by Robin Mahle
“That’s because she has a permanent role on the team. She’s been there long enough and has enough autonomy so that it’s not an issue for her. And, if you play by the rules, you’ll get that autonomy too.”
“Did he say something to you about me and my work? Because honestly, it really seems as though he’s more than willing to consider my points of view,” Kate pressed on.
“I’m sure he is. At the end of the day, Quinn is a good agent, an exceptional profiler. But I think he wants to understand you better. How you operate.”
“I don’t have a problem with that. I thought that was the whole point of apprenticing for him?” She regarded Nick closely. “What are you not telling me?”
“Nothing. All I’m saying is that you need to keep him abreast of your ideas and leads and whatever else you’re working on. You do that, and there won’t be any problems and you’ll learn the job and who knows? Maybe one day, you’ll be better than him.”
At this, she scoffed. “You sure you weren’t drinking any of that wine before I got here?”
He eyed her.
“I’m only joking. So, what’s for dinner?”
As they returned to the station house, Tate regarded his officers. “We got a real damn problem here, boys. I suspect those three victims aren’t going to be our last.”
“No, sir,” Lazaro replied. “How you want to handle this?”
“So far, we know these victims all had a manufactured form of Oxy in their system. And likely the Walcott boy will too, when we find him.”
“You’re assuming he’s already dead?” Slocum asked.
“I hate to. I really do. But we need to be honest about this situation. It’s time we backtrack to find out if they all got the drugs from the same place.”
“Do you think it’s a cartel? Like them agents said?”
“I don’t know. I spoke to the one lady, the profiler lady.”
“Agent Reid?” Slocum asked.
“That’s right. She asked me to send her some info on recent cases. And I did. I also know she talked to Ness about the idea this could well be a case of drug trafficking or something along those lines. We’re getting our fingers into too many pies here, boys. We’re going to need some assistance. Lord knows we have enough on our plates and to deal with three murders, maybe four? Well, I don’t see as how our small-town resources are going to get us very far.”
“We can’t just sit here and wait for them to show up,” Slocum said.
“Let’s get back out there and start in on finding Andy Walcott again. Then I’ll talk to Agent Ness about tracing the drugs, and maybe, if we’re lucky, we’ll find the dealer and go from there.”
“You got it, boss.” Lazaro turned to Slocum. “We should head out. It’s already getting dark. I want to hit as many places as we can tonight.”
The men headed out to the parking lot and stepped inside the patrol car.
With Lazaro at the wheel, Slocum began, “I think I might know where we should look.”
“And where’s that?”
“You heard the kids talk about a place called the cabin?”
“Can’t say as I have. Where is it?”
“Not far from the trailers. About a mile out past them, I reckon.”
“You think we’ll find the boy there?”
“Maybe. It’s as good a place as any to start. By all accounts, the kids go there to get high. So, by my reckoning, the trailers were the same sort of place. And Chief says there’s no way the killer would go back there after the whole town knows what happened.”
“So you think the killer would’ve taken him there?”
“Taken him, or he was already there.”
Lazaro keyed the ignition. “Okay, then. That’s where we’ll go first.” He backed out of the parking lot and drove onto the road. “You know what I still can’t understand?”
“What’s that?”
“Why on God’s green earth someone would have beaten in the heads of those poor people. Makes no damn sense to me. Especially if the drugs would’ve killed them anyway. Leads me to believe Agent Ness might be right and them other agents.”
“That it’s the work of a cartel? That doesn’t sit right with me because why would you kill your customers?”
“Hell, I don’t know. I guess I’m just grasping at straws here. Same as everyone else.”
“Let’s just get to the cabin and have a look around.”
“What if we find people there? Using the facilities, as it were? We planning on arresting them?”
“At this point, might be safer for them if we did.”
The next few minutes found the officers silent as they quietly grew concerned as to what they might find in the dark of night.
“Make a right up ahead.” Slocum pointed at the windshield.
Lazaro turned the car and began heading down a dirt road, like so many of the roads on the outskirts of town. “Is that it up ahead?”
“Yes, sir, it is. Maybe you should kill the lights.”
“I don’t see any cars out there. Place could be empty.”
“Let’s hope so.”
Lazaro pulled to a stop a few feet from the cabin’s entrance. “Doesn’t look like anyone’s taken care of the place in some time.” He killed the engine. “Guess we should go have a look-see.”
The deputies stepped out of the patrol car and started toward the front porch.
“You reckon they got power out here?” Slocum asked.
“Not likely. And I don’t see any lights on inside. Course they could have them LED lanterns,” he whispered. “You want to head around back?”
Slocum nodded before pivoting toward the side of the house.
Lazaro knocked on the door. “Crown Pointe police. If you’re inside, please identify yourself.” He waited. No answer. “This is Deputy Lazaro with the Crown Pointe Police. Open up.” Again, there was no answer. Lazaro placed his hand on the door knob and turned. It wasn’t locked. He pushed open the door to a dark, single-room cabin that had seen its share of neglect.
As he walked inside, his flashlight shining, he spotted an old wood-burning stove, and on further inspection, noted it was cold. A few used needles lying around. Some pill bottles and a bong sat on a coffee table. The couch was well-worn. A small kitchenette was adjacent with a card table and a couple of folding chairs.
A knock sounded and Lazaro swung around, hand on his holster. “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. You about got your head shot off.”
Slocum had knocked on a window in the kitchen. “Sorry.” His muffled voice sounded through the single pane glass. “You might want to come on out here and see this.”
Lazaro exited through the front of the cabin and walked around to meet Slocum. “What is it? What’d you find?”
Slocum shined his flashlight on a mound of dirt. “I don’t know about you, but this mound looks pretty fresh.”
“We got a shovel around here anywhere?” Lazaro cast his gaze about and spotted a small shed. “Let me see what I can find in there.” He walked toward the shed and opened the door. It was the smell that hit him first. “Dear Lord!” His hand covered his mouth to control his gag reflex.
“What is it?” Slocum jogged to catch up to him.
Lazaro moved his light around until it landed on the source of the smell. “Oh my God.”
“That’s Andy Walcott, isn’t it?” Slocum asked, already knowing the answer. “What the hell did they do to him? His damn brains are bashed in all to hell.”
“Yeah, I see that.” Lazaro reached for his radio. “Chief Tate, we found him.”
The chief’s voice sounded on the radio receiver. “Andy Walcott? Is he all right?”
“No, sir, he’s not. He’s most definitely not.”
9
Floodlights mounted on stands were aimed at the shed where Andy Walcott’s body was found. The secluded area was otherwise black as the hour approached midnight.
“We appreciate you coming out, Agent Ness,” the chief said.
“I’ll be honest with you, I don’t have one damn clue as to what the hell is going on in this town. I’ve seen my share of wicked business, but nothing like this.”
“And you’re still waiting on the analysis of the drugs on the most recent victim?” Ness replied.
“We are. I see now I’m going to have to light a fire under the doc. See what he can do to move it along. I think this all goes back to the drugs, in some form or another.”
“Hey, Chief.” Slocum approached the men. “The ambulance is here and ready to move the body.”
“Let’s get him the hell out of there, then. Unless you have a need for him to stay put?” he asked the agent.
“No. I’m good. I’ve got the photos.”
“All right, then. Slocum, go ahead and have them bring back the gurney.”
Within minutes, the EMTs appeared, wheeling the gurney over the heavily weed-filled backyard of the dilapidated cabin. They approached the shed and entered.
“Be careful now. Show that boy some respect,” Chief said.
“Yes, sir. I could use an extra set of hands,” the paramedic replied.
“Slocum, go on and help them two out.”
Slocum joined them and helped hoist the body of the young man onto the gurney. He swallowed down to contain his gag reflex both from the smell and the sight of brain matter exposed like the innards of some disemboweled animal. “Christ Almighty.”
The chief and Agent Ness watched the boy as they took him away. It was then that they stood just outside the shed’s entrance, aiming their flashlights into it.
“He wasn’t killed here,” Ness said.
“No. Whoever it was brought him here after the deed was done. What do you reckon that means?”
“I can speculate, but I think I’d like to call again on our friends at Quantico. They’re the experts in this sort of thing. I think they’ll need to join in on this situation. Can you ensure this remains untouched?”
“Absolutely. The sooner you can get them here, the better. Agent Ness, I fully believe I have a murderer on my hands and I don’t care if it’s some drug cartel or a drifter. I just need to catch the son of a bitch before I gotta tell another parent their child is dead.”
Kate slept soundly until Nick’s cell phone buzzed on his nightstand. He roused and eventually answered the call.
“Scarborough.” He yawned and rubbed his eyes clear. “When?”
The one-sided conversation drew her attention when Nick sat up with marked interest. She turned toward him, waiting for the outcome.
“Of course. I’ll authorize it. We can leave first thing in the morning. I’ll let her know. Thank you.” As Nick ended the call, he turned to Kate.
“What’s happening?”
“We’re going to Crown Pointe. Quinn’s booking the 7am flight.” He checked the time. “Meaning we’ve got about two hours of sleep left.”
“They found someone else, didn’t they?”
“That they did.”
“Are we all going? The entire team?”
“Fisher will need to coordinate with Agent Ness out of the Pikeville field office. And Walsh should be there too. It’s his job to work with the local authorities. Quinn, of course. And then you and me.”
“I’d like to request Duncan come along too.”
“I need someone here who can run on research. That’s what she does best, and for now, here is where we need her.”
“Fine. But you’ll be coming? Are you sure that’s wise? I mean, that’s not your main role. Going into the field. Not anymore.”
“Sounds like you don’t want me there.”
“I’m not saying that at all. I’m just saying that maybe you should let your team run the field. That’s their job. And mine.”
“Look, I know you want to prove to them that you’re not under my wing. That you can handle yourself. And I get that. I do.”
“You know I’m right, Nick. You wanted out of that part of the job. You should stay here. If they need you, they’ll tell you.”
“Yeah. I guess this is what I wanted, wasn’t it?” He lay back down and turned away from her. “You’d better get some sleep. Five am will roll around quick.”
Kate examined him as he kept his back to her. This was what he’d wanted. But in practice, it appeared he might be regretting his decision. She felt for him and was even a little sorry he wasn’t going to be there with her and the others. Their work together was extraordinary. But she knew she could be extraordinary on her own.
Deputy Lazaro peered through the window near his desk. “Hey, Chief. Looks like we got us a whole horde of Feds here.” He pulled back and turned to Slocum. “They’re driving black SUVs, just like on TV.”
“You shittin’ me?” Slocum pushed up from his desk and walked toward the window. “I’ll be damned. Just like TV.” He chuckled but stopped at the arrival of the chief.
“You boys done now? Because we got some serious work ahead of us. Unless you think this is humorous in some way?”
Both of them muttered their way out of trouble.
“That’s what I thought.” He stood in the center of the bullpen and waited for them to enter.
Agent Ness was the first to push through the door. He stood in place, door in hand as he addressed the chief. “Morning, Chief Tate. I got us some people here wanting to lend a hand on this investigation.” He nodded as Walsh entered. “This is Agent Levi Walsh. He’s their investigative analyst.”
“Pleased to meet you, Chief Tate.” Walsh offered his hand.
“Agent Cameron Fisher. He’s the official field coordinator. Meaning he’s the guy I arranged this with. And of course, you already know Agent Quinn and Agent Reid.”
“Thank you all for coming and especially on such short notice. It wasn’t without need, rest assured of that.”
“I’m very sorry to be here again, Chief.” Quinn shook his hand. “But let’s hope we can resolve this quickly and without any more tragedy.”
“From your mouth to God’s ear.” He returned the greeting. “Okay. Now, you all been briefed on the latest?”
Fisher removed the toothpick from his mouth. “We have, yes. I’d like to start by getting us set up here and let Agents Quinn and Reid do what they do best.”
“I can only assume that must mean you two would like to take a look at our latest victim?”
“That’s a good first step,” Quinn began. “After that, we should see where the body was found, how it was staged. Things of that nature.”
“Staged?” Slocum asked.
“Yes. Just as the others were staged in an upright position, essentially carved into the side of a mineshaft. I’m assuming this latest would’ve been staged in a similar manner.”
“We believe the killer is making a statement,” Kate added.
“You mean, you no longer believe this was the work of a cartel pushing their way into our town?” Chief asked.
“I still believe that could be the case, but as Reid has alluded, a statement is being made. Whether that is from a cartel or a serial killer, we need to decipher his message if we hope to understand what we’re dealing with.”
“Then it’s settled. Slocum, why don’t you help Agents Fisher and Ness get set up here. Get them a nice place to work. I’ll head out with Quinn and Reid. And what about you, Agent Walsh?”
“You should join us,” Quinn said. “As well as Lazaro, if that’s okay with you, Chief?”
“Fine by me. The more sets of eyes we get on this beast, the better off we’ll be.” Tate led the way outside and opened the door of his older model SUV. “I see y’all travel in style with all those Federal dollars you got. I must admit, I’m a little envious.”
“I’ll tell you what, Chief. Why don’t we drive? We’ll spend some of those Federal dollars on a tank of gas, so you don’t have to.”
“I like the way you think, Agent Quinn.”
The five of them stepped into the black rental SUV with Quinn behind the wheel. “To the hospital?”
“Yes, sir.” The chief pointed the way ahead before turning back to the others. “Y’all doing all right back there?”
“We’re just fine, Chief,” Walsh replied. “We appreciate you taking the time to get us acquainted. I know Reid and Quinn were here a few days ago, so they’re more familiar, but now that we have a full-fledged investigation, it’s best the team understands the entire situation as it has unfolded so far.”
“Do I detect a slight southern accent, Agent Walsh?”
“You have a good ear, Chief. I’ve been in D.C. for the past ten years, but I was born and raised in Alabama.”
“Ah, a ‘Bama boy. I bet your momma’s proud of you.”
“I believe she is, sir.”
This was the first time Kate had a chance to really spend some time with her team. And it felt good. She had no idea Walsh was from Alabama. She just knew he’d been at BAU for the past two years as an investigative analyst. It was great she was getting to know more about them. And in turn, how she fit in this puzzle.
“What about you, Agent Reid?” Chief asked. “You don’t sound like you’re from the south.”
“I’m not. I’m a California girl. Born and raised outside Eureka. I started with the San Diego Police Department before moving to Washington.”
“I am in the presence of some very bright, young talent. I can see that. We might learn a thing or two from these folks, Lazaro.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Thank you, Chief,” Kate replied.
“Okay now, you’re gonna want to take the next right. If you’ll recall, that’s where the hospital is.”
Quinn turned right, and ahead, the building came into view. “Looks like that’s it just ahead.”
“You are correct. Go on and pull in. Doc knows we’re coming.”
Quinn parked the SUV and the agents stepped out.
Kate walked toward the sidewalk and waited for Quinn to lock up. But not before Walsh approached her.
“I didn’t know you were from Eureka.”
“I didn’t know you were from Alabama.”
“Guess we learned something new about each other, Reid.” Walsh patted her on the back.