B00CCYP714 EBOK (7 page)

Rainey had summarized for the command officers in the rape investigation, “When you catch this UNSUB, he will be somehow connected to law enforcement, a cop most likely. If not an active duty officer, he will have been at one time. He may also have military training or work in the security field. His behavior during the crime, demonstrating knowledge of current investigative and forensic procedure, makes it probable that he is presently working in law enforcement.” The final sentence was what sent most of the departments into a tizzy. “He is more than likely involved in the investigation of these crimes in some form or fashion.”

That part of the profile could not be made public knowledge. The unknown rapist did not use a police ruse to gain access to the victims, so concealing Rainey’s suspicions did not put more women in danger. Admitting the rapist was probably a cop could scare women into refusing to seek help or not reporting the assaults. The powers that be only released the complete profile to a few select investigators and kept everyone else in the dark. If he was among them, the department heads surmised, it would be unwise to let the rapist know they were looking for a police officer. Rainey agreed with that assessment, but still thought most of the profile should have been released, instead of the whole thing being quashed.

As she pointed out to the reporters in front of her now, “I just offer the profile. What the investigators do with it is entirely up to them.”

Wiley Trainer came to Rainey’s rescue. “I’m sorry folks, but we need Rainey to fill out some paperwork.”

He grabbed her arm and steered her away from the reporters still shouting questions at her back. She was almost home free, when Cookie’s voice rang out above all the others.

“Hey, Agent Sexy. How about one more smile for the cameras?”

Rainey pulled away from Wiley and took three long strides, bringing her nose-to-nose with Cookie. “If I find out you are behind the stalking of my family, you’re going to need a new microphone. I don’t think that one will work after you pull it out of your ass.”

#

Rainey already had enough excitement for one night, and she still needed to go to the hospital to check on Mackie. Wiley had pulled her away from Cookie before things could become more heated. He escorted her to his car, where she sat in the backseat and wrote out her statement. She slipped out of the vest, glad to be released from its compression of her diaphragm, and found her coat on the seat beside her. She could smell a man’s cologne on the leather, where he had lifted it to move it from the front seat. It was not offensive, but she marveled at how quickly she noticed the manly scent. It was not something she smelled on her clothing often anymore.

She slipped on the jacket and dug in the pockets, coming up with her phone and a small piece of paper. Rainey was about to toss the paper in a fast food bag on the floorboard, thinking it was just some pocket trash she picked up somewhere, when she saw ink on one of the folds. She unfolded the small rectangle to discover a handwritten message, definitely intended for her.

“Profiling the rapist as a cop—not too original,” was printed in blue ink.

So much for the profile remaining eyes-only for a few people. The thin blue line had leaks. Rainey glanced around, knowing he would be watching to see her find his note. There were cops everywhere and the rapist was one of them.

She muttered to herself, “Maybe not original, but I’m right.”

There would be no fingerprints on the note. He was too smart for that, but Rainey would turn it over to the rape investigators tomorrow, and suggest they look at any video to see who was in Wiley’s car. She did not remember him locking it when he tossed her coat in the seat. Of course, if they caught the note writer, he would say the profile offended him, and he was just taking up for his brothers in blue. Rainey knew that was not the reason he left the note. It was the adrenaline rush from doing it. As with the rapes and his involvement in the investigation, this guy lived for the thrill of getting away with it.

Rainey zipped the note up in a never used little pocket and then called Katie.

“Honey, I’m all right,” she said, immediately upon Katie’s answering.

“I saw you come out of the house on TV. I gathered Mackie is okay from your exchange with Cookie. Really Rainey, ‘insensitive tart’, that’s the best you had?”

“You won’t let me say bitch anymore, so that’s all I could think of.”

“I suppose the microphone up the ass comment was you forgetting that you’re working on your language skills,” Katie said, suppressing a giggle. “I’m just glad it’s cable so they didn’t bleep it out.”

“You know she drives me crazy,” Rainey said, laughing too.

“I love you. I know you’re going to the hospital next. Give Mackie a big kiss for me and tell Thelma if she needs anything, just call.”

Rainey smiled into the phone. “I will. I love you, too. Go to bed. I’ll be late. One of us has to be able to deal with our sunrise-worshipping children.”

“I’ll let you sleep in. I have to take them with me to the shelter in the morning anyway.”

Rainey was amazed at how Katie could handle the triplets. She could feed, dress, and have them buckled in their car seats in no time, whereas Rainey would have still been trying to get Weather’s balled up toes in her little shoes.

“Get me up. I’ll help you,” Rainey said, because no matter how inept she felt at being a parent, she hated missing a moment with her children.

“Okay, honey. Be safe.”

Rainey gave her standard answer, “Always.”

After hanging up with Katie, she left Wiley’s car with her vest dangling from one hand. She was ready to leave, but needed to locate Rex to retrieve her weapon. Rainey was looking for him, when she spotted Bobo on the sidewalk across the street. He was talking to a man, who was writing notes on a pad.

“Damn. That’s all I need. Bobo talking to reporters.”

She looked around for Junior, thinking he had probably followed Mackie to the hospital. The SUVs were no longer parked down the block. Rainey had no choice but to deal with Bobo alone. She had a few things she wanted to say to him anyway. Now was as good a time as any. She was almost across the street, when Gunny appeared at her elbow.

“Hey, boss. Junior told me to stay here in case you needed anything. He drove Mackie’s vehicle and the other guys followed in Junior’s. I’m going to need a ride.”

“Okay, I’ll be leaving in a minute, but I need to find Detective King. He has my weapon. And I need to talk to this numbskull over here.” Rainey nodded her head in Bobo’s direction.

Gunny chuckled. “I’m surprised he’s still here after Junior threatened to kick his ass. Guess he saw him leave.”

That made Rainey smile. Junior was cleaning up his mess. Still, she did not like the idea of Bobo giving a statement to the press. Although he held up during the Dalton Chambers investigation, Rainey presumed it was more out of self-preservation than noble intent.

She turned to Gunny. “Could you find Captain Trainer? He’s the negotiator I was talking to earlier, the older guy with white hair.”

“Yeah, I know who you’re talking about,” Gunny said, looking over her shoulder at the dispersing crowd.

“See if he can retrieve my weapon from King,” Rainey directed, already moving toward Bobo, before turning back to Gunny. “Hey, can you put this in my trunk for me?” She dug around in her coat pocket for her keys. She handed them and the vest to Gunny. “Thanks, and make sure you lock it back. There’s stuff in that car we don’t want loose in this neighborhood.”

“No problem,” Gunny answered, leaving on her mission.

Rainey approached Bobo, who saw her and started to panic. The reporter turned to see what was causing Bobo’s eyes to bug out of his head. That was when Rainey recognized him. She could not remember his name, but she usually did not forget the faces of people she had held at gunpoint.

“Well, if it isn’t former FBI Special Agent Rainey Bell,” he said, smiling broadly. “I’ve been trying to talk to you since you nearly shot me, and here you are, walking right up to me.”

“I recognize the shirt. I remember you were wearing a blue oxford, when you sprang up behind my car while a serial killer was stalking me. Not your finest moment, as I recall.” She looked down at his khaki pants. “Guess you had to have those cleaned.”

The smile left his face, and he appeared to be searching her hands for a weapon. Bobo thought he saw a way out of facing Rainey’s wrath and took a step back, but she had her eye on him.

“Not so fast, Bobo. Stand right there. We need to have a chat.”

Bobo froze. He knew better than to run. Rainey would eventually find him. He decided to remain and take his tongue-lashing. When Rainey was sure Bobo would stay put, she refocused on the man wearing the blue oxford shirt under his wool pea coat.

“I’m sorry, I know you are a writer, but I can’t remember your name.”

“Martin Douglas Cross. I go by Marty.”

“Oh yes, I remember now. You were writing a book and wanted a comment.”

“Yes, I was writing a book about the Y-Man murders, but I’m on to something new now.”

“So, why do you still want to talk to me?” Rainey asked, anticipating that she would not like the answer.

“My new book is about you,” Marty said, beaming. “I’m talking to Bobo about his involvement in the Chauncey Barber fugitive recovery, and what he may know about Mr. Barber’s motivation for stabbing Dalton Chambers. Maybe you could clear up a few things for me, Ms. Bell.”

Bobo started stuttering. “Ra-Ra-Rainey, I told him I didn’t know nothin’ about that Chambers thing, just like I told them cops and that D.A.”

“
Oh God,”
Rainey thought,
“I have to get this guy out of here.”
She spoke to Bobo calmly, deciding this might not be the best time to tell him he was fired. “As long as you tell the truth, Bobo, you have nothing to worry about.”

Marty had done his homework on Dalton’s case. “The truth is Chauncey Barber’s nephew—the boy that shot you, former Agent Bell—is in his second year of attendance at an exclusive military school, on a scholarship funded by your wife’s foundation. You were instrumental in having the charges reduced and quite magnificently stepped in to change his life. That was nice of you, but it does give Chauncey a motive for taking out the serial killer who threatened you and your family.”

Rainey had heard it all before. Her answer was the same as it had always been. “You’ll have to ask Chauncey about his motive. If I remember correctly, he told the investigators Dalton pissed him off.” She chuckled a bit nervously, to her chagrin, before adding, “Having spent so much time with that psychopathic pretty-boy, I can certainly understand how that might have happened. Dalton Chambers was a real ass. Hey, you can use that for your quote.”

“Come on, Rainey. Dalton’s murder isn’t the only time you’ve been associated with the death of a prisoner. There was that question about whether you killed Jared Howard, after he was already down on the ground.  And you probably let Katie take the fall for shooting the Y-Man. No one had the heart to charge her, even if he was already dying when she pulled the trigger.”

Katie’s had been a righteous kill and Rainey was not going to argue that with this jackass. She dismissed his comment about the Howard shooting. She was cleared of that charge and the real killer was discovered, but the ‘prisoner in custody’ comment got her attention. Despite her better judgment, Rainey took the bait.

“To what other prisoner in custody are you referring?”

“Michael Paul Perry. You remember him, don’t you?” Marty said, with a smirk of satisfaction.

Rainey knew the color drained from her face. She was caught unprepared and let her genuine reaction surface.  Too late, she reapplied the mask of no concern. Marty saw it. It seemed to give him the nerve to goad her just a bit more.

“You must remember the eighteen-year-old-boy found hanging in his cell, shortly after speaking to you.”

She offered the standard answer, memorized from years in the bureau. “I can’t comment on that.”

Marty was smug now. Rainey probably should not have made the pants cleaning remark. He dug at her some more.

“That’s okay, plenty of people did want to talk about the sad case of young Mr. Perry. I also found some guards at Central prison willing to state they heard you threaten to kill Dalton Chambers, before the state would have a chance to accomplish that deed. But I think the best quote in my book will come from your old friend at the BAU, Danny McNally.”

Rainey was tired, stressed, and not thinking clearly. Katie and the kids had softened her. The thick skin she wore against intrusions like this had worn thin. She should have walked away, but she said instead, “Danny would never talk to you.”

Gunny stepped up just in time to hear Marty go for the kill shot.

“He may not talk to me, but shall I quote Agent McNally’s Grand Jury testimony? ‘You asked me if I thought Rainey Bell was capable of following through with her threat to kill Dalton Chambers. My answer is yes, under the right circumstances I think she would have.’ See Rainey, even your old partner thinks you did it.”

Bobo picked the most inopportune time to defend himself again. “I swear, I told him I don’t know nothin’. Your other friends might dis’ you, but not ol’ Bobo. I got your back, Rainey.”

Rainey, still staggered by Marty’s revelation, could only manage a terse, “Shut up, Bobo,” aimed in his direction.

Gunny chimed in. “Shit, under the right circumstances, I’d follow through on a few of the threats I’ve made to kill people. I guess it would depend on how motivated I was.”

Damn, none of these so-called allies of hers were helping in the least. Rainey needed to move Marty along, but first she had a question.

“How does a crime novelist get his hands on sealed Grand Jury testimony?”

Marty’s smile stretched from ear to ear. “Not everybody is a fan of the great Rainey Bell. Some people would like to see you get what’s coming to you.”

Before Rainey could say anything else, Gunny stepped up to Marty. “Mister, I don’t know who you are, but my name is Gunnery Sergeant Naomi Pierce, retired U. S. Marine Corps. Oorah! Now, I’m kindly asking you to move it along. We’ve all had a long night. I’m sure you understand.”