The Mirror Stage (The Imago Trilogy Book 1)

by J. J. Stone

  When a student suddenly cleared his throat, Ada jumped so hard her knees hit the underside of the desk. A line of six students stretched out from her desk, all of them holding their completed exams and looking at Ada like she had grown a few extra heads. She glanced at the time and realized she’d drifted off for almost twenty minutes. Smiling sheepishly, she held out her hand to take their exams.

  One by one, the students deposited their exams and left the classroom. As soon as the door shut behind them, Ada turned away from the remaining students and slipped her phone out of her pocket. She dialed Brenda and lowered her voice as the call went straight to the agent’s voicemail.

  “Brenda, it’s Ada.” Ada considered her words before she continued. “Something about our killer not targeting prostitutes is bothering me. We need to look through everything you have. We’ve got to be missing something. Call me so we can work out the details.”

  _____

  “She does realize she’s the analyst, right?” Dade asked as he and Brenda walked off the elevator and headed down the hallway toward the cluster of FBI hotel rooms. “Not the lead agent.”

  “She just wants to look through everything,” Brenda soothed. They reached the section of hallway outside of James’s room. Brenda glanced at Dade hopefully. “You want to tell him?”

  Dade took a sip of his coffee and ducked into his room, giving Brenda a tiny wave as his door shut.

  Brenda cursed him under her breath and took a large gulp of her latte. At least the team had been able to get a couple hours shut-eye. They were better with some sleep than with none. Maybe James would emerge from his room a more receptive human being.

  Quietly but firmly, Brenda rapped her knuckles against James’s door three times and then stepped away from the door.

  When the door opened only moments later and a completely dressed James looked out at her, Brenda groaned inwardly. He hadn’t slept. “Yes?” he asked curtly.

  Brenda waved her phone. “Ada called, left me an interesting voicemail.”

  James waved her into his hotel room and walked back to the bathroom. Brenda felt uneasy as she walked into his room and shut the door behind her. She stayed as close to the door as possible, clutching her coffee and phone. “I was going to go talk with her,” Brenda called to James, who was still in the bathroom, the door cracked. Her curiosity got the better of her. She leaned forward a little and through the cracked door caught a glimpse of James tossing pills into his mouth.

  She straightened and pretended to check her phone as James shut off the light in the bathroom then stepped back into the room. He grabbed his jacket and badge and walked toward the door. “I’ll come with you,” he said, more a statement than a request.

  Brenda opened the door before James reached it and stepped out into the hallway. It was empty, thank goodness. Last thing she needed were tongues wagging about her leaving James’s room.

  “She wants to go through everything we have. She thinks we’re missing a key detail to the motive,” Brenda explained as she trailed after James to the elevator. Reaching the elevator, James pushed the down button and Brenda caught a glimpse of the tired lines around his eyes and noted the slightly pale tint to his skin. “Get any sleep?” she asked him.

  “I’m fine,” he replied sharply. The elevator arrived and they stepped into it. As Brenda pushed the button for the garage and the elevator began its descent, she watched James lean against the wall and knew he was far from fine.

  _____

  Jamming the exams under her arm, Ada slung her hastily repacked computer bag over her shoulder and bolted from her classroom. Brenda had texted her that she was on her way to meet her. Ada hoped she had enough time to grab another coffee before the agent showed up.

  Ada got to the Casey Building in record time. She reached the “faculty row” hallway and rounded the corner. As she brushed past her fellow professors’ offices, she thought she heard a professor call out to her. She ducked her head and quickened her pace down the hallway.

  “Hello!” Ada heard someone shout, right before she face-planted into James Deacon’s chest.

  Everything in her arms fell to the floor like loud, fluttering snowflakes. Her computer bag landed on her foot, the quizzes went airborne all across the hallway, and her phone slipped from her hand, plummeting toward the lethal hardwood floor. James’s hand closed around the phone just as it passed his knees.

  Ada clutched her throbbing nose and touched her fingertips under her nostrils to check for blood. The last time she had felt this stupid she’d forgotten to put makeup on half her face on final speech day in high school. Satisfied her nose wasn’t broken, she bent down and started picking everything up, hoping her flaming cheeks were hidden. James and Brenda knelt down to help her. When everything had been retrieved, Ada led them into her office and quickly shut the door behind them.

  “I am so sorry. I was trying to get back to my office as quickly as I could—” Ada said.

  “It’s fine,” James said. “We’re all a little out of it right now.” He studied her face, focusing on her nose. “Are you OK? You hit pretty hard.”

  Ada felt the burning flush whisk back to her cheeks, and she charged for her desk. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’ve got a solid head,” she said quickly, wincing immediately. Solid head. Smooth, Brandt.

  “That’s ... good,” James said slowly. He brought his handful of exam papers to Ada’s desk and placed them with the others. He lowered his voice and grinned. “I’m fine, by the way. Thanks for asking.”

  “I figured you’d live,” Ada shot back. She met his eyes and realized he was teasing her. She fought the urge to curse at his snarky expression.

  Brenda placed the final chunk of exams on Ada’s desk. “So, you want to look at everything?” she asked.

  James back away from Ada’s desk and lowered himself into one of the armchairs across from it. Brenda remained standing and crossed her arms, looking expectantly at Ada.

  Ada collected herself and sank down into her desk chair. She leaned forward and clasped her hands together. “Gary Ridgway killed prostitutes all over Washington because he hated them, felt religiously compelled to kill them.”

  The agents remained silent.

  “Our suspect isn’t targeting prostitutes,” Ada continued.

  James held up his hand to pause her. “Our suspect is using the same kill method. He’s dumping the bodies in a similar fashion. Whether he’s targeting prostitutes or not, there are enough similarities to justify the idea that our suspect is at the very least using Ridgway as an inspiration.”

  “The first girl killed was kind of an escort,” Brenda said, “Her friend said she did it to help pay for vet school. No one really knew that, though.”

  Ada bit at the inside of her lip. “I get the feeling our suspect murdered the first victim accidentally. Once he got over the shock of what he did, he realized he liked it. I agree that he identifies with Ridgway. I just don’t think he shares his motive.”

  “Which means we can’t rely entirely on Ridgway’s profile to find this suspect,” Brenda said, her wheels beginning to turn.

  Ada sighed and collapsed back into her chair. “I know you’re going to hate me, but I think we need to start from the beginning. There’s a reason he’s killing like Ridgway but not following his MO.”

  James wiped a hand over his bleak eyes and cleared his throat. “I’ll leave that to you two. As soon as you have something, let me know and we’ll get an updated profile to the local PD.” He stood stiffly from his chair and ran a hand through his closely cropped hair. “I have family and friend interviews to conduct. I’ll send someone to get you when you’re done,” he told Brenda.

  Giving Ada a quick nod, James left the room, tapping away at his phone. As the door shut behind him, Ada clamped her hands over her face. “I look like a total idiot. That had to be the mos
t embarrassing thing I’ve ever done,” she moaned.

  “That’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done?” Brenda snorted. “You need to get out more.”

  Ada ignored her and carefully sifted all the exam papers together then slipped the stack into her computer bag. “So, can we grab some food before we get started?”

  Brenda glanced at her phone. “I’m gonna grab everything we need from the station. I’ll meet you at your place in an hour or so?”

  “It’s a date.” Ada grinned and led the way out of the office.

  _____

  James pulled into a parking space at the front of the Seattle PD building. He put the SUV in park and shut it off but didn’t get out. He stared blankly at the steering wheel while he jiggled the keys still in the ignition. He suddenly felt every one of his thirty-seven years. He had not been this drained by a case in months.

  A chirp from his phone broke his daydream. He unhooked it from the center console and looked at the screen. There was only one message waiting, and as soon as James saw it, he cursed under his breath. The last thing he felt like doing was dialing the phone, but he knew he’d get hell for not replying. Wincing as he did so, James tapped on a number in his recent call list and brought the phone to his ear. Two rings later, a shrill voice blasted into his ear.

  “I have been trying to reach you for three days,” growled Janice Otto, the BAU’s resident analyst.

  James pinched the bridge of his nose and leaned his head against the car window. “I’ve been busy with the case,” he replied. “Why aren’t you resting?”

  “What do you think I’ve been doing the past week? I’m going stir-crazy here, Deacon.”

  James flinched. He hated being called by his last name. And she knew that. “I’m sure, but you need to recover before you can be cleared to get back in the field,” James said.

  “The doctor said I should be fine for light duty in the next few days. I’m healing faster than he thought I would.” She cleared her throat, and James heard her take a few gulps of something. “If you’re still out in Seattle by then, I could fly out and help wrap the case.”

  James heard the hope in her voice and knew he needed to nip this in the bud. The last thing he needed was Janice eating up what little sleep time he could grab. “Actually, we got a temporary analyst from one of the universities around here. She’s been helping us out.”

  “She, huh?” The suspicion in Janice’s voice grated against James’s nerves. “Hope you’re not replacing me.”

  “She’s temporary, Janice. I needed someone to help us out. It would have taken us double the time without an analyst. We’re stretched thin enough as it is.”

  Janice sighed and James could picture her annoyingly adorable pout. “I need to get back in the field. Lying around all day sucks,” she said, and then her tone changed as she purred, “It wouldn’t be so bad if you were here.”

  “Well, hopefully we’ll be leaving Seattle soon. Then I’ll be back,” James promised.

  At that moment, Dade stepped out of the station and waved at James.

  “I’ve got to go. We’re meeting with victim’s families,” James said quickly as he unbuckled and grabbed his suit jacket from the passenger seat.

  “Ok. I just really needed to hear your voice. Maybe you could call me later, when you’ve got some more time,” Janice pleaded.

  “I’ll see what I can do. I haven’t had much downtime.” James put the call on speaker and placed the phone in his lap while he quickly shrugged on his jacket.

  “You need sleep, James. Otherwise you’re a total dick. Even I don’t like you,” Janice laughed.

  “Thanks?” James replied, taking the call off speaker.

  “Just being honest.” Janice paused for a moment. When she spoke again, her voice sounded small, almost weakened. “I can’t sleep well without you. I’ve gotten so used to someone else there with me. It’s crazy.”

  When there was another pause, James knew Janice was waiting for him to stop being her boss and step into his role as … what? Boyfriend? Lover? Neither of those titles were something he had agreed to.

  Dade reappeared outside the station and held both hands out in confusion. James held up a finger. “I really need to go. I’ll try to call you later. Get some rest.” He ended the call before a more amorous farewell was needed.

  As James exited the SUV, he realized what had started out as a no-strings-attached deal had somehow morphed into something more for Janice. At the beginning of all this, they had both agreed that it was purely physical, no expectations, nothing official. Janice had seemed fine with it six months ago, but now ... now it seemed like another conversation might be in order.

  Dade held the door open as James entered the police station. “Everything all right?” Dade asked as he led James to the interview rooms.

  “Yeah, just a DC matter.” James quickly changed the subject. “So, how many families are here?”

  “All of them. Lana Rames didn’t have any family nearby that we could find, so we brought in a couple of her friends and coworkers.”

  James nodded. He pushed through the last set of double doors and was faced with a hallway full of people who all looked like they’d been to hell and back. James steeled himself, and wove through the crowd, offering a small smile to anyone who looked up at him. Victim family interviews were one of the hardest parts of his job. James still dreaded it and had a feeling he always would.

  _____

  As he turned into the shopping center parking lot, John surveyed the parked cars. His cousin had said to look for a white van. Like the idiot that she was, she hadn’t given him a model to look for. He had counted five white vans in as many seconds. As he backed into a parking spot near the outskirts of the grocery store portion of the parking lot, a dilapidated white minivan cruised into the parking lot and pulled into a spot near the front of the grocery. John recognized the mane of red hair cloaking the driver.

  John unbuckled and placed a hand against Jane’s face. She stirred slightly against the car door but didn’t wake completely. “Come on, sweetheart. Mina’s waiting.” John moved his hand to her scrawny shoulder and gave it a gentle shake.

  Jane let out a groggy groan and pushed herself upright. She scrubbed at her puffy eyes and squinted out the windshield. “I don’t see her.”

  “She’s right up front. Come on, let’s go meet her.” John opened his door and waited for Jane to open hers. When she didn’t move, he squatted back into view and gave her a small smile. “I don’t like this any more than you do, Janey. But I can’t keep leaving you in hotel rooms when I’m working.”

  “I don’t mind it, Dad. I promise.”

  John heard someone call out and turned to see Mina waving wildly at him from her car. He raised a hand in acknowledgment and fought the urge to get back in the car and drive away with his daughter. She’s in the way, the commanding voice in his head hissed. You won’t be able to finish if you have to worry about her.

  “I’m not telling you again, Jane.” John slammed his door shut and strode to the trunk. He grabbed Jane’s backpack and slammed the trunk lid. Jane slid out of the car and kicked the door shut, glaring at John the entire time.

  John stepped toward her and held out his hand. Jane spun on her heel and marched away from the car. “Walk down to that woman waving at us,” John said as he trailed after his fuming daughter.

  Mina Klinton held out her arms to Jane as they approached. Jane tentatively accepted her embrace. “I can’t believe how much you’ve grown!” Mina exclaimed as she held Jane at arm’s length.

  “You haven’t seen her since she was in diapers,” John said as he handed over Jane’s backpack to his cousin.

  “True.” Mina opened the sliding passenger door and placed the backpack on the floor. She motioned to a seat. “You ready, Jane?”

&
nbsp; Her eyes glistening, Jane plastered herself against John’s chest. He felt his shirt dampen as Jane’s small being racked with sobs. “I don’t want to go!”

  John knelt down and pulled Jane away from him. “I have a job to do, Jane. Mina will take care of you until I’m done.”

  “I promise I’ll be good, Dad. I’ll go to sleep when you tell me. I’ll stay in the room, I won’t go outside again.” Jane’s pleas grew more frantic and high-pitched as she went on.

  John clasped her face in his hands and forced her to look him in the eye. “I’m not discussing this. Go with Mina and behave.” He pulled her forehead to his lips and placed a lingering kiss there. He then stood and guided Jane into the van. As she buckled in, tears staining her cheeks, he gave her one last kiss on the cheek. “I love you, sweetheart,” he said as he slid the door shut.

  “How long will you be?” Mina asked as John started back to his car.

  “I’ll give you a call,” John called without turning back. He got into his car and just sat still for a moment. Without the baggage of worrying over Jane, he suddenly felt a million times clearer. He pulled the folded printout of directions from behind his sun visor and glanced over them. Satisfied with his new destination, he turned the key and waited for the old engine to roar to life. He slammed the car down into drive and left the parking lot, a new man with a new goal.

  _____

  “So what made you go with a Great Dane? Don’t they drool everywhere and eat couches?”

  Ada shot Brenda an evil look from across the room. “My uncle had one when I was growing up, and I fell in love with the breed. They’re really the best dogs, and I’m not just saying that because I have one.”