She reached thetop of the stairs; instantly, she spotted a form hunched by the nearest window,staring out into the street below. The form’s shoulders trembled, and Adeleheard a quiet sniffle followed by a hand wiping across the person’s nose.
Then a quietcuss, and the person lowered their hand and continued to stare out into thestreet.
Tentatively,palm still on the railing, Adele approached. She froze; one foot still on astep, the other on the floor’s landing. The various metal doors lining the hallwere closed, depicting silver numbers. Adele shifted uncomfortably, but allsound had faded at this point. Agent Paige stood by the window, wiping hereyes.
For a second,Adele thought to turn back and hurry away. Whatever was going on here, Adeledoubted her presence would make it any better.
She felt a flashof sympathy as she regarded the older woman. But at the same time, she wasn’tsure how to react. Why was Paige crying? As if in response to the thoughtsthemselves, Paige turned slightly, glancing toward Adele.
The moment hereyes cleared and she made out the person at the top of the stairs, her frownturned into a downright scowl. Her eyebrows were so low over her eyes, Adelethought she might sprain something.
“I…” Adelebegan, unsure where to go. “I was just coming to check…” She trailed off again.“Are you all right?” she settled at last.
At the question,though, instead of softening, Paige’s expression only hardened. The older womanno longer reached up to touch her face or wipe her eyes. Tears were stillevident on her chin and along the tracks of her cheeks. Her eyes were red, butshe stared proudly ahead as if daring Adele to make something of it. “I’m fine,”she snapped. “Go away.”
Adele hesitatedagain. Everything in her wanted to comply with this directive. But at the sametime, she couldn’t shake the feeling of sympathy swirling in her gut. As muchas she disliked Agent Paige, the thought of seeing anyone upset bothered her.But also, another part of her, the investigator, had its curiosity piqued.
“You didn’t knowthe victim, did you?” Adele asked, carefully.
Paige’s glarebecame a hateful stare, and in one wild moment Adele thought the older agentmight pull her weapon and fire. But at last, Paige said, “No.”
Adele raised herhands. “Sorry. Well, we’re going downstairs again. I didn’t mean to bother you.Just,” she coughed, “come when you’re ready. If you need anything—”
“I don’t. Notfrom you.”
Adele nodded andturned, trying to suppress the flush now creeping up her own cheeks. No matterhow much she tried, Agent Paige didn’t seem interested in working together.
She took thesteps one at a time, again quietly, trying to make as little sound as possible.But she’d only taken three steps before Paige muttered, “You think he’s so bad,don’t you?”
Adele hesitated.She didn’t want to turn back. But then again, the part of her that still heldcompassion, even sometimes for killers, couldn’t just leave. Agent Paige wascantankerous, impossible to work with, and downright vengeful, but still,another more nurturing part of Adele didn’t want to just abandon her partner.It wasn’t the right thing to do. She could only imagine the Sergeant’s horrorat the thought of leaving one’s fellow officer without support. Then again, herfather would’ve laughed at the notion of anyone crying on the job. Still, Adelehad to pick and choose which parts of her father’s philosophy to embrace.
With a wearysigh, she turned, her hand gripping the railing, her feet twisting on thestairs. She stood where she was, half turned, glancing over her shoulder.
“Excuse me?”Adele asked.
Paige was onceagain staring out the window, her breath fogging the glass. Adele could see theleft side of her face; her silhouette cut a glowering form.
“You think he’sawful,” Paige repeated, “this killer. He’s killed three. He just killed thatgirl down there. You think he’s a horrible person.”
Adele paused.Was this a trick question? She hesitated, then said, “He’s causing a lot ofpain. I do think he’s a bad person. And I think we need to stop him from doinganything else.”
Paige turnednow, rounding on Adele in fury, her eyes blazing. “He is awful. A monster. He’sdespicable, irredeemable, horrible. Everything about him is loathsome. If Icould, I’d shoot him dead right now.”
Adele hesitatedagain. She wasn’t sure what Paige wanted from her. “All right, well, hopefullyyou don’t just shoot him if we find him. We do have to follow protocol, youknow…”
Paige grittedher teeth. “You don’t get it, do you?” she demanded. “You know what he did that’sso terrible? He killed someone, yes. But you know who is going to feel the mostpain? It’s not that girl down there. That beautiful, young, bright-eyed girl.She had her whole life ahead of her. But you know who’s going to feel the pain,because it’s not her. The dead don’t feel pain.”
Adele againmoved uncomfortably.
“Her mother,”Paige snapped, pointing down the stairwell toward the open apartment door. “She’sAmerican, yes? She’s in this country, but I bet you her mother was scared. Hermother would’ve done everything to talk her out of coming here. I bet you shewanted to keep her child close, so she could keep an eye on her. And at thevery least, I bet you she spent every day calling, texting. The officers foundher phone; they said there were five missed calls. Her mother was trying toreach her.”
“That’sterrible. I can’t imagine—”
“No, you can’t!”Paige snarled.
“I’m sorry, butI don’t understand. You seem angry at me about this. I didn’t haveanything to do with—”
“That’s not thepoint! You think the killer’s awful. And you’re right. But you’re no better.”
Adele bristledat this now, still confused, but angry as well. “Hang on, how am I—”
“Do you evenknow what your actions caused?” Paige demanded. “Are you completely vapid? Isthere anything going on in that little cheerleader head of yours?”
“Paige, I’mafraid I don’t know what you’re talking about. And I have to ask that you—”
“What did youthink would happen? You told Foucault about me. You told him about me andMatthew!”
Adele pulled upshort. Up until now, Paige had seemed loath to explicitly engage in
