by Robin Mahle
“You want me there?” Ness asked.
Fisher twirled the toothpick in his mouth, considering the idea. “No. We’re better served if you’re here, following up on the labs and pushing those guys. It’ll still be quicker than starting over and sending it out to our labs. And time isn’t on our side right now. Thank you.”
Ness stood and began showing them out. “Of course. Good luck. I’ll be in touch.”
The team’s return to the station was met with the early arrival of Scarborough and Duncan.
As Walsh made his way inside, he spotted them. “Didn’t expect you all to get here so quickly. What, did you take the chopper?”
“No. A charter,” Duncan replied.
“Cole must be getting nervous to have authorized that expenditure.”
“We all are,” Scarborough replied. “I hear you all were meeting with Ness at the Pikeville field office. Any news?”
As the rest of the team entered and found seats, Slocum and Lazaro emerged from the Chief’s office, followed by the man himself.
“Good. We’re all here. I’ve had the pleasure of talking with Agent Scarborough briefly and I’d just like to start by saying that I appreciate your willingness to address the community. And Agent Duncan’s input will also prove valuable, I’m sure. So, let’s get down to business. What happened with Ness?”
Walsh made his way to Slocum’s desk. “You mind if I print up an email?”
“Go right ahead.”
Walsh proceeded to log in to his email account and print the report he’d received from Agent Ness. “This morning, we went to Ness’s office in hopes he received forensics on what we believe could be the weapon used to bludgeon the victims.” He walked toward the printer near the coffee maker and pulled the pages as they appeared. “Instead, it was the results of a retest on the first three victims. The narcotics compound was the same in all of the victims. They were given the same drug.” He handed out copies of the new report.
Nick began to study the results. “So we need to find the distributor.”
“Yes. The dealer either sold these drugs to the unsub or is the unsub. That part, we haven’t been able to figure out yet,” Quinn replied.
“Well, hell.” Chief Tate hooked his thumbs through the belt loops on his pants. “I was hoping for a little more than this.”
“We’re still waiting for results,” Kate said. “But at least we have something that connects our victims to the same unsub, apart from the manner in which they were murdered. That’s still an important element and will help lead us to him with the DEA’s analysis as well.”
“Chief Tate, you’ll have to forgive me while Duncan and I catch up to the others,” Nick began. “But I do know my team has been working tirelessly to find the killer. And as I have often been tasked with, I can help by addressing the concerns of everyone involved, not just the people of this town.”
“I think what my boss here is trying to say is that these things never come quickly.” Fisher came to Nick’s defense. “This is an important lead and we’ll continue to pursue it while we wait for answers from Forensics.”
“Do you have something lined up for later?” Nick asked.
“As a matter of fact, yes we do.” Tate looked to Slocum. “Tonight. At the high school auditorium. Seven o’clock, isn’t that right?”
Slocum nodded.
“Okay, then. I’d like to spend the next few hours getting up to speed. Then I can prepare a statement with all the information we have to date.”
“Thank you, Agent Scarborough. I guess me and the boys here will just have to sit tight and let you folks do your jobs.”
13
The high school’s cafeteria was filling quickly with the frightened people of Crown Pointe. Chief Tate approached Nick near the back of the room. As he walked along the aisle, he noticed the people of his community once again waiting and praying the Federal agent would offer deliverance from the terror that gripped them. “Agent Scarborough, you just about ready to get started?”
Nick checked the podium. A water bottle sat on a shelf tucked inside. A thin microphone extended from the top of it and chairs were placed on either side of the stage in the event he needed to call on his team to answer questions. He felt as though he was about to make a political speech instead of an update on the status of an investigation. Nick was used to the press. He had been forced to handle them plenty of times. But it wasn’t often he had to look real people in the eyes and tell them they were doing everything they could to stop a killer.
The families would be out there. The ones who’d already suffered losses from the brutal slayings. Nick began to recall the reason why he left the field. The pain and anguish of the families could be overwhelming at times. And it seemed especially difficult as he had Kate now. A woman he’d hoped to begin a family with—someday. Though she’d made it clear that wasn’t an option for her. He felt he could persuade her to adopt. But then, what for? In times like this, it seemed unfathomable to want to raise a child, but people did it all the time. Still, the thought of being one of those parents out there tonight.
“Agent Scarborough?” the chief repeated. “Is everything all right?”
Nick pulled himself back from his wandering thoughts. “Yes. Could you just give me two minutes to run through it one more time with my team?”
“Just holler when you’re ready.” Tate began to leave as Fisher made his way near. “Agent Fisher.”
“Chief.” He sucked on his toothpick and continued toward Nick. “You ready to get this show on the road? Looks like we’ve got a packed house.”
“I’m ready. Just wish we had more to give them.”
“We all do.” Fisher peered into the growing audience. “You think he could be here?”
“The thought had crossed my mind. You and the others keeping watch?”
“Got it under control. We know what to look for.” He patted Nick on the back. “Good luck. And who knows, maybe we’ll get lucky and find the son of a bitch right here, tonight.”
“Here’s to hoping for miracles.” Nick made his way toward the chief once again. “I’m ready.”
“Okay, then.” Tate approached the podium and tapped on the microphone with his index finger. “This thing on?” The feedback indicated it was. “Evenin’ folks. If y’all wouldn’t mind taking your seats so we can get started.” He waited a moment for the room to settle down. “Much obliged. First of all, I want to thank each and every one of the people here in Crown Pointe. Lord knows, this hasn’t been easy. And it’s been a whole lot tougher on some than others. But the boys and I have been getting a lot of concerned calls—and rightly so. We reckon the best way to address your concerns is to have the bright and talented FBI agents talk to you directly.”
A man in the audience stood. “Ain’t you running the show no more, Chief?”
“Rest assured, we are all working as a team. But the fine folks here have dealt with this sort of thing more times than I’d ever care to know. They got the technology and resources we just don’t have at our fingertips. So, to answer your question, Bill, we’re working as a team on this. But I’m gonna turn this over to Senior Unit Agent Nick Scarborough. We’re lucky to have him here as well as the rest of his team.” The chief presented the rest of them as they stood on the sidelines. “So without further ado, I’ll let Agent Scarborough get started.”
Nick approached the podium. “Thank you, Chief Tate.” He turned to the audience. “And thank you all for coming tonight. I know you have a lot of questions, but if you’ll let me just give you an update as to what we know right now, then I’ll try my best to answer them. First of all, I’d like to thank the Crown Pointe police department, headed up by Chief Tate. The cooperation between his team and mine has been exceptional.” He stared at the faces in the audience. Anger, grief, sadness, fear. They wanted answers, and he had precious few to give. “I’ve only just joined the investigation, but my team, who has been here for the past few days, has brought me up t
o speed. And what we can tell you right now, without jeopardizing the investigation, is that we are dealing with a complex case. We have received some forensic information, which has given us a new direction. However, we are waiting on much more, which could offer the break we need.”
“So you’re telling us you ain’t got nothing? Is that right?” A middle-aged woman stood in the center row, her face masked in anger. “My dearest friend lost her child and you don’t have diddly squat, do you?”
“Ma’am, if you’ll let me continue.”
“With what? Blowing smoke up our asses?”
The chief stepped forward. “Now, Sharon, that’s not fair to say.”
Nick raised his hand. “No, it’s okay. Ma’am, we are working night and day to track down the person responsible. And I can assure you we do have leads. Good leads that we’re working on as I stand here and speak to you tonight.”
“Then tell us, Mr. FBI man, what kind of monster is doing this to our children, to the people of this town?”
“There are certain things that I’m afraid I can’t divulge without jeopardizing the case, but we are working to bring this community some peace of mind and closure to this terrible situation.”
Another woman stood and whispered to Sharon, “Let the man speak. Sit down now.”
“The best advice I can offer you is to help each other. Keep an eye out for suspicious activity. And, more importantly, if you or someone you love suffers from opioid addiction, please, please do not consume or let them consume any pills they might have recently purchased. We believe there are dangerous synthetic drugs being sold right now that could well be part of this investigation.”
In the audience, Lynn and John Floyd cast a glance to one another. Kate, who stood near the back of the cafeteria noticed the exchange. She nudged Duncan, who was next to her. With a shift in her gaze, Kate peered at the couple and then back to Duncan.
She seemed to understand that these people were a concern for Kate and nodded in return. A quick sleight of hand and Duncan took a picture of the couple.
After several more minutes of tense exchanges between Nick and the people of Crown Pointe, he concluded his statement by bringing the chief back to the stage, where he wrapped it up. Nick walked away and approached Fisher, who stood on the right, nearest the stage. “Well, that could’ve gone better.”
“None of us could’ve handled it any better. You did well with the information you had. Don’t be too hard on yourself.”
“Thanks. Anything catch your eye?” Nick peered into the audience, which had begun to disperse.
“Not really, no. But we should catch up with the others to see if they spotted anything.”
As they headed toward the rest of the team, Chief Tate stopped them. “Thank you, Agent Scarborough. I know that wasn’t easy, but it was necessary. You did a fine job up there.”
“Appreciate that, Chief. I didn’t have much to give them.”
“No, but I truly believe you gave them some hope that this will all be over soon enough.” He tipped his hat. “You boys be sure and get some rest tonight. Tomorrow’s a whole new day.”
“Yes, sir. We’ll see you first thing. We’ve got some work to wrap up yet tonight. You don’t mind if we work at the station?” Nick asked.
“You go on ahead. Just lock up when you’re through.” He began to walk away. “Oh, and you know, you get a hold of me any time—day or night—if y’all need anything. Now I mean that.”
“We will, Chief.” Nick led the way with Fisher in tow as they continued toward the others. “I see Reid and Duncan over there.”
“Walsh is coming too,” Fisher replied. “Maybe we got that miracle.”
“Hey.” Nick pressed his back against the wall as the team converged. “Anything?”
“As a matter of fact,” Duncan retrieved her cell phone and opened the photos, “Reid spotted these two earlier, when Scarborough talked about buying the drugs.”
“What’d they do that caught your suspicions?” Fisher asked.
“Just as Scarborough said the whole thing about not taking any recently purchased drugs, these two looked at each other. And, I don’t know, it just gave me a bad feeling.”
Nick had learned never to doubt Kate’s “bad feelings,” because nine times out of ten, she was onto something. “Suppose we should ask Tate if he knows who they are.”
“You had a feeling?” Quinn asked.
“I did. They know something. I just don’t know if it’s relevant.”
“Well, after the other day, spotting that splinter of wood, I wouldn’t dare disregard a feeling coming from you. Let’s look into these two,” Quinn replied.
“We can still catch the chief. I see him over there,” Nick replied. “Did you happen to see them leave already? That couple?”
“They left almost immediately,” Duncan said. “Which raised a red flag, I’ll tell you that much.”
“I’ll grab him.” Walsh’s quick stride was almost military-like, probably a result of his background—as though marching into battle. He approached Tate who was speaking with a couple. “I’m so sorry to interrupt. Chief, would you mind having a quick word with us before you leave?”
Tate seemed to note Walsh’s look of concern. “I’m so sorry, Maggie; Charlie. Would y’all excuse me?”
“Go ahead, Chief. I can see we aren’t gonna get any information about whoever killed our boy, Andy. Nothing left for us here, I reckon,” Charlie Walcott replied.
“Y’all try to get some sleep.” He turned and followed Walsh. “I hope this is important. Those folks lost their son. They need some damn reassurance.”
“It is.” Walsh continued to lead the way until he reached the rest of the team. “Duncan, you want to show Chief the photo?”
She pulled up the image on her phone. “Reid noted an unusual exchange between these two people when Scarborough mentioned the drugs. Any chance you know who they are?”
Tate took hold of her phone and studied the image. “They look suspicious to you, Agent Reid?”
“It’s just a feeling. You know them?”
“I do. That there is Lynn and John Floyd. They lost their daughter to drugs a year ago. You think they got something to do with this, do you?”
“They lost their daughter?” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am. Bright girl too. Had high hopes for her. But like most things here in Crown Pointe, hope vanishes quicker than a blue-ribbon chili on a cold winter’s day.” He handed Duncan back her phone. “But I gotta be honest with you. I think you’re barking up the wrong tree. I’ve known them for years. Honest, good, hard-working people. John was until his back problems got the better of him. But Lynn Floyd works damn near every day.”
“I’m not saying they’re the killers. But I would like to have a word,” Kate continued.
“I think it’d be a good idea,” Quinn replied.
“Well, if you folks think they got something to do with this, then I can’t stop you. You mind if I come with you? Or at least, send one of my boys? I think they’d feel better having one of us there too. No offense, but you Feds make people nervous sometimes.”
“That would be fine,” Kate said. “Look, I know it’s getting late, but you think we could do this tonight?”
“I should say so. None of us wants another death on our hands. So if you think it’s a worthwhile conversation to have, then the sooner the better. We can go right now.”
“You know, it might be a good idea for just the pair of us to go along with the chief,” Quinn said. “Too many of us will shut them up, I think.”
“Quinn’s right,” Fisher said. “The rest of us will head back to the station and catch up with Ness and whatever else we can to do to speed things along while you’re out.”
“Let’s hit the road,” Chief said.
The chief drove along the single-lane, tree-lined road until a small structure appeared in the distance. “That’s it. Up ahead.” The yellow beam from the older-model Chevy Tahoe’
s headlights cast an eerie glow on what appeared to be a Cape-Cod style home tucked into the wooded region.
“This is where they live?” Kate surveyed the area. “It’s very remote. And I don’t see a car in the drive. You mentioned Lynn Floyd still worked. How does she get around?”
“Well, that’s a good question. One we might ought to bring up,” Tate replied.
“Isn’t this the road we took to get out to the mineshaft?” Quinn asked.
“It is.” He turned the steering wheel and drove along the half paved, half gravel driveway that led to the home. “These folks have been here since I can remember. This is where they raised their daughter.”
“Did they have any other children?” Quinn asked.
“No. Just the one. And then they lost her.” He stopped near the top of the driveway and cut the engine. “Let’s get this over with.”
“Chief, you think we’re spinning our wheels?”
He turned back to Kate. “I can’t say with any certainty that’s the case, ma’am. But my gut says you are.” He opened the door and stepped outside. With his boots sinking into the soft gravelly driveway, Chief Tate tugged down on his hat and awaited his companions. As they approached, he continued. “Y’all don’t mind if I start the conversation? Just to put them at ease.”
“Not at all,” Quinn said. “We’ll take your lead here, Chief.”
“Much obliged.” Tate stepped up onto the front porch deck and knocked on the door. A single light burned in the window. “Looks like they’re here.”
A moment later, Lynn Floyd opened the door only slightly. “Chief Tate? What’s going on? Everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine, Mrs. Floyd. Thank you for coming down tonight. I know it couldn’t have been easy, all things considered.”
“No, it wasn’t.”
“The—uh—FBI wanted to have a brief sit-down with you and John, if that’s agreeable to you both. Won’t take but a few minutes of your time and we’ll leave you be.”
“What about? Have we done something wrong?”
“Not at all, ma’am. They just want to talk to you about Jenny, if that’s all right.”