by Nancy Mehl
“Thank you, doctor. I think we’re done here.”
Kaely walked toward the door but paused with her hand on the doorknob. Before she turned it, she faced Melanie and said, “You’re exactly the type of woman my dad hunted, you know. Think about that during your next session with him.”
Twenty-Six
As Kaely closed the door behind her, she wondered why she’d said that. Why she’d become so angry with the doctor. But something about the woman bothered her. Something that felt . . . off. She couldn’t put her finger on it. Kaely started toward the office she and Noah had taken over when she saw him leaning against the wall, obviously waiting for her.
After making sure no one was around, he said, “So. What do you think of your father’s therapist?”
Kaely sighed. “I’m not sure. To be honest, I don’t trust her completely. Let’s get some supper and go back to the hotel. We have a lot to do tomorrow.”
“Are you going to talk to your father again?”
“Yeah. It’s the reason we’re here. We’ve got to find out how he’s getting information to our UNSUB. If we don’t figure it out soon, John will pull us out and request the BAU. Remember, I’m here only because they think I can get information they can’t. If I don’t produce . . .”
“We go home.”
She nodded.
He was preparing for his next move. Within hours, Kaely Quinn would understand what he’d done. That he was close and getting closer. Soon, he would take her. But before she joined his other victims, he would make sure she knew why she had to die.
Excitement rose inside him. It was almost overpowering. He couldn’t wait to kill again. Except for his hatred for Kaely Quinn, killing was the only thing that gave him pleasure. And now, for the first time in his life, he was in control. He was calling the shots. No one would ever hurt him again.
Kaely and Noah went to a chain restaurant next to the hotel. He could tell how tired she was. “Well, it’s been an interesting day,” he said once they had ordered. He quickly downed his rum hurricane. On sale for happy hour, the drinks were pretty small. He gestured to their waiter for another. For some reason, he felt tense, as if he needed to be prepared for something. Unfortunately, he had no idea what it was, and that made him irritable.
“You might want to go easy on those drinks,” Kaely said. “You’re too big for me to carry into your hotel room.”
Even though he wasn’t in the best of moods, he couldn’t help but laugh at the picture her remark put in his head. “You might have to drag me.”
“Yeah, I think you’re right.”
As he waited for his next drink, he realized Kaely seemed uncomfortable. Was he sending some kind of negative vibe? “What’s on your mind?” he asked.
Kaely took a deep breath. “It’s something that . . . that an UNSUB said in Nebraska.”
Noah frowned. “Kaely, when invisible people start saying things you have no control over, I think that’s a cause for concern.” He looked at her closely. “Don’t you?”
He was disturbed to see tears fill her eyes.
“You need to talk to me,” he said. “Honestly. Surely by now you trust me.”
She nodded. “I do. I trust you.”
She picked up the glass of iced tea she’d ordered and took a sip. Noah saw her hand tremble. He waited, staying silent. What more could he say?
“In Darkwater, the UNSUB told me I was going to die. That it wouldn’t happen there but it would happen soon.”
The shock that went through Noah seemed to settle in his feet. He shuffled them under the table. “And do you think you’re going to die, Kaely?”
She picked up her glass again. Noah was pretty sure she wasn’t that thirsty. When she put it down, she lifted her napkin and wiped her eyes. “When I was a teenager, I became convinced I would die young. I don’t know where I got that idea, but it’s followed me ever since.”
Noah’s throat constricted. He didn’t want to be angry with her. Not now. But he was. He managed to say, “Does this tie into why you take so many chances? Why you’re so careless? Are you convinced you’re going to die anyway so you might as well not hold back?”
She shook her head, and her mouth tightened again. Obviously, he’d upset her, but he didn’t care. He wanted her to be more careful. He needed her to be more careful.
Finally, she said, “I don’t think I’m being reckless. I just care about the job. I truly believe this is what I’m called to do. If I stop the monsters, people will live. Families won’t have to go through the kind of pain that lasts a lifetime.” She met his gaze. “It’s worth the risk.”
“But that’s not what I asked you. I asked if you take risks because you believe you’re going to die anyway.”
Once again, she wiped away tears. “I don’t know. I . . . don’t think so. Once I found God, I realized He was in control of my life and that He had a good plan for me. I didn’t need to worry about dying young anymore.” She sighed. “I thought I believed that, but now I realize I might be carrying that fear in the back of my mind somewhere. Maybe that’s why I’m trying so hard to do everything I can . . . while I can.” She stared at him, and her dark eyes captured him the way they always did. He found himself taking a quick breath and hoping she hadn’t noticed.
“Just when did you decide you would die young, Kaely? Before or after your father was arrested?”
Her forehead wrinkled, and she looked away from him. “After. What does that matter?”
“Is it possible that since your father killed so many women, you decided you had no right to live a full life?”
“I . . . I don’t know.” She looked surprised. “Maybe you’re right. I should have thought of that. I mean, it makes sense.” She looked past him, and Noah could almost hear the wheels turning in her head.
“Why didn’t I see that before?” she said.
“Maybe it’s because you’re so busy trying to understand everyone else that you haven’t taken time to understand yourself. Maybe you should profile Kaely Quinn sometime.”
Noah started to say something else, but just then the waiter brought their food. Noah had ordered a steak with garlic mashed potatoes. Kaely had asked for a shrimp salad. He had to admit that it looked good. Maybe he needed to eat healthier. He’d never really thought about it until he met Kaely. He looked at her and realized he wanted to live longer because he didn’t want to miss a moment of his time with her. He now belonged completely to a woman who just might be slightly insane.
But there wasn’t any cure for it. He was too far gone, and he knew it. Hopefully, the day would come when they could be more than friends. But right now, all he could do was try to protect her. Help her through the tough times. Facing her father was certainly one of the hardest things she’d ever done. Even though he was afraid for her, he was grateful to be by her side.
Kaely waited until the waiter left. “Thanks for what you said. You might be right. I’ll think about it later. But for now, we need to focus on the case.”
Once again, she’d pushed her vulnerability aside. She was in FBI mode, and she expected Noah to follow her example. And he would because it was what she needed.
“Do you think he’s using your father’s method of getting victims?” Noah asked. “Dressing like a homeless person? Or a cop?”
Kaely crossed her arms over her chest before replying. “Believe me, the folks at the Command Post are looking at that carefully. Frankly, I doubt our guy is copying that aspect of my father’s MO. He’s smart. He knows the authorities are looking for someone following Ed Oliphant’s MO to the letter. But remember, our UNSUB has already made a change with that Scripture reference. It was pretty obvious my father didn’t know about that. His signature is different from my father’s. He isn’t out to just kill. There’s something else behind these murders. A different motivation drives him.”
“But what is it?”
Kaely shrugged. “I don’t know. He’s trying to prove something, but I haven’t been ab
le to get a handle on it. Copying my father isn’t it. Something more is going on. I really need to understand that before I can profile him correctly.”
“You’re not officially here for that, you know.”
“Yes, but you know as well as I do that it’s one of the reasons I’m here.”
“Maybe, but please don’t use your special method to profile him. I don’t think it’s safe.”
Kaely didn’t say anything, just looked away from him. Her reaction upset him.
“I’ll be careful,” she said finally.
“I know that’s what you’ve said, but if you do this, Kaely, I want to be there. I mean it.”
Her eyes sought his, and his heart fluttered. “I don’t think that would work. But I’ll tell you before I use it. You have my word.”
Noah wasn’t satisfied with her answer, but he couldn’t do much about it. He would have to take her at her word.
He cut his steak and took a bite. He was aware that it was good, but he’d lost interest in it. All he could think about was how to keep Kaely from losing herself in this case. From disappearing into her father’s dark and shadowy persona.
When they’d finished their meal, they went to their hotel, Kaely driving. Noah was tired, frustrated, and slightly drunk. He crashed on the couch as soon as he got inside his room. He woke up when the phone rang, and he checked the time. It was a little past midnight. He grabbed the phone. Chief Sawyer. He answered and listened to what the chief said. After ending the call, he dialed Kaely’s phone.
“Hello?” she answered, her voice thick with sleep.
“They’ve found another body. Her name is Marie Beck.”
“That name sounds familiar,” she said after a long pause.
“It should. She was married to Kenneth Beck. Kenny. The guard at the prison who tried to help us.”
Twenty-Seven
At Chief Sawyer’s request, Noah and Kaely showed up at the Command Post Saturday morning. On the way over, she’d asked Noah if he thought they were going to be pulled off the case and the BAU brought in. Although he said he wasn’t sure, she could see he was worried about that too. Would Marie Beck’s death be seen as their failure to find the UNSUB? For not getting the information they needed from her father?
Even though she hadn’t originally wanted to come to Iowa, Kaely was now fully invested in the investigation. She wanted to break her father, to learn how he was coordinating events with the UNSUB. The idea of turning the case over to the BAU chapped her hide. She was capable of finding the truth if they’d just give her the chance.
This murder had made one thing clear. They could now narrow the possibilities to those connected to Anamosa, so they’d concentrate solely on people associated with her father. A quick check of the letter sent to him from the man who wanted to follow in his footsteps had ruled him out. He’d been dead for three years. The other man who’d praised him in a letter was in prison in Kansas.
Tobias Bell saw them come in and motioned them over to where he stood talking to one of the techs working on a computer. The CP was housed inside an abandoned factory, where the windows were covered with brown paper to keep prying eyes from seeing inside. Especially journalists. If they were careful, the media wouldn’t find them.
Kaely glanced at the large white boards covered with notes, along with a huge corkboard with photographs. The room was abuzz with activity. Computers and stations filled the space with analysts typing away, looking for something, anything to help them find their UNSUB. Kaely spotted a tall woman with dark hair who seemed to be in charge. She was probably Howard’s Assistant Special Agent in Charge. Usually the SAC didn’t come to the Command Post.
Kaely also knew Crisis Management agents were there as well as local law enforcement representatives. The police sent detectives to assist the FBI. And somewhere in the room was a local attorney. At least one had to be available for subpoenas, search warrants—whatever law enforcement needed to help them, when requested legal documents had to be issued quickly. Usually, at least two attorneys were on call at all times.
As they headed toward Bell, Kaely saw Chief Sawyer sitting at a table off to the side, going through files.
Bell shook their hands and then led to the table where Sawyer waited. They sat down next to him.
“Thanks for calling us about Marie Beck,” Noah said.
Bell sat down on the other side of the table—covered with files and papers, evidence of a team hard at work—distancing himself from them. A power move. He wanted to make them feel isolated. Defensive.
“We should have moved faster to protect Kenneth Beck and his family,” Sawyer said, looking up from the file in front of him. “I didn’t take that note as seriously as I should have. I made a mistake.”
“No, it’s not your fault,” Kaely said. “You had only a few hours to respond. Besides, Warden Galloway said they’d watch out for Kenny. No one considered Marie a target.”
“Well, she should have been protected,” Bell said, clearly perturbed. “Kenneth Beck and his wife.”
“Of course, you’re right,” Sawyer said. “As I told you earlier, I take full responsibility.” Kaely could tell he was trying to calm the situation. “The agents followed protocol to the letter. It wasn’t their fault.”
Bell sighed. “These agents should have brought the note directly to us.”
“Wait a minute,” Kaely said. “We’re not part of this team. We were asked by Chief Sawyer to come here specifically to interview my father and try to find anyone he might be using at the prison to orchestrate these killings. If we’d taken the note to you, we wouldn’t have been following procedure. The police are still in charge of this investigation. You’re here at their request, as are we.”
“That’s enough, agent,” Bell said. “You’re skating on thin ice.”
“No, that’s enough from you,” Sawyer said, his expression hardening. “Agent Quinn is right. We’re not going to sit here and throw mud at each other. We’re going to get back to work so we can stop this madman.”
“Do you have the note to Kenny here now?” Noah asked, obviously trying to follow the chief’s lead.
Sawyer nodded. “Yes. And the FBI Evidence Response Team will send it to the lab at Quantico.”
“The notes with the Scripture found in the victims’ mouths were analyzed,” Bell said. “They were typed, and on paper that can be found anywhere. No fingerprints. And that prison laptop with the same Bible verse is here. We have an analyst working on it. He’s one of our best. If anyone can figure out where that communication came from, he can.”
Kaely gazed around the room, trying to find the man working on the laptop. She finally spotted him at a desk next to the far wall. She didn’t have a good feeling about the results of his search. Their UNSUB was smart. He wouldn’t leave a trace of himself on the computer or fingerprints on the notes. She was certain all roads would lead to . . . nothing.
The woman with the dark hair Kaely had assumed was the ASAC walked over to them. She noticed Bell scoot back in his chair, the corners of his mouth turned down and his jaw tight. It was clear to Kaely that he resented her.
“Special Agents Hunter and Quinn, this is the Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Pauline Harper,” he said.
She sat down near them. “I’m sorry to be late. I needed to take care of something.”
“Glad to meet you, ASAC Harper,” Noah said. “We’re distressed about our UNSUB killing Marie Beck. But as awful as it is, this confirms the person we’re looking for is probably inside the prison.”
“It certainly looks that way,” she said. “But let’s not shut the door on other possibilities just yet.”
Kaely understood Harper’s concern, but her gut told her they were looking for someone working at Anamosa. Someone who wanted to send Kenneth Beck a message.
“Are you looking into Kenneth Beck, Chief Sawyer?” Harper asked. “In cases like this, the spouse has to be our first suspect.”
“Yes. Beck claims M
arie went to the store last night but never returned. We’re investigating his story, but so far everything checks out. The ME is working on time of death, and we’ll know more after the postmortem.” Sawyer shook his head. “I truly believe this murder was retribution for Beck’s interaction with these agents.”
“I feel the same way,” Harper said, “but we need to be sure.”
Sawyer nodded. “We’ll continue to investigate that angle.”
“Chief, I’m sure you’re feeling some anxiety about the threatening note sent to Mr. Beck,” Harper said, running her hand through her dark hair. “Don’t. Everyone followed procedure. Putting a watch on Beck’s house would have been premature. First you should have confirmed it was a serious threat, and there just wasn’t time.” She offered Sawyer a tight smile. “Let’s move on. If we get bogged down in what we think we should have done, we won’t be focused on what we should do next.”
“Thank you, ASAC Harper,” he said.
“Let’s make that Pauline. Doesn’t take as long to say.”
Everyone around the table laughed.
“Thank you, Pauline,” the chief said. “I’m Everett.”
“Okay, Everett. So what can we do for you? How do you want to proceed?” She looked at Noah and Kaely and then turned back to him. “We can call in the BAU, if you’d like.”
Kaely felt her stomach tense. She just couldn’t lose this case. Not now. She knew she could break it.
Sawyer shook his head. “No, thanks. I’d like to keep going with Agents Hunter and Quinn. I think Agent Quinn is uniquely qualified to get us the information we need. I have complete confidence in her. In both of them. They’re a great team.”
Harper nodded. “I agree.”
Kaely was shocked to hear her say that. She’d expected her to recommend bringing in the BAU. The FBI took great stock in their capabilities—and they should. They were the best. Why would Harper urge the chief to keep her and Noah here? She studied the ASAC, but nothing in her manner revealed what she was thinking.
