by Jen Talty
“Won’t stay long. One beer and enough time to make myself presentable before I head home.” Jake threw his hands wide and grinned.
“Fine.” Travis headed for his apartment. “You
really need a shave.”
“Yeah. The wife will have a cow if I go home like this. Not to mention the little princess of the house won’t greet her daddy with all this stubble. She says it’s not good for her complexion or some such nonsense.”
“How old is Katie?”
“Five, but she’s very high maintenance.” Jake laughed.
“Because you spoil the hell out of her.” Travis pushed back his door and let Jake pass. The man was built like a tank, but not very tall. Most people were afraid of him because of his gruff exterior, but he was a big softy. And a sap to boot. “I’ve got an extra razor. You can shower here if you want.
“Thanks.” Jake made himself at home by snagging a couple of beers from the refrigerator and sitting down in Travis’s favorite chair. Then Jake kicked off his shoes and put his dirty, smelly feet on the coffee table.
“Why don’t you shower first?”
“OK.” Jake guzzled his beer before thankfully heading to the bathroom. “I’ve been doing surveillance for about three days now.”
“Yeah. I can smell it.”
Travis tossed Jake a few towels and then headed to his room. He stood on his bed and taped the pictures of the girls from his office to his bedroom ceiling. Never again would he allow himself to lose focus.
After all the pictures were in place, he laid down, resting his head on his pillows and stared at the constant reminders. He hadn’t learned anything new by showing an old case to his new partner, except that his partner was probably smarter than him. It certainly hadn’t constituted a test, not in the eyes of his employer, but having a different set of eyes always helped add perspective, especially when there was no biased attached to her viewpoint. However, it still proved to be a futile attempt at trying to find the missing piece.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Jake’s voice boomed across the room. “Anyone ever tell you that you’re weird?” Jake glanced at the ceiling.
“All the damn time.”
“Does the murder from the other night fit into your theory?” Jake stood at the foot of the bed.
“You almost look like a normal, upstanding guy,” Travis said.
“Don’t change the subject. I know you.”
Travis understood Jake’s concern. He’d seen Travis in some of his darkest hours. “Some of the case fits. There are so many inconsistencies, but that’s the least of my problems right now.”
“Yeah, I heard about the no-go on the promotion.”
“You talk to my family way too much.”
Jake laughed. “What’s bugging you, besides the same old shit?”
“Got a new partner.”
“And?”
“A first and a skirt.”
“Nice,” Jake said.
Agent Morgan had been a little more than Travis had bargained for. The moment he spied her at the airport she’d had an effect on him. And not just his brain. Not a great way to start a partnership.
She’d impressed him by knowing exactly who he was, without him having to approach her. She hadn’t been timid in her approach or in her demeanor. Shauna Morgan had proven herself to be one smart lady. She knew within five minutes that something wasn’t right with the case he presented. He hadn’t planned on giving her that test until they were in the office. And certainly not with that case. He told himself it had all been about trust, the key element in being good partners and it had to come quickly.
“What? No comeback?”
“Thinking, that’s all.”
“Either you’re letting your obsession rule your overactive mind, or this skirt has you thinking with the other brain.”
“Neither. Just a long day.”
“Bullshit,” Jake said leaning against the wall. “Is there something wrong with your new partner?”
Travis did his best not to smile. Shauna had accused him of being underhanded. If she only knew. He’d been tested with a textbook case, not a case his superior had been secretly working on. Was he so desperate to find his sister’s killer that he’d bring in his new partner without letting her know what he was doing?
“Not a damn thing wrong with her.” He frowned. “She’s smart and sexy as hell.”
Now, that could be a problem. Agent Morgan had…well, she had caught his attention.
He conjured up a picture of Shauna. She carried herself with poise and confidence. She dressed professionally, pulling her light brown hair from her face and wore just enough makeup that she didn’t look like she had to try too hard to be pretty. Probably not all.
“So, you’ve got the hots for your new partner,” Jake said. “Better than thinking she’s a dumbass.”
“There is something different about her.”
“Uh-huh.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I haven’t seen you get bent out of shape over a women, ever. You’re family worries that you’ll never open your heart. I worry that when you do, it will get ripped to shreds.”
“You’re an ass, you know that.”
“Just a friend whose got your back.” Jake sipped his beer, looking at the girls on the ceiling. “Don’t bring your new partner into all this.”
“What makes you think I’d do that?”
“Because you think she’s smarter than you, which means you’ll do anything to get her opinion.”
Travis pictured Shauna’s light blue eyes. They looked like she carried some kind of burden behind them. His instincts told him she had a secret; other than that, he couldn’t find one thing he didn’t like about her.
“You’re about as smart as they come and I wouldn’t do anything to get your opinion.”
“That’s because I’m easy.”
“Yeah, you are.” Travis laughed.
“Want me to do some digging around this last case?”
“What have you found out already?” Travis knew Jake wouldn’t wait to be asked, he’d just do it the way he did everything. A trait he admired and resented at the same time.
“Not much. Cops are looking at the boyfriend who is as clean as a whistle according to their records. I watched his patterns and he’s definitely hiding something, but I don’t think he killed the girl.”
“I know he didn’t.” Travis rose, stood on the bed and pointed to the latest victim. “That’s her.” Travis moved his finger to his sister’s picture. “Marie was killed in the same manner. If they make any connection it will be some copycat thing.”
“It happens all the time.”
Travis tapped his finger on Jane Doe. “She knows the answers. I have to find her.”
Jake let out a long breath. “That path is so cold even I can’t pick it up anymore.”
“Maybe my new partner can.”
“Keep your ass out of trouble, would you? Let me do your dirty work. At least I have an excuse,” Jake said. “If she’s new, you supposed to train her, not teach her how to become obsessed with closed, cold cases.”
“It’s going to be a long two years.”
****
The second knock on Shauna’s door came a few minutes after the first. “I’m coming!” she yelled from the bathroom. “Punctual, too,” she muttered to herself, taking one last glance in the mirror. “Not bad.” She squared her shoulders and headed for the living area.
She pulled open the door and found herself checking Travis out. Not a single hair on his head was out of place. He looked damned spiffy in a suit and tie, too. Another time. Or place. Different circumstances. Well, she’d be all over Travis Brown. His good looks matched his intelligence, and then some.
He glanced at his watch when he opened the door of his pickup.
“I’m not late…you’re early.” He might be good-looking, but he would drive her nuts with this early thing.
“Yeah, well
, my mother taught me fifteen minutes early is on time, five minutes early is late.” He flashed a grin and strolled to the other side of the truck.
“I’m not your mother; I’m your partner.” She made eye contact, hoping to make her point very clear.
“I’ve noticed.”
“Good, next time be late.”
“I’ll work on it.”
Moments later, they settled themselves in the back row of the city courtroom. The defendant was a thirty year-old white male accused of raping an elderly woman. The prosecuting attorney spent an enormous amount of time going over the gruesome details of the case. He even showed pictures. Shauna’s stomach began to flip as if she were on an amusement ride.
She didn’t know what was worse—raping young girls or old women. Her uncanny ability to compartmentalize everything in her life was being threatened. She had to find a way to keep her fears from interfering with her job. Her stomach gurgled like a volcano about to erupt. In order to keep her thoughts from the acid hitting her throat, she glanced around the courtroom to find something to fix her stare on. She landed her attention on how nicely Travis filled out a suit. It seemed to calm her stomach.
The Assistant D.A. called Travis to the stand and Shauna’s pulse quickened. He rose and took long, confident strides to the witness stand. Looking at him with one hand on the Bible and the other in the air, swearing to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, the butterflies in her stomach fluttered about like she was some pathetic teenager with a silly crush. She blinked, forcing herself to remember why she was sitting in the courtroom.
His smoky, smooth voice sent a tingle down her spine and commanded her to hang on his every word. He answered every question with an air of assurance that, even if he was lying, she suspected everyone would believe him.
Travis glided down the aisle, taking her by the elbow and pulling her along with him.
“Why are we leaving?” she whispered.
“Because we’re done.”
“But the case? It’s not over.” She pointed back at the courthouse. “I want to know—”
“Our job is done. I gave my expert testimony, the facts as I knew them. The rest is out of my hands.”
“But don’t you want to know what the jury comes back with?”
Travis paused near the main door of the courthouse. “Of course I do. However, the verdict could be hours, or days, away.”
“I understand that, but based on your testimony, you’ve already put a good chunk of your own time on this case. There is other testimony to be heard and closing arguments. I figured it would be not only important to you, but our department, for you to see it all the way through.”
“If they need me back, they will call. Until then, we have other work to do.” Travis glanced at his cell phone. “Besides, something is up.” Travis held her elbow and guided her through the sea of cars in the parking lot. “We need to check in with the boss.”
“Kind of strange. I haven’t met him yet, only talked to him on the phone a few times. What’s he like?” His hand felt warm through her blazer and his gentle touch gave her comfort. She took a step back as his hand fell to his side.
“Scott? He’s a stickler for the rulebook. More importantly, he likes things done his way and on his timeline which brings me to the fact he’s called three times.” Travis smiled. “He’s also very impatient so I best call him back, pronto.” Travis flipped his cell open and opened the truck door, motioning her to get in. “What’s up…” He paused. “We’re on our way.” He snapped the phone shut, jumped in the pickup, and started driving. He didn’t say another word.
“Are you going to tell me where we are going and why?” She looked at him.
“Oh, sorry. We’ve been called to a crime scene as part of the Tri-City Joint Task Force.”
“What kind of crime scene?”
“Murder.”
She held her stomach and wondered if Marie’s killer had struck again. The same man who had killed countless others. Who had almost killed her. But no one had a name for him, because he didn’t really exist.
“You okay?” He squeezed her shoulder and then released her. His eyes stayed on the road.
“Just tired.” She swallowed her emotions. This was it. Every moment she’d spent working on getting through the pain. Becoming a stronger, better person. Finding herself again. All of it led her to this moment in time.
“Sure that’s it?”
“I’m fine,” she said a little too tersely. She was anything but fine. Fear ripped through her bloodstream like a raging inferno.
“I was freaked out when I got called to my first murder scene. It’s normal.”
“Just a lot to take on the first day.”
“You don’t have to get too involved. Sit back, watch, and learn. This task force thing is new, so we’re really only here to support the cops.”
“So, this isn’t our case?” Any case that would bring her closer to her rapist was one she wanted.
“Not sure yet. Right now it falls under the jurisdiction of the locals, but depending on what we find, it could be, so we have to make sure we get a good look at the scene.”
“I’m good with details.”
The way he tilted his head as he glanced at
her, she got the impression he wasn’t sold on her abilities. Well, she’d have to simply prove him wrong.
****
Travis rubbed his jaw and then stole a glance at Shauna. She sat stiff-backed in her seat, with her gaze focused out the windshield. She seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. Normally, he could read most people with ease. He couldn’t tell if she was merely organizing and preparing, as any good agent would, or mentally trying to block out any negative thoughts and images. As a cop, he’d been told to prepare and then mentally block. However, he had been unable to prepare until he went on his first call. No point in trying to tell her, she’d have to learn on her own.
He pulled up next to a sheriff’s car. The tension in his body escalated, constricting his muscles to the point of pain. Okay, so they were both human and he still had a hard time in the preparation department. “Just stick close to me.” He nodded to her.
Travis circled the crime scene, doing his best to avoid contact with everyone until he got a good feel for what he was dealing with.
“Agent Brown,” Detective Hutchensen said. “You seem to be following me around these days.”
“So I do. Tell me what we’ve got.”
“This one’s a runaway. Parents admitted she had a long history with drug use. Probably a case of the wrong place at the wrong time. We’re still trying to gather information on her from other sources, but it looks like she hung with a tough crowd. Probably find our perp there.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Taking an educated guess.”
“I don’t like guessing,” Travis said. Even though he would do his best to try to find a connection, any connection, to his sister’s case, he’d learned long ago to keep an open mind during the information gathering process. In his early days, he’d been wrong before, spending too much time looking at cases from only one angle and he’d missed some important clues. A mistake he’d never make again.
Hutchensen chuckled. “Your job is about guessing.”
“True, but I don’t have enough valuable information to form a decent guess.”
“You’re always looking in one direction,” Hutchensen said. Ignoring the comment, Travis snapped a glove in place and knelt in front of a lifeless form covered with a standard issue blanket. Over the years, he’d learned how to keep himself from trembling and his face from turning white every time he looked at a dead body. It didn’t make it any easier. He swallowed. This crime scene didn’t fit his sister’s, but he knew deep in his gut this was the killer he’d been searching for his entire career. The only problem, why would his guy kill twice in the same year? He’d never done that before.
One kill on the same date. It never changed.
U
ntil today.
Taking a deep breath, he drew back the blanket, and then heard a sharp intake of breath behind him.
The young victim had been bludgeoned beyond recognition. Travis closed his eyes briefly and then replaced the blanket. Shauna had already turned away.
“You okay?” he whispered in her ear. He remembered his first violent case. Didn’t matter how well his training had prepared him, he could never shake any of the victim’s images from his mind.
“Yeah. Just trying to organize everything I’ve seen so far.” She pulled out a small note pad and scribbled in it. “Who was that guy you were talking to?”
“Detective Rosco Hutchensen. Good cop. Real good, but a pain in the ass.”
“Did he have any details about the girl?”
“Nothing concrete except the girl was into drugs and a possible runaway. He’ll file a report by the end of the day and send it to us. We’ll compare it to our findings, send over our thoughts and it will probably stay with local.” Before the joint task force, he’d done everything in his power to make up a reason why each murder should be the FBI’s case. Now, with the shared information policy he had greater access, although he had to be careful. Cops like Hutchensen didn’t like all Travis’s poking.
“How long has she been missing?”
He noticed she wiped her face before she turned. When her eyes caught his, he sensed how she struggled to keep her own personal feelings at bay and deal with the situation at hand. Sometimes the job hardened people to the point they couldn’t feel anything real anymore. He prayed that never happened to him. Or her. “About eight days. She’d gone missing before, so the exact day is off.”
“The killer preys on young runaways. He finds their weakness and gains their trust. He promises them fame or freedom, whatever it is they are running from. He promises to protect them. Only to rape and murder them in the end.”
“You want to tell me what you see here to make you draw that conclusion?” She had quoted him a textbook answer, and even if her conclusions were right on, there wasn’t an ounce of evidence to back up her findings. Either she wasn’t as smart as he thought or she knew something he didn’t.
