Chapter 19            

Nicholas

 

We took him to lock-up and I booked him myself. Whatever anger Walker's words had roused in him was well and truly doused by the reality of his confession. He didn't try to taunt me again, just answered my questions - date of birth, mother's name, father's job. His voice remained steady throughout. When I asked him if he wanted to make arrangements for his daughter, he didn't even blink.

"She can take care of herself," he said.

The reply surprised me. Not just the lack of defiance, but the very fact that he didn't want to make any arrangements for Anna to stay with someone. I was tempted to goad him into spewing more venom about detective Walker but the subject didn't sit well with me. That lecherous monster had touched her, taking advantage of my absence. I promised myself to have a serious word with young Skye Walker. Even a month after I first met her, and even in these bleak circumstances, I still found her name hilarious.

My mood was less than jolly, no matter how funny I found her name. That monster had humiliated my colleague. What was maybe worse, I couldn't get out of my head was that she had called for Daddy when she came. Everyone else might well think that she had done it to play Dvorak, or that it was an older, secret kink, but I knew better. Skye called her father Noah. She only used Daddy for me.

When I got back to the squad room, I saw Anna Dvorak talking to Katherine at our desk. She seemed agitated, and when she saw me her eyes widened.

"You? What are you doing here?" she said in a strangled voice.

"I am detective Nicholas Woods. Did my partner explain to you that your father is arrested?"

"Yes. But this can't be right. I don't understand."

Katherine shook her head to let me know that she hadn't told her the whole truth.

"In the course of our inquiries he assaulted a police officer. His lawyer was with him. He will be arraigned in the morning."

"But why was he here? What do you people think he did?"

One of the small conference rooms to my right was empty. I gestured toward it invitingly.  

"Please, miss Dvorak, let's talk somewhere more private."

"This is a mistake," she said over and over again.

I picked up the Tourist Murders file and we went into the other room. Katherine closed the door behind us and the tumult of the squad room was hushed.

"Your father is a person of interest in a series of murders."

She looked back and forth between me and Katherine.

"I'm sorry, I can't take this seriously. You… You're our next-door neighbor. You're an architect, my father talked to you about architecture and construction. You're friends. This… This is not real."

"It's serious, miss Dvorak. I am a police officer. Your father was under surveillance for the brutal murders of six women."

"What about Sophia? Is she really your daughter?"

"No. She is also a police officer."

"What is her name?"

"Detective Walker."

She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Her eyes fell on the folder that stood between us on the desk.

"Is that…?"

I nodded.

"He told us he was at home, with you when these murders were committed. I'm going to tell you the dates and times. Please think of these women when you answer."

I took out the printed selfies of the girls and placed them one by one on the table, like a blackjack dealer revealing cards. Then I took out the autopsy photos, and paired them with each living girl while I said the dates.

"I, I c-can't," she stuttered, her eyes glued to the monstrous images of stolen youth. " I don't remember. I can't think!"

"Take all the time you need," I said. "Let's start with the first one. Were you with him on June 11, between 4 and 7 pm."

She reached for the two photos of the first girl. She ran her fingers around the edges of the photos.

"No, I don't think I was."

Anyone who didn't know Katherine as well as me would not have noticed the subtle unwinding. One down, five to go. I couldn't relax until I heard her say that about all the victims. Minutes crawled by until she did. Six times out of six, she did not alibi her father.

"Thank you, miss Dvorak," I said after the last one.

Katherine stood up and Anna followed her example. They walked out of the room together while I put the photos back in the folder.

"Do you have anyone who can pick you up?" Katherine asked her.

"No, umm, I don't know," Anna said. "I can call a cab."

"An officer can take you home if you want."

Anna looked at her with a mixture of gratitude and confusion.

"Ok. That would be nice."