Devil in the Details

Chapter Twenty Three

"Evelyn, my office now." Floyd's tone left no room for an argument. She shut her laptop with a snap and jumped up, pushing her chair back. The chair wheeled back into the wall. James was right behind Floyd, having to lengthen his stride to keep up. Evelyn followed, unsure of what was happening. Agent Jones and Barley came rushing through the doors as well.

"Chief Richards!" Jones said, holding up an arm.

"I know!" Floyd called. He didn't even look back at them. "My office!"

"Oh, my god." Arthur was standing with Nick not far off. He was leaning over his shoulder, looking at something.

"That sick bastard." Nick said, "I fucking knew it."

Floyd almost ran into his office door before he could open it. He slapped the wall for the light switch. James grabbed a chair and flipped it around, offering it to Evelyn. He sat it down with a pop. She shook her head, trying to watch Floyd.

"Take it." He snapped, pointing at the chair. "You sit. Now." Evelyn felt like a small child again and sat down. She placed her hands in her lap. Floyd turned on the television as the FBI agents reached them. They shut the door behind them.

Evelyn turned to follow everyone's gaze and stare at the television. It took her a few long moments to realize what she was looking at, what was being said. Benjamin Walker's face was in the top right corner, his mug shot from the original arrest. They were talking about her mother's murder, talking about the original arrest. Like being able to breathe again, she took it in. James had been right. Benjamin Walker was confessing. He was the first Garret Falls Vampire. She could barely understand the words the reporter was saying.

"What the fuck." Evelyn stood, coming forward to stand beside Floyd. He reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Oh, shit." James said. His voice broke the trance Evelyn was in, and she glanced at him.

"I guess you were right." She said, looking back at the television, "he did want to confess to being the first killer." James pressed his lips into two thin lines, staring straight at the television over her head.

"I guess Floyd was right." He said in a quiet voice. Floyd didn't move.

"That's it." Evelyn said as the story ended, "he's just... confessing? No details... no anything?"

"The reporters don't have any yet." Agent Jones said, "but we do." All three Garret City police officers turned to look at them.

"Out with it then." Floyd said, going to his desk to sit down. Evelyn went back to her chair and James took one as well. He sat it down beside Evelyn and pulled out a small notepad from inside his coat. He flipped it open and removed a pen from the side, clicking it to write.

"Walker believes he was cleansing Garret Falls." Barley began. Jones handed Floyd a sheaf of papers. "He recounted each kill- when it happened, their supposed 'sin', and what organ he took. We'd like you to take a look at those and make sure that they're correct."

"That won't take long." Floyd said, flipping through the papers. He grunted and shook his head. "Already, I can tell you there are victims here that don't belong."

"two." Jones said, "four we never found, according to Walker. They're outside his normal M.O."

"Right." Barley said. "His first kills."

"It says one is in the sandwich factory." Floyd said, "A man. He's in the basement. There's not much left there. The other is a woman... I'm not sure where this is. A shack somewhere."

"We're sending people out to both locations." Jones said.

"So he thinks he was cleansing Garret Falls?" James asked.