by Mary Stone
Mia rested her elbows on the table. “Agreed. I didn’t predict that one. His shady levels just rose about ten thousand percent.”
“I think Baldwin’s creep factor was already off the charts.” Chris stretched his arms above his head. “Mildred Harbison’s death just further cements what we’ve previously figured out about this jackass. He kills his problems. Evelyn threatened his control of running the facility the way he saw fit, and he axed her out of the picture.”
Autumn waved her pen in protest. “Philip Baldwin is a smart man. Any connection he had to Colleen and Mildred was somehow kept completely under wraps for months. There’s no logic in killing a nurse inside of his own hospital. He would have found a way to kill Evelyn offsite and destroyed that tape immediately.”
“And Paula?” Chris stared at Autumn with pronounced skepticism.
“He never would have been so obvious with her murder or the disposal of her body. Or more accurately, the lack of disposal of her body. The pieces just don’t fit together.” Autumn frowned in concentration.
The team had developed tunnel vision, determined to prove Dr. Baldwin’s guilt. That focus had kept them busy enough to temporarily place other possibilities on the back burner. But the longer they hunted in Baldwin’s direction, the less likely he appeared to be responsible for Evelyn or Paula’s murders.
Autumn didn’t harbor fond feelings toward the doctor, and she was highly aware that he abhorred her. Neither of those facts meant that pinning the crimes on Philip Baldwin based only on circumstantial evidence was the right course to take.
Fundamentally disagreeing with Dr. Baldwin didn’t make the man a murderer.
Then again, death did tend to follow Philip around like a shadow. The odds of one doctor being somehow tethered to four dead women all within a single year of his life…
How could that be coincidental?
Adrienne paced just as she had in the interrogation room. “We don’t know that we’ve even gathered all of the pieces just yet. If Baldwin is that intelligent, he could have orchestrated this entire dog and pony show. His sheer intent could be to force our eyes on him so that we doubt ourselves and search elsewhere. I’m not ready to write him off yet as our prime suspect.”
“Prime? As if we have a ten-page list of suspects competing for that title?” Noah spoke for the first time since the meeting began. All heads whipped toward him. “I’m just saying. We’ve got crap.”
Autumn studied his face for a moment, convinced by his edgy tone and the tight set of his jaw that what had transpired with the Black siblings was worse than she’d anticipated.
Aiden cleared his throat. “I think what Agent Dalton was so eloquently attempting to relay is that we have no physical evidence linking Dr. Baldwin to Evelyn nor Paula. And we have no better leads. Unless someone has a gem of information I don’t?” His cool blue eyes scanned the group.
Silence.
Adrienne emitted an exhausted huff. “We have to release him.”
“Precisely,” Aiden concurred as he walked toward the door.
“That’s it?” Chris called after him. “You’re just going to let our only suspect go?”
Aiden spun on his heel to face the perturbed agent. “I am. Meeting adjourned.” He returned to perpetrate his legal obligation, Adrienne following behind.
Innocent until proven guilty.
“This is such bullshit,” Chris muttered, rising from his chair and shoving it into place under the table.
“Tantrums are bullshit too, Parker,” Noah sniped back with uncharacteristic testiness. “You can’t hammer a nail you haven’t found.”
“We. Have. Found. Him.” Chris waved his hand toward the door. “He’s right down the hall in a secured room. Surrounded by law enforcement. About to be set free by a federal agent and a police chief.”
“Yes.” Noah took a step toward the other man. “Two trained and dedicated professionals. All the more reason for you to shut your mouth and do your job.”
Chris hesitated, his hand on the doorknob. “I don’t answer to you, Dalton. And whatever crawled up your damn ass today isn’t my problem.” He retreated into the hallway, slamming the door behind him.
Mia rose and trailed after Chris, shaking her head. She said nothing, and Autumn empathized with the agent. Alongside the daily exhaustion their careers doled out, Mia Logan had the additional burden of dealing with the continual consequence of her partner’s discontent.
Though, to be fair, Noah wasn’t exactly in Mr. Rogers mode today.
Autumn turned toward Noah. “Things went bad, huh?”
The muscles in his face gave away his agitation. “That kid…is evil.”
Autumn envisioned Justin with his jet-black hair and penetrating blue eyes so very much like Winter’s. “He’s a human, Noah.”
He shook his head. “The two aren’t mutually exclusive.”
She eyed his tall form as he left the conference room, not uttering another word.
Noah Dalton was known for operating beneath a thick layer of good humor and friendliness. Justin had somehow managed to eradicate that pleasantry altogether.
And it was apparent that Noah wasn’t quite ready to talk about the visit.
Autumn stood, walked toward the door, and attempted to refocus. Keeping personal and professional lives separate was Basic Job Skills 101. But when the two overlapped…
How were they to partition situations so intrinsically loomed together?
Autumn stopped short in the doorway, realizing she’d left her bag in the viewing room. She sighed, knowing that no matter how hard she fought against the distraction of Winter and Justin, the toll on her psyche was evident and unavoidable.
Aiden’s booming voice traveled down the hall as he opened the interrogation room door and stood aside. “You’re free to go, Doctor, but don’t get any ideas about leaving town. We’ll be in touch.” Stanley Bradshaw guided his aggravated client out of the interrogation room, the sounds of their retreating footsteps echoing down the hallway.
The SSA stepped back inside the space, allowing the door to close. Autumn seized the moment to scurry down the hallway and reenter the viewing room to retrieve her bag. She froze as Chief Lewton and Aiden’s voices blared on the other side of the two-way mirror.
“That went nowhere. A giant circle of word vomit.” Adrienne’s vexation was clear. Autumn watched as the chief threw her pen aimlessly across the room.
“Maybe there’s nowhere to go.” Aiden leaned against the wall farthest from his pen-throwing colleague.
“You don’t think he killed the women? Not a single one?” Adrienne exaggerated each syllable. “Simple as that?”
“Nothing about this case is simple, Chief Lewton. But I do have my doubts as to Dr. Baldwin being our killer. Puzzle pieces fit together, even when some are missing, because they fit together. You don’t have to force them.” Aiden glanced at the glass, and Autumn tensed.
Does he know I’m in here?
Adrienne gazed at him with troubled gray-blue eyes. “What about Colleen Hester?”
“What about her?” Aiden returned, impassive as always.
“Do you think he had anything to do with her death? She’s the only one who wasn’t an employee, and he appeared immensely affected by the mention of details regarding her passing.”
Autumn took a few steps toward the door. She should leave now, but she wanted to hear Aiden’s response. The SSA was hesitating, and she knew he generally didn’t share his hunches with anyone…especially non-Bureau officials…until the team had gathered some foolproof evidence to place his theories on solid ground.
“I think he had something to do with her. And possibly her death. But we won’t know that for sure until we gather enough evidence to arrest him and question him more about Colleen’s suicide along with the rest of the facts.” Aiden shoved his hands into his pockets and sauntered toward the door, giving the impression that he was done with the conversation.
Time to get the heck
out of here.
In the hallway, Autumn attempted to appear as nonchalant as possible. Her inadvertent eavesdropping on Aiden and the chief’s closing synopsis left her with a slight sensation of guilt.
But she’d have to shake that off too. With any luck, she could catch up to Dr. Baldwin before he left the building.
She intended to have a conversation of her own.
Philip parted with Stanley just as Autumn gained sight of the two men. Stanley entered the elevator while the doctor opened the precinct’s stairwell exit door.
Breaking into a jog, Autumn caught up with Dr. Baldwin within seconds.
He started as she cornered him on the first landing. “What in the hell else could you possibly want from me? They said I could go. I’m going.”
Philip turned from her and put a foot on the first step of the next flight.
“You wouldn’t have killed Evelyn at the hospital,” Autumn blurted, desperate to gain the doctor’s full attention. “You would have killed her off grounds. You would have made her disappear. And you sure as hell would have made the tape disappear.”
None of the evidence made sense. She’d worked through the details over and over, attempting to find any logic in Baldwin having taken the route their killer had chosen. He couldn’t have done this, and she needed him to know she was on his side.
Philip froze.
Autumn’s heartbeat accelerated as Dr. Baldwin turned back toward her. She was so getting fired for this, but her goal was discovering the truth.
She lowered her voice. “You certainly wouldn’t have murdered your own wing’s custodian and then put her in a linen closet in your wing for every other employee to discover.”
Yes. Listen to me. Please.
“What are you attempting to do right now?” Baldwin looked around, almost like he was waiting for a camera to appear and some handsome celebrity to declare that he’d stumbled onto a Candid Camera episode. “You can’t fool me into a confession, Dr. Trent. I don’t have one. And frankly, this game is growing tiresome.”
Autumn raised her hands, waving her proverbial white flag. “I don’t believe you committed these murders, Dr Baldwin.”
Relief flooded Philip’s face, and his hard-set features softened for an infinitesimal second. But the dark cloud that shadowed the doctor since she first met him returned, bringing along a shower of fury.
“How nice it would have been if you had only come to this conclusion sooner, Doctor.” He narrowed his eyes, practically snarling the words. “A valiant attempt, but I’m afraid I will not be set up so easily. Was your next move to rub up against me with your tits and whore out an admission of guilt?”
Autumn just stared at him, unable to believe what had come out of the psychiatrist’s mouth. But could she blame him? If she were in his shoes, would she readily trust someone who had been looking at her like she was a murderer for days?
“I realize you have no reason to trust me. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. I might be able to help you.”
“You’ve ‘helped’ make me the prime suspect in two murder investigations.” Philip hurled the words like daggers and began a prompt jog down the next flight of stairs. “I think it’s time for you to go assist someone else while I figure out how to deal with the ruination of my career.”
Autumn refused to give up. She had played a hand in the facilitation of Philip’s crucifixion and was now prepared to devote just as much energy to proving the man’s innocence.
Following right on his heels, she closed in on him as they both reached the next landing. Before another word could be said, the overhead lightbulb flickered and went dark. The blackout lasted several seconds before the bulb glowed back to life, revealing a trembling Philip Baldwin huddled against the painted white cement wall.
“Dr. Baldwin? Are you all right?” Autumn grabbed his hand out of instinct, the instant fervent charge of emotion informing her that Philip was nowhere near “all right.”
He’s utterly terrified of confined spaces. But more…he’s afraid because he’s being set up for these crimes and has no way to prove his innocence.
Autumn, inundated with compassion, wished to offer a comforting sentiment, but Dr. Baldwin yanked his hand away and stormed down the stairwell.
She listened to the echoes of his footsteps and the eventual slam of the exit doorway.
Regardless of the doctor’s rejection of her aid, she was more convinced than ever that the team had been targeting the wrong suspect.
Autumn resumed her descent, a new determination rising in her chest. She was going back to the BAU.
Dr. Philip Baldwin had been served to them on a silver platter…saving…and preventing them from the deep digging usually required to even begin narrowing down to a prime suspect. They’d focused solely on Dr. Baldwin by default, hand-fed the clues like hungry, well-trained zoo animals.
She burst through the exit door into the frigid January air. “Well-trained…yes. But not stupid. I’m on to you, asshole. Whoever the hell you are.”
21
Winter drove away from Virginia State Hospital shaken and torn.
Justin’s rabid laughter echoed through her mind. But his image was worse. Her bloody-faced little brother, lost in a dark hysteria of lunacy…possibly forever.
And Noah?
Of course he’d only been trying to protect her. But how far was too far?
He hadn’t unmasked Justin. Winter knew what her brother was. But Noah had stolen a moment in time…and there were ever so few…when she’d felt hope. Tangible, palpable hope.
None of her friends and colleagues seemed capable of understanding that she was able to concede the monster Justin had become and still love him with a painful, enduring, innate resistance.
She didn’t need her eyes opened, and closing her heart was an impossibility.
There was a tightrope walk she hadn’t yet mastered that was the only feasible path where her brother was concerned. On one side was the murderous beast, covered in the gory remains of his victims, and on the other, a silky haired six-year-old boy in SpongeBob pajamas.
Her challenge was to conquer the balancing act of pacing that thin, gilded string…suspended at a death-defying level of soaring peril. Forever.
“I should just run away and join the circus. I’ve got to be qualified by now. Winter Black, aerialist extraordinaire,” she muttered as the FBI’s Richmond Field Office came into view.
Then again, this job is a sideshow in and of itself. No clowns required.
Autumn. She needed to find her friend and snap out of this godforsaken muddled haze.
Entering the BAU office, Winter sought out the redheaded doctor. Sure enough, Autumn was at her desk, body bent in a posture of intense concentration. Winter’s approach went undetected until she was close enough to tap Autumn’s shoulder.
“Busy?” Winter grinned as Autumn jumped, whirling sideways in her rolling chair to view her accoster.
Autumn blushed and gave her computer screen a light tap. “Research. Diving deep into the world of one Doctor Philip Baldwin.”
Winter had guessed as much. She leaned over Autumn’s head and took in the webpage contents. A much younger Philip stood amongst a group of teens, all of them holding their graduation caps and preparing for the traditional toss.
His mouth was open in a wide, carefree smile, and another boy, who Winter assumed to be a high school buddy, had an arm slung around the young doctor-to-be’s shoulders. The fact that this was the same sour, hateful man now being investigated for murder struck Winter with absurdity.
But stranger than that…why was Autumn wasting her time digging into this part of Philip’s life? Curiosity?
Winter doubted that her highly educated friend would waste the Bureau’s time indulging in personal inquisitive pursuits.
“Um. Am I missing something? Did Baldwin take out his biology teacher? Principal went missing after slapping the doc with a lengthy detention?” Winter let out a stiff laugh.
&nbs
p; Autumn gave her a small grin and closed the laptop with an awkward, rapid movement. “I thought the team might benefit from a deeper search into Dr. Baldwin’s history.”
Winter cocked her head. “The historical timeline of Philip’s trip through puberty? I don’t get it.”
“A more encompassing view of his life. Who was he? Has anything happened that could have pushed him over such an extreme edge? Did he show any tell-tale signs of psychopathy as a young man?” Autumn’s tone was edged with conviction.
Winter’s legs felt weak, and she leaned against the desk. “Okay. And has that proven helpful? Found anything that supports the blatant murders sitting in his lap?”
Autumn straightened in her chair and crossed her arms. “No. Nothing. And that’s what’s bothering me. Present or past, I think we’re focused on the wrong man.”
“The wrong man?” Winter guffawed, slapping her thigh for added emphasis. “I get that I’m not on the case, but Autumn, come on. He practically has neon arrows hanging over his head. And they’re pointing…flashing…screaming… at his head.”
Occasionally, Winter forgot how new to this job Autumn truly was. Her friend’s skillset was amazing and beyond beneficial to the BAU, but her actual federal training was sparse. Autumn’s giant brain couldn’t be expected to always point her in the right direction, regardless of her rare and impressive insight.
“Doesn’t that seem overly convenient to you?” Autumn wrapped a strand of red hair around her index finger. A self-soothing gesture. A sign that she was growing more agitated.
“Evidence is always convenient, Autumn. Those clues literally solve the case, give us the advantage we need.” Winter tried to keep her rising irritation at bay. “We’re lucky this time. There’s a lot of ‘convenience,’ and god knows this job would be easier if that were always the situation.”
“I understand that the circumstantial evidence points to Baldwin. I’m only saying that if we focus just on one single person, we could miss the actual criminal.” Autumn’s frustration was apparent, but Winter couldn’t deny her own.