c h a p t e r 11 :

Federal Detention Facility

Eight-teen months I worked on the case, couldn't crack it. I made so many mistakes.

The entire room was bleached white, beside the one pop of color that was the orange Kate wore. Her wrists were chained to the tables center, across from a metal chair that was ready to greet him.

He didn't step closer to the table, instead he stood near the door. Kate's eyes lifted toward his face, and a clatter of chains erupted the silence when she moved her hands foreword. Jennifer had told him, she would only speak to him, and he had a good feeling of knowing why.

"Natalie had to die, Gaspard." She said. "I know it's sad. It's tragic. Poor little thing. She worked very hard to get her life back together, and she had done so nicely — which is more than i can say for some."

His head tilted questionably.

"Oh, you've been quite the disappointment, love. Now," chains scraped, "I never expected you capable of 'in cold blood,' but what was it with the true crime drivel?"

"So what's my sequel about Kate?" Gaspard interrupted and walked forward, hands shoved deep within his pockets. "Everyone outside is anxious to know."

"Mm, well, it's going to be a collaboration." Her skin moved as she spoke, little crows-feet deepening at her eyes edge. "We're going to write this together."

"Are we?" He lowered himself down on the cold metal seat, hands still against thighs, resisting any urge he might have. His head was a mess of hate and love.

"Our new story, will play to a much wider audience. Even Poe sold himself to others eventually."

Gaspard nodded his head just to agree, but stared at the tables center. "So the prison guard, the gay neighbors ... how do they figure into our new plot?" His head nodded stiffly toward the two-sided mirror along the wall to his left. "They know about the cult."

Kate straightened, her fingers that appeared freshly painted, folded together. "I'm not a big fan of that word. I like to think of them as my friends."

"So, you stab your friends..." he lifted his eyes to her.

"Are you still my friend, Gaspard?" she leaned forward toward him as if attempting to close the space between them. "It's important to have friends. Did you know that the FBI estimates that up to 300 serial killers are active in the U.S. on any given day? Do you want friends, Gaspard?" Her hands lunged forward, "I will give you friends — I will be your friend, even though you slept with my sister." A long pause followed, "Did she show you the letter?"

Gaspard's face was stolid but his eyes went to the camera in the room's corner. He hadn't told anyone about that letter.

"Rachel is very important. Every good story needs a love interest. She's the only woman you've truly ever loved, isn't she? And she's the mother of your son."

He scooted his chair back from the table and stood.

"Are you denying your son?" Kate asked, her voice betraying her calm aura. Her face hardened. "I want to see her."

"No. She'd never agree to that," Gaspard answered, his fingertips now on the table.

"She might just change her mind about that."

"What did you do, Kate?"

"I thought I might go more traditional this time. You know, villain, good versus evil. I need a strong protagonist, so that the reader can truly invest. A flawed, broken man searching for redemption and that is you." Her fingers lifted pointing to him. "You are my flawed hero. Yes, I ensured that by killing Natalie."

Anger ; it was all that boiled. Betrayal ; it dripped from her speech. Gaspard kicked the metal chair away, sucking in a deep un-calming breath.

Her voice pitched in excitement, "She was the inciting incident, the hero's call to action! This is merely the prologue, this is just the beginning. That was the entire point of Natalie's death. It was for you."

His teeth bit into his lower lip as he came on her side of the table leaning down toward her face, "If this book ends with anything other than your death, you better plan on a rewrite."

He took a step back and Kate reached up, hands still shackled, and seized his hand. "It will be our masterpiece."