by Angela Ford
“So, what are we looking for,” the Lieutenant asked.
“We are dealing with an organized offender who has certain precise specifications for his victims. We believe our UNSUB is a Bay area local in his mid-thirties to mid-forties. He is known to be extremely aggressive and dangerous because he’s trying to restore his self-confidence and control,” Mike informed them.
Lieutenant Brock offered whatever assistance they needed.
Mike brought up a map of the Bay area on the projector screen, “The red dots on the map are known sex offenders in the area. A total of eighteen between the Presidio Heights and Pacific Heights areas; they need to be picked up and brought in for questioning. In particular, they needed to provide alibies for the nights the three girls were murdered.”
Tom suggested officers to patrol the private schools at morning entry, lunchtime and end of school day. In addition, they would needed female officers to portray young girls on the online chat rooms.
Mike packed up his equipment and told the officers there was a community seminar that night in Presidio Heights and it may benefit to have a couple of officers assist.
“You have our assistance,” Lieutenant Brock assured Mike and then gave out assignments to his officers.
Chapter Three
Peacefully snuggled in the chaise lounge, Jess awoke suddenly from a deep sleep by the sound of a ringing phone. Sleepily she reached for her cell. The brief update from Tom was just long enough to wake her up. Light from the remaining burning embers of the fire helped her find the kitchen. Afterward, she headed to the back terrace with a cup of tea in her hand and wrapped in a warm pale blue plush robe. A memory flashed through her mind, of summer mornings on the back terrace with her mom, as they watched the sunrise.
Jess remembered her first sunrise at the beach home. She’d been so excited to watch the sun rise; she couldn’t sleep and woke her mom at four o’clock. Her mother was not irritated at all. In fact, she was so excited she jumped out of bed, taking Jess’s hand in hers. They giggled as though it was Christmas morning. Every sunrise after that held the same excitement for them. It was their little treasure. Jess remembered what her mom said with every sunrise: “There is always so much peace and beauty as the sun rises, I hope the day continues as it began.”
Jess smiled, holding the memory close to her heart. She wondered why she was so hard on herself and whether she had been a good daughter. The darkened sky brightened as the tip of the sun appeared at the far end of the ocean, slowly climbing above the water’s edge and moving into its place in the sky. Jess pulled her arms in closer to her heart. She smiled, and thinking of her mom, she whispered softly, “There is always so much peace and beauty as the sun rises, I hope the day continues as it began.”
Jess wandered back inside then stopped for a moment. Slowly, she moved toward the door of her parents’ bedroom. Her hand shook as she turned the knob. The Roberts got it right; everything was still as it had always been. It looked the same, but a cold chill ran through her veins as she remembered going to FBI Headquarters and searched the records about her parent’s tragedy. Stepping back, she closed the door as a tear rolled down her cheek.
She hoped a morning run along the beach would clear her thoughts. Jess tied her long blonde hair into a high ponytail, and pulled on some sweats she found in her closet and headed for the beach. After the run, she stretched out her legs on the stone steps between the beach and the house. Suddenly, she felt as though she was being watched. She slowly turned around, but she didn’t see anyone on the beach or near the house. She shook off the feeling but headed inside, and locked the doors.
“Better to be safe,” she said aloud, remembering what her dad always said. Thinking of her dad, she made another cup of tea and headed upstairs to the den. Sitting at his desk, she picked up a picture of her once perfect family. The picture had been taken their last summer there. Something fell from the picture and hit the floor. Bending over to have a look, she saw that it was a USB. Gently placing the picture back, she reached for the USB and then it hit her.
“Where is Dad’s computer?” Jess asked aloud. Puzzled, she bent down again, to look under the desk and saw the computer cables. She felt confused. From what she’d read in the report on her parents’ deaths, it appeared to be a break and enter. Her mom’s jewelry and purse were taken, and her dad’s wallet, but there was no mention of the computer missing. If the FBI came to the beach home to investigate the murders, why didn’t they notice? Or did the FBI take her dad’s computer? And for what reason would they take it? Jess made a mental note to investigate further, but for now she wanted to see what was on the USB.
She quickly ran down the stairs and grabbed her purse, removing the notebook she always carried with her, and then returned to her dad’s office. Jess opened her notebook and plugged in the USB. A screen appeared with a password box. What would he have used? She stared at the family picture, and remembered he’d hidden the USB there. Then she noticed the frame. She’d made it for him when she was ten, painted it pink and signed on the back, “made by princess”.
“That’s it!” She typed it in. It worked but brought her into a world she had never known about her dad. Her FBI clearance did not give her any more information than who he worked with in computer security for the government, and the basic details known of her parents’ deaths. She’d stopped her search at that point, more than willing to leave the memories of her parents, including her dad’s job, in the past. There, it was safe and treasured. When she’d typed in the correct password, the computer let her into restricted sites like the ones she used at the FBI, but a little older.
One folder grabbed her attention: Internet Predators. Intrigued, she clicked on it. There were pictures of possible predators under investigation ten or more years before. Most of them were categorized as suspected, charged or convicted of harassment, stalking, pedophiles, and possible internet predators. She wondered if it was in her blood. It wasn’t until her second year at Berkley that she’d decided on two majors. Her dad knew she was majoring in Computer Science but he had been gone for over a year when she chose Criminology as her second major. It wasn’t until her grad year, that she applied to the FBI.
Jess discovered a sub-folder marked Urgent. Clicking on it brought her to a letter written to her dad by Special Agent Mark Withers.
Nick,
After reading your letter, I did some research. I’ve come up empty-handed, my friend. There is nothing in the FBI files of a stalker or predator within a hundred miles of Vineyard Haven. The postcards were alarming; I can only imagine how you must feel. I think you’re right to keep this from your daughter for now. I will honor your request to keep this quiet and will investigate in Washington. I will look into her friends, school and stalker files in the area. If you need anything, please call. I will keep you posted.
Mark
As she read on she felt as though it couldn’t possibly be addressed to her dad. She’d never heard anything about a stalker and she didn’t recall anyone stalking her. This couldn’t be right. There were more letters, more research—all shared between her father and the special agent named Mark Withers. She had never seen his name in her search through FBI records, but then again security restricted her after a certain point.
She logged into her access to FBI records and searched for Special Agent Mark Withers. He’d died in a car accident in the past year.
Astounded by what she’d read, she wondered if her mom knew about it. Why hadn’t they mentioned anything to her? Jess felt bewildered, and angry her parents hadn’t shared this information with her. If there had been a stalker when she was seventeen, what happened to him?
She searched further into her dad’s files and discovered that postcards had been placed under the front door of the beach home that last summer. Her parents had hidden them from her. They were left on three different dates, one per week
the first three weeks in August.
Jess remembered back to that last month before leaving for Berkley. She was supposed to fly out the last week of August but her mom suggested they go earlier and stay with her for a week to make sure she was settled in and knew her way around. At the time she didn’t think it odd, as they were such devoted parents and as excited about Berkley as Jess. They flew out together mid-August. Her parents spent a week helping her get settled in and sightseeing, and then they headed back to the beach home until the beginning of September. Jess spent the week after her parents left her at Berkley getting familiar with the campus, meeting new friends and preparing for her classes. On the first day of classes, she was approached by two police detectives who told her about her parents’ tragic deaths.
Jess searched an old calendar on the Net, and found that the third postcard was left at the beach house the week they were all in California. Her parents returned to another postcard.
Puzzled, she went back into the folder again and read more correspondence between her dad and a government official. Her dad researched stalkers in the Vineyard area, the Washington area where they resided, but apparently came up with nothing. The other person appeared to be telling her dad it could just be a teenage prank or simply a secret admirer of Jess’s.
Jess opened the file that held copies of the postcards. They were simple postcards of scenic views which could be found in any shop in the Vineyard. The backs of the postcards showed Jess’s name printed very neatly, and beside it was written, “I Crave You.” All three cards had the same quote, her name, no address and no postage stamp. They would have been placed under the door in person.
A cold chill ran up her spine. It was definitely not a prank from one of her friends; they had more class than that! She couldn’t recall anyone around her who was shy or might have a crush on her. Sandy and Billy, her closest summer friends, would definitely have told her if someone had a crush on her. She never even dated anyone from the village in the summers. It was a small village and everyone around her age had gone steady since they were about ten years old.
There was a boy she had dated in Washington her senior year, but it was never serious. They only dated for a few months before graduation and Jess ended it before she left for the beach home. He wanted to continue their relationship, but she was headed west and he was attending college in the east.
The three words, “I Crave You,” struck a nerve. Where had she heard those words? Jess couldn’t recollect if the words were used in the existing case, or if they were from her past.
Her cell rang downstairs which made her jump. She ran down the stairs and grabbed the phone, out of breath when she said hello.
It was Tom.
“Are you okay?” he asked her and sounded worried.
“I don’t think so,” she replied in a dull voice.
“What’s wrong?”
Jess wondered if she should tell him what she’d discovered, but she simply replied, “Oh, just old ghosts I guess. What’s new with the case?”
Jess knew Tom wouldn’t pry further. He’d always been respectful. If there was anyone in the world she could confide in, it would be Tom, but she needed time to digest everything she’d found.
Deep in thought, she barely heard what Tom said, but gathered enough to know the team was working hard and what their roles were. She also heard Tom say that nothing was received at the bureau in Jess’s educational site of Cyber Safety, nor any seminar inquiries, and that Mike was holding a community seminar that evening. Jess respected Tom’s principles of safety and the seminar to make sure that the UNSUB hadn’t recognized Jess as an FBI agent.
“Is there anything I can do to help the team, Tom? I feel helpless here.”
“Just be safe Jess, and use that intelligent mind of yours to review what we have so far. See if there’s anything we missed that may help. I’ll call you tonight after the seminar. When I feel it’s safe, I’ll bring you back,” he said and hung up.
Jess hadn’t played safe since she became an orphan and joined the FBI. After her parents’ deaths, she buried herself in her studies. She withdrew from any type of social life. It only worsened when she got accepted into the FBI. Her job became her life and she let no one in her circle of trust. Just the other night, Jess took the law into her own hands once again, going to the potential fourth victim’s house without the team. She knew when the case was over that Tom would probably suspend her, but for now, she was needed on the case. It wasn’t as though it hadn’t happened before; she was like a rebellious teenager constantly sent to the principal’s office. As far as Jess was concerned, she did her job and saved a life—even if it put her own life at risk.
Her safety was second to her investigative mind. She believed in her gut instincts. Those three words “I Crave You” stuck in the forefront of her mind. “Where am I going to gather the information I need to know?” she wondered aloud as she grabbed one of Mrs. Roberts’s muffins. Then she smiled, looking at the muffin. She knew where to go.
It was a five hundred yard jaunt up the beach to the Roberts’s house. There, Jess found Mrs. Roberts attending to her flowers that surrounded the deck. She must have noticed Jess walking up the beach, as she’d set down her garden pot, and met Jess with a loving embrace.
“Oh, Jessica sweetheart, I hoped you would visit.”
Mrs. Roberts put her arm through Jess’s and led her up onto the deck. They sat down at the patio table, and Mrs. Roberts poured Jess a glass of iced tea. Jess felt as though she was a child again. She always felt comfortable visiting Mrs. Roberts and made it a daily event in the summer. Now she felt guilty that she’d lost touch with her and Mr. Roberts. “I’m sorry for not visiting all these years,” Jess apologized, sipping her iced tea.
“Not to worry, my dear. That was a lot for you to go through. I knew you would visit again when you were ready.”
“I’m ready now, and there are some things I need to know.”
Chapter Four
Tom stared at his phone.
“Was that Jess?” Mike asked as he climbed into the driver’s side of the SUV. They had just finished the profile at the Presidio Precinct and were heading back to headquarters to prepare for the seminar with hopes of drawing the UNSUB.
“Yes, it was,” Tom didn’t look up from his phone. He wasn’t just worried about Jess’s safety because she was his best agent. His heart ached for her. He missed her. Working with her every day was all he had, but it would have to do for now. He understood all too well the pain she carried from her loss and how she’d distanced her heart from any emotional attachment since the tragedy. He’d emotionally detached himself from the world too. The lost marriage and the lack of a relationship with his daughter made his heart closed for years. Tom was undeniably attracted to Jess. The slightest glance or accidental touch ignited a desire that burned deep. Both of them carried hurt and threw themselves into their work. Up till now, working together had been enough.
“Why don’t you just tell her how you feel?” Mike said and keyed the ignition. Tom finally looked up from his phone with a questionable expression.
“What? You don’t think we know? We’re profilers,” Mike chuckled as he drove.
“Jess is dealing with old ghosts and wanting to come back,” Tom shrugged off Mike’s comment. He could hardly admit to himself how he felt about Jess, let alone to her. He definitely wasn’t about to admit it to the team.
“Well then, let’s bring her back. She’s safer with us,” Mike suggested.
“I will when I feel it’s safe. Don’t worry, I have someone watching over her,” Tom stated in the tone he used when he didn’t want the team to ask any more questions. Tom knew he couldn’t cover for her much longer. His senior agent was coming down harder on him each time she did things her way and not the FBI’s way.
“Did you hear from Eric and
Gina,” Mike asked
“Yes, Eric called. He’s setup at the house and staged his online profile to show he plans on leaving the area on his yacht without his ‘daughter’. He said he left Gina at school and received a message from her that she was successful getting into the popular crowd,” Tom replied.
Mike finished setting up for the seminar when Tom strolled up to the community center stage. He looked up for a second and nodded at Tom which let him know everything was ready to go. A police officer walked toward them, and announced that there was a possible 10-14 in Pacific Heights.
Tom immediately asked, “Does a young girl live at the residence?”
“Yes,” the officer confirmed. “There’s a young girl about twelve living at the residence which is why the neighbor across the street called in a possible prowler. She said she knew the parents left and the daughter was home alone. The neighbor did not recognize the man near the front door of the house.”
Tom thought the girl might be too young for the UNSUB, but some twelve- year-olds looked older than they were and often lied about their age. He asked the officer for a full report as soon as possible.
“I don’t think it’s our UNSUB Tom; he wouldn’t be interested in a girl that young,” Mike said.
“Have you met a twelve- year-old, who doesn’t lie about their age?” Tom laid out his notes on the podium.
Mike acknowledged to Tom that he had a point, and then continued to turn on his computer and display the welcome note on the screen above the podium. Tom knew an MO usually didn’t change, but nothing at this point should be ruled out. Their UNSUB worked faster these days and Tom worried there would be another victim soon. The room began to fill as parents arrived. It was 7:03 p.m. and the room was full. On a positive note, at least there were concerned parents out there who wanted to gain knowledge and direction about anything they could to keep their kids safe. Tom stood at the podium looking out at the audience and took a deep breath.