, “You’ve got two girls that are dead now, three notes, and you’ve got nothing if you’re going after my friend. Some loser did this who wants to think they’re high and mighty. Even I can get that and I’m not especially smart about this cold blooded—”

“I think you’re incredibly smart and I think you know exactly what kind of person would do something like this. I’ve been questioning students. You’ve got the rep for being cold blooded and it makes me wonder—the three of you are real tight. You’re sleeping with Scout. Maybe Raimler wants in on that action. Maybe you want him in on that action. Maybe this whole thing was a set-up and all three of you are in on it? Are you?”

“For your information,” I said quietly, lethal. “If I wanted to sleep with Corrigan, I would’ve by now. I’m sure you also got that information from your ‘questioning.’ I do what I want and when I want. I don’t exactly bend to rules. And I will tell you for the last time, Corrigan had nothing to do with this and none of us are in on this sick perverse game.”

“But you are quite sick and perverse, aren’t you?” Sheila raided my space. “You taunt other students. You taunt teachers. You skip whenever you want. You screw your boyfriend while you’re screwing your neighbor. Tell me this, ever done a threesome?

How about with your top dogs in there? They’re both good looking. The best ‘specimens’ in school, as one girl told me. A girl with your morals, I’d be surprised if you hadn’t.”

The wall slammed back in place and I moved away, with ice in my veins and coldness shining from my eyes, “You can think all you want.”

“I’m the police, honey. I can make your life hell.”

“You have no right and no reason.”

“I’ve got a note with your buddy’s prints and I’ve got the subject that the note’s addressed to protecting said suspect. I’ve got enough for a good solid theory.”

Bait. Throw the line. Wait. And let the fish get caught before reeling them in. It’s how I played the game and I’d just played hers. Enough was enough and I asked, “The notes addressed to me? I’d like to see it. It’s mine, isn’t it?”

“It’s evidence and therefore ours, but I made a copy for you.”

“Can I have it?”

Her hands were empty.

“I don’t have it here. If you want it, you gotta come to the station to get it.” Sheila smiled brightly and falsely. “Have a good day, Sheldon.”

“You switched roles? Thought maybe you’d try your hand at being the ‘bad’ cop instead of the ‘good’ cop?” I taunted.

Sheila sighed abruptly and threw back, impatient, “No, Sheldon! This isn’t a goddamn game. This is real and more girls are going to die. You were friends with both of them and all four notes are addressed to you. This bastard is obsessed with you and those two guys in there are in love with you. Maybe one of them is platonic, but what if he’s not? I find it pretty suspect that a girl like you, who looks like you, and screws like you would make it easy for a guy to purely feel ‘friendly-only’ with you. I’m a cop, Sheldon. I see the lowest of the low and people can be like that.”

I held firm and taunted, coldly, “What a compliment. A girl that ‘looks like you, screws like you.’ If that isn’t painting it pretty, then I don’t know what is.”

Sheila snorted shrewdly, “Please. You might’ve deserved to have some parenting, but you’ve gone past where you should be. You should be a nice little girl who goes to school, worries about getting good grades, and holds hand with her nice popular boyfriend. That’s not you and some pretty rotten things must’ve happened to put you were you are.”

“I’m already in therapy. Thanks, though, Officer Patterson,” I dismissed and stood up. “I’ll tell Corrigan the next time we’re having a threesome that maybe he should let up on his psychotic ways.”

“If you want the note, come to the station.”

“And subject myself to another round of harassment? Sure. Put me down for this afternoon…that’s if I’m not flat on my back.”

Sheila grinned and shook her head. “I can see why you’re called cold blooded, but if this is you running from a stalker, I almost feel for the bastard when he goes against you.”

I quirked an eyebrow.

Sheila concluded, a metaphoric hat in hand, “You think good when you’re pushed. That’s good, Sheldon. Very very good and that’s what’s going to keep you alive, because he’s not going to expect it. Look, between you and me, I don’t think it’s your boy in there. If it was, he wouldn’t be going how he is to scare you. He’d do it worse and I don’t want to think that sick. But this stalker, he’s trying to scare you. And I’m thinking the more you scare, the more mad you are, and the more ruthless you’ll get. That’s what you need to survive this nightmare, Sheldon.”

“Is that why you said those things today?” I asked, tensely, cautious.

“I needed to know. I needed to push you first and see what you weren’t going to say. I read it and I’ll back off—for now.”

She left after that and I took a moment to cool down. I found the guys playing video games in the media room. Logan was curled with a blanket on the couch. They all watched me as I moved downstairs, but when I didn’t say anything, neither did they.

They went back to playing video games until Corrigan’s phone started ringing. The first call was Chet. The second was Holster. The third was Harris. By the fourth and fifth, Bryce exclaimed, “Good god—what do they want?”

Corrigan glanced at me before he said, “They want to know what to do.”