Kaely left Richard sitting on the steps by the Basin and drove to the office. She was shaken by the knowledge that he’d promised her father he’d watch over her. Knowing her father acted as if he cared anything about his children infuriated her. She was certain he’d said it because he thought he was supposed to—not because he meant it. Her father was a typical psychopath. Incapable of real empathy. He’d learned to mimic the emotions of other people, and he used those examples when he felt they were appropriate. Narcissistic and selfish, he saw himself as more important than any other human being.
Worst of all, he’d used his family to hide his depravity—something Kaely had a hard time forgiving. Forgiveness was a slow process that God was walking her through. She was thankful He was so patient with her. Someday, she wanted to release all the anger she felt toward her father, if for no other reason than to get the last vestiges of Ed Oliphant out of her head.
She’d initially dismissed Richard’s concerns about Jason, but after she parked her car, she sat there for a while, wondering if there could be anything to it. She knew he’d had a hard time believing she and her mother didn’t have some kind of hint about what was going on, but would he really resort to something like this? Jason had been such a sweet kid. A good kid. Yes, he was angry about what happened, but his nature couldn’t have changed that much, could it? The sister in her said no, but the trained behavioral analyst knew she couldn’t ignore the possibility. She’d have to tell Noah about Jason, and they’d have to add him to their list of suspects. Kaely shivered as she sat in her warm car. She felt like a traitor.
She got out and hurried into the building, aware of the stares from other agents as she walked by. Obviously, they’d seen the paper too. She hadn’t made any real friends at work since coming to St. Louis, except for Alex. Part of her ached to partake in the camaraderie she saw between the agents, but it wasn’t going to happen. She was Crazy Kaely to them. She’d never fit in.
She shook off the unhelpful thoughts and refocused on the challenge in front of her. Although Solomon had promised to keep her in St. Louis, she couldn’t help but wonder if he’d stick to what he’d said. They’d said the same thing at Quantico when Jerry Acosta’s first article came out.
She felt a rush of irritation. Why was this guy following her? Why was he so determined to mess up her life? It was as if he had a vendetta against her.
She walked into the outer office where Grace sat, typing on her computer. “Go on in, Kaely. He’s waiting for you,” she said with a sympathetic smile.
“Thanks, Grace.” Kaely slowly opened the door to Solomon’s office. He was on the phone.
“It’s not going to happen,” he was saying. “You don’t have the authority to make that decision.” When he looked up and saw Kaely, he held up a finger. “I have to go. You’re welcome to come down here and talk to me about it, but I won’t change my mind.” Without saying good-bye, he put the phone down. “Sit down, Kaely,” he said, his tone serious. Frankly, Solomon looked a little shell-shocked. She was certain the newspaper article had caused problems.
“Was that Reinhardt on the phone?” she asked.
Solomon scooted back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. Typical protective gestures. “He thinks you should be moved to protect you and those around you. He says he’s worried about collateral damage.”
“No, he’s not. He wants me out of the Bureau.”
“I know that.” Solomon dredged up a tentative smile. “He doesn’t have the authority to override a SAC, Kaely. You’re physically able to serve, and your mental acuity is intact.”
Kaely’s mouth twitched. “Many people would disagree with you about that last statement.”
“Well, I know you well enough to be convinced you’re more than capable of assisting Noah. Don’t worry about Reinhardt.” He rubbed the back of his neck, groaning softly as if kneading his neck muscles caused pain. He fixed his gaze on her. “I know you’d rather be back at Quantico. It’s not impossible. . . . Hopefully someday. You should be where we can use your talents to the utmost.”
Kaely’s eyes widened in surprise. They’d never talked about her desire to return to Quantico. It was something she didn’t bring up since she was pretty sure it would never happen. “I don’t think they’ll take me back. Besides, I like it here.”
“You may feel safe, but this isn’t the best place for you and you know it,” Solomon said. “You’ve been here a year. In another year you can be considered again as an official behavioral analyst. I intend to help you in any way I can.”
“Why are you bringing this up now?” Kaely asked, her stomach knotting. “Are you sending me away?”
Solomon’s eyebrows shot up, and he sat forward in his chair. “No, Kaely. Absolutely not.” He shook his head. “I was trying to encourage you. Seems I stink at motivational speeches.”
In spite of herself, Kaely laughed. “Yeah, it might not be your thing. But thanks. I mean that. Sure, I’d like to go back to Quantico. It was my dream. But I thank God every day I found you—and this field office. I don’t know what I would have done without . . .” She was horrified to feel a sudden rush of emotion wash over her. She breathed in quickly, trying to regain control. “Sorry,” she whispered.
Solomon chuckled. “It’s okay. Real people get emotional, you know. You really are one of us—even if you don’t think you are.”
“Thank you. I know I’m a real person. Now, can we get back to the situation at hand?”
“Sure,” he said, grinning. “I wouldn’t want you to get carried away.” He pushed the newspaper toward her. “Have you read the whole thing?”
“No, I haven’t,” she responded. “The headline told me everything I wanted to know.”
“Read it.”
While Solomon watched her, Kaely quickly scanned the complete article. Acosta had written one entire section about her father, citing his crimes. Then he moved on to Kaely. Her procedure to identify serial killers and how accurate she’d been in the past. It wasn’t a bad article, but it certainly wouldn’t endear her to some people.
She shoved it back toward him. “So now St. Louis knows they may have a serial killer—and it’s all my fault. Mine and my father’s.”
“Stupid people might blame you, but anyone with a brain will point the finger at the person behind this. The UNSUB. We need to find him as quickly as possible.” When he scooted back in his chair, it squeaked loudly, but he acted as if he hadn’t heard it. “So where are you and Noah? Have you discovered anything helpful?”
“We’ve been through all the files. Couldn’t find anything that points to our UNSUB. The only cases that raise red flags are the ones I mentioned at the outset. Michael Edmonds and Archie Mason, but I still don’t see a connection that points us in the right direction.”
“What have you figured out about our UNSUB?”
“Very organized killer. Been planning this for a long time. Trust me, his next targets have already been chosen. I think he copied George Anderson because I was involved with that case. His next kill will also be a copycat. I think he presents well. Educated. Good dresser. Articulate. Nice car. Not someone you’d pick as a serial killer.” She sighed. “Can’t do much with modus operandi since he modeled himself after another killer. But he is probably picking killers he doesn’t mind copying. For example, I doubt he’ll choose Dennis Rader or Jack the Ripper. Too revolting for him.”
“It’s not as if we have a long list of nice serial killers.”
“I realize that. I’d love to know where he’s getting his details. From confidential files? Was he connected to the case somehow? Did he read books? There are quite a few from some of the top folks in BAU.”
“No reason they shouldn’t tell their story once the perps are in prison.”
“You’re right. Wish we could keep some details to ourselves though. You know, for situations just like this.”
Solomon nodded his agreement. “What’s your next step?”
“Well, Noah’s the lead agent, so it’s up to him, but I believe we need to start thinking ahead. Get a jump on this guy before the next killing. If it’s not already too late.” She frowned at him. “Did ERT find anything that might help us?”
“No. The police did a great job of processing the crime scene. They’re still interviewing everyone who worked at the park that day. If they find anything helpful, I’m certain the chief will let us know. What else do you need?” Solomon asked.
“What about a CP?”
He nodded. “CIRG’s Logistics Unit has found a closed print shop not far from here that should make a great command post. The windows are covered up so no one can see inside. It’s being set up now. You can move in Monday morning. And BAU is waiting to get information from you so they can assist.”
“Good. We really need help from our Critical Incident Response Group. I think we’ll need to use ViCAP too.” Kaely hoped that the FBI’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Program would pick up past crimes their UNSUB was copying so they could get a jump on him. “Maybe we can anticipate what he’s got planned.”
Solomon grunted. “Sounds good.”
Kaely frowned. “I’m certain they’re searching words from the poem. I’m hoping they find something from the term lake. Not sure how much we can narrow the list on our own, but we’ll try.”
Solomon stared at her for a moment without saying anything, which started to make her nervous. “Kaely, take some time off this weekend,” he said finally. “I mean it. I’ll put other people on the case. You and Noah can start in again on Monday.”
“I feel like we should keep working, Sol. Get a jump on this guy.”
Solomon sighed. “You know how it works. I can’t let you burn out. We need you fresh. I have a feeling no matter what I say you’ll do nothing but work this case when you’re not here. I realize telling you not to obsess is useless, but be careful, okay?”
Kaely nodded and stood up. She appreciated Solomon’s concern for her, but she doubted they’d get any real time off. She had a bad feeling they were already too late to save the next victim.