Skin Puppet

by Jeffery Craig

  “I take it we have a date?”

  “Yeah. We need to leave here in about ten or fifteen minutes.”

  “You don’t happen to know of any local joints that might provide a chocolate shake while we drive through, do you?”

  “You sure do think about food a lot. You buyin’?”

  “Nope. I bought lunch, so it’s your turn. Consider it a welcome to the neighborhood sort of thing.”

  “Am I going to have to buy Agent Garfield a shake when she gets here tomorrow?”

  “No, that’s just plain foolish. She’ll make you buy a whole dinner. Just at a mid-range joint, though. She’s not greedy, just demanding. So, about that shake….”

  “Yeah, I know of a place. Get your stuff and we’ll stop on the way.”

  “I knew I liked you, Mitchell,” Edmondson assured him on their way to the car. “I suspect you have a very bright future ahead of you, Detective. How do you think Chief Kelly will react when he finds out I hired Reightman’s agency to consult on this?”

  “You ever see one of those science shows where they hit a superhot ball bearing with liquid nitrogen?”

  “Sure. I always thought the explosion was cool, no pun intended.”

  “Well, imagine the superhot ball bearing is the Chief’s head, and the nitrogen is the news about hiring Reightman. The minute the two make contact…you get the picture.”

  “Good thing he’s not the boss of me, then.”

  “He is the boss of me,” Mitchell reminded him as he navigated out of the parking lot.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll keep your name out of it in return for, shall we say, two chocolate shakes a week while I’m town.”

  “Isn’t that bribery?”

  “Not technically. It falls under the cash limit.”

  “How about Agent Garfield’s dinner?”

  “Mid-range restaurant, remember? She’s very ethical.”

  “Good to know.” Mitchell rolled down his window and leaned into the call box to place Edmondson’s order. At the last minute, he told the attendant to make it two. “You’re a bad influence, you know?”

  “Only part of the time,” Edmondson clarified as he stuck a straw into the rich, creamy goodness in the Styrofoam cup. “The rest of the time, I’m a great influence.”

  “In a weird, twisted way, I think I understand that. And I have to say, that worries me.” They rode in companionable silence, punctuated by happy straw slurps.

  “So, do we have a deal? Two shakes a week in exchange for my silence?”

  “For the time being.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “I figure right now, you have leverage. That might change. When it does, we’ll renegotiate.”

  “See, Mitchell? You’ve only known me for about six or seven hours, and already you’ve learned so much.”

  “You don’t have much of a self-esteem issue, do you?” Mitchell asked as he pulled into a spot in front of the Reightman & Bailey Agency.

  “No. I’m usually able to hold my own.”

  “Oh, man! This is going to be so much fun!” Mitchell exclaimed as they approached the agency. “See that sweet, elderly lady there through the window? That’s Madame Zhou Li. She’s one of the agency partners. I can’t wait for her to meet you. I’m in for quite a treat.”

  “Don’t you mean I’m in for a treat? Or even, she’s in for a treat.”

  Mitchell reached to open the door, and grinned. “Nope.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  After introductions, Melba and Edmondson handled some basic paperwork, and agreed on a framework which would allow the agency to provide consulting services to the Bureau. There’d be more red tape to get through eventually, but the initial agreement was in place. “He must have some kind of pull,” Melba reflected as she signed the required forms. She called SarahJune in and handed her the set of documents to scan and send electronically to Bureau’s regional office. On her way back to her desk, SarahJune led the agent to the conference room, while Melba went to gather some files.

  Toby was making a new pot of coffee and turned when he heard them enter. His welcoming smile dimmed when he spotted Mitchell, but he recovered quickly. After wiping off his hands with a towel, he crossed the room and extended his hand to the tall man by Mitchell’s side. “Hi. I’m Toby Bailey, Melba’s business partner.”

  “I’m pleased to meet you, Mr. Bailey. I’m Special Agent Allen Edmondson with the Federal Bureau of Investigations.”

  “It’s nice to meet you. Just call me Toby, though.”

  “All right. In that case, I’m Allen, unless we’re being official, in which case, Edmondson will do, or Agent if VIPs are present. Do I smell coffee brewing?”

  “You sure do. Let me show you where everything is, and you can help yourself when it’s finished.” Before leading the way to the caffeine, he nodded and offered a tentative smile. “Hey, Mitchell. It’s good to see you.”

  “It’s good to see you too, Toby. The place looks great.”

  “Thanks. Can I get you anything?”

  “No. I’m good. I’ll just find a seat.”

  Mitchell pulled out a chair near one end of the table while Toby reached down a few cups. After Edmondson stowed his briefcase on the table, he showed him the location of the coffee creamer and various sweeteners. He pulled a few bottles of water from the small fridge and arranged them on the counter. Melba entered the room, followed by Zhou Li.

  “Agent Edmondson, let me introduce the other partner in the firm, Madame Zhou Li,” Melba said as she approached him. The small, elderly woman at her side appraised him thoroughly from behind thick-lensed, black-framed glasses.

  Edmondson put down his cup, and extended a hand. “Pleased to meet you, Madame Zhou. I’m Allen Edmondson, the Special Agent assigned to this case.”

  Zhou Li clasped his large hand with her tiny one and looked up at him approvingly. “I am pleased to meet you as well, Agent. I am comforted the Bureau is taking an active interest in this series of unpleasant events. Please, finish preparing your coffee. I will not be staying for the afternoon, but Ms. Reightman suggested I stop in to make your acquaintance. I hope to see you again. In fact, if you have no other plans, you might join us for a small social event to celebrate the grand opening of this venture. It will be quite informal, just a few business associates and family members stopping by to wish us well. I hope you will consider joining us.”

  “Thank you for the kind invitation. I must confess, I was already planning to drop by. My sister’s been invited and asked me to be her escort for the evening.”

  “You’re Dr. Ed’s brother?” Toby interrupted.

  “Amanda is my sister, but I’ve never heard her referred to as ‘Dr. Ed’ before.”

  “Sorry. I’m probably the only one who calls her that.”

  “No apologies needed. In fact, I think I’ll use it myself at the next opportunity. I’m always on the lookout for more opportunities to bring her back down to earth when she gets too clinical during a conversation. ‘Dr. Ed’ should do the trick.”

  Toby grinned and turned to Zhou Li. “Madame Zhou, can I fix you a cup of tea?”

  “Thank you, dear, but I need to get back across the street. Lindsi is due to arrive in a few minutes, and I do not want to keep her waiting. Today, I am supervising while she prepares a few tea blends. I am pleased she is catching on so fast.” Toby went back to arranging the beverages on the counter, and she reached out her hand to Edmondson. “Agent, I will say farewell for today. Although we are currently a small operation, we are very resourceful.”

  “I’m sure you are. Detective Mitchell spoke highly of you all.”

  Zhou Li glanced toward the young man who huddled near Melba at the large table and nodded approvingly. “He is a fine young man, and something of a hero. If I might make a suggestion, Agent?”

  “Certainly.”

  She chose her words carefully. “Detective Mitchell was instrumental in clearing up a rather unpleasant circumstanc
e last fall. He proved both his capacity for bravery and for good police work. We all became quite fond of him. If you are so inclined, it would be instructive for you to tap into what I am sure are considerable resources to bring yourself up to speed. I am certain you will find the information helpful.”

  Edmondson let his gaze linger for a moment on his most junior task force team member, and on the woman seated next to him. “I never disregard an opportunity to learn about the team I’m working with, Madame Zhou. Rest assured, I’ll devote some time to it.”

  “Very good, Agent. I hope this agency’s association with you and the Bureau is productive.”

  Edmondson inclined his head slightly and watched as the lady made her way to the door. He pulled out his phone and typed in a couple of key words to jog his memory later, and then refilled his coffee cup and found a seat at the table. He chose a seat directly across from Mitchell, rather than taking the chair at the head of the table and watched to see where everyone else would settle. Melba Reightman kept her seat next to Mitchell, and Toby selected the chair to Edmondson’s left, across from his partner.

  “Agent Edmondson, why don’t you begin,” Melba suggested. “After that, we’ll explain our situation, and then we can figure out if, and how, it’s most appropriate for us to work together. The desire for a successful outcome is more than just a matter of stopping a series of related child abductions. Now, it is personal.”

  “Let’s get to it, then. Mitchell, why don’t you take the lead? I’ll add my thoughts as we go.”

  Toby settled back in his chair, taking notes while Mitchell spoke. “He sounds confident and assured,” he decided, listening to Mitchell describe the crime scenes where the bodies of the two young girls were found. He glanced up briefly when Melba asked a clarifying question, trying not to notice the way the conference room lights turned the ends of Mitchell’s short hair golden. He absolutely didn’t flash back to the first time he’d see the fine hair covering the tightly muscled thighs, shining with the same metallic glow. He most definitely didn’t recall the feel of Mitchell’s firm, furry chest pressed up against him in the night, making him feel safe and protected while those strong arms pulled him closer. “Get a grip on yourself, Toby! That was then, this is now.” He almost knocked over his water when he realized he’d doodled Mitchell’s name in the margin of his page, and hurried to obliterate the letters with a few rapidly applied strokes of his ink pen.

  Mitchell came to the end of his summary and opened it up for questions or comments.

  “Would it be possible for us to review the evidence retrieved from the crime scene?” Melba asked. “I’m not sure it’ll have any immediate impact, but I’d like to have a sense of things in my mind. Sometimes, having an actual memory of how things look lodged in the brain triggers something later.”

  Mitchell looked to Edmondson for his opinion.

  “I don’t see any harm. I’ll notify the forensic team that you and Toby are to be given full access. I assume you know the team?”

  “Yes. Very well.”

  “Excellent. Anything else?”

  “Yes. I have a question,” Toby answered. “Can you tell us what kind of person we’re looking for? I mean, I think it would be helpful to have some idea of how they might think and act. I’m not sure what it’s called.”

  “It called profiling, Toby. It’s not an exact science by any means, but over time, it has helped investigators fit the pieces together and narrow their search. It allows us to get into the mind of the criminal and predict and evaluate possible scenarios which are often frightening in their accuracy. This type of case is a little more complicated, but Mitchell and I worked on the profile this morning. I’ll have my team back in Atlanta refine it more, but for now, it’s a start. Keep in mind, a profile of this nature is constructed using common factors and characteristics complied from past crimes, and although I suspect we’ll find similarity here, it’s too early to bet the farm on it. All that being said, let me share what we think the profile of our trafficker looks like right now.”

  “You’re sure it’s a trafficker?” Melba asked.

  “No, but I’d be surprised if it turned out to be anything else. The tattoos on the back of the neck have been seen in other instances. Those working, readable barcodes with associated pricing information make it almost a certainty. These children have either been sold, or are being prepared for sale.

  As horrible as it is to contemplate, the state of the victims’ bodies provided a lot of information. Both were thin to the point of malnourishment. Both showed signs of physical torture or punishment. I tend to give more importance to the punishment aspect at this time, because of the way the latest victim’s mouth was pinned shut, as if to prevent her from talking or making noise. This method is extreme, and tells us the tormentor may have been angered with the victim’s failure to comply with an order. Maybe the victim even argued or attacked the tormenter verbally. The crudely shorn hair, the gray smock and the obvious lack of food tells us the captor has little regard for the children, other than possibly as a source of income. However, these two children, Beth and Lauren, may just be anomalies. Again, I place a lot of weight in that theory. If they were being prepared for sale, their condition is not easily explained, and causes me to believe those two children were considered faulty merchandise.”

  “Do you mean they were killed because they hadn’t conformed to expectations or training?”

  “Yes, Toby. They didn’t follow the rules in place. They may have been given away or even sold at a discount to someone who later killed them and then discarded the bodies. We may be looking for a group, not an individual, and that complicates things. However, every trafficking group I know of has one thing in common. There’s always someone in charge.”

  “Based on what you’ve said, we’re looking for an individual who gets angry easily, doesn’t like to be questioned, has no regard for these children and doesn’t mind torturing them, and is looking to make some big bucks. That doesn’t seem to be a lot to go on.”

  “No, Ms. Reightman, it’s not. But the beauty of scientific profiling is the wealth of data available from mirror crimes. And we also look at known victims’ profiles for additional intel. Let’s start with that. But, before we get into more detail, do you have a whiteboard handy?”

  “Yeah, we have two. You want me to go get one?”

  “That would be great, Toby. Visuals can make a difference in understanding.”

  “I’ll help,” Mitchell offered.

  “Thanks. That’d be great. It might be tricky wheeling it down the hall by myself, and I don’t want to scratch up the paint before the party.”

  Melba stood and stretched, and walked to the refreshment bar Toby had assembled. “You need a refill on your coffee, Agent Edmondson?”

  “Sure, I thought you’d never offer, Melba,” he smiled and held out his cup of her to take.

  “For the record, it’s Ms. Reightman until you’ve earned the right to use my first name,” she said with a perfect, steel-laced southern smile. “As for the coffee, well, this is pretty much a self-service operation.” She filled a mug with hot water from the dispenser and added a tea bag.

  “Got it.” Edmondson acknowledged, sounding slightly chastened as he sidled up beside her. “You’re not a coffee drinker?”

  “Not after I’m awake. After the first two cups in the morning, I switch to tea.”

  “Ah. So you’re a Philistine,” he said with a grin.

  “Not at all. I just have refined taste.”

  “I never understood the attraction to tea myself. I need a strong brew to keep me fueled. Tea always seems watered down.”

  “You haven’t tried one of Zhou Li’s blends. I swear, some of them can grow hair on your chest.”

  “I don’t need any help with that,” he said, leaning back against the counter and raising his mug to his mouth.

  “TMI, Agent. TMI. Try to tone it down a notch.”

  “Sorry. I was just clarifying,
” he said, turning the full force of his proven smile her way.

  Melba plopped a teabag into her mug and shook her head. “It doesn’t work on me, you know.”

  “What doesn’t work?”

  “Your very charming smile. I became immune a long time ago.”

  “Failed marriage?”

  “I have to say, you’re not lacking in audacity. To answer your question, I am divorced, but I have another secret weapon which provides protection against suave secret agents. My bullshit detector is best in class.” She dunked her bag in the water a few times and then extracted it and dropped it in the wastebasket. “For example, I know the friendly, eager to cooperate with the hick civilians routine is, at least, partially an act. I suspect you don’t think much about our capabilities, regardless of what you say.”

  “What makes you think that?”

  “There’s something in your voice that gives it away. I can’t really pinpoint it, but I’ll think it over and let you know. So, why decide to slum with us, Agent?”

  “You have an excellent reputation.”

  “Do I? You might want to recheck your sources. I was a good cop and an excellent detective, but I know I have a reputation for being cranky and difficult. It’s easy to fall into that habit when you’re a woman wearing a badge in the South. I’ve mellowed some since retirement, but still don’t put up with being disrespected or having a load of crap dished out.”

  “Messaged received. So…you think I’m suave?”

  She shook her head slowly, trying to hide her smile. “I hope I never have to rely on your fishing skills for my dinner. You lack subtlety and obviously have a learning disability. You’d scare the fish away.”

  The sound of rolling wheels interrupted their odd tete-a-tete. “I’ll have to work on that then,” Edmondson replied, placing his cup down on the table.