TWO
Special Agent in Charge of the St. Louis field office Solomon Slattery put the phone down, shaking his head. He should be used to Kaely Quinn by now, but she still took him by surprise. In all his years with the FBI he’d never worked with anyone like her. She was more than incredibly talented. She was born to do what she did. Somehow she was able to see into souls that dwelt inside some of the most evil individuals the world had ever spit forth. But it was more than that. Much more.
He quickly dialed another number. When he heard the voice of his friend in Nashville, he said, “I figured you’d still be in the office.”
A deep sigh came over the line. “Still trying to find this guy. You have anything for me?”
“How about a name?”
There was a brief pause. Nashville Police Chief Phil Thompson said, “A name? I don’t understand. I thought you were sending me a profile.”
Solomon chuckled. “She thinks she knows who your unidentified subject is.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“That’s up to you. I’m just passing the information along, but I wouldn’t bet against her.”
He hesitated a moment. “Okay, let me have it.”
Solomon heard the skepticism in his friend’s voice. It made him smile. “Your UNSUB’s name could be Charles Morgan.”
“Wait a minute. Charles Morgan? The guy we interviewed in the park after the second murder? You’re delusional. That guy couldn’t kill a fly. Literally. He’s some do-good animal lover. Works for a rescue group. No way.”
“Kaely profiled your UNSUB as someone committed to rescuing unwanted and mistreated animals. He’s a vegetarian. Innocuous, not someone you’d ever suspect or even notice under normal circumstances. If you’ll do some checking into Morgan’s background, I believe you’ll find he was abused by one or both parents, but he had a dog or a cat growing up. His pet became his family. He can’t relate to people. Won’t have close, enduring relationships. However, he feels connected to animals, and he doesn’t understand people who don’t own pets. He truly believes they’re selfish individuals who are responsible for animals that are never adopted and end up euthanized. He’s angry and seeking revenge.”
“This is crazy. How in the world . . .”
“First of all, your victims have nothing in common.”
“True. We couldn’t find any connection.”
“Not one of them has a pet,” Solomon said matter-of-factly.
“I . . . I’m not sure about that.”
“Check it out.”
“I will.”
“You’ll also have to explain the animal hair.”
“What animal hair?” Phil asked.
“Animal hair on the victims’ clothes. Animal hair in their homes.”
“Hardly any. Accidental transfer. Happens all the time. Friends and family bring their pets with them when they visit.”
“Maybe, but explain the dog hair on the necks of two victims.”
Solomon could hear Phil riffling through papers. “Uh . . . okay.”
“They were strangled with a leash. A dog leash.”
“But this guy . . . I mean . . .”
“Morgan’s strong enough to strangle someone from behind, Phil. If you check the victims’ homes, you might find some kind of flyer. You know, trying to raise money for rescue shelters or whatever. He may have used something like that to gain access. Even people who don’t own pets have a hard time saying no to someone trying to help abused animals.”
This time the silence spoke volumes.
“You already found them, didn’t you?”
“Yeah. In two of the victims’ residences. We thought they were being passed out in the neighborhoods.”
“Nope,” Solomon said. “He used them to get in. He seemed harmless, so people opened their doors.”
Phil grunted. “Now, wait a minute. The victims were willing to donate to the cause, but that wasn’t enough?”
“Not for this guy. Probably thinks they’re trying to assuage their guilt with money.”
“That’s nuts.”
“Uh . . . is that a serious comment?”
“No. Okay, we’ll pick him up for questioning, and I’ll let you know how it turns out.”
“Please do. And, hey, this guy doesn’t take actual trophies, but you might find empty food wrappers or containers from the victims’ homes. You might even discover donations. He may not have sent them in, but if there are any checks . . .”
“We’ll look. And Solomon . . .”
“Thanks for doing this. Your agent may have kept us from a fourth victim. She’s amazing. Never seen anything quite like her.”
“I know. And by the way, Phil, Special Agent Quinn is fully aware that you guys are the ones who really solve these crimes. If Morgan’s witness statement wasn’t with the paperwork, she wouldn’t have been able to finger the guy.”
A low laugh came across the line. “I know she respects us, Solomon. That’s one of the reasons we value her so much. I’m not the least bit offended. I’m just very grateful.”
“Just gather the evidence you need to solve this so we can keep Kaely out of it. BAU has a problem with her going rogue. Good-bye, Phil.”
“Bye.”
Solomon put the phone down and checked the time. Eight-thirty. Past time to head home, but he still wasn’t ready. His wife, Joyce, had grown quieter and quieter over the last several months. He knew she missed their son, Austin, who’d left for college a couple of months earlier. Their last child to move away. Their daughter Teresa was in her third year of college, and their other daughter, Hannah, was married and living in Seattle. The house was empty, and Joyce felt abandoned and useless. He’d hoped she’d get involved in other things, develop new interests, but so far, it hadn’t happened. She seemed focused on him, looking for more attention than he could give her. By the time he got home, he was physically and emotionally exhausted. Joyce had been begging him to take her on a two-week cruise through the Caribbean. Maybe he’d figure out a way to do it. His Assistant Special Agent in Charge could cover things. Even though Ron hadn’t been with them long, he was a great ASAC. So why was Solomon fighting his wife’s request? And why was he avoiding their home? He picked up the phone and called Joyce to tell her he was finally on his way. She sounded subdued, and he felt guilty.
Kaely pulled up to the guard shack outside her gated community. Ernie Watts, the security guard, smiled when he saw her and waved her through. Ernie was a retired police officer who now protected the condos where Kaely lived. Although she would rather live in the country, away from people, past threats made protection a necessity.
She drove around to her covered parking spot and got out. Then she jogged to her front door, the biting November wind nipping sharply at her face. Her two-story condo was perfect for her lifestyle now. Low-maintenance and safe, it wasn’t much more than a place to sleep and work. Alex used to tell her it was about as inviting as a motel room: austere, everything in its place, nothing that wasn’t functional. But that was exactly how Kaely wanted it.
She unlocked the door and went inside, quickly closing it behind her. The light in the kitchen was on so she headed there first. Her friend Georgie stood behind the counter, smiling at her.
“Hi,” she said as Kaely came into the room. “Did you forget about Mr. Hoover?”
Kaely sighed. “Thanks for reminding me. I didn’t plan to be so late. What would I do without you?”
Georgie grinned, her wavy chestnut hair framing a friendly face. “I have no idea. I hope you don’t mind me letting myself in.”
“Of course not. You always show up at exactly the right time.” Mr. Hoover, her cat, jumped up on the cabinet and sat down. He was a handsome fellow. Exactly the way she’d always envisioned her first pet would look. Gray stripes, a white nose, and four white paws. She smiled as he began to purr loudly.
“Happy you took my advice and added Mr. Hoover to your life?” Georgie asked.
“Yeah. You were right. He’s awesome. We weren’t allowed to have animals in the house when I was a kid.”
“I know. I’m sorry.” Her brown eyes were full of compassion.
“Thanks, but I’m okay with it. Especially now that I have this guy.”
The big cat purred even more loudly, as if he’d understood what Kaely had said about him. Kaely had grown very fond of him and even named him after the infamous FBI director. With her odd hours and the way she got so involved in her cases, she wasn’t sure she’d be a good pet owner. Thankfully, Georgie was around to remind her about Mr. Hoover’s needs. Kaely was hopeful this trial run would work out.
Kaely was extremely grateful for Georgie. She was exactly the kind of friend Kaely needed. Someone she could talk to about anything, but who never tried to push past her personal boundaries. She reminded Kaely of her best friend in junior high. One of the many friends she lost after her father was captured.
“So what did you have for dinner?” Georgie asked.
Kaely poured a glass of iced tea. “I had the salade niçoise with salmon. It was delicious, but something went wrong tonight.”
Georgie sat down on one of the chairs in front of Kaely’s breakfast bar. “What do you mean?”
“I forgot where I was. I was reading a file and I . . .”
“You started talking to someone who wasn’t there?”
Kaely nodded. “I can’t believe I did it. People at the table next to me complained, and Louis threw them out. It was really embarrassing.” Kaely plopped down in the chair next to Georgie. She could feel a tension headache coming on and rubbed her temples. “How could I do that? After what happened at Quantico . . .”
“Oh, honey, it was a mistake. Give yourself a break. You get so intense about your cases, sometimes you forget where you are.”
“Normally, I wouldn’t, but Solomon wanted me to look at something as soon as possible. Louis insists I show up at least once a month for a meal, so I thought I could kill two birds with one stone. Obviously, that was a bad idea. Trust me. I won’t take files out in public again.”
Georgie nodded. “Good. Bring them home and go over them here. You have the perfect place for it.”
Georgie was referring to Kaely’s upstairs bedroom. There was a large dry erase board on one wall with a huge corkboard next to it, which she used to sort evidence. Sometimes it helped her to see connections and patterns that could lead to an effective profile. She called it her war room. It was where she waged war against evil. She’d also placed a small table with two chairs in the corner of the room. Kaely usually conducted her “interviews” there. That room was the only space in the condo that really meant something to her. Except when she was sleeping, she spent most of her time in the war room. Working cases, thinking. Being herself.
“Someday I have to start acting like other agents. No one else does anything weird like this.”
“Well, you’re not everyone else. And your method makes perfect sense given the way you were raised.”
“Maybe to you, but not to anyone else. Not at Quantico.”
“Forget Quantico. You’re in St. Louis now, and SAC Slattery thinks you’re wonderful. Just do your best here. Everything will be okay.”
Kaely smiled. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Georgie. You always manage to make me feel better. You know that, right?”
Georgie nodded. “I know, honey. That’s what I’m here for, right?” She stared at Kaely for a moment, her forehead creased with concern. “How are you really doing? I mean about Alex leaving?”
Kaely took another swig of tea and shrugged. “It’s not a problem. It was his choice.”
Georgie laughed lightly. “Okay, now let’s try that again. And this time tell me the truth.”
Kaely gazed into her friend’s eyes. “I miss him,” she said softly. “But I had to let him go. He wanted . . . more. I couldn’t give it to him. You understand.”
“Yes, I do. But someday you’ll have to let someone in, you know. It’s healthy. I realize you’re trying to protect yourself. Keep your job your first priority. But people need love, Kaely. You’re thirty-four years old. Don’t you want a husband someday? Kids?”
“I don’t know. I’m not really missing out on anything.” She smiled at Georgie. “I have you and Richard. That’s enough for me.”
“It’s not enough, Kaely, and you know it.”
Kaely drained the rest of her tea and stood. “No, I don’t. Richard moved all the way out here from Des Moines so I wouldn’t be alone. He’s the father I never had. That means more than I can say.”
“Well, that creepy reporter followed you from Des Moines too. He certainly hasn’t helped you.”
“Richard isn’t Jerry Acosta. You know better than that.”
Dr. Richard Barton was a longtime friend of the family. He and his wife, Bella, had been close to Kaely’s mother and father. When her father was exposed as The Raggedy Man, it had devastated them, especially since Richard was a family therapist. He blamed himself for not seeing past the mask her father wore. After Bella died, Richard followed Kaely to Virginia so she would have someone to support her. Then after she had to transfer to St. Louis, he moved again. He and Georgie were the only people Kaely completely trusted. Whenever she needed a compassionate ear or an encouraging word, Richard was there for her. She truly didn’t know what she’d do without him. And Georgie was her sounding board for things she couldn’t even tell Richard.
“I love Richard too, but he’s almost sixty. Not really your type.” Georgie laughed. “You’ve never been in love, sweetie. Wouldn’t you like to find out what that’s like?”
“Not every woman needs a man to feel whole, Georgie.” Kaely pointed at the door. “I love you, but go home. I need some sleep.”
Although Georgie always left when Kaely was ready to be alone, for some reason she didn’t budge.
“What’s wrong?” Kaely asked.
“Do you remember when we talked about . . . a feeling? That feeling that something’s wrong somewhere? Like something bad is getting ready to happen?”
Kaely grinned at her. “You mean ‘a tremor in the force’?” It was a joke they shared based on their love of Star Wars.
Georgie stood up and faced Kaely, but she wasn’t smiling. “Something’s coming, Kaely. I don’t know what it is, but I feel it. Don’t you?”
Kaely didn’t say anything as Georgie left, but the truth was, she’d felt the same thing for days now. A shiver ran down her spine. She turned off the lights and stood in the dark, trying to shake away a sense of danger. Something lurking in the shadows. Something with eyes trained directly on her.