Shadow Man

'Yes.'

I look off, thinking. Predictable and unpredictable. Driven by both reason and insanity. Great. Still, I felt we knew him just a little bit better now.

'Thanks, Dr. Child. You've been a big help, as always.'

Those sad, tired eyes look at me. 'It's what I do, Agent Barrett. I'll make sure you get my report. And please--be careful with this one. This is something new. While new may be interesting from a clinical standpoint . . .' He pauses, looks me in the eye. 'New in reality is just another word for dangerous.'

I feel the dragon stir at this, defiant. 'Let me give you some perspective from my side of the fence, Doctor. How he does it and why he does it? Those might be new. But what he does?' I shake my head, grim.

'Murder is murder.'

41

UPDATE ME.'

I'm in AD Jones's office. He's called me up so that I can report to him on the progress of the case. He stops me when I get to Tommy Aguilera.

'Hold on--Aguilera? He's a civilian now, isn't he?'

'He's good, sir. Really, really good.' You have no idea, I think to myself.

'I know he's good. That's not the point.' The look on his face is sour. Sucking-lemons sour. 'I'll let it go this time, Smoky. In the future, if you're going to bring in outside people, I need you to clear it with me.'

'Yes, sir.'

'Go on.'

I finish with everything, up to and through the visit with Dr. Child. He takes a moment to think before clasping his hands together on the desk. 'Let me make sure I have it all. He's killed two women. Each time he does, he sends you video of it. He's got a partner. He's fixated on you, to the point of sneaking into your home and bugging your phone and car. He's initiated personal attacks on the rest of your team, and threatened future ones. He's reaching out to other potential serial killers in addition to the one he's working with. He is not who he thinks he is. Do I have it so far?'

'Yes, sir.'

'You have fingerprints, you probably have DNA. You have his recon MO--and your hottest lead right now is searching for the other sites he's signed up for, if he has. That about it?'

'That's a pretty good summary, sir. I want to attack this in two additional ways, and I need your permission.'

'What?'

'I want to take this to the media.'

His eyes grow wary. We don't like the media, most of the time. We interact with them if forced to, or, sometimes, if we think it will be useful. I feel this is one of those times. I just need to convince him.

'Why?'

'Two reasons. The first is a point of safety. The bottom line is, while we're starting to get a picture of him, we can't predict when we're going to catch him. We need to get a warning out there. It's time.'

He gives me a grudging nod. 'What's the second reason?'

'Dr. Child said if he were to find out about the contents of the jar, it would shake him up. Badly. It might even push him over the edge. We need to do that, sir. He's been a cool operator up to now. This is the one piece of information we have that he doesn't. It's a good weapon. I want to use it.'

'He might blow up, Smoky. I'm not talking about this sick bullshit he's been pulling. I'm talking full-on guided missile, coming straight at you.'

'Yes, sir. That's possible. And then we'd catch him.'

He gives me a look I can't read. Stands up and goes over to his window. His back is to me as he begins speaking. 'His obsession with you . . .' He turns around. 'I want you to be very, very careful. I'--he hesitates--'I don't want a repeat of Joseph Sands. Ever again.'

I'm at a loss for words. Because I can feel the emotion radiating from AD Jones.

'I've known you since you came into the Bureau, Smoky. Since you were young and enthusiastic and still wet behind the ears. It matters to me what happens to you. Understand?'

I see the pain in his eyes. 'Yes, sir. I'll be careful.'

And the pain disappears, shoved back inside somewhere. He let me see it, wanted me to know it was there. I know it might be the only time he lets me in, in that way, and I am touched and thankful.

'What's the second thing?'

'If we locate a probable victim--I'm going to want to set a trap. And I'll have to do it fast.'

'When and if that time comes, talk to me about it first.'

'Yes, sir.'

When I walk back into the office, Leo waves a piece of paper. 'They finished the search,' he says. 'One name came up with that same user name and password combination.'

Strange, I think. That they wouldn't vary it. 'Give me the details.'

He looks down at the page. 'Her name is Leona Waters. She runs a personal site called'--he looks up at me, gives me a tired smile--'Cassidy Cumdrinker. She lives in the Santa Monica area.'

'Do you have an address?'

'I printed it out.' He hands it to me.

'What do you want to do, honey-love?'

'What's the word from Barry?'

'They found another exterminator receipt,' Alan rumbles. 'Same bullshit as the last time.'

'So it's a definite MO.'

'Looks that way.'

'Anything else?'

'Nah. Their CSU is still going over it.'

'Here's what I want. Callie and I are going to go and see Ms. Waters. I want to check things out, get the lay of the land. We'll figure out a plan from there. Alan, I want you to stay on Barry and follow up with Gene on the DNA. If anything changes, you call me.'

'Got it.'

'What do you want us to do in the meantime?' James asks.

'Look at dirty pictures,' I say, pointing at the sex-party photos that they've been going through with the facial-recognition software. I snap my fingers. 'Callie. Do you still have that contact on Channel Four?'

'Bradley?' She gives me a very unladylike smile. 'Well . . . we're not still sleeping together, but we are on speaking terms.'

'Good. I need you to get hold of him. We're going to go public with this. I want him over here pronto. I want coverage out on the six o'clock news.'

She raises her eyebrows. 'Already?'

I share my reasoning with her. She thinks about it, nodding her head. 'It would rattle him--which would be good.' She looks at me, pensive. 'Of course, he might come after you then.'

'He's already doing that. This way, we'd be ready for him.'

'I'll call Bradley now.'

The office is a beehive, but I am not needed, just now, as a participant. I use the time to check my e-mail. I have ordered everyone to check theirs every half hour; I haven't gotten to mine for a few hours. I see something that makes me sit up straight in my chair. It is a subject heading, titled: Greetings from the Dark- Haired Slut!

I double-click on the message. The words at the top are the ones that I have become familiar with:

Greetings, Agent Barrett!