by R E Gauthier
Arriving at the old area of Pittsburgh, Kelsey pulled into the parking space designated for The Special Agent in Charge behind the historical building, that housed the FBI’s newly minted Cold Case Behavioral Unit. For the first time in months, she was excited to be an investigator again and not just a person who waited until things happened.
Nikki awaited her arrival as soon as she entered their office space. “I just hung up from Torres’s call; she found out where Paul Washburg headed after his possible inquiry into senior facilities in New York. The man Torres spoke to, said that Paul Washburg answered an advertisement he had on Craig’s List. He was looking for someone to rent his cabin in a rural area of East Lansing. The man was quite cooperative and gave Torres the address to the cabin.”
“Do we know how long Washburg had been in the area?”
Nikki nodded. “Torres said the man told her, that Paul Washburg took over possession of the cabin two weeks ago. He must have gone directly from New York to Michigan. I wonder what he’s doing in East Lansing?”
“Let’s get working on the description of the man I saw in the photographs in my vision. I saw Washburg working on the mask to make it look like the man. What we do know about Washburg, is that if he’s making a mask, he’s going to make a move. We’re already two weeks behind him. We have no idea what his motives are or what are his plans.”
Nikki led the way to her office and Kelsey brought her dream journal. “First, we need to set the parameters.” Nikki made a few keystrokes, and the program opened. “Okay, so we know it’s a man. What shape is the face?”
“Long and squarish.”
Nikki made the entry, and a sample face shape came up on the monitor screen. After entering the specifics, Kelsey gave her from her vision, Nikki made a few final entries, and a full rendition of the face came up on the monitor. “How does that look? Does it look like the man you remember from your vision?”
Kelsey nodded. “It looks close, but I’d change the chin to make it less pointy.”
“Like this?”
“Exactly. That’s the man I saw in the photographs. Can we enter it into the FBI’s facial recognition database and see if we can get a hit?”
“I’m already on it. It’s running; we’ll have to wait to see if we get a hit.”
“How long could it take?”
“It’s hard to tell. If this man is a criminal or has been charged with a crime but not convicted it won’t take that long, but if he’s a law-abiding citizen, it may take a while, and we may not get a hit at all if his face isn’t in the system.”
Kelsey knew that she and Nikki had to go to East Lansing to find Paul Washburg, but before they did, they needed to know as much about what Paul Washburg was up to in East Lansing. Knowing they could save time if they had someone else to go along with Kelsey, she thought about bringing up the topic of recruiting a new member for their unit to Nikki. “While we wait, do you think we can revisit the topic of finding another member for our unit?”
Nikki frowned. “If we do that, you know that we’ll need to read this new person in on your gift. Are you prepared to do that?”
Kelsey had thought about that fact several times while she contemplated the need for more hands to help on investigations. “We can worry about that once we find someone to join the unit. I think when we know we can trust this person; we can divulge the fact I am not your average FBI Behavioral Analyst.”
“I’m not certain if we can get many agents to come here to work on a new unit. We don’t have the same draw the other units have.”
“Maybe we can entice a recruit. Does the Academy have a new batch of graduates?” Kelsey watched Nikki ponder that question.
Nikki shrugged. “They’re graduating a class all the time. I can look into it and get back to you.”
“You know what we want, so I’ll leave it up to you to line up some recruits to interview. I wish we had someone now. We could leave someone here to watch the program search, while the two of us drive to East Lansing and find Paul Washburg.”
A loud ping sounded from the computer.
Nikki clapped her hands. “We have a hit.”
Kelsey joined Nikki at the monitor to see whose face they had found to match the one from her visions.
Nikki opened the link that the program found connected to the description they entered into it.
Scanning the information on the monitor, Kelsey read the missing person’s report. The family of Kyle Nolan reported him missing February 27, 2012. “Shit, we’re too late. Washburg has already killed him.”
Nikki nodded as she too had read the same words. “We need to learn as much as we can about this man. Somewhere he has a girlfriend who Washburg is stalking and planning on killing.”
“Can you make flight plans to fly out of here on the first flight to Lansing? I’m going to call and explain that I’ll need to be away from home for a few days. We need to look into whether we can get a private jet at our disposal for trips like this one. I’d much rather drive, but we don’t have the time to waste.” The FBI didn’t fly around in private jets as much as people thought they did; most agents drove and took commercial flights.
Nikki made a few keystrokes. “I may be able to find us a private charter. It may take less time than a commercial flight. And I think for us to warrant a reason to have the expense of a private jet, we need to prove our unit can earn it. We haven’t even solved our first case.”
Well aware of their fledgling status with the bureau’s higher-up directors, Kelsey had to admit Nikki was right. “Then we need to prove the bureau of our worth; starting with solving the case of a man who has been getting away with numerous murders.”
Chapter Seventeen
East Lansing, Michigan, March 12, 2012
Nikki and Kelsey landed in Lansing, and they drove to meet with the man who rented his cabin to the man using Paul Washburg’s name. Kelsey took a few deep breaths as she took the next right. Nikki had put the address in the rental car’s GPS, so she just followed its directions. “Does this guy have a phone number for Paul Washburg?”
Shaking her head, Nikki said, “I didn’t ask Stanley Martell, but I’m sure he’d have a way to reach him in the rental agreement.”
“That’s if Washburg gave him correct information. I’m surprised he used his real name.”
“Mack, Washburg has no reason to believe we’d find him. I imagine he thinks he gave Torres the slip and we weren’t able to track him down.”
“I wish we had been able to track him down before he found his next victim and killed Kyle Nolan. I should have tried to do the ritual sooner.” Kelsey had many regrets about her gift over the years, but for the first time, she thought it could be used to be a better FBI Agent. If only she had been able to see visions before people had to die.
“Mack, you had no reason to believe that Nanna had messed with your gift. You told me that over the years, it waxed and waned in its intensity.”
“Yeah, but now I know it wasn’t because I was not concentrating, or believed in myself, but it had to do with whether I drank Nanna’s tea concoction or was in her house so that she could use her incantations on me.”
“And she still has no idea that your gift is working fully or that we’re looking into that night?”
“No, she hasn’t a clue. The blocking practice I use has kept her from seeing anything; I don’t want her to see. I feel more in control of my gift than I ever have before.”
“Have you been able to have any visions about that night; that could help us?”
Kelsey wasn’t sure if she should mention the one, where she had of the woman in the fog. How could she know what this woman wanted to tell her or if she even had anything to do with what they were looking into? “I haven’t had a specific vision about that night, but I have had one about a woman.”
“Maybe it’s the woman Paul Washburg is stalking. Could you see her face?”
Taking the road as per the GPS’s instructions, Kelsey said, “I di
dn’t see the woman’s face clearly, but I felt she was familiar. I didn’t mention it to you before, because I don’t have anything to go on, who she is or of what significance she has to this or any other case. I saw Miranda in a vision before I met her, so this could be a woman I’m going to meet.”
“I didn’t know that. How did Miranda come to you? In a fantasy or a vision?”
Kelsey snickered. “It wasn’t like that. I saw her in a vision, and she asked for my help.”
Nikki chuckled. “I think it’s Miranda, who came to your rescue. If it weren’t for her, you would still be—”
Kelsey cut Nikki off from finishing her comment. “I’m well aware of what I have to be thankful for and how Miranda came to me, but I—”
“I’m sorry Mack. I know now that your experience with your nightmare of that night was the cause of your mistrust and lack of intimacy. Back to this woman in your vision, did she speak to you?”
Frowning, Kelsey said, “I couldn’t make out what she was trying to say. I cannot get over how familiar; she seems to me. It frustrates me when my visions can be so clear, and then I have one where nothing is evident to me at all.”
“We’re here; maybe we can get some answers. I’m calling the Lansing Police; we can go there after we speak to Mr. Martell. We need to find out as much as we can about Kyle Nolan. If he’s Paul Washburg’s latest victim, he’ll follow his usual MO and be stalking a woman to rape.”
“I’ve been trying to not think about that. I’m furious that we’re this far behind him. If we are not able to stop him, he’ll ruin more lives.”
“Mack, you cannot think about what we cannot do, think about what we can do. Right now, we need to find Paul Washburg and put the pressure on him; if he knows we’re onto him, we may be able to keep him from going through with any more of his plans. We may even be able to make him make a mistake, or he may have been sloppy and left behind clues. We’ll get him this time.”
“I sure hope so, Nikki. I sure hope so.”
***
“We never called the FBI. Kyle Nolan hasn’t been missing all that long; why are you interested in his case?” Detective Roland Watters fidgeted with some papers on his desk.
Kelsey looked around the small bullpen-type set-up. Many officers in plain clothes and detectives milled around. The phones rang, and people were all talking at once. Taking a few deep breaths, she tried to staff off the many thoughts and feelings coming at her from all directions. It was the first time Kelsey was in a room with this many people since she had enhanced her gift’s powers. Trying to keep her mind centered on the conservation in front of her was proving to be demanding on her brain. “As we have said, at this time, we cannot divulge why we’re looking into this case, but we need to know as much as you can tell us about Kyle Nolan. Where did he live? If he had a girlfriend; where he worked. Anything that could help us figure out if his case fits the parameters of our investigation.”
Scratching the stubble on his chin, Detective Watters shook his head. “I just think we can help you better if we knew what it was you were looking for.”
Nikki spoke up from the file in front of her. “As SSA MacGregor said, we cannot divulge that information at this time. We want to handle this as discreetly as possible to assure that as few people as necessary know about our involvement. Suffice it to say, your discretion on this matter is necessary to keep even our presence under the radar.”
“If this is such a secret matter, how is it you even learned about it?”
Kelsey smiled. She reluctantly liked this Detective; he tried to twist his questions in a manner to make them slip up and reveal more information than they were prepared to do. His real motive came to her from his mind as well as lude thoughts about Nikki; Kelsey changed her early assertion of liking the man. “Detective Watters, we’ve had our feelers out looking for a suspect, and he’s turned up near here. The fact a recent missing person’s report came in on a young man, led us to come here and look into it further. That is all we can disclose at the moment.”
Detective Watters nodded and seemed to except Kelsey’s explanation. “So, Kyle Nolan could be a victim of this suspect you’re investigating.”
Kelsey groaned and rolled her eyes. “Have you ever thought about becoming an FBI Agent? I’m sure we can use your tenacity.” Appreciating the detective’s dogged determination, Kelsey hoped that by assuaging the man’s ego, they would be able to make their exit
“Why yes, SSA MacGregor, we most certainly need someone like Detective Watters in the FBI.”
The detective smiled smugly and leaned back in his chair.
Happy to have finally given the detective something to mull over quietly, Kelsey directed her attention to Nikki. “Have you found anything we can use, SA Hyland?”
Nikki nodded. “We have a few numbers and people we can look into; I’m certain we have all we need to look into this matter further. If we should require more information, can we rely on your cooperation, Detective Watters?”
The detective smiled broadly, like a man who knew a secret. “Yes, you most certainly can rely on me, Miss…I mean SA Hyland.”
Excusing themselves and thanking Detective Watters once again, Kelsey and Nikki left the Lansing Police Department. “Looks like you may have made a friend,” Kelsey said jokingly to her best friend and partner. Kelsey refrained from telling Nikki, that Watters wanted to be more than friends with her. Grimacing, she vowed to try harder to block thoughts and emotions from outside people more from that moment on.
“Well, a girl has got to use her wiles to the benefit of our investigation when she can.”
Kelsey couldn’t help from bursting out with hearty laughter. Maybe I should tell Nikki that she may get more than she’s looking for with Detective Watters. Frowning, Kelsey decided it best to keep Nikki in the dark about the detective’s motives in case they needed his help in the future. “Do we, at least, have all we need or were you just trying to get out of there?”
Nikki held up her tablet. “I copied the entire file, and we have Kyle Nolan’s address as well as his parents address. We can start by going to speak to Mr. and Mrs. Simon Nolan. Hopefully, they can tell us if their son was dating anyone. Once we know and can talk to her, we’ll know if Paul Washburg has started his plan here or not. You seemed more distracted than you usually are while dealing with the detective, is something bothering you?”
As they arrived at their rental car, Kelsey was finally able to settle her mind and took a few deep cleansing breaths. “That was the first time, since we enhanced my gift’s potential, that I was around so many people in one room.”
“Mack, I forgot about that. Your gift can read everyone’s thoughts and feelings now. Isn’t there some way to block them?”
“I did, but it’s exhausting controlling the incoming assault on my brain. Some of those men and woman are individuals with strong personalities with compelling emotions.”
“So, you could see or feel what everyone in there was thinking and feeling. Anything interesting?”
Frowning, Kelsey rubbed her brow. “It was too disturbing for me to concentrate on any one of the many incoming emotions or ponderings, but there was a cute female detective who thought you were hot.”
Nikki whipped her head up from unlocking the car. “What? Did you get her name?” Rolling her eyes, Nikki snorted. “You’re just messing with me, aren’t you?”
Throwing her head back, Kelsey laughed loudly. “You walked right into it; I couldn’t resist.”
“I guess I deserved that for all the times I teased you. I’ll drive; you think about how we’re going to handle Mr. and Mrs. Nolan.”
“Oh, that’s easy. They’re worried parents. We’re going to play up to their worst fears and see if they can tell us all they know about Kyle’s life especially if he has a girlfriend. Then we’ll know if their son could be a victim of Paul Washburg.”
“And if he is?”
“Then we’re going to be seeing a lot of Detective Watter
s because we’re going to need more manpower surveilling Paul Washburg and stopping him from hurting Kyle Nolan’s girlfriend.”
Nikki started the car’s ignition and pulled out of the police department visitor’s parking lot.
Kelsey thought about the possibilities they could be so close to and sat back. Closing her eyes, she willed her brain to empty and took a deep breath. We’re going to catch you, I promise.
Chapter Eighteen
Village Inn Motel, Holt, Michigan, March 12, 2012
Simon Nolan and his wife Marie spoke candidly about their son. Kelsey saw a lovely home, with delightful family photos. It saddened her that Kyle Nolan could be a victim of Paul Washburg’s sick mind. When Kyle’s parents talked about their son’s girlfriend who had a troubled past with drugs and abuse, Kelsey instinctually knew that Paul would target a young woman like her, especially after they learned her father was a congressman. Nikki frowned when Marie Nolan said that Ashley Foster’s father was never around and her daughter suffered from depression.
Armed with the phone number for Ashley Foster, Nikki and Kelsey drove to a hotel to book a room. They would be staying in Lansing longer than a few hours.
“Well, we now know we’re in the right place. Paul Washburg is here and has found a woman to fulfill his sick need to prove his innocence again.”
“When Mrs. Nolan said her son, Kyle was worried about his girlfriend’s mental state; I could almost see Washburg watching Ashley foster. It makes me sick that he targets victims like her.”
“But this time, he won’t be able to carry out his plan without us breathing down his neck. When we get to the hotel, I’ll call the Academy and ask a friend of mine if they have a few candidates that would fit in with our unit. It’s looking like we’ll need more people on this case.”
Kelsey pulled out her phone. I can ask Rachel if she knows of agents who will fit in best with us.”