by Anne Patrick
The phone rang and she jumped up and ran from the room. Returning momentarily, she handed him the cordless phone, her excitement diminished. "It's Jo."
"Hi, babe."
"Is Bailey okay? She sounded upset."
"I think she was a little disappointed it wasn't her boyfriend."
Bailey handed him her paintbrush. "I'm going to bed."
"Night, sweetheart."
"So who's the new boyfriend?" Jo asked, her voice heavy with amusement.
"Tommy Jackson, he's a senior. His dad is in sales and his mother is a secretary. They live out north of town."
"What'd you do, run a background check on the poor kid?"
"I'm glad you find this so amusing. You know he wants to drive her to the prom?"
"What's so unusual about that?"
"This is her first date, Jo."
"She'll be fine, honey."
"Yeah, well, I don't like it."
"I know you don't, but I'm sure he's a very nice young man or she wouldn't have accepted his invitation."
"You're probably right, but I'm still going to check him out."
Jo laughed.
"So how are you doing? Any new leads?"
"Maybe. I found this calendar in Briggs' apartment today…"
"You found Briggs?"
"No, just an apartment he'd been staying in. Anyway this calendar has Bible verses on each day of the month, and I need help interpreting their meaning."
"Read me the verse."
"Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law, Romans 3:28. What do you think?"
"Basically, it's saying you are justified by your faith in Jesus and his saving grace, not by your good works."
"Okay, that's what I thought, but do you think a warped mind like Briggs could interpret it as he only has God to answer to, that law enforcement can't touch him."
"Let me guess, that's a verse from when one of the girls was abducted?"
"Yeah, you think maybe he's trying to tell us something?"
"That he doesn’t know his Bible. What's Isaac think?"
"He doesn't know the Bible either."
Austin smiled. At least Jo was trying to reconnect with God. He knew she still had many questions, especially in her line of work and all the evil she saw. She trusted Jesus as her savior and that was the main thing. "What's the next verse?"
"Matthew 11:28, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
"And your interpretation?"
"Not mine, Briggs. He thinks he's saving them from their earthly problems, promising them everlasting peace."
His gut knotted. "Before, in Maine, did he try and communicate with you?"
"No. I didn't even realize it was him until the day we found the bodies. I only knew it couldn't be Williams."
"I think he left that calendar for a purpose, Jo."
"I think so too. I just haven't figured out why…unless…"
The panic in her voice caused his heart to race. "What? What's wrong, Jo?" Several seconds passed, he could hear her breathing, but other than that there was complete silence. "Jo, are you still there. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm here. I'm okay."
"What happened?"
"Nothing, I just thought of something is all."
Her voice was still strained. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine. I've gotta go. I'll call you tomorrow."
*****
Jo stared at the note scribbled on the calendar, her heart still pounding in her chest. Glad to see you're part of the manhunt, Agent McDaniels. I'm honored. Lowering her hand to her stomach, the baby continued to stir, as if sensing her fear. Ever since Isaac had showed her the newspaper clippings, she'd had an uneasy feeling, as if they'd been sent as some sort of bait.
She glanced at the radio alarm clock sitting on the table between the two beds; it was almost eleven. Figuring her roommate would be rolling in any minute, she stripped out of her nightgown and into her sweats.
It took a half dozen knocks to get Isaac to come to the door and when he did, he didn't look too thrilled at seeing her.
"Sorry I woke you," she said, offering her best smile. "We need to talk."
"Come on in, I'll grab the lights."
As he walked off, Jo caught a glimpse of his boxer shorts and immediately chuckled. "Hearts. Really?" she teased.
"Shut up and close the door."
She waited until he'd turned the lights on before she crossed the room to the table and chairs positioned in the corner.
He took the seat across from her. "So what's so important you had to wake me in the middle of the night?"
"It's not the middle of the night, it's not even midnight."
He scowled at her.
"Okay. There's something else here that doesn't fit."
"What's that?"
"The newspaper clippings. None of the parents have mentioned them. So who sent them?"
"Maybe one of his sisters. Boone said the one you spoke with, suggested his involvement."
"How would they have gotten the clipping about me though? I doubt there are too many people in the State of Minnesota, much less Louke, that subscribe to the Washington Post. However, according to Agent Ryan, Briggs was in the DC area."
"You think it was him, that he's trying to make contact with you personally?"
"I don't think…I know." She handed him the calendar turned to the message he'd written. She then stood and walked to the compact refrigerator and searched its contents. "You don't have anything to eat?"
"There are some peanuts in the nightstand."
After grabbing a bottle of water, she went to the nightstand and took out one of two bags of peanuts, and then sat back down at the table.
"Why you? I mean we both worked the Maine case."
"I don't know, but I think he sent those clippings as a challenge. Is there any way he could have learned about my nervous breakdown?"
"No. All personal records are classified."
"But there were rumors."
He nodded. "It's beginning to make more sense. He knows you're the best; you'll be a challenge, so he brought you here. He already knows your secrets so in order for it to be a fair game, he directed us here so you could learn his secrets."
"Do you think he knows about my abilities?"
"I don't know, you tell me. Just how much did you tell this reporter with the Post?"
"I didn't tell him anything, not about that anyway. We mostly discussed past cases and interviews I'd done with different serial killers."
"Since when do you give interviews anyway? You know it's against policy."
"I know, and I was reprimanded because of it, but the guy tracked me to Oregon. Had I not conceded to the stupid thing he probably would have followed Austin and me on our honeymoon."
"Okay, say you're right, why is he still hanging around?"
"Maybe he's waiting for me to find the bodies. If he does know about my breakdown, maybe he's hoping to finish the job."
"This isn't good, Jo. If he knows as much about you as I fear he does, it could get very dangerous for you."
She ripped open the bag of peanuts with her teeth and shook out several into her mouth. Then putting on her bravest front, she smiled. "It wouldn't be the first time I've had a deranged killer stalking me."
"Yeah, but you weren't seven months pregnant before."
"Nor did I have a taskforce of very brave and capable agents to help protect me."
He smiled, seemingly in surrender. "So have you been able to make out anything from those Bible verses?"
"As a matter of fact I have," she said with a grin. "In the first verse, he only has God to answer to; the law can't touch him. In the second, he's saving them from their earthly problems, promising them everlasting peace. In the third, the Lord understands his actions and will have mercy on him. In the last one, he's going to take what he wants and no one can stop him."
"What's
he up to, since when did he get religious?"
"Briggs hasn't found God. He's just planning for the future."
"Okay, you lost me."
"Don't you see, Isaac, this is all part of his plan. He knows sooner or later we'll capture him and we'll have to testify at his trial."
"Briggs is laying ground for an insanity plea."
"Yep, being an ex-cop, he knows he'll never survive prison."
"That cunning little..."
"Well, now that I've got you all riled up, I'm going to bed." Jo finished off the peanuts and bottled water then stood.
"Thanks a lot."
"Don't mention it."
"Hey, Jo," he called out. She turned back to face him as she opened the door. "Good work."
"Thanks. See you in the morning."
Jo stepped outside and the cool brisk air sparked a renewed energy, her mind racing with thoughts of the case and the progress they were making. Knowing she was too hyped to sleep, she took a walk around the parking lot, her thoughts drifting back three years to the last time she had encountered Harland Briggs.
Two days before their encounter, she'd gotten word from home of her father's death, and had planned to fly out that afternoon for the funeral. But the chief of police had called and said they were bringing Jerald Williams in for questioning. Having interviewed him personally, she knew he wasn't their man and had gone to the boarding house to try to explain what was going on and to try to get him to cooperate. When she arrived, she found Williams in the basement trying to free a little girl who had been abducted the day before. That little girl's face sparked the rage in her that subsequently pushed her past the threshold of sanity. That same face continued to haunt her today - desperate, yet vacant eyes that seemed to beg Jo to let her die.
She saw a similar vacant look in the eyes of Harland Briggs only a few hours later after they had stood side-by-side and watched members of the medical examiner's office bring up the bodies of twelve little girls.
She saw the same look on a young boy in a photo album just a few days ago. A look she was all too familiar with, having already gotten a glimpse of the hell they'd endured.
Looking to the heavens, Jo silently prayed for the strength to end this madman's carnage.
"Does that help?"
Jo turned and saw Lindsey standing only a few feet from her. She smiled. "It can't hurt."
"No, I guess not." She then handed her a cellphone, which she quickly recognized as her own. "Your husband's called twice. You should probably call him back, he sounded pretty freaked out. He said you more or less hung up on him and he was afraid something had happened to you."
"Thank you."
She waited until Lindsey had walked back to their room before placing the call.
Austin answered on the first ring. "Jo?"
"Sorry, I didn't realize I hung up on you."
"Where have you been? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I'd walked down to Isaac's room. We were discussing the case."
"Jo, I get the feeling there is something wrong. Are you sure you’re all right?"
She gave a heavy sigh. "I'm just tired, and I've got a lot on my mind. I'm fine, though, really." She hated not being totally honest with her husband, but knew he would have a fit if she told him the truth and would no doubt insist she come home.
"Okay, I'll let you go then. I love you, Jo."
"I love you, too." As she hung up, the baby began to move. "Your daddy tends to be a little overprotective sometimes, but he's a great guy. You're going to love him."
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Jo followed Lindsey into the police station, waving at the young officer manning the radios.
"Morning ladies," he called out after them as they made their way down the hall to the command center.
Over two weeks had passed since their arrival, and they still hadn't captured Briggs. Hundreds of tips had been called into the hotline, but none of them had panned out. The only good news was no more girls had gone missing.
"I'm going to go grab a soda, you want one?"
"I'll take a bottle of water. Thanks." Opening the door, she saw Isaac on the phone and hesitated, debating whether to wait or go on in.
"You could at least show a little compassion here, Joyce. I'm doing the best I can. You know this separation wasn't my idea."
Jo turned to leave, but it was too late, he'd already spotted her. With a sympathetic smile, she shut the door and took a seat at the table.
"I can't talk right now. I'll call you later…I'm hanging up now, Joyce. Goodbye."
"Is everything okay?" Jo asked after he'd hung up.
He gave a heavy sigh and sat down across from her.
"You want to talk about it?"
"There's nothing really to talk about." He leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up on the table. "I don't know what to do, Jo. Seems all we do is fight."
"Do you still love her?"
"She's the mother of my children."
"Yes, but do you still love her?"
He met her gaze. "To be honest, I don't know anymore."
Jo was silent at his words. What could she say? She barely knew his wife, had only met her a few times. They had been married over twenty years though. That in itself seemed worth fighting for.
"I'm pretty new at this so I'm not really one to offer any advice, but if you're willing to give up your career, she must mean more to you than you realize."
Lindsey came into the room. "Where is everyone?" She handed Jo her water.
"They're retracing what little leads we have in the hopes we've missed something along the way. I want you two to go back and visit with some of the friends. I can't help but think he's moved on."
"Briggs hasn't gone anywhere. He's still in the area, I can feel it."
"Well, you're going to have to come up with something more solid than a hunch to keep us here. The director is already threatening to pull us out. Seems the chief has been whining to the State’s Attorney General's office about our lack of progress."
"How much time are we talking, before they pull the plug on us?" Jo asked.
"Another week maybe."
She turned to her partner. "We’d better get busy then."
"What about his sisters, has anyone talked to them lately to see if he's been in contact with them?" Lindsey asked.
Isaac shook his head. "It wouldn't hurt to check back with them. You two could take one and I'll take the other."
"I could use some fresh country air," Jo said. "And since I've already spoken to her once, we'll take Lynnette Carlson."
"Okay, I'll meet you back here in a couple of hours."
*****
As they left the command center, Jo noticed several officers gathered around the dispatcher. Fearing another abduction, she asked one of the men what was going on.
"We can't raise one of our officers. He isn't answering his radio."
"He's probably just on a break and forgot to call it in," one of the other officers commented.
"What was his last location?" Jo asked.
"Northern part of the county."
"We're heading that direction. We'll keep an eye out for him."
"You see him; tell him to get back here ASAP."
"Will do," Lindsey replied.
Climbing in on the passenger side, Jo turned to Lindsey. "You know, I was thinking, the perfect place for me to pick up on this guy would be the place he grew up, which just happens to be in the same area of the county where his sister lives. What do you say?"
"That's up to you. If you want to subject yourself to that kind of anguish, I can't stop you. I don't think it's a very good idea though, and I doubt Isaac would think so either."
"We're just going to have a look around, no harm in that."
"You sure you know where the place is?"
"The address is here in the file, and I have a map. How hard can it be?"
*****
"I think we're lost, Jo," Lindsey commented.
Jo glanced up from the county map; she couldn't make head or tail of it. "We're not lost." She looked around at their surroundings. They were in the middle of nowhere and none of the roads were marked.
"We haven't passed a house in half an hour. Face it, we're lost."
It was another ten minutes before they came to an intersection marked, 1700 Road. Jo looked at the map again to try to pinpoint their location.
"Didn't Isaac say the only thing left of the place was an old abandoned barn?"
"Yeah."
"Well, we've got one coming up on the right."
Jo looked out her window and saw an old corroded two-story barn standing isolated in an open field.
"You think that's it?" Lindsey asked.
"I don't know. Why don't you pull over there near the entrance?"
Lindsey did as she instructed and Jo got out of the car. Looking back toward the barn, she noticed tracks in the knee-high grass leading up to the abandoned building. They appeared to be fresh. She stepped across the narrow ditch, just down from the entrance and walked to the tree line. Peering through an opening in the brush, she could see the barn door ajar.
Jo decided to have a closer look. She hadn't gotten very far when she realized Lindsey was no longer with her. She turned and found her leaning against the back of the car, her arms crossed. "Aren't you coming?"
"I'm not ruining a good pair of pantyhose just to see what the inside of an abandoned barn looks like."
"And you call yourself an FBI Agent," Jo teased.
"Just hurry up, okay."
Jo continued to make her way through the weeds. She'd barely gone a few feet when she froze in her steps. The door in full view now, she spotted what looked like a dark blue car through the narrow opening. "You better call for back up."
"What's wrong, Jo? What do you see?"
"I think it's the Camaro." Jo walked back to the car.
While Lindsey called Isaac on her cellphone, Jo took out her 9mm and checked her load.
A few seconds later, Lindsey joined her at the back of the car. "You surely aren't thinking of going in there without backup?"
"It's going to take them at least twenty minutes to get here," Jo pointed out. "If he was in there, he would have seen us by now and made a run for it."
