by Robin Mahle
As she pulled the door open and stood to the side, Nick turned to face her.
He held her gaze. “She’s doing well and, yes, she’s been away all this week. I’m hoping to see her next week, though.” He paused again. “You’re sure you’re okay with this? Be honest with me.”
A smile appeared on her face. He didn’t yet know her well enough to appreciate that she had become an expert in false assurances. “Yes. I’m okay.”
“Good. Presentation’s on Monday morning at ten o’clock. Why don’t you meet me in the lecture hall around eight and we’ll go over everything. I’ll email you the files tomorrow, just so we’re on the same page.”
A light breeze drifted through the opened door and Kate suddenly became very aware that she was dressed in only a sweatshirt and no pants. Redness settled in her cheeks as she discovered she’d been without pants the entire time. Oh my God. She closed her eyes.
“Did you just realize you aren’t wearing any pants?” Nick said as he cast his eyes down at her slender legs, which appeared like toothpicks jutting from a giant gray Popsicle.
“Uh, yeah. I guess I’m more tired than I thought.”
Nick leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “Good night, Kate. Get some rest.”
“Good night.” She closed the door and shook her head all the way back to the couch. “Good grief.” Whatever wine had remained in her glass was now gone and she returned it to the kitchen.
Kate walked back to the side table lamp and leaned over to pull its chain. Beneath the lamp was a photo of Marshall and her at her parents’ home in Rio Dell. Kate did as always and raised the frame to her lips and, on the image of Marshall, kissed him goodnight.
Exhaustion weighed heavily on her body and she shuffled along on the dark wood floor down the hall. Upon entering her bedroom this time, she’d noticed the window was open, which was unusual because she swore she’d closed it before leaving for work today and hadn’t even noticed it when she got changed earlier. Appalled by her own negligence, she walked towards the large window. In the light of day, it offered a beautiful view of the huge hickory trees in her backyard just beyond the lush bluegrass lawn that was a bitch to mow, but looked stunning when it was freshly cut.
When she’d arrived a few months ago, the weather was only beginning to warm and she took to planting flowers in a bed that’d she’d constructed adjacent to the small covered deck out back. She’d gotten the landlady’s permission, of course. Mrs. Mitchell was a very kind woman and whenever Kate needed anything done around the house, she’d get her son to stop by and fix it immediately. So, Kate wanted to repay her by planting the beautiful flowers.
And as she stood at the opened window, the scent of those same flowers drifted in with the breeze. It was the lilacs she could smell right now. Their blooms would fall soon enough, so she inhaled the fragrance as deeply as she could before finally closing the window.
As she engaged the lock, her eyes were drawn to the far end of the yard, near one of the trees. She blinked and looked again, waiting. It was a flash of something—a glimmer. Her eyes struggled to focus on the shadowed tree, but whatever it was had vanished.
Kate crawled under the covers and turned off the light on the nightstand. Unable to close her eyes just yet, she stared off into the darkened room. The sounds the house made, a refrigerator that constantly dropped ice, the toilet in the main bathroom that ran – something she’d forgotten to tell Mrs. Mitchell about – and an attic that seemed to creak and shift along with the settling soils. These were all sounds to which she was only beginning to adjust. This life she’d come to know was so far removed from all that she’d known in San Diego.
The beach and the smell of the sea air—Kate missed it all so much. But slowly, she was getting used to the new place, the new town, and the new job. She had refused to spend the money she’d made off the sale of Marshall’s apartment, and so this place was a bit of a stretch, considering she was only an FBI trainee. But that money wasn’t hers, even though he’d left it to her, and she didn’t feel right spending it. It would make his parting too real, too final. She’d watched his casket sink into the ground that day, but admitting he was gone was something she rarely did.
Instead, to make ends meet, she passed on her morning coffee at the local coffee shop, opted to take lunch on most days, when she didn’t have operations training, and refused to upgrade her car, although she suspected it was sorely needed.
Her thoughts were beginning to slow and she closed her eyes and began drifting off. As she succumbed to the weight of sleep, a final thought pierced her mind and it would instead haunt her dreams.
My little Katie.
TWO
The apartment Madlena Jankovic shared with her father and younger sister was far from appealing, but was still nicer than the place they called home back in Serbia. The family had entered the country through means that were considered against the law, but it was easier to get in than most people would think. The Jankovic family hadn’t wanted to be illegal immigrants in America; they wanted jobs—good jobs. War and a crippling economy made living in that part of the world much worse than what they now faced as illegals.
Her father had been a plumber at home and now had gone from place to place, working for cash, and it was okay, but it didn’t allow for many luxuries for the family. Her sister attended high school, and Madlena had only recently begun to find other means of earning an income. She tried being a nanny, but without references, no one would hire her. Working in a laundromat for a while wasn’t bad, but it had closed down. Now Madlena was faced with few options. The money her father earned wasn’t enough to make ends meet.
With little in the way of education, not having finished the American equivalent of high school, Madlena decided, just for the interim, to perhaps look at a less desirable alternative. One that would pay for a great many things and would ease the burden placed on her father.
She was pretty—very pretty by most anyone’s standards. Slender figure, ample breasts, and a well-rounded backside. Her full lips and pale skin were breathtaking against the backdrop of her black hair. It would be easy money, she thought.
Some of the friends she’d made since coming to America last year had done it, so why couldn’t she? They’d managed to get nice apartments and drove decent cars. Right now, Madlena had neither of those things. So maybe she would try it. Just to see what it was like.
That was a month ago and, today, Madlena, although she’d since been “taken under the wing” of a not-so-nice man, owned a full block in one of the seedier sides of town. Sharing her profits wasn’t all bad, and she still took home a fair sum of money. And while her father questioned it at first, she made up some story, and when the money started coming in, well, he soon forgot about whatever it was she was doing to earn it.
Her sister was wearing nicer clothes to school and they could actually afford to go out to eat once in a while. Madlena couldn’t look herself in the mirror sometimes, but what did that matter? She was helping her family.
It was a Saturday night and those were always her busiest nights, so she packed her small shoulder bag with clothing and shoes and headed out for the evening. “I’m going out with my friends, Tata. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Her father sat in his reclining chair and waved goodbye without his eyes leaving the television. “Goodnight, my sweet.”
Madlena didn’t let her family see her dressed for work, not ever. So she carried her bag and walked in tennis shoes to the end of the block where the not-so-nice man would pick her up and take her back to his place to change.
“You’d better get going. It’s getting late,” the man said from the comfort of his living room sofa.
Madlena walked out in her red stilettos and much-too-short, form-fitted dress that left little to the imagination. “Okay, I’m leaving now. I’ll text you where to come pick me up at the end of my shift.” She closed the door behind her and got to work.
The air was muggy and Madlena curse
d the humidity as it wreaked havoc on her hair. She reached her small section of this neglected part of town and put a smile on her face at every male passerby, many of whom looked as though they couldn’t afford her anyway. But some of her services catered to such clientele if they were willing to walk around the corner and into the alleyway. She’d only charge ten bucks for a quick blowjob. She wondered if this was the American dream as she wrapped her lips around whoever handed her a Hamilton.
The streets were busy and traffic seemed heavier than normal. Maybe it was due to summer? People getting out more. Whatever it was, Madlena hoped it would bring more money. And it looked as though she’d spotted her next possible clients.
Two men inside a Lincoln Navigator looked very promising indeed. Madlena licked her lips and rubbed them together to freshen up the shine as she strutted towards the SUV that had pulled alongside the curb. The passenger window rolled down and a man, perhaps in his mid to late forties, leered as she approached.
Leaning in to give them full view of her young and perky cleavage, she asked, “You want to party?” Her thick accent could be difficult to understand, but it appeared these men knew exactly what she’d said.
“How much?” the passenger asked.
Madlena looked at both of the men. The other was plump with a receding hairline, not particularly attractive. “For both? One hundred.”
“For the night?” he asked again.
She narrowed her brow and shook her head. “For an hour.”
He turned to his partner, who gave a nod. “Get in.”
Madlena stepped inside the SUV and closed the door. “There’s a hotel around the corner that is friendly to our sort of arrangements.” She clicked on her seatbelt.
“Oh, we won’t be going to any hotel.” The passenger pulled out a gun and pointed it directly at her eyes.
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Not a seat was available in the lecture hall where Agent Nick Scarborough stood on a small stage behind the podium. A large screen came to life behind him with the words “Profile of a Killer” in yellow bold letters on a black background, a transparent image of the FBI emblem just visible beneath.
Kate remained out of view to the left of the stage. She’d asked for a moment to herself before the presentation was to begin. Nick spotted her and made his way over.
“Hey.” He smiled. “You all right? You ready to go?”
She hadn’t mentioned anything to Nick about what had happened the other night after he left her house; the words that haunted her mind. They’d gone over the slides and gone over the presentation in great detail this morning so that she would not be caught off guard. And, in fact, she’d spent most of Sunday preparing for this, testing her strength.
If he noted anything unusual in her demeanor, he’d insist she wasn’t ready and she didn’t want him to be right. Kate was ready and she had to face this head on. It was an opportunity to help ensure she would achieve her goals and that could not be squandered because of unpleasant memories. She would not let Hendrickson take this from her.
“I’m good. Where do you want me?” she asked, casting a wandering eye towards the stage. It was better to avoid his stare just now.
“At the table next to the podium. That is, if you don’t mind?”
“Sure,” she replied.
“And you can handle a question or two, should they come up?”
“Yes. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”
“Okay, then, come on and follow me.” Nick placed his arm around Kate’s shoulder and led her to the table. “You can put your things under here.” He pointed to the small storage area beneath the podium.
“Sounds good. Do you need me to run the slideshow?”
“Nope.” Nick pointed to an area with what appeared to be lighting equipment at the back of the hall just above the seating. “They’ve got me covered. You’ll do great and, Kate, I know this won’t be easy, so if it gets to be too much, just nod your head and I’ll work in a break.”
“Okay, thank you.” Kate looked out onto the students who were getting settled in for the presentation. She spotted her partner, Will, in the front row. He gave her a nod and she returned a smile.
“Thank you all for coming to this special presentation we’ve put together. I know many of you are interested in becoming a part of the BAU and this case will be featured among the categories that you’ll be learning a lot about. Profiling and the behavioral sciences are our specialties. Now, as most of you know, there are four units inside the BAU. They, of course, include violent crimes against adults and children, in addition to counterterrorism and white-collar crimes, among other interests. Today, I’ll be presenting a case that is a crossover of sorts.
“I worked on this particular investigation and, during that time, I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Kate Reid.” Nick extended his hand to introduce Kate. “She became an integral part of the investigation and, as you may or may not know, she was also a victim of the now-deceased perpetrator, Joseph Hendrickson.” He paused for a moment to examine Kate’s reaction. A reassuring nod from her, and Nick continued, “Ms. Reid, who, as a result of her involvement in another investigation several months ago, decided that she’d found her passion and wanted to train to be a Special Agent, just as you all are. And she’s agreed to put her first-hand knowledge of the Hendrickson investigation to use in an effort to help us all learn from her.” Nick turned to Kate once again. “Ms. Reid, you can’t know how much we appreciate you being here today. And allowing us to pick your brain so that we might learn from you is perhaps the most generous gift you could offer. Thank you for joining us.” Nick began to applaud and prompted the same from the audience.
The image on the screen behind Nick changed and was now a picture of Hendrickson. He was dead on the floor of the cellar where he’d held a knife at Kate’s throat while Marshall and Nick initiated a firestorm that brought him to the ground. Kate had been prepared. Nick sent her all the photos he’d planned to use as well as the case files – everything from the original investigation when she was a child, to the discovery that the Chief had been keeping Hendrickson safe for all those years.
It had been a long time since she’d recalled all of it. During one point in the presentation, they showed a picture of Sam’s car and the forensics they’d used to analyze it. If she’d had the distance and the perspective, she would’ve understood the need for this learning tool, but the memory was still too close and too real. And it was hard as hell for Kate to get through.
“And so as we begin to understand the inner workings into the mind of a serial killer, we can find patterns. We can discover the killer’s habits, modes, and methods. It is through these techniques that we form a profile of the unknown subject. And in this particular case, it was the help of Ms. Reid, her insistence on, at times, disregarding her own safety, that we were able to track down this man. However, I would not recommend that any of you disregard your own safety as the formidable Kate Reid did.”
A few chuckles spread among the audience. Even Kate smiled.
“Instead, learn to employ these techniques, utilize every tool you have at your disposal, and hopefully, you will have a successful outcome.”
Applause quickly erupted.
“They’re applauding for you,” Nick said as he looked at Kate.
She stood up, her legs feeling weak both from having sat down for too long and from nerves. The students applauded even louder and someone in the group whistled. Kate searched for the one from whom the noise erupted and found it was Will. A fractured smile emerged momentarily in acknowledgement, then quickly faded.
The students settled down and began collecting their belongings. The presentation was over and she’d made it through.
Will approached the stage where Kate remained standing. “You did great.” He nudged her arm with his elbow. “I’ll catch up with you later?”
“Sure. And thanks.”
Nick shut off the overhead screen. “I’m so proud of you. Marshall would have be
en proud too.”
“You did all the work. I just sat here, really.”
“No. You did more than that, so don’t pretend you didn’t.”
A woman began to approach from the far side of the room.
“Hey. What’re you doing here? I thought you weren’t coming in until tomorrow?” Nick said.
Special Agent Georgia Myers stepped onto the stage. “I took an earlier flight. I wanted to catch your presentation. It was fantastic. Kate. You did an awesome job.”
“Thank you, Agent Myers. I’m glad you were here, but you know, I’m sure we could’ve used your expertise.”
“You’re damn right. You should’ve said you were coming,” Nick replied.
“Oh stop. I would’ve come in early either way. I just like watching you in action.”
Kate suddenly began to feel like a third wheel with these two who hadn’t seen each other in more than a week. “Listen, I’d better get going. I’ve got a lot of studying to do tonight. Thanks for everything, Nick. I appreciate the opportunity.”
“Thank you, Kate. Have a good evening and we’ll talk soon.” Nick watched her leave, then turned to Georgia. “You hungry? Want to grab some dinner? I’m starving.”
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A place called the Globe and Laurel operated in Stafford, VA, just a few miles south from the National Museum of the Marine Corp. and very near the base. The owner, a retired Marine, had operated the restaurant since 1969, although it had been relocated a few times. It was Nick’s favorite place, even if he never had much time to visit it. Now that Georgia was here, he wanted to make time.
“Just a Sam Adams for me,” Nick said to the waiter. “What do you want, babe?”
“I’ll have the house white, thanks.”
“I’ll be right back with your drinks.” The waiter smiled.
Nick watched the man walk away and then turned to Georgia. “So, how’d you think Kate did today?”
