by Anne Patrick
He had just closed his eyes when his cellphone rang. "I thought you said you were going to call me back."
He rolled his eyes at the sound of his wife's voice. "I've been a little busy here, Joyce. I don't have time to stop and call you every five minutes, besides it's after two in the morning."
"You've no intention of coming home, do you?"
"I told you, Joyce. I can't walk away from this one."
"It's because of her. You can't walk away because you feel obligated to her."
"Jo's got nothing to do with the reasons I took this case."
"Don't lie to me, Isaac. I remember what you were like when she was in that hospital. I know how you feel about her. I'm not stupid."
"Don't be ridiculous. I've told you before…"
"I thought things would change once she transferred, but they haven't. You're as obsessed with her now as you were three years ago."
Jo wasn't the one he was obsessed with. Harland Briggs was now his life's mission. "Jo is just a friend. Nothing has ever happened between us and nothing ever will."
"I can't wait around to find out if that's true."
"What are you saying, Joyce?"
"I'm saying I meant what I said. If you don't walk away from this case…from her, I'm filing for a divorce."
"Don't do this to me, Joyce."
"Look, Isaac, I've seen what these cases do to you, especially this one, and it's just too hard to watch."
"I'm only fulfilling a supervisory role here. Jo is the profiler on the case. It was her profile…"
"I don't care, Isaac. You either walk away from it now or that's it, we're through."
"Fine, Joyce. You want a divorce, you've got it. I can't put up with all this fighting any longer."
Isaac stared at the cell phone in his hand, tempted to throw it in the pool. Her ultimatum had evoked an anger he hadn't felt for quite some time. Her ridiculous obsession with the idea that he'd had an affair with Jo was more than he could handle at this point. No matter how many times he told her they were merely friends and he had always been faithful to her, she never believed him.
When he was younger, her jealousy flattered him, but when she began to hurl accusations around about Jo, he'd drawn the line. He doubted there were many men who knew Jo who weren't attracted to her beauty and brilliance, but he never thought of her in that way. As Jo's superior throughout most of her career, he'd always treated her more like a partner, perhaps depending on her more than he should have at times. He'd known from the moment he met her she had an extraordinary mind, one that would have catapulted her through the ranks had it not been for her nervous breakdown and her obvious disrespect for figures of authority.
The bond between partners was something he'd never been able to explain to Joyce. The unyielding trust of knowing that person had your back no matter what was often stronger than that of the best of marriages. In the eleven years he'd known Jo, he had hoped she and his wife would become good friends, but Joyce wanted no part of it.
He thought back to the question Jo asked earlier in the day, if he still loved Joyce. At one time, he would have moved heaven and earth for the woman, but through the years, they had grown apart. He had focused more on his career, and she on raising the children. She'd done a wonderful job with the kids, practically raising them single-handedly while he was in the field the majority of the time. Now, with a daughter in medical school and a son about to graduate high school, he suspected she suffered from empty nest syndrome. He had suggested she go back to college or try working outside the home, but she hadn't shown any desire for either, and almost went through the roof when he suggested it. Whatever her problem, he was at his wit’s end trying to please her and didn't see much point in driving himself mad trying to figure her out.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
"Isaac, wake up."
"Joyce?"
"Sorry, it's only me."
Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he saw Jo hovering over him. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong. Austin and I were on our way over to the restaurant for breakfast, and I saw the buzzards swarming overhead and thought I'd better come and check it out."
He smiled at her humor; he never had gotten used to her cheerful morning temperament. It used to drive him nuts. Glancing past her, he saw Austin near the diving board, his expression guarded. "Morning, Austin."
"Good morning."
"So what are you doing out here, you don't like the bed in your room?" Jo asked.
"I came out for some fresh air. I must have fallen asleep."
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, fine. I'll grab a shower and I'll meet you at the restaurant."
"Are you sure you're all right, Isaac?"
He forced a smile. "I'm fine, Jo. Now go, your husband's waiting."
*****
"I just want orange juice and toast," Jo informed the waitress, then turned to glance out the window. She thought of Isaac and the hallowed expression on his face. She'd never seen him looking so tired and drained before and it frightened her. Always the tower of strength, he'd supported her through hardship more often than she cared to remember.
"Hey," Austin spoke as he reached across the table and took her hand. She turned and met his gaze. "Are we going to talk about what happened last night?"
"I hadn't planned on it."
"Jo..."
"Can't we just forget it happened? It wasn't really that big a deal."
"It is a big deal. When I make love to my wife, I expect her to enjoy it, not turn away from me in disgust or fear or whatever it was you felt."
"It wasn't disgust, you know better than that."
"Then you were frightened, why? Are you afraid we might harm the baby?"
"No. It had nothing to do with you or the baby."
"Then what?"
She wanted desperately to confide in him, to put his mind at ease, but she feared if she did, he would only worry about her more. "It's just, well, I guess I've been over doing it a bit, and I've got a lot on my mind. You know how I get sometimes when I'm working. It's hard to concentrate on anything else."
He seemed about to speak when her colleagues began arriving. "Morning, Jo, and who have we here?" Agent Rifkin asked, slipping into the booth next to her. Agent Milano took the seat next to Austin while agents Farrell, Ryan and Boone sat at the table beside them, their eyes centered on Austin.
"Guys, I'd like you to meet my husband, Austin." She gave his hand a gentle squeeze and let them introduce themselves.
With the introductions out of the way, they gave their orders to the waitress and immediately engaged Austin in a conversation on football.
"Man, I can't believe you like the Chiefs," Boone teased. "I don't think I've ever met a Chiefs fan." Then turning to Jo he asked, "What were you thinking marrying a Chiefs fan? You like the Broncos."
"What can I say; his charm and good looks won me over."
"Manning is a good quarterback," Agent Milano joined in.
"Good? He's the best in the game," Jo commented.
Isaac arrived a short time later and agents Rifkin and Milano moved to the table, giving Jo and Austin some privacy.
"They seem like a great bunch to work with."
"They are," she confirmed as the waitress appeared with their food.
"The quiet one -- what's her name, Ryan -- what's her story?"
"She's a profiler with the BAU, the rookie of the group. I think Isaac is hoping I'll take her under my wings or something."
"You don't like the idea?"
"I'm not a good mentor. I don't like having to stop and explain everything I say or do. Besides, having good instincts is what makes the profiler, and that's something you can't teach."
"Doesn't she have good instincts?"
"I don't know. I haven't been around her long enough to say." Jo snatched a piece of bacon from his plate. "So, how are things back home?"
"Let's see," he said, rolling his eyes back briefly, "your mom came by the other day
. Needless to say, she's still upset with you for taking on this assignment. Your brother, well, what can I say, he's still a pain. And Bailey is almost finished with the nursery but is worried you won't like the color."
"How does it look, do you like it?"
"I think she did a great job on it."
"What about the prom? Are you going to let her date drive them?"
He nodded. "However, I'm seriously considering putting a tail on them."
She laughed. "You’d better get used to it, Daddy. You've got another eighteen years of fatherhood ahead of you."
"Piece of cake. This one's going to be a boy."
Her eyebrows rose, her smile lingering. "You looked at the sonogram, didn't you?"
"No. I just have a hunch."
"And how did you come about this hunch, Sheriff?"
"Well, for one, the way you're carrying, and because you've had such a miserable pregnancy. Boys are notorious for giving their mothers a rough time during pregnancy, whereas girls are usually tougher to raise."
"Since when do you know so much about being pregnant?"
"I've been doing a little reading. It's tough sleeping at night without you lying next to me."
He was going to be a great father. "You didn't by any chance come across anything useful in your research such as how I could manage a half day without vomiting?"
Before he could answer, Isaac joined them. "Sorry to interrupt, but we should probably get to the station. We've a lot of evidence to process."
"He's right. We do need to get to work."
Austin rose and offered her a hand to help her out of the booth.
She gladly accepted. "There's a theater up town, but I don't know if they have afternoon features."
"I was thinking about renting a car. The motel clerk said there was a lake nearby and I thought I'd check it out."
"Okay. You want to have lunch later?"
"Sure."
"I'll see you after while then." She met his lips in a brief kiss before joining the others.
*****
"So your husband's the sheriff back in your hometown?" Agent Ryan asked once they arrived at the station.
She nodded. "He was a detective with LA County before that."
"Have you guys been married long?"
"Going on eight months."
She glanced down at Jo's swollen belly. "The honeymoon?"
"I'm thinking seriously of suing the airline for losing my luggage."
She smiled as she opened the door of command center. Isaac glanced up from a stack of paperwork then turned and walked to the front of the room.
"Okay, people, have a seat, and let's get to work."
Jo chose a seat at the end of the table and propped her feet on the chair next to her before turning her attention on Isaac.
"First off, I just received word there's a teenager missing from Clinton County, just west of here. The information is sketchy at this point, but the M.O. fits Briggs. Jo and I will check it out. I've got Boone finishing up his preliminaries on the victims. Milano, you can help him. I want those fluid samples processed ASAP. I want them compared to the DNA samples from the victims in Maine. Rifkin, you and Farrell can finish cataloging the evidence. I don't want any mistakes that will allow Briggs to get off on a technicality. Ryan, I want you to work on the Camaro. They have it in the garage downstairs. Let me know as soon as you've got something. Okay that's it, let's get rolling."
"Sir, have you heard from Lindsey?" Jo asked as they all stood. "Is she doing okay?"
"I haven't been able to get through to her yet. I think she and her husband may have gone away for the weekend."
"I felt so sorry for her. The woman was a complete wreck," Agent Rifkin commented.
"Yeah, I really felt bad for her," Agent Ryan added. "You'd think with seven years behind her, she'd be used to crime scenes."
Jo whirled around at her words. "Before you go criticizing Agent Hammonds for her reaction to the scene, you should know she spent those seven years in the Washington lab. She's the best lab analyst the bureau has."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"
"Let me give you a piece of advice, Agent Ryan. If you want to be a good profiler, you must evaluate very carefully every aspect of the case you're given before delivering your analysis. Otherwise people will think you're a moron and you'll risk lives in the process."
"Thank you, Agent McDaniels for your crude but wise words of wisdom. Now if you don't mind, let's hit the road." Isaac walked past her. Holding the door open, he waited for her to join him.
"Perhaps you better tutor her yourself," she quipped.
"I wasn't aware she was in need of a tutor."
"You can't fool me, Isaac Washington." She continued down the hall ahead of him. "I know she's the BAU's new golden child and you're hoping I'll reconsider your offer and will be in need of a good profiler in the unit."
He laughed.
It was all the proof she needed. "I'm not changing my mind, Isaac."
"Whether you do or not, Agent Ryan has talent and could benefit greatly from your expertise. Besides, she's the only one brave enough to team up with you. Of course after you berated her a few minutes ago, she may reconsider."
"You know, you're down right mean sometimes." She shot out the door of the police station, letting the door slam in his face.
Isaac sighed, and then grabbed the door handle and rushed to catch up with her. "I'm mean? You make Attila the Hun look like a saint."
Unable to resist any longer, she laughed. "I never thought I'd hear myself saying this, but I really miss working with you, Isaac."
"Me too. You might be a pain most of the time, but it's never boring with you around. You're the most unpredictable person I've ever met."
"I wish Stevens had your sense of humor where I was concerned. He thinks I'm a hazard to the bureau, or at least that's what he told me when I was first assigned to his office."
"Give him time, you'll grow on him."
"You think?"
"I didn't like you much either when I first met you."
She was only mildly surprised by his confession, having suspected as much in the beginning. It had taken a good three years of constant nagging to get him to let her transfer into his unit. "Then why did you recruit me away from the medical examiner's office?"
"I knew you had great instincts and a gift that would save lives. You know, Ryan may not have your psychic abilities, but she does have the potential to be a great profiler."
Jo smiled. She had known that eventually the conversation would revert to the young profiler.
"All right, you win. I'll work with her, but the first time she questions my authority or methods, she'll regret ever joining the taskforce."
"I'll be sure and warn her."
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
"Special Agents Washington and McDaniels with the FBI," Isaac informed the young deputy behind the counter at the Clinton County Sheriff's Office. "I believe Sheriff Davies is expecting us."
"Of course, this way, sir, ma'am."
Jo took the lead and followed the young man down a long corridor.
"He's in with the family now. Needless to say, they're pretty distraught over their daughter's disappearance."
"The girl that's missing, can you tell us anything about her?" Jo asked.
"Suzy Miller, fourteen, lives here in Scranton. She was reported missing early this morning when she failed to return home from a sleepover at a friend's."
"Any witnesses?" Isaac inquired.
"You'll have to get the particulars from Sheriff Davies."
Jo glanced at his nametag. "Thank you Deputy Merrill."
"You're welcome." He then entered the room ahead of them. "The FBI is here, sir."
Jo watched as a dark haired man rose from the table and turned. Similar in age as she, he greeted her with a warm smile, offering his hand at the same time. "Thanks for coming, Agents. Come on in and have a seat. These are Suzy's parents. According to them, she was
supposed to spend the night at a friend's last night but never showed up. They phoned us shortly after eight this morning when she failed to come home."
Jo stepped forward, offering her hand to Mr. Miller. "I'm Special Agent Jo McDaniels, and this is Special Agent in Charge Isaac Washington."
"Sheriff Davies said you were with some sort of taskforce?" Mrs. Miller asked.
"That's right." Jo accepted the seat the sheriff offered, while he took the chair next to her, leaving Isaac to stand. "Do you know why this friend didn't call when your daughter failed to show up?"
It was Sheriff Davies who answered. "According to Cindy's mother, Katherine Lennox, they were having a slumber party. Several other girls were present as well, and when Suzy didn't show, they figured she couldn't make it."
"How many girls attended the slumber party?"
"A half dozen or so." The sheriff was quick to answer again. "I made a list of those present at the party. I'd be happy to accompany you to their homes."
Jo forced a smile, his attentiveness, however flattering, was starting to annoy her. "Actually, I'm only interested in visiting the home of the girl who had the slumber party. The rest I would like brought into the station for questioning, if that's okay with you."
"Sure, whatever you want."
"Great, I appreciate it." She waited, but he wasn't budging. "So could you go and phone the parents for me? I mean if it's not too much trouble."
"Not at all."
"Thank you."
Jo waited until after he'd left the room then scooted the vacated chair with her foot toward Isaac. She picked up the file that lay on the table and glanced over the missing person report. Five-seven, one-hundred-fifteen pounds, brown hair and eyes, athletic, and in the top three percent of her class, the teenager definitely fit Briggs' new victim profile.
"The FBI doesn't usually get involved in missing person cases, do they, Agent Washington?" Mr. Miller asked.
"A series of abductions have taken place over the past several months, spanning across several states. We believe one person is responsible, and our taskforce was formed to apprehend him."
