offered.
Jess nodded. “We go back through the steps until we find something on which to build a profile. Or until the unsub gives us something.”
“This profile business is just fancy talk,” Griggs countered. “What difference will your idea of who he is and what his motives are make? In my experience, you beat the bushes and shake things up until he makes a move.”
Jess took the slight in stride. “We will beat the bushes, sheriff. And we’ll shake things up. And you have my word that when I have sufficient details to put together my profile, we will find him. That’s a promise.”
“I’ll set up the interviews with the families,” Wells offered. “We won’t be able to start until morning.”
“Why can’t we start now?” Patience had never been one of Jess’s virtues.
“There’s a prayer service tonight for the missing girls. The families and friends are supposed to be there. I assume,” Wells added with a glance at Dan, “that setting would not be conducive to interviews.”
Dan had forgotten to mention the prayer service to Jess. “We have a dozen undercover officers and another ten in uniform covering the service.”
In fact, he and everyone seated at this table had to be on site in just over an hour. Damn, he was losing his edge in addition to the perspective he felt confident was already compromised.
“That’ll do for tonight.” Jess hesitated. “Wells, we’ll work together. You introduce me to the families and significant friends. There is something to be gained from merely observing the persons of interest in a case.”
“It would be a privilege, ma’am.”
Wells was obviously impressed by Jess. Patterson and Griggs, on the other hand, exchanged another of those skeptical looks.
“Gentlemen,” Jess said, commanding their attention once more, “I’d like you to watch all significant persons closely tonight. Take note of who’s missing, of anything at all that seems off. We’ll share notes at seven tomorrow morning.”
With that Jess picked up her bag and walked out of the conference room.
“Is she running the investigation now?” Griggs demanded.
“Dan,” Patterson said before blowing out a lungful of frustration, “this is not what I expected. Are you sure she’s as good as you’ve been told?”
Dan didn’t know what he’d expected. He had worked with the Bureau before and most often they spent their time with him speaking in polite tones and offering reassurances. They worked their magic behind the walls of their slick federal building and returned with what they wanted to share compiled in a neatly organized and labeled folder. Jess hadn’t sugar coated one damned thing. And he was glad. They were against a wall here. There was no room for platitudes.
“We need her, that much I can say without reservation. As far as the other, I’m running this investigation,” he reminded all present. That decision had been unanimous a week ago when Griggs and Patterson insisted Dan take the lead. He stood. “I’ll see you at the prayer service.”
He didn’t hang around to hear them vent their complaints. He went in search of Jess.
The corridor and lobby outside the conference room were empty. The offices all locked up for the night. That left only one other place to look.
He tapped on the ladies’ room door. “Jess, you okay?”
“Just a minute!”
The response was muffled by the door but it sounded like…she was crying. “I’m coming in.”
“Don’t you dare—”
“Too late.” Just like he thought, she was swabbing her eyes with a wad of cheap toilet paper. “Hey,” he offered, “don’t let these good old boys get to you.”
He wanted to pat her on the back or hug her or something. But that wouldn’t be a good move, at least not for him. The last time he’d touched her he hadn’t wanted to let go. He doubted the final embers of that old connection had died beyond rekindling even now.
She made a face. “You think I’m crying
Jess nodded. “We go back through the steps until we find something on which to build a profile. Or until the unsub gives us something.”
“This profile business is just fancy talk,” Griggs countered. “What difference will your idea of who he is and what his motives are make? In my experience, you beat the bushes and shake things up until he makes a move.”
Jess took the slight in stride. “We will beat the bushes, sheriff. And we’ll shake things up. And you have my word that when I have sufficient details to put together my profile, we will find him. That’s a promise.”
“I’ll set up the interviews with the families,” Wells offered. “We won’t be able to start until morning.”
“Why can’t we start now?” Patience had never been one of Jess’s virtues.
“There’s a prayer service tonight for the missing girls. The families and friends are supposed to be there. I assume,” Wells added with a glance at Dan, “that setting would not be conducive to interviews.”
Dan had forgotten to mention the prayer service to Jess. “We have a dozen undercover officers and another ten in uniform covering the service.”
In fact, he and everyone seated at this table had to be on site in just over an hour. Damn, he was losing his edge in addition to the perspective he felt confident was already compromised.
“That’ll do for tonight.” Jess hesitated. “Wells, we’ll work together. You introduce me to the families and significant friends. There is something to be gained from merely observing the persons of interest in a case.”
“It would be a privilege, ma’am.”
Wells was obviously impressed by Jess. Patterson and Griggs, on the other hand, exchanged another of those skeptical looks.
“Gentlemen,” Jess said, commanding their attention once more, “I’d like you to watch all significant persons closely tonight. Take note of who’s missing, of anything at all that seems off. We’ll share notes at seven tomorrow morning.”
With that Jess picked up her bag and walked out of the conference room.
“Is she running the investigation now?” Griggs demanded.
“Dan,” Patterson said before blowing out a lungful of frustration, “this is not what I expected. Are you sure she’s as good as you’ve been told?”
Dan didn’t know what he’d expected. He had worked with the Bureau before and most often they spent their time with him speaking in polite tones and offering reassurances. They worked their magic behind the walls of their slick federal building and returned with what they wanted to share compiled in a neatly organized and labeled folder. Jess hadn’t sugar coated one damned thing. And he was glad. They were against a wall here. There was no room for platitudes.
“We need her, that much I can say without reservation. As far as the other, I’m running this investigation,” he reminded all present. That decision had been unanimous a week ago when Griggs and Patterson insisted Dan take the lead. He stood. “I’ll see you at the prayer service.”
He didn’t hang around to hear them vent their complaints. He went in search of Jess.
The corridor and lobby outside the conference room were empty. The offices all locked up for the night. That left only one other place to look.
He tapped on the ladies’ room door. “Jess, you okay?”
“Just a minute!”
The response was muffled by the door but it sounded like…she was crying. “I’m coming in.”
“Don’t you dare—”
“Too late.” Just like he thought, she was swabbing her eyes with a wad of cheap toilet paper. “Hey,” he offered, “don’t let these good old boys get to you.”
He wanted to pat her on the back or hug her or something. But that wouldn’t be a good move, at least not for him. The last time he’d touched her he hadn’t wanted to let go. He doubted the final embers of that old connection had died beyond rekindling even now.
She made a face. “You think I’m crying
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