She picked up the phone and booked the next flight from D.C. which was due to leave in four hours. “Plenty of time.”
The next call was to the agent in charge. “Agent Surrey? I’m Kate Reid with BAU Quantico. I understand you all have an interesting case on your hands?”
The agent filled Kate in on the details of the multiple murders and where they currently stood.
“I’m booked on the next flight and should arrive this evening. We can meet up tonight if you’d like?” She smiled and nodded. “Great. I’ll call you when I arrive. I look forward to meeting you.” Kate ended the call.
The medical examiner’s office in Oakview, Texas was nothing more than an old house in the center of town. It was only a satellite office to the main location in Galveston, and the population of Oakview scarcely required anything larger. In fact, most of the cases involved drownings or on a rare occasion, murder. But something drew the attention of the doctor as he read the newly released toxicology reports on two victims of the hurricane earlier this month.
He picked up the phone. “Dr. Ruiz, this is Dr. Levitan in Oakview, do you have a moment to discuss a case with me?” He nodded. “Great, thank you. I just received the tox screen back on two victims who died during the hurricane rescue efforts.” He paused. “Yes, it has taken some time to get the office opened again after the damage, but we are recovering, thank you. Anyway, this one I’m looking at now, a 63-year-old male with Stage 4 renal disease. He apparently died while being rescued, but what I’m seeing here on this report, well, it concerns me, to say the least.” He flipped through the pages. “The report indicates severe hyperkalemia. Yes, that is associated with his kidney disease, however, his medication list, as submitted by his wife, shows his disease was being well managed. I think the hyperkalemia was brought on by an injection of potassium chloride. The level of potassium was well outside the normal range.” He listened again. “I guess what I’m saying, Dr. Ruiz, is that it looks like this man was given a lethal dose of potassium chloride, which induced the hyperkalemia and caused his death.”
The young doctor listened to the more experienced one and nodded his agreement. “The other patient I was concerned about died from a lack of oxygen. It raised concern only in the sense that this victim did not drown and was on no medication, according to her family. The woman was 35 and in good health. I’d like to send both of these reports to you for review. And if there are any signs of asphyxiation I might have overlooked in the female victim.” He waited again. “Thank you, Dr. Ruiz. I’ll await your call.”
Being the younger, less experienced examiner, Dr. Levitan wondered if Dr. Ruiz would give his full attention to the concerns of the two victims. All told, 35 people had died as a result of Hurricane Edward. It devastated the small community of Oakview. What Levitan refused to let happen was to overlook a potential murderer in their midst.
He stood from his desk and retrieved his cell phone, pressing one of his contact buttons.
The line answered. “Oakview Police. How may I direct your call?”
“Can I speak with Detective Castillo, please? This is Dr. Levitan from the M.E.’s office.”
“One moment please.”
Levitan listened while he was put on hold before his call was again answered.
“Dr. Levitan. How are you?”
“Detective Castillo. Doing all right, all things considered. And you?” Levitan asked.
“Still cleaning up the mess Edward left behind. What can I help you with Doc?”
He flipped through the reports again. “Do you have time to meet for lunch today?”
“Sure. Is that all I get to know right now?”
“I’d prefer to speak in person. Say noon at Rosita’s?”
“Sounds good. See you then, Doc.”
“See you then.”
The plane landed and Kate retrieved her laptop bag along with an overnight bag. As she made her way to the curb-side pick-up, a man who looked like he was FBI stood in front of a black SUV. Definitely FBI. He held a sign with her name on it and she approached him. “I’m Agent Kate Reid.”
“Ah, good. You’re right on time.” He offered his hand. “Brighton. Neil Brighton. Nice to meet you. I know you spoke with SSA Surrey, but he asked that I make the trip to bring you in. We should get going. It’s already late and I’d really like to get you up to speed just as quickly as possible. Jump in.”
Kate stepped inside and closed the passenger door while Brighton sat behind the wheel.
He pressed the ignition. “We sure are glad one of you Quantico folks made time in your busy schedules to pay us a visit.”
“That’s our job,” she replied.
“I suppose so.” He tossed a brief look her way. “You hungry? Did you manage to get any dinner? We could stop somewhere and take it to the office if you’d like. I wouldn’t mind a bite. It’s been a long day.”
Kate noticed that Brighton was a talker. Nothing wrong with that, it just wasn’t who she was. He looked to be around her age, give or take. Average looking but fit. Short dark hair and a slightly rounded face with big blue eyes. And when he smiled, his teeth filled every inch inside that mouth. “I could eat. Thanks. How long have you been with the Denver office?”
“Six years now, I suppose. Something like that. You? How long have you been at Quantico? That’s the big-time, right? Must be something to work with the brainiacs over there. I bet you’re never bored. You must see some crazy stuff.”
Kate was beginning to get the sense that she wasn’t likely to get a word in edgewise with this guy. But she was nothing if not cordial.
Pete Fryer had
