Episode 39

The flickering fluorescent lights of the interrogation room cast a sterile, unforgiving glow. Detective Miller leaned forward, his gaze unwavering. He’d seen it all, or so he thought. But the man across from him, the one who’d been paraded as a decorated Marine, a golden son, was a special kind of darkness. David, or whatever name he’d used to hide his true self, sat with an unnerving stillness, his eyes – those sharp, calculating eyes Mark had always found unsettling – held no flicker of remorse.

“The DNA doesn’t lie, David,” Miller stated, his voice calm, measured. He’d learned that aggression rarely worked with men like this. It was a game, and Miller was playing to win. “It matches you to the crime scenes. To the victims.”

David’s lips curved into a faint, almost imperceptible smile. It wasn’t a smile of relief, or even defiance. It was a smile of pure, unadulterated amusement. “DNA,” he repeated, the word tasting like ash on his tongue. He shrugged, a casual gesture that sent a chill down Miller’s spine. “Science. Always so sure of itself.”