by R E Gauthier
“I’m already on it, we’re waiting for the guy to come in and I’m going to run my identity program, we can see what Paul Washburg looks like without his Kyle disguise. “I’m looking for this man on the CCTV video footage of the nights the witness stated he saw him.”
“How did Watters take it with us taking over the case?” Kelsey stood up and walked the few feet she could.
“He took it well; he’s busy with a string of drug-related break-ins at a few hospitals, so us taking the case of Kyle Nolan’s disappearance off his hands was a welcome relief.”
Could Washburg be responsible for the break-ins? “Does Watters have any leads on the break-ins?”
“I’m not sure; we haven’t discussed the case. I’ve been busy…oh damn Mack, I’ll ask him. Do you think Washburg is responsible for those break-ins?”
“He is going to need drugs to make it look like a suicide. He lost his supply when he set the explosion at the storage facility.”
“Speaking of that, I was going to wait to call you after we spoke to this witness, but I got a call from the Richmond Fire Investigation Unit.”
At the mention of this news, Kelsey brightened. “Wow, that was fast; did they find something we could use?”
“Preliminary tests show that the type of incendiary devices used is similar in both fires. They’ll know more once they can do more tests. In both fires, there was a delay before the fires ignited and then they were fully engulfed in seconds after that ignition.”
“That’s what we needed to find. Washburg thinks he’s outsmarted us, but he’s leaving us patterns. If we can find forensics that places him making or purchasing the incendiary devices or any combustibles used in both fires, we can build a case. Right now, I want anything we can use to get this bastard off of the streets.”
“So, I take it that he hasn’t contacted Deb yet.”
“No, and all this waiting is killing me slowly.”
“Be patient; we’ll get him. We have the upper hand this time. He doesn’t know we’re here we have Ashley. He thinks he has all the time to follow through with his plan.”
“What is he waiting for; it’s been eight days since he raped Ashley. There were varying timeframes between the rapes and deaths of the women in D. C. Seven days was the shortest, so we should be on our toes; he could make his move at any moment.”
“His pattern has been, he strikes at night, so it won’t likely be until after you and Torres leave tonight. The forecast for tonight is unseasonably warm and foggy. It could be a perfect night for Washburg to make his move.”
“This heat is ridiculous for this time of the year. When I chose an older van, I never thought we might need to worry about the van heating up.”
“You cannot run the air conditioning without drawing attention to the van’s presence on the street.”
“I know. We should have taken the first shift. Lambert and Gillis had it easier at night, they could move to the front of the van, and they wouldn’t need to worry about the sun beating down on it. We have the windows cracked and the fan on, but I’m worried about drawing off too much electricity from the electronics.”
“You don’t have to worry about it; I made sure to have recharging batteries installed. They charge on small solar panels on the roof, so any sun we get will be good.”
“Wish I had known this sooner.” Kelsey turned and hit the on-button on the small oscillating fan and turned it to high.
Torres opened her eyes and furrowed her brows.
“Nikki said it'd be okay,” Kelsey responded to the silent question, being alone with Torres for these hours had been quite enlightening. She needed to remember to block the older woman’s thoughts as much as possible. It felt like Kelsey was intruding on Torres’s privacy every time the raven-haired woman’s thoughts projected into her mind.
Torres smiled and closed her eyes once again.
“How has it been with Torres? Have you told her about your new skills in reading everyone’s mind and feelings?”
“It’s been tough. No, I haven’t; there hasn’t been the right time.” Kelsey tried to speak quietly, so Torres didn’t know they were talking about her. “I’ve been careful and blocking it from my mind.”
“Well, you shouldn’t wait too long. I think Torres will be more annoyed; you didn’t tell her sooner.”
“I know. I should go and let you get back to work. Let me know if you get any leads after you get a full description from the witness. I want to get any updates, so don’t worry about how small they may be.”
Nikki chuckled. “Okay, I get it; you want me to call you if I get anything. You’re bored and craving anything that can alleviate it.”
“Yes, please.” Kelsey closed out the call and took a few breaths. Torres was suspicious. That uncomfortable feeling coming from the tall woman in front of her was evident.
Without opening her eyes, Torres said, “sounds like Red has some leads.”
Knowing that Torres wanted to talk about something other than possible leads, Kelsey responded with a detailed overview of what Nikki had told her. Her attempt to block out Torres’s irritation wasn’t good enough, and Kelsey knew Torres’s next question before she uttered it.
“What were you two saying that you didn’t want me to hear?” Torres said, opening her eyes and looking directly at Kelsey.
“What makes you think we were talking about something we didn’t want you to hear.”
“I’ve been a Behaviorist longer than you have been an FBI agent, I know when someone is hiding something. Earlier this morning I saw a few glances between Nikki and you. Then just now, your voice got lower, and your words were chosen to be vague as not to divulge much information. Your body language right now is closed-off; your eyes are avoiding making contact with mine for long periods. Those are classic avoidance tactics.”
Kelsey knew she had to come clean with Torres. No sense in lying or avoiding it any longer. She couldn’t hope to misdirect a seasoned Behavioral Investigator like Torres much longer. “I wanted to wait until it was appropriate, but I don’t know when that would be. Frankly, I have never had experience coming out, so I wouldn’t know how I would know.”
Torres smiled. “If you’re going to try and lie that you were trying to find a time to tell me you’re gay; that cat has been out of the bag for months.”
Shaking her head, Kelsey snickered. “I would never think so little of your intelligence to lie to you; I’m talking about coming out to people about my gift.”
Torres pursed her lips and then drew in a breath. “I’m well aware of your gift. That is how we are here because you saw a vision of Washburg working on a mask of the man who turned out to be a missing Kyle Nolan. You have to be more specific. What about your gift?”
“Since you and I have last seen each other, I have discovered a new part of my gift, or I should say, a new skill that I focused on one person, until now.”
“Will this skill help us with our case. Can you predict what Paul Washburg will do or something like that?”
“How I wish. No. My enhanced skills have to do with sensing a person’s feelings and thoughts. Until recently the only person I could sense was Miranda. I thought it was a unique connection that my grandmother said I would have with the person I love, but I can now read every one.”
“Everyone…you mean you can…I see.” Torres’s lips formed a straight narrow line. Her jaw clenched, and her eyes narrowed.
Kelsey drew in several cleansing breaths and forced the annoyed feelings and thoughts out of her head. Torres was just as Nikki had said she would be when she learned Kelsey’s secret. “I’m sorry; I wanted to tell you, but didn’t think it was the right time.”
“What would constitute the right time? You were going to keep on pretending you didn’t know what I was thinking or feeling and make me look like a fool. You violated my trust and privacy; how do you justify not telling me sooner?”
Hanging her head, Kelsey responded with the best explanation she had at th
e moment. “I didn’t know how well it would work on you since we have been in Michigan, it doesn’t always work. I mean, for instance, I had a hard time sensing Ashley.”
“How about Deb or Nikki? Can you read them?”
Kelsey nodded. “I can read them, but being around them for the last couple days in the close confines of the motel rooms, I have learned to block them out.”
“When did you know you could read me?”
“While we were driving here. At first this morning my headache made it difficult for me to sense much. I think my mind is tired from all the sensing and then the projecting.”
“Projecting? You mentioned that earlier; what is it exactly?” Torres stood up and put her hands on her hips.
It’s a skill I learned to do when I was young, and I haven’t done it since then. Recently, I’ve been working on my gift and trying to hone in on skills that could help me.” Kelsey didn’t think Torres could grasp how she went about honing those skills.
“Skills like reading people’s minds? I can see how that will help when you’re around an UnSub or when interrogating someone, but I don’t like you invading my privacy.”
Kelsey dipped her head. “That’s why I hesitated to tell you; I didn’t know how you would take it. I’m still trying to figure it all out. I cannot read minds; Nanna told me I’m more like a receiver or empath.”
“So, you get these thoughts and feelings from people, and you can do nothing to stop it.”
“Well, no I can block out most if I can concentrate. I am trying to block your thoughts and feelings. Has anyone ever told you, you have a strong mind?”
Torres chuckled. “Yeah, my Ex calls me a pig-headed, strong-willed asshole at times, does that count?”
The earlier tension dissipated from inside the van. Kelsey took a few breaths. She apologized again for not telling Torres about her new gift nuances. Torres seemed to be relaxing, and her usual light-heartedness was returning. Relieved, Kelsey said, “I promise to do all I can to block you out of my mind. There are things you can do to help too.”
“Do I have to wear a stupid metal helmet?”
Seeing an image of the helmet Torres was thinking about, Kelsey asked her to explain.
“You know the one Magneto wears in the X-men. He wears it so Xavier cannot read his mind.”
Kelsey threw back her head in hearty laughter. “No, I won’t make you wear a helmet. Besides I’m thinking you’re regretting that ridiculous hat in this heat.”
“Good God, they still had frigid temperatures at night in New York; how was I to know we’d be in the middle of a heatwave in mid-March?”
“Nikki said this could work in our favor. She said Washburg could use this heatwave to make his move on Deb. It’s going to be foggy tonight, perfect to conceal his usual covert entrance.”
“Well, then let’s turn up the heat on him, why don’t you ask that state trooper friend of yours to go and check out Washburg’s hideout in the woods?”
Kelsey had thought about doing this but wasn’t sure how to have the officers do it without tipping Washburg off to something wrong. “I’ve thought of that also, but how do we proceed without making him suspicious?”
“Ask them to do a wellness check, get them to make up a story about checking on people in his area because of the rapid change in temperature.”
“That may work. Why didn’t I think of that?”
“I think it’s because you have too much extraneous information in there.” Lightly poking Kelsey’s forehead, Torres said, “I don’t know how you do it.”
“Me neither.”
The two women shared a good laugh, only further relaxing the strain between the two of them.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Down-the-street from Ashley Foster’s Apartment, Early Evening, March 14, 2012
Stretching and yawning, Kelsey glanced at her watch. Seeing that their time watching Deb was drawing to a close, invigorated her. The past twelve hours were spent watching monitors, listening for anything out of the ordinary but not much happened. A person moved out of their apartment in the building. As entertaining as it was to watch a group of six friends struggling with furniture in the elevator, Kelsey found herself wishing for the day to pass by more quickly so she could get out of this van. The heat reached an all-time high at midday, but then the sun was behind the clouds, and Torres and Kelsey got the relief they desperately craved.
“What is the first thing you’re going to do when we get back to the motel?” Torres stretched her long arms up over her head.
Kelsey watched the movement with a hooded gaze. The weight on her eyelids grew too heavy, and she closed them. “First thing I’m doing is getting out of these clothes and taking a shower. Then I’m going to go for a walk or run. Being cooped up in here has made me crave any movement I can get. What about you?” Kelsey was making small talk, to keep her mind awake, but she knew she wasn’t capable of anything intelligent.
“I’m with you about the shower and change of clothes. I think my sweat is sweating if that’s possible.”
Wrinkling her nose, Kelsey nodded. “Oh, it’s possible, and you’re right, this van is ripe with the stench of us sweating for nearly twelve hours.”
“Maybe you’ll trade with Nikki for next shift?” Torres said with her eyes closed. “Lambert and Gillis should be checking in soon.”
The randomness of Torres’s comments told Kelsey that her companion, in this van from hell, was also having difficulties keeping her mind focused. “You’d rather I not share the van with you next shift; is it because I stink?”
Giggling, Torres shook her head. “I’m just thinking there’ll be more room for me to stretch out with someone smaller sharing this space.”
Kelsey chuckled. Well maybe I’ll ask Nikki to switch with you, how are your computer skills?”
Torres snorted. “Right now, my brain is mush, and I’m not sure I can even remember how to turn on a computer.”
“That’s pretty bad. Even with my dismal tech skills, I can push the button on a laptop or PC tower.”
Sticking out her tongue, Torres mocked Kelsey and said, “that’s because you’re younger than I am.”
“What about your assertion that you work better on less sleep?”
Torres’s snarky comment was drowned out by Kelsey’s phone buzzing and a car driving by the van.
“Yeah, are you two almost here?” Kelsey barked into her phone.
“Agent Lambert and I are waiting down the block, are the two of you ready for the exchange?”
Kelsey wanted to let out a whoop of excitement but settled for a quiet assertion that they would be leaving to exchange places momentarily. Closing out the call, she said, “Okay, it’s time to go, our torture is over.”
Torres gave out a silent whoop and fist-pumped the air. “Good, I’ll drive because you look like you’ll fall asleep at the wheel at the first traffic light.”
Kelsey scoffed. “I’m not able to put my life in your sleepy hands; you can’t even remember how to turn on a computer.”
“I can drive with my eyes closed.”
“Yeah, that is what I’m afraid of; I’m driving.”
Torres shrugged and tossed the keys toward Kelsey, and she caught them.
With a wink, Kelsey said, “see I still have my cat-like reflexes.”
***
Village Inn Motel, Evening, March 14, 2012
Walking out of the bathroom in the motel room, Kelsey nearly walked right into Nikki. Her best friend didn’t look worse for wear and had a smile on her face. “I’m not sure why I want to slap you right now for looking so wide-awake, but maybe you should stay clear of me for a bit.”
Nikki chuckled. “Was it that bad?”
“I don’t want to talk about it. Tell me what you found out working with Watters. I need to distract my brain right now.”
Smirking, Nikki asked, “Why? So, you won’t smack me.?”
Lifting the corners of her mouth slightly and rolling h
er eyes, Kelsey said, “something like that.”
Nikki went into a full explanation of how she used her new program to analyze several men seen near Kyle Nolan’s apartment and the route he took daily.
Kelsey sat on the bed and drew her knees up to her chest. Leaning back on the mound of pillows, she closed her eyes. “Did any of them fit Washburg’s weight or height?”
“Yes, I narrowed down three men who could have been him in disguise. I have their photos here.”
Kelsey felt paper touch her fingers. Opening her eyes, she took the photos Nikki handed to her. Looking at the grainy close-ups of three men, she squinted and looked up at her best friend. “These could be anyone; how will they help us?”
“I’m going to use them to compare footage at other security videos and CCTV footage around the city. We can then track Washburg’s whereabouts. You said that the state trooper found the car but no Washburg at the cabin, he must have another vehicle he is driving. It could help us to know where he is and when he’s getting close to Ashley Foster’s apartment.”
Nodding, Kelsey put the photos on the bed next to her and closed her eyes.
“Mack, maybe I should go for a walk while you get some sleep. You look like you’re about to nod off at any moment.”
“No, I should go for a walk. I need some fresh…maybe you’re right; I’ll have a quick nap, and then I’ll be good to go.”
“Okay, I’ll leave you to it.”
Kelsey heard the soft click of the door closing and the lock engaging before blackness and silence engulfed her in sleep.
***
Nikki walked away from the motel room and shifted the hat over her wig and settled the sunglasses on her nose. Nikki needed to block out the bright, setting sun’s rays as she walked westward down the street. Nikki had not planned on which way or where she was going but figured some fresh air would be good, as well as, leaving Mack to her nap. Smiling she thought about the droopy eyes and snarky attitude of her best friend. As much as she had dragged her feet working with Detective Watters, at the moment, she was glad she hadn’t had to endure the torture of sitting in a sweltering van for hours.