The Colors of Hate - 23

Try this,” Kirby said. “The night of her death was the first time he approached her. He may have been watching the theater and followed some of the people to the club, thinking he could interrogate the actors about Dean. He picks Ms Westcott because it’s obvious from watching her she’s man-hungry. He strikes up an acquaintance, and maybe suggests they go somewhere, his motel, on to another club, whatever.”

“So he can quiz her, without her letting anyone else know what he’s doing, just in case.” Dean nodded. “She’d have gone with him, well obviously she did. It still begs the question, why kill her?”

“Just a guess, he found out what he wanted to know and told her to get lost. She’d already been rejected by you, and apparently by Mr Eckert, and maybe some others as well. She’s gets upset, starts to cause a scene, he does what it takes to shut her up then decides to make it look like someone attacked her.”

“Beats her some more and leaves her dead body in the park.” Reid nodded. “As a probable scenario it works.”

“But there’s no way to prove it,” Dean pointed out. “I’m sure by now he’s back with my father, telling him everything he learned from Ange.”

Kirby nodded. “Which potentially puts you in danger, if that’s the case.”

“Your father would really send someone to harm you?” Reid asked in disbelief.

 “My father’s totally insane when it comes to gays. We’re the scum of the earth, the reason this country is falling apart. According to him, our agenda is to recruit or kidnap every boy under the age of sixteen, sodomize them and then ‘turn them gay’.” When Reid looked at him in shock Dean said, “I kid you not. Growing up, he kept a tight rein on me so some gay pedophile wouldn’t get his hands on me. He’s that crazy, Reid, and so are his followers. Hell, didn’t you know gays were partly responsible for 9/11? Well, to my father’s way of thinking at least.”

“And this is a man who, at one point in time, had the ear of some of the more powerful politicians in Washington. Un-fucking-believable.” Anger filled Kirby’s face and voice.

Dean nodded. “That would be my father, bless his black heart.” 

“Not in this lifetime,” Kirby muttered. “But this still begs the question of where we stand on Ms Westcott’s murder. Theories are all well and good, but proving them is another thing.”

“Before you go any further, should I even be here now if you’re going to discuss the case?” Dean asked them.

Reid shook his head. “Technically, no. But you are, and if Kirby doesn’t object I think you might as well stick around.”

“I’m not certain he should,” Kirby said, causing the others to look at him in question. “Whether we believe he is or not, as far as the higher-ups are concerned they’d still see him as a suspect. So sitting here talking about the case in front of him, when anyone could come in,” he thumbed towards the office door, “could cause more problems than we’d want to deal with.”