Last Word

by Robin Mahle

  “I get it. I’m sorry I went the extra mile. I just thought, you didn’t say anything yesterday about your meeting with Quinn and I was hesitant to bring it up, so I thought maybe you’d want to talk if we had some down time. Which is rare, in and of itself.”

  He was right that she hadn’t mentioned anything about yesterday’s meeting. In part because there wasn’t much to say. It was only the first phase of the process, but mostly because she was hesitant to mention that she had met him previously—and that he had hit on her. It shouldn’t matter. It was a long time ago—before she and Nick were officially an item. But it was awkward and maybe it wasn’t his business to know. So she avoided the topic entirely.

  “It is rare. And I do appreciate it. I just don’t want you to feel obligated. But anyway, let’s just enjoy the meal. I’m starving.”

  “Good. I talked to Dwight earlier today. He said you and Vasquez met with Metro PD.”

  “We did. There’s a strong possibility we’ll be helping them out on an investigation, along with the Baltimore Field Office. Two victims, same signatures.”

  “Sounds interesting. How are you moving forward on it?”

  “The detective is going to send us the forensics report and we’ll cross-reference it with the one from Baltimore. See what other similarities we can find. In the meantime, he’s continuing to follow up on the victim’s history. Apparently, both had ties to the political world.”

  “Considering the location, that’s not surprising.” Nick sipped on his wine. “Sounds like something you guys can sink your teeth into.”

  “I think so.” She noted a change in his tone. “You’re not jealous, are you?”

  “What? Not at all. I like being a desk jockey. That’s what I wanted, remember?”

  Kate laughed. “Sure. We’ll see how long that lasts.”

  “So are you going to tell me anything about your interview with Quinn, or am I going to have to continue making small talk?”

  She set her fork down and held his gaze. “It’s just the first stage, Nick. There isn’t much to say right now. He’s still whittling down the field.”

  “I know. But I thought you could gauge his reaction. Get a feel for what he was thinking.”

  “He didn’t go easy on me. I’ll tell you that much. It’s going to be a tough road ahead and I’ll do my best. But that’s all I can do.”

  “Okay.”

  Kate began to recall the times she’d withheld information from Marshall and how it generally came back to bite her in the ass. Had she learned nothing from her past relationships? Even going back to Spencer, although that was a lifetime ago. Still, if she didn’t tell him now and he found out later on his own, he would be pissed about it. Not that she had met Quinn previously, but that she hadn’t told him first. “There is something I should tell you about the meeting.”

  “Yeah?”

  She continued to show reluctance.

  “Kate? What is it?”

  “Turns out, I met Noah Quinn some time ago. I want to say seven months, maybe eight. I can’t recall exactly.” She could, but it seemed like she would be throwing fuel on the fire.

  “What? How did you meet him? Why didn’t you tell me before?”

  “Honestly, the name never registered. I mean, Alicia and I were at happy hour one night after work, before I went out to L.A. and this guy came up to us. Well, Alicia made sure he came up to us. Offered him some encouragement without my knowledge. Anyway, he introduced himself. Didn’t say what he did for a living and I never asked. I think our conversation amounted to a few minutes of idle chit chat and when I implied I wasn’t interested, he nodded graciously and left. And that was it.”

  A half-cocked smile appeared on his lips. “And that’s it? You didn’t want to tell me that? It hardly counts as a meeting.”

  “You’re right. In fact, it was Quinn who mentioned to me that we’d met before. Even seeing him face to face, I still didn’t recall.”

  “He remembered?”

  “Yeah. Guy must have a memory like an elephant.”

  “I’m sure he must.” Nick returned his attention to the food on his plate.

  At this, Kate had to smile. “Now that sounded laced with jealousy. What can I say? I have a memorable face.”

  “I’m not jealous. But you do have a memorable face.” He held her gaze with impassioned eyes. “How about we finish this up later?”

  “I’m sure it’ll reheat just fine.”

  Due to its 24-hour news cycle, the District of Columbia was a city that never seemed to sleep.

  And Detective Phelps, one of Metro PD’s finest, wasn’t sleeping either. He rubbed the back of his neck, which had stiffened from studying files for far too long. In a cross-jurisdictional coordinated effort, there wasn’t enough time in the day to scrutinize all the information about the two victims of the presumably same suspect. He began to consider the possibility that the Feds could offer greater help, as they’d suggested. The files had been sent, but no one yet assigned, as he’d asked to have more time to review what he had.

  It was going to be a logistical nightmare, but risking the life of anyone else wasn’t an option and so Phelps would have to make clear his need for help. This was something he was never good at doing. Here was a woman who was entrenched in D.C. politics and now another who lobbied for her firm’s pet causes. And both were dead. Both with the same note shoved in their mouths. “Whore.” A vulgar word written with such obvious hatred. The writing itself was violent in its appearance. What was the more intimate connection between the two?

  He retrieved his cell phone. “This is Detective Phelps, Metro PD. Can you patch me through to Detective Ramos, please?”

  The line played soft jazz while he waited and finally the man he needed to speak with answered.

  “Ramos here.”

  “This is Phelps, Metro PD. I’m sorry to call so late, but I wanted to talk to you about the Brenner investigation.”

  “Yeah. I got your files on Atherton. You find something interesting?”

  “I’m just sitting here in my office going over what I know about Atherton and her work for a congressman. You get an employment background on Brenner yet?” He heard the shuffling of papers.

  “I’m sitting at my desk too. Looks like neither of us is getting any sleep. But, yeah. I got it back today as a matter of fact and haven’t had a chance to get it to you or the Feds.” He continued to sift through the papers. “Here it is. I printed all this shit off to take it home and still I sit here staring at my computer instead. Wife’s going to be thrilled with me.”

  “See, there’s your first mistake. Being married.”

  The two laughed almost in unison.

  “Okay, we know she worked for the law firm. Lobbying. Looks like prior to that, hang on, I’ve got it here. Right, so prior to that, she worked on an election campaign.”

  “Oh yeah? For who?”

  “She was a paid consultant. Had her own gig, apparently. Don’t know what for exactly. Let me see here. Okay, got it. She consulted for Representative Copeland.”

  Phelps sat bolt upright in his chair. “Grant Copeland of Virginia?”

  “One in the same. Let me guess, that’s who Atherton worked for? Guess we just found a connection.”

  “Could you send me that background you have on Brenner?”

  “Will do.”

  Agent Daryl Pearson of the Baltimore Field Office arrived at WFO to meet with the team.

  “Agent Pearson.” Kate offered her hand. “I’m Agent Reid. Come on up.” She led the way to the elevators. “We appreciate you driving over. I think if we can get on the same page, we’ll be better suited to help Metro and Baltimore PD on their investigations.”

  “Couldn’t agree more.” He followed her onto the elevator. “I spoke with Detective Ramos in Baltimore early this morning. They have a new possible connection between the two victims.”

  “That’s good news.” The doors parted. “Right this way and we’ll get start
ed.” She continued through the corridor to Dwight’s office where Vasquez also waited. “This is Agent Pearson.”

  “Good to see you again, Pearson,” Vasquez replied.

  “Same here. It’s been a while.” He turned to Dwight. “And you must be SSA Jameson.”

  “You are not wrong. Thanks for coming down. Have a seat and let’s talk.”

  Pearson retrieved his files. “As I was saying to Agent Reid, I received new information on the Baltimore victim, Tasha Brenner. The detective discovered she worked for the same congressman as your D.C. victim, Janine Atherton.”

  “That is definitely worth taking a look at,” Dwight replied. “Have you received any analysis on the note yet?”

  “Still too early. This is the strongest lead we’ve got right now. However, the congressman in question has several employees, both past and current.”

  “Which suggests the connection may not be as strong as we might hope,” Kate said.

  “That’s right. Now, I would like to suggest we meet with both detectives and review what they’ve discovered to date. I know they’ve sent over some files, but I’d like to visit the scenes, both of them, in order to gain a better assessment. If that works for you all, I can coordinate it.”

  “I think that would be a good idea.” Dwight turned to Vasquez. “You brought this to us. I’ll let you pick sides, so to speak.”

  “Since Pearson and I have worked together in the past, I would suggest he and I assist the Baltimore PD, and Reid and Detective Phelps work here in D.C., and we can coordinate our efforts.”

  “I can agree to that,” Kate replied.

  “Good. As you all know, this isn’t going to be easy and we need to be careful not to step on the local authority’s toes. Last thing I want them to think of us is as a hindrance, rather than a help. So, while this is certainly within our periphery, let’s just keep that in mind. Reid, be sure to get what you need from Pearson here to start compiling a profile of our unsub.” He turned to the agent. “Reid is currently training for a position at BAU headquarters.”

  “Perfect. Sounds like you’re the right person for the job.” Pearson turned to Vasquez. “You free to run out to the scene this afternoon?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “I’ll speak to Detective Phelps and meet with him if he’s got time this afternoon as well,” Kate replied.

  “Great. Then we’ll go from there. Thank you and to you, Agent Pearson, for meeting us here. I’ll leave you all to do your jobs.”

  Kate followed the others and returned to her desk. She’d noticed a marked difference in Dwight’s demeanor since taking over for Nick. He was poised and logical, yet still let those in his charge do what they did best. He gave her and Vasquez a lot of rope. It made her feel more confident in return, instead of dependent upon his approval of her ideas or plans for an investigation. It was freeing in a way she’d only known briefly in the past. And that was when Nick was on administrative leave. A few short months and she’d seen that very same side in Dwight. He was made for this role and she was glad he was given the opportunity to take it, although the question of her future still hung low in the air; a cloud of uncertainty surrounding her every move. But now she had something to focus on once again. Her classroom training was complete and it was now up to Noah Quinn to give her the opportunity to further her career.

  “I’m heading up to Baltimore. Won’t be back here tonight, but I’ll see you in the morning,” Vasquez said.

  “Give me a call if you find something interesting. Phelps is taking me out to the scene in about an hour. I’ll let you know what we find.”

  “Perfect. See you later, Reid.”

  As Senior Unit Agent, Nick was still in the process of getting to know the rest of his team and his own boss, Unit Chief Cole, the man who previously held his title. He was often there to oversee the issuing of assignments, so Nick felt as though his wings were still clipped and he hadn’t yet the freedom to fully grasp the process of how these people worked together or with him.

  All extremely qualified agents with years of service between them, they rarely came to him for advice or help or anything in between. Autonomy was king here and it was a new concept for Nick—to a certain extent. He’d been in charge of his team at WFO. The small band of agents who worked and played together relied on him to make decisions. So far, that didn’t seem to be the case here. This was a whole new level and one he would need to adjust to if he wanted to gain their trust and loyalty.

  “Scarborough, can I talk to you a minute?”

  Nick was surprised to see Quinn at his door and felt the slightest twinge of angst. “Sure, come in. What’s going on?”

  “I wanted to talk to you about Agent Reid.” He sat down.

  “Okay. What do you want to know?”

  “You recruited her, is that right?”

  “I did.”

  “She was working as an evidence tech for San Diego PD and then went through some pretty horrific events, winding up at Quantico a couple of years ago.”

  “That’s right.”

  “I’ve read her file. I know what happened and how she came to be here.”

  “So what’s your question?”

  “What I want to know is, is she an agent because of you, or in spite?”

  “I’m not sure I get your meaning. Agent Reid loves the job. It’s who she is. Has been for some time.”

  “Look, I know she’s been under your tutelage for a while.”

  “I was her designated mentor during her probationary period, if that’s what you mean.”

  “Yes, but in addition to that, during her time at the Academy, you were instrumental in her success, is that right?”

  “No. I don’t think it is. Her test scores were all of her own doing. She’s an extremely bright and incredibly insightful agent. I don’t think you’d find another like her.”

  “I don’t doubt that. Not after reading what she’s been through. But that leads me to the reason why I’m here. You two recently began a relationship, is that right?”

  Nick was growing defensive. “Yes, but I’m not sure what it has to do with her application.”

  “I’m not sure it has anything to do with it. It was just a point of clarification I needed. My concern is having her here, regardless of the obvious accolades she’s received and the recommendations of those whom she’s worked with in the past. I’ve spoken with your former ASAC, Campbell. He said your team was above reproach.”

  “And?”

  “I guess there’s no purpose in beating around the bush, here, so I’ll get to the point. Agent Reid is uniquely qualified for this position and could allow us to venture into unchartered areas in profiling. Her perspective into the minds of killers is extraordinary.”

  Nick was waiting for the “but.”

  “But, I am concerned that your personal relationship might get in the way of her performance, and yours, for that matter.”

  “I’m sorry? Are you telling me I don’t have the ability to do my job if my girlfriend is several offices down the hall? Who do you think you’re talking to here? I’ve put in my time. I’ve worked more cases and been through more shit with my former team than I suspect any of you have here.”

  “That’s not fair. We were all field agents before coming here. You know that. And, I’m not trying to ruffle your feathers, Scarborough. I’m really not. Before I bring someone on, I have to understand the mindset of that individual, and frankly, there’s the possibility of favoritism that I will have to work extremely hard at avoiding, should Agent Reid be chosen.” He inhaled a breath. “That being said, I would like to consider her for the second phase, which will be unduly harsh on her. More so than any of the other candidates.”

  “So you’re assuming I’ll treat her differently if she works here, but you’re about to do the same thing just to prove you’re not playing favorites.”

  “I’m afraid that’s correct. And I imagine if Reid was here, she’d agree that it has to be this way
to avoid any conflicts and ensure transparency. I already made mention of this in our interview the other day. I don’t think she’ll object.”

  “I won’t tell you how to do your job, if you don’t tell me how to do mine,” Nick began. “If you feel it necessary to make Reid jump through hoops others will not, then that’s up to you—and her, if she chooses to accept it. I’m not here to obstruct your process in any way and I, most of all, have no desire to bring any opacity to the team. I’m an open book and the same goes for my relationship with Agent Reid. So do what you need to do.”

  Quinn began to rise. “Thank you. My intent wasn’t to upset you and I hope you understand that this is what’s best for Reid, for her career—and mine.” He began to leave.

  “I understand you met her several months ago.”

  Quinn turned back. “Sorry?”

  “She mentioned you tried to pick her up at a bar a while back.”

  “Is that what she said?”

  “Not in so many words. But sure sounded like it to me. Said she forgot all about it until you said something.”

  Quinn smiled. “I did recall our meeting.”

  Nick continued to hold his stare. “She does have an unforgettable face, doesn’t she?”

  6

  The crime scene photos lay before her on the table as Kate studied the images of Janine Atherton slumped back in the seat of her car. Blood caked on her face and lips with eyes casting a haunting glance that seemed to capture the horror she must’ve felt moments before her death. “You said it was several hours before she was discovered?”

  Detective Phelps hovered over her. “At least five, based on what we know from the autopsy. It appeared she’d been dead for at least that long.”

  “Any forensics come back yet on the scrap of fabric?” She moved the pictures around in a puzzle-piece-like arrangement, attempting to make sense of the images.

  “No.” Phelps stood upright again and paced his office. “What concerns me most is that we now know the two victims worked for the same congressman.”