WATCHING (5 page)

***

She did her best to avoid Hellbrook as he and Stanton prepared the combined teams for an update later that afternoon.

“
If everyone
’
s ready to begin
...
”
Stanton motioned for the room to quiet. Georgia stepped closer to the front, nodding at several familiar faces mixed with the locals. Unit Chiefs Stephenson and Brockman had arrived at seven that morning, bringing with them a dozen PAVAD agents. Jules had slipped in for the briefing, as well. Almost sixty agents and locals now waited to hear what the Complex Crimes Unit had to say.

Hellbrook caught Georgia
’
s eye, motioning for her to join him with an arrogant jerk of his head. She kept her face and expression neutral, hoping not to betray the sudden nerves that hit her.
Crowds intimidated her, and had for years
.

Hellbrook nodded toward K.D., and the younger woman clicked the projection screen on. Photographs of the first crime scene had everyone quieting.

“
Five days ago, fourteen-year-old Hailey Michaels was waiting for her uncle to pick her up at the Carterville Public Library. By the time her uncle arrived, Hailey was gone. Last witness places her on the steps at approximately nine-fifteen when the librarian locked the doors for the night
.
”
K.D. began the rundown to ensure everyone in the room knew the details.

Hellbrook picked up the thread when K.D. forwarded the slides to show
Kirby
Jaysons
’
school photo.
“
Hailey was the beginning. In the time since she disappeared three more teenage girls have been taken
—
all petite brunettes
—
and
all
found in the same manner as Hailey. All were stoned to death
.
”

Stephenson, a tall blonde agent around Hellbrook
’
s age but with only about half Hellbrook
’
s success snorted.
“
Hold up
—
stoned to death
?
”

“
Yes, Agent Stephenson,
”
Georgia said.
“
From the M.E.
’
s report and these particular crime scenes, the cause of death on all four victims was repeated injuries from five
-
to
-
eight pound stones thrown with significant force. Multiple fractures and internal bleeding. These were not quick deaths. These children suffered. Greatly
.
”

“
Crazy, sick bastard,
”
Stephenson said. Georgia agreed.

“
So what are we looking for
?
”
Georgia
’
s former roommate Ana asked, looking directly at Georgia. They
’
d been partners on Georgia
’
s former team. Now Ana headed that team since Malachi Brockman
’
s promotion to unit chief. Georgia had been expected to take Malachi
’
s place, but she
’
d been transferred to Complex Crimes instead.

“
Most likely a white male, twenty-five to forty,
”
Hellbrook said as Georgia grabbed a marker and listed the characteristics on the whiteboard beside him for those agents and LEOs who liked to take notes.
“
He
’
s athletic, probably deceptively so. These girls weren
’
t drugged and the abduction sites showed no signs of struggles. Which suggests that they either went willingly, or he had a nonviolent way of forcing their compliance
.
”

Georgia paused her writing to add,
“
The victims most likely knew or recognized the UNSUB and he is someone people are accustomed to seeing, both around town
—
and
with girls this age
.
”

Hellbrook spoke a bit longer then concluded with one more note for the locals,
“
You know this
UNSUB
. Now it
’
s a matter of finding him
.
”

Chapter
4

****

He
’
d never understood it, and Hellbrook
’
s psycho-babble didn
’
t help make it any clearer. What kind of bastard got his rocks off torturing little girls?
There were plenty of women in this world who
’
d give it up for next to nothing, why didn
’
t the psycho screw around with one of them? Leave the little school girls alone?

Thank God he just had the one boy. Girls were so much more vulnerable. Easy fucking targets, every last one of them. Even those surrounding him at the moment.
Especially those surrounding him, as they
’
d put themselves in the line of fire.

Women had
no
business in law enforcement. It was way too dangerous. He knew that from bitter experience. Hadn
’
t he tried to get L
ind
a to leave the going in the field to the male agents? She
’
d been so determined that his advice hadn
’
t mattered, his ten
years’ experience
on her meant little. She should have listened. Maybe then that bastard wouldn
’
t have been able...
He shook off thoughts of Linda;
now wasn
’
t the time.

He watched some of those women around him as he shuffled his case notes. Hellbrook
’
s little brunette had to stretch to reach the top of the whiteboard where she was pinning a photo of one of the child victims. Ridiculous that she was even there to begin with.

Edward Dennis
’
influence.

He could pick her up one-handed. Probably bench-pressed more weight than her and the medical examiner she spoke with combined.

Now
there
was a plain little mouse. Couldn
’
t compare with Hellbrook
’
s brunette.

Hellbrook
’
s brunette
. Hellbrook got his own unit and national accolades. And he got the only daughter of one of the top agents in the country assigned to his team. A stint in the CCU would send her sky-rocketing. Like everyone had probably intended when she
’
d joined the Bureau. She
’
d have it made for the rest of her career—the
Princess
of PAVAD.

It wasn
’
t right. He
’
d worked his ass off to get where he was. And he
’
d been trying for months to get his son
’
s personnel jacket read by Dennis. Kept getting the damned run-around. Funding, his ass. They had money for Hellbrook
’
s jet, didn
’
t they?
No other team had a private jet.

Why should
his
son be stuck in an Idaho resident office while
Dennis
’
daughter had spent her entire career in her
d
addy
’
s shadow? He
’
d sent his boy to Harvard! Yet someone like Hellbrook and
Dennis
’
daughter
got everything handed to them.

They had a circle of agents surrounding them now, the superheroes, the center of the action.

While he and his got grunt work. Again. What a waste of time, talents, and Bureau money.

He looked at the closest member of his team.
“
Get the car
.
”

The boy knew not to argue. He
’
d been on the team long enough to know how things worked. His three agents were good at their jobs; two were well
seasoned, respectable agents and the boy showed a huge amount of potential. There were all three respectful and knew how to follow orders. Good agents.

He just wished those higher up the food chain recognized that. Instead, he and his were doing grunt work. Again.

Chapter
5

****

Hellbrook didn
’
t say anything to her until the conference room had cleared.

“
Did you find out anything more from the hospital
?
”
He took the copy of the autopsy reports Jules had provided from Georgia
’
s outstretched hand.

“
Spoke with the attending physician. Her name is Katherine Montehue. She
’
s thirty-four and a native of Carterville. She works as a nursing assistant at the town
’
s only medical facility
.
”
Georgia opened her notepad where she
’
d recorded the information, more to avoid his eyes than to peruse the data.
“
The SART exam tested positive. Ligature marks on both wrists
—
and burns. That
’
s consistent with our UNSUB. No broken bones, though there were several areas of severe bruising
.
”

“
We need to speak with her
.
”

“
I
’
ve already spoken with the floor nurse and agreed to call when we are about an hour out. They
’
ve sedated her and will need to wake her
.
”
Georgia slipped her files and
laptop
into her backpack before leading the way out of the conference room.
“
I
’
m ready when you are
.
”

“
Good. Let
’
s go
.
”

***

Hellbrook took one look at the woman lying in the hospital bed and summed her up quickly
—
Katherine Montehue was a hard, bitter, and brittle duplicate of the woman standing at his left. Based on looks alone she could have been Georgia Dennis
’
s sister. That was his first impression, his second was that she stood at a polar end from Hailey Ann Michaels and the rest of the UNSUB
’
s victims.

Georgia took the lead.
“
Ms. Montehue, Agent Hellbrook and I have a few questions, if you
’
re feeling up to speaking with us
.
”

“
I don
’
t remember much
.
”
Her tone was harsh and bitter. No one could fault her for it, least of all Hell. She
’
d been through enough to make anyone bitter.

“
We
’
ll make it very brief
.
”
He kept his tone soft and non-threatening.

“
Shoot. Ask away. Not like anything
’
s private now, anyway
.
”
The woman looked toward the window but Hell didn
’
t miss the way she gripped Georgia
’
s hand.

“
Katherine, what was the first thing you did when you arrived at the Turn Around Bar
?
”
Georgia asked.

“
Restroom
.
”
The word came out quietly.

Hell gave the nod for Georgia to begin the cognitive interview. They
’
d walk the victim through her actions and perceptions from several hours before the actual attack. It would serve duel purposes
—
helping to relax the victim and give them additional insight into the UNSUB and what actions of the victim, if any, may have contributed to her being chosen. It could have been based on typology alone-she met the physical type he wanted.

“
I want you to think back to the moment you left the restroom. How did you get back to your table
?
”
Georgia
’
s voice was soft, encouraging.

“
Walked through the tables. It was the only way back to our table
.
”

“
Who was at the tables? Did you recognize anyone
?
”
Georgia asked.
“
Katherine, you said our table. Who was with you
?
”

“
Becca and Jenna. My friends
.
”

“
Ok. Let
’
s keep going. You
’
ve stepped out of the restroom, who do you recognize
?
”
Georgia continued.

“
Jed Cooley and Nancy Smith. They both work in my building. I wondered if Jed
’
s wife knew he was with Nancy. And then I saw her kissing Nancy
’
s husband at another table. Swingers, I never would have expected it of him. Her
—
yes. Even Nancy, but never Jed
.
”
As she spoke, Katherine relaxed slightly.

Hell kept quiet, impressed with Georgia
’
s skill and manner. And compassion. It was written on her face.

“
Did you speak to anyone
?
”
Georgia asked.

“
No waved and smiled, until..
.
”

“
Go on. Until
?
”
Georgia looked at Hell, and his fingers tightened on the pen he was using to take notes. They were recording the interview, but written notes were often as important.

“
There was this guy
.
”
A tear slid down Katherine
’
s cheek
—
the only outward emotion she
’
d expressed since they
’
d begun the interview.

“
Is that the man who hurt you
?
”
Georgia leaned toward Katherine, her hand tightening on the woman
’
s when Katherine started moaning and keening.

“
No. It wasn
’
t him
,
”
Katherine said.

“
Tell me about the man, the guy you talked to
,
”
Georgia said.

“
He
’
s shy. Gawky. Awkward. But his eyes were always nice and he was hot. Big and
blonde
. He
’
s the old-fashioned type. Always said thank you. He
’
s not the usual kind of guy you find in the Turn Around, you know? Guys like that barely exist anymore. At least not for me
.
”
Katherine
’
s words came out flat and monotone. Hell recognized it as the coping mechanism it was.

“
I do understand. Please go on
.
”

“
I stopped to talk to him, offered to buy him a drink
—
I
’
d decided to go for it. What did I have to lose, right? We laughed, talked. Then he had to leave. He actually asked if I had a ride home. I said
yes
. I didn
’
t realize Jenna had left. She
’
d thought I was going home with
him
.
She d
idn
’
t even ask me. But
he
wasn
’
t that kind of
guy
. So I was alone, outside
.
”

She paused and Georgia handed her a glass of water from the nearby table.
“
Can you tell me what happened next
?
”

Katherine was shaking her head before Georgia had finished voicing the question.
“
No, not really. Someone hit me. Behind me, and that was all I remember
.
”

She
’
d given them nothing. Hell stepped out into the hall twenty minutes later, cell half to his ear when Katherine called out.
“
Agent Dennis
?
”

Georgia turned and stepped back in the room. Hell listened with half an ear through the slightly opened door.

“
It was my fault, wasn
’
t it
?
”
He heard her ask of Georgia.
“
If I had went with that
guy
...or stayed inside..
.
”

“
No. Absolutely not. It doesn
’
t matter what you did or where you were
—
he
hurt you and took away your right to say no, to protect your own body
.
”
Georgia
’
s voice held a fervency and a pain that had Hell
’
s attention sharpening.
“
He
made it so you could not fight, made it about his needs. The fault is entirely his. And when we catch him, and we will, then we will be taking away
his
choices
.
”

“
How can you be so certain? You do this all the time, right. Neither of us is that stupid
—
these bastards get off all the time. He
’
s out there, and he will keep doing it. Over and over and over. And if not him there will be two dozen more like him. But how the hell can you fucking tell which
guy
is a bastard and which isn
’
t
?
”

Hell heard Georgia
’
s sigh.
“
Men like this, Katherine, they do exist. Probably more than any of us really want to imagine. But...this is what my father told me
—
the good guys, they far outnumber the bad. Don
’
t let this
man
take everything from you
.
”

Her voice was zealous and Hell knew then that it wasn
’
t her years as a psychologist speaking. It was something far more personal.

“
And how well did that work for you
?
”
Katherine asked.

“
My father had one more thing to add; he told me to
feel
my bitterness but not to let it
fill
me, to let it drown me. Even though I had every right in the world to be bitter and angry and hurt. He said that if I did choose to dwell in bitterness that I was letting the bastard win
.
”

“
Did they get the guy
?
”
Katherine asked the question that was in Hell
’
s mind.

“
Yes. My father
—
he
’
s an agent as well
—
he got him. That doesn
’
t mean I have forgotten. Or that I don
’
t still see his face when I close my eyes at night
.
”

“
It
’
s not easy is it? Not as easy as your dad said
.
”

“
No. And many women don
’
t ever move on...still others...others use it. They help other victims go on, live their lives in spite of what happened to them
.
”
Georgia
’
s voice held passion again.

“
How old were you
?
”
Katherine asked.
“
When it happened
.
”

“
I was sixteen. It
’
s been fifteen years and four months. And two days
,
”
Georgia said. Hell felt nausea roil in his stomach.
“
I can
’
t stop counting. I probably won
’
t
ever
.
”

“
You grew up to catch them, didn
’
t you
?
”
Katherine asked.

“
I grew up to stop them
.
”