No! Mason clamped his lips together to keep from speaking out. Denny was part of this. He could feel it.

“Everything but that fingerprint indicates Denny was killed by the same person,” said Euzent. “I’d speculate that he forgot to leave that signature behind or it was eliminated during the actual murder . . . or the during the evidence collection.”

Nora’s chin shot up, but she stayed silent. Mistakes happened. They all knew it. “The press has reported that we have a suspect in custody,” she said. “I’ve asked public relations to issue a statement to set them straight, clarifying that someone has come forward with information.”

“I think you knew Micah Zuch wasn’t your suspect before you fingerprinted him,” said Euzent. “I want to know how he got his information. Let him stew in that room for a few more hours and then go in strong to find out how he knows so many facts.”

“What would make someone confess to murder?” asked Henry. “Especially four murders?”

Euzent gave a pleased smile that made Mason’s stomach clench. The clean-cut FBI agent enjoyed talking about psychopaths a little too much. Over the past year, Mason had learned that the more twisted the mind, the more fascinated Special Agent Euzent became. A twenty-year-old kid who’d confessed to four murders he hadn’t committed must have made Euzent’s day. Or year.

“Keep in mind that all I’ve seen is the interview,” said Euzent. “Although I did read his file. I know there has to be a juvenile record on him. In it I suspect we’d find more acting out and childlike crimes of impulsiveness. The adolescent brain feels fearless and has no appreciation for consequences.”

“But he’s twenty. He should know better,” said Ava.

“Exactly. His brain hasn’t caught up yet. Maybe it never will. It doesn’t matter what he’s been told by his mother—and I’m sure at some point he was taught that murder is wrong and punishable—what matters to him is what he believes within his frame of reality. It appears to me that he expected something else would happen when he confessed. It’s pretty clear on that video that the interview didn’t proceed the way he wanted.

“The brains in this room are fully developed, right?” Euzent raised an eyebrow as he scanned his small audience. “We take consequences into account before we act. For some reason Micah doesn’t do that.” He tapped the file on the table in front of him. “And from what I’ve read in his file, he never has. I see a lot of behaviors of concern here and the file is only two years old. There’s lying, blaming others, animal abuse, a strong interest in weapons, and evidence of intense resentment where he blames others for his issues. I don’t know if you read the statement by his teacher, but she said he’d blamed her for his test failures and therefore for his poor GPA and his failure to be admitted to college.”

“He could go to community college,” Mason muttered.

Euzent pointed at him, amusement in his eyes. “Aha. A rational brain sees another path. But in Micah’s brain, it’s all his teacher’s fault. His college hopes are over and none of it was his fault. Therefore he has the right to be angry and cause problems for others because his own hopes have been destroyed. The kids who display this sort of behavior won’t take the blame for anything. It’s always someone else’s fault that their life isn’t what it was supposed to be.”

“But he’s taking blame for four murders. You just said he won’t take blame for anything,” Mason pointed out.

“I’m curious to find out what’s pushed him to take that step,” said Euzent. “One possibility is the status of the murder victims. A policeman is a symbol of power and public respect. When you murder or commit an act of violence against someone, you briefly take their power. What better crime for him to claim if he wants to gain respect from his peers?”

“His peers are a bunch of homeless kids,” said Ava. “He doesn’t have a job; he doesn’t attend school. As far as we can tell, he hangs out in Pioneer Courthouse Square all day.”

“Why shouldn’t he try to impress those people? Every type of society assigns status to its members’ actions. He views those kids’ opinions as very important; they are his reality. A group of street kids may not seem like a society to us, but I suspect it’s a big part of his world. Another possibility for his reason for lying is a simple grab for fame without considering the consequences. What better shortcut to being featured on the news than admitting you committed a crime the public is desperate to solve?”

“But—” Ava started.

“You’re thinking like a normal person,” Euzent said, cutting her off. “Think like someone who can’t see the consequences.”

She sat back in her chair, nodding in understanding.

“All that excitement and fame and press sounds pretty good, now doesn’t it?” he asked.

“Not to me,” she stated.

“Or he could be delusional,” Euzent said simply. “He could truly believe he committed those crimes.”

Mason raised a brow. The delusional people he’d encountered had usually smoked or popped something first. Micah Zuch looked perfectly aware of where he was and what he’d said.

“Not many people are truly delusional, but they’re out there,” said Euzent. “The chance is slim that Micah is one of them.”