Three Libras - BLACKBIRD book 4

8. filed

Brock kept his voice calm and controlled as usual. "You wanted your phone to ring."

"Yes, sir..."

Did she just blushed a little? "Use the pictures if you need to force a confession."

"Yessir. I'll send it to you in a minute." She disconnected and flashed an apologetic smile at Carson. "Sorry. Told you, right? Paperwork is my middle name." She closed her folder, still apologetic. "I'm sorry, Albert, but we've just run outta time. Could you just confess? I really gotta go back to work."

Brock scowled, taken aback. What the hell was she doing? Around him, he heard many scoffs.

Carson wore back his mocking smirk. "Confess? You just said I didn't kill anybody."

"Oh, I know. It was Ledger. But you were the wheels." She opened another folder and showed him the pictures Tanya had sent her. "Look, this is how we know it was all him. Now his face is a little blurry, but yours? No doubt that's you, driving the car, Albert. So we need to explain this to the judge, to try to cut you a good deal. Else your face's gonna be all over the news, saying you killed those poor women. And that's not fair."

Carson smirked wider. "That's all you got? You think you can nail me with a blurry picture?"

Hank's chin pointed at the caption. "We have you dumping a dying woman at our field office's gates. That's enough to send you away, because that picture links you to the other two copycat murders."

Carson's mocking pose faltered a little.

Gillian looked as if she were facing a stray puppy on the street. "Albert, please. We know he kills them and you help him get away with it. It's always been like that between you two, I guess. But look at you now. You're going down for him. How can that be fair? I know you think you owe him, 'cause he saved your life so many times. But I wish you'd know you don't, Albert. You don't owe him anything. Least of all the rest of your life."

Brock nodded. Behind him, the audience let out some giggles.

Fred's placid voice reached Brock. "And now she's gonna make'im snap."

Banks shook his head. "Nah. Not yet."

In the interrogation room, Gillian reached out to touch Carson's hand. The man pushed back his chair to avoid the contact. Gillian's face was a portrait of motherly grief that fed Brock's curiosity.

"He never saved my life!"

Hank's voice was plain pejorative. "Stop lying, Albert. I already told you we've spoken to the guards."

In contrast, Gillian looked truly brokenhearted. "Oh, my... He's still abusing you..."

"What!?" Carson glared at them, blushed cheeks, breathing heavily.

"She's got'im," said Banks.

Brock shook his head. "No, she's about to lose him."

He took his phone to his ear.

Banks stopped him. "Two minutes, Brockner. Trust me: she's got'im."

Brock grimaced in doubt, but lowered his phone. If Banks was wrong, they would never get Carson's confession.

"It's okay, Albert. Life in prison is rough, you needed the protection and nothing comes for free. I get it."

Carson let out a forced, raspy laugh. "You think he...!"

She shook her head with a sorry sigh. "Oh, Albert, all you've been through... We can get you the help you need, you know? So you can cut a good deal. Spare yourself all the hideous stalking from the press. You don't want your face on the news all over the country for what he did. Please, help us help you. Tell us about Ledger, Albert. We know he's the monster."

Carson tried to laugh again. "Tommy, a monster...?"

Hank nodded, always serious. "We need to study him, just like we study the real Libra. That's why I'm here. I need to know anything you can tell me about him."

Brock arched his eyebrows. If Carson didn't fall for that...

Gillian sweetened the pot. "Doctor Schwarz teaches at our academy in Quantico, and he wants to give a seminar about Ledger. He's just... Coming up with such a plan? We can learn a lot from him after Doctor Schwarz interviews him."

Carson couldn't believe his ears. "Tommy, come up with a plan? He can't find his own ass without me!"

She frowned, puzzled. "But those messages written in blood... We were all on edge! We knew the Libra was dead, but we were terrified that somebody even more dangerous and cunning would come up..."

"And you think that was Tommy!?" Carson managed another rough laugh.

Gillian's eyes widened and she looked up at Hank. "He can't mean... can he, Doctor?"

Hank shook his head. "No. He doesn't cut the profile of such a sophisticated criminal."

She turned to Carson with a hopeful smile. "See? You don't have it in you."

Carson was too outraged to keep playing it cool. "Have what? The guts and the wits?" He glared up at Hank. "Well, you got it all wrong, four-eyes! Of course I have them!

Gillian reached out again to him. Before she could touch him, Carson jumped to his feet, dragging the table with him a whole step.

The staff let out an "Ouch!", as if somebody had taken a kick in their crotch. Brock tried to reach the door, but Fred stopped him.

"Trust'er, Brockner," said Banks. "One more minute."

Brock could only stay where we was. He knew they thought he wanted to step in because he was afraid she would screw up the whole interview. And he couldn't tell them about the mild cold burning his chest at Carson's violent outburst so close to her.

Carson's yelling caught his attention. "I planned it all! I sent the messages! I stabbed those women! TOMMY!? That jerk cannot even stand the sight of blood! Why d'you think he shoots them?"

He dropped back on his chair, panting, while Gillian gawked at him in disbelief.

"You... You did it?" she whispered.

"Sure thing, legs."

"You made Tommy kill those women?"

"We did it together. Told you that asshole can't do anything without me." Carson smirked at Hank. "It's me you're gonna study for years." He directed his smirk to Gillian now. "So call your boss. Four-eyes can interview me while we wait for him."

Gillian spoke as she still couldn't digest the insight. "Of course I'll call him," she muttered. "But Doctor Schwarz needs you to write down everything about the murders, in order to prepare the interview."

She moved away her folders and showed him a block of paper and a pen. Carson nodded and moved his hands to grab both things. But she kept them away from him, looking him straight in the eyes.

"If you do this, it will be considered a confession and will be used against you."

"Yeah, I know. Gimme already."

"You sure you don't wanna speak to a lawyer first?"

"Oh, shut up, legs! Gimme that frigging paper! I'll show you how I did it, so four-eyes here can give his damn seminar."