Cutting Edge (17 page)

He left, but Nora was distracted. She glanced at Megan, who just shook her head, not knowing what was going on.

Finish up here. Right.

She looked at the team. “I asked Megan to be part of this because she understands psychopaths. And whoever killed Jonah Payne is not a typical anarchist.”

Megan said, “I’ve been thinking about it, and I’d like to go through like crimes, see if there are any unsolved cases similar to Dr. Payne’s, but not connected to genetic research or arson. I’m looking at the manner of death. If you don’t mind, I’d like to talk to the M.E. myself.”

“Please do,” Nora said. “Pete, can you follow up with both Sheriff Sanger and Sheriff Donaldson on the canvasses at Butcher-Payne and Lake of the Pines yesterday? See if they’ve found anything new, have them walk you through it. They might need a fresh pair of eyes.”

“Will do. What about Cole?”

Nora was trying to avoid going there until she had a chance to reassess her previous analysis. “We need to talk to him again.”

Pete cleared his throat. “Without meaning to offend, Nora, but are you the best person to do it?”

Nora knew where he was going with this. Pete had always felt that she was too close to the investigation, that Nora tried too hard to think like the arsonists. He worried she was overly sympathetic, but nothing could be further from the truth.

“Yes,” she simply said, “I am.”

Nora turned to Ted. “Duke Rogan with Rogan-Caruso sent over the background reports on Butcher-Payne staff. Go through it with a fine-toothed comb. Anything odd, you know what to look for — flag it and follow up.” To Rachel she said, “Learn everything you can about Jonah Payne and Jim Butcher. We can’t rule out that Butcher — who has the most to lose because he isn’t a scientist — may be peripherally involved. Maybe someone wants to punish
him
by killing his meal ticket.”

“That doesn’t sound like anarchists,” Pete said.

“No, and anarchists don’t generally kill. But someone died yesterday.”

“Unless it isn’t connected.”

“A bit too coincidental to me,” Nora said. “There’s a reason why Dr. Payne’s body was brought back to the research lab. Maybe it was just to watch us run around trying to figure out the unexplainable, but that would have been thought out by the killer. I doubt it’s so immature a reason, but there’s got to be a reason. When we find it, we may just discover the killer.”

She glanced at her watch. Ten minutes had passed.

“Go,” Pete said. “Let me know what’s happening when you’re done.”

She thanked her team, said good-bye to Quin, and went directly to Dean Hooper’s office.

Duke Rogan shook Dean Hooper’s hand when he entered his office. “Good to see you again, Hooper.”

“Likewise. How’s Sean?”

“Good.” He refrained from saying anything about Sean at Rose College this week. Better that Hooper didn’t know. Plausible deniability, should Sean learn something important to the investigation.

“I appreciate you coming in,” Hooper said.

“I was coming in anyway. What’s going on?”

“I had a disturbing call from Quantico. Our key profiler went over the case and wanted to discuss it immediately.”

There was a knock on the door, and a moment later Nora entered. Duke wanted to talk to her alone — hell, he just wanted her alone — but she was all business as usual.

“You wanted to see me?” She caught Duke’s eye and for a second, Duke knew she was thinking about last night. Good. That would keep her on her toes. He winked at her and she diverted her eyes, a faint blush rising.

Damn, but that was sexy.

“Yes. Everything taken care of? I read your report,” Hooper said.

“ERT already left for Payne’s cabin.”

“I’m planning to talk to Leif Cole again today.” She put up her hand before Hooper could object. “I know he’s threatened us with lawsuits every time we say boo, but I honestly believe that he knows something. I don’t think he’s involved—” Her voice trailed off and Duke wondered what, exactly, she
did
think. “But he has to suspect someone. Though they operate independently, it’s not a huge group of people.”

“You’re not going to get someone like Cole to turn state’s evidence.”

“No, but I might be able to feel my way around the situation and see if I can prod him hard enough to give up something without realizing it. It’s worth a shot, because right now we have next to nothing — unless ERT picks up a fingerprint in Lake Tahoe that we can match,” she added with a hint of sarcasm, enough to make Duke think she didn’t believe it would happen.

“Good plan,” Hooper said. He hit the speakerphone button, then dialed. “Hans Vigo called this morning and wanted to talk to us about the last letter sent by the BLF arsonists. Since Rogan here has been consulting, I hope you don’t mind I asked him to join us.”

“No,” she said, clearing her throat. She glanced at Duke, and he smiled at her.

Hans Vigo picked up the phone himself.

“Hans, it’s Dean Hooper. I have Nora English and Duke Rogan here with me.”

“Thanks for getting back to me so quickly,” Vigo said.

“What’s going on?” Hooper asked.

“I’ve been analyzing the four letters BLF sent after each arson, and I think we need to revisit the references to Agent English’s past cases.”

Duke straightened. “I hadn’t heard about that.” He glanced at Nora, who looked ill.

Hooper passed over a photocopy of the set of letters to both Nora and Duke. “The last one is on top. The places it references are all cases that Nora worked as an undercover agent.”

Duke watched Nora read. The way Hooper spoke … “Are you suggesting that the killer knows Nora?”

“No,” Nora said automatically. Somehow Duke didn’t even think that she’d heard what he’d said.

Hooper said, “When Hans called I pulled the cases that Nora worked. Only two were on file in the system.”

Nora tapped the letter. “The first two listed here I was an informant, not an agent.”

Hans spoke through the phone. “Which makes me think that the person who wrote this letter knows a lot about you. Killers who reach out to the media want attention,” Hans said. “And I think that this killer wants
your
attention.”

Duke’s chest tightened and he shifted in his seat. He didn’t want Nora under the gun from
any
nutjob.

“My attention?” Nora said. “What the hell for? Anarchists like the group we’re dealing with want attention for their political cause. Not from the FBI or anyone in it.”

“Correct,” Hans said. “It’s why they spray-paint their message on buildings, publish their ‘manifesto’ of action, and escalate. The letters posted on the newspaper message board are their way of making sure that they put their spin on their crimes — before the public is even aware of the arson from the regular news media, the arsonists post their reasons for the crime. Corrupt companies, animal testing, gene manipulation, whatever their specific cause is.”

Duke didn’t like the direction this was going. He skimmed the first three letters while Dr. Vigo spoke, then read the fourth letter carefully. It had a different tone and focus.

Vigo continued. “The first three letters focus on the individual entity and their so-called crime. For Langlier, it was that they engaged in animal and genetic testing to develop their pharmaceutical products. For Sac State, it was genetic engineering in agriculture. For Nexum, it was using animal by-products for profit. But for Butcher-Payne? That letter mentions in passing the use of animals in genetic research, but the
primary
focus of the letter is the actions of law enforcement in
resolved investigations
. None of these listed cases are open.”

Hooper said, “The earlier cases where Agent English was an informant aren’t cases where there was any doubt. All parties were convicted on solid evidence. I reviewed them thoroughly.”

“All it tells us is that another person in the group wrote the letter.” Nora put the letter aside, but the way she kept looking at it had Duke concerned. Because Nora was worried, no matter what she said.

“Yes, you’re right,” Vigo said. “But why?”

“Maybe there’s a new person in the group,” Nora suggested.

“Possible,” Vigo responded skeptically.

Nora said, “Based on past cases, we know that there are usually three or four people involved in these types of groups. Maybe one of them dropped out. Maybe someone else wanted to take a stab at public relations.” She sounded sarcastic, a way to distance herself from the intensity of the situation.

“Nora, you can’t ignore this,” Duke said.

“Let’s assume — just for a minute — that the killer fixated on me as the person trying to stop him. He does a little research and —
voilà!
— learns of my high-profile cases and is trying to distract me.”

“Possible,” Vigo said once again.

The idea of a killer targeting Nora terrified Duke. He had no problem with Nora being an FBI agent working dangerous cases; he had a huge problem with her being the focus of a psychopath. His specialty was personal security, and he wasn’t letting Nora English out of his sight.

“This last letter is personal,” said Vigo. “It focuses on the ‘corrupt’ government — a phrase often used by these people when talking about both politicians and federal law enforcement. I went through the files on all those cases, and there are no other common factors except Agent English.”

“And the types of investigations,” Hooper said, “were all domestic terrorism cases.”

“I’m hardly the only agent who works domestic terrorism,” Nora said.

Duke watched her closely. She was thinking about what Vigo and Hooper were saying, but she didn’t want to believe that somehow this case was becoming about
her
. Nora didn’t want to be the focal point. She didn’t want to think of herself as a victim.

Hooper said, “I’m having an analyst pull all Nora’s cases and see if anyone she’s arrested is out of prison.”

“Have them look into relatives of prisoners as well,” said Vigo. “Someone who lives on the West Coast. Originally, I thought the killer was older, but this letter seems to be singsong, taunting — a younger, immature voice. Under thirty, with no college degree, though, who likely spent some time in college and is comfortable around students.”

“Leif Cole,” Nora mumbled. “He doesn’t seem the type. And he’s older. Also, I don’t think he’s a killer.”

“He didn’t write this letter,” Vigo agreed, “but he may be familiar with the unique writing style. Remember that it was Ted Kaczynski’s brother who recognized his distinctive phrases in the published manifesto.”

“Cole hasn’t been willing to help on any level,” Nora said, “and he wouldn’t even look at the other letters, but I’ll try again. Now that the group has escalated to murder, maybe he will help.” She didn’t sound optimistic, but Duke had complete confidence that she would push Cole hard.

“What’s our next step?” Hooper asked.

Nora rose from her seat, agitated. “To keep the investigation moving forward,” she said. “I have a great team working on this case, covering all the bases. The answers are out there, and we’ll find them.”

“Yes,” Vigo agreed, “but I think the fastest way to find the answers is to find out who is so angry with you, Agent English, that they created an elaborate and drawn-out plan to draw you into their game.”

“Maybe I should put Pete in charge and have Nora take some time off,” Hooper said. “I’ve only been here six weeks, Nora, but I’ve looked at your personnel records and you haven’t taken a vacation in years.”

“That’s not true,” Nora said, but Duke could see her thinking about it. Of course it was true, he thought. He knew her better than she knew herself. “I’m not giving up this case. Call Nolan, my SSA. Dr. Vigo, find him and he’ll tell you that I am the best suited to getting to the bottom of this. I
know
these people. I
know
how they think.”

“Your safety is more important,” Hooper began, “and there are other trained agents who may work this case without a personal connection.”

Dr. Vigo said, “I don’t know that pulling Nora is the right thing.”

“Of course it’s not!” Nora said. “If it was Pete, would you pull him?”

Duke heard the tremble in Nora’s voice, the fear. Not of the killer, but of losing her identity. She
was
her job. And Duke wondered if he could ever claim enough of her to where he was as important to her as her work. And was it even fair of him to ask?

He didn’t care about being fair, not about this.

“I’ll take responsibility for Agent English’s personal safety,” Duke said.

She faced him with shock and something like distrust. He didn’t want to read too much into it, she was on an emotional roller coaster, and one he realized she’d never ridden before. But he was irritated that she didn’t try to understand.

He needed her to trust him. Without trust, there could be no relationship.

“I can accept that,” Hooper said. “Hans?”

“Great. We need to go over the cases, and it wouldn’t hurt if you reviewed them as well, Nora, when you have a chance.”

She quickly calmed herself, and said in a measured tone, “I understand your point, Dr. Vigo, but I can’t imagine anyone who would have a personal vendetta against me, to such an extent that they would kill to … to do what?”

“Nora, you understand terrorism. I understand psychopaths. This is a case where the two have collided, and I think we have a wholly new, and dangerous, monster on our hands. Be careful.”

Duke’s phone vibrated and he looked at the message. It was his partner, J. T. Caruso.

He stared at the message with a heavy heart, but not surprise. Maybe he’d already sensed the truth, because he couldn’t imagine that Russ Larkin had any part in killing Jonah. But it didn’t make the news any easier to swallow.

He told the three FBI agents, “Russ Larkin’s car was found in Reno. He’s dead.”

By the time Duke and Nora arrived in Reno, nearly two hours later, Russ Larkin’s corpse had been taken to the morgue. Nora contacted the Reno FBI office after Duke had been notified by Reno PD about the latest murder, and Agent Sara Ralston met them at the crime scene: a squalid parking lot behind an abandoned warehouse.