“I have no doubt.”
He placed the toothpick between his lips again and pushed it around before continuing. “I think he’d be interested in making a move to Quantico. What would you say to that?”
Her shoulders shrugged. “I’d say ‘great.’”
“Well, he’d be a candidate worth considering is what I’m getting at. Assuming he’d be interested.”
At this, Kate captured his gaze. “Who wouldn’t be interested in making a move like that? This is where the best of the best come.”
He cracked a crooked smile. “I’ll remind you that you said that.”
Nick pulled out of the Quantico parking garage at 9:30 in the evening. Kate sat in the passenger seat and scrolled through her cell phone.
“Fisher mentioned you were forging ahead with your profile on the Houston case,” Nick said.
Kate pulled her attention from the phone. “There are still a lot of variables, but I’m doing my best to narrow down the details.”
“Good. He also mentioned the Denver Field Office captured their suspect, thanks in large part, to the work you did.” Nick glanced at her. “Fisher was impressed.”
“I’ve worked with him for almost a year and a half already. Why do I feel like I’m starting over? Like he didn’t already know that I was good at my job.”
“He’s looking at it from a different perspective now. Before, you were an apprentice, learning the craft. Now you’re on your own, taking charge and running things the way you want to run them.”
She eyed him. “That’s not entirely the case, though, is it? I think he just wants to see me either sink or swim and so far, I’m keeping my head above water. But Fisher wants to bring someone in over me. Not that I have a problem with that. I don’t deserve to be the lead profiler. Not yet.” Kate revealed a hint of a smile.
It was enough to loosen tensions between them as Nick continued the drive home. “I have a meeting later tonight.”
“Tonight? It’s already after 9,” she said. “Have you eaten dinner yet?”
“No.” He laughed. “Have you?”
“Well, no.”
“I have to get in the meetings when I can. You know what our schedules are like. It’s part of the agreement with the Bureau—and you.”
“Right.” Kate gazed through the passenger window at the night sky. “Maybe we should pick up some food on the way home then.” She kept her sights on the stars above while her head spun with ideas about the killer. “Angel of Mercy.”
“What’s that?” Nick asked.
“This killer.” She peered back at him. “He’s an angel of mercy. Angel of death, however you want to look at it. This isn’t new. There are many documented cases of serial killers who were nurses or doctors. Killing their victims because they could, or to look like a hero. First inducing a life-threatening situation, then attempting to save the victim.”
“This unsub isn’t trying to save any of them, though. He’s doing this simply because he can,” Nick added.
“Someone has to remember seeing him,” Kate replied. “Otherwise, we’ll be waiting for the next batch of murders. Who knows if they’ll even be discovered? It can take years to find a trail and it’s usually after several victims have already died.”
“I know. You mentioned before that Duncan was working with Palmero to find the doctors who worked at those locations. You have to give her time to do her job. We have no other choice right now.”
They arrived home and Kate held two bags of fast food while Nick opened the door. She set down the bags and pulled out two burgers and two fries. “You want a soda or something?”
“I’ll take some water, thanks.” Nick grabbed his food and sat down at the breakfast bar.
“Here.” Kate handed over a bottle of water and sat down next to him.
He started into his food before noticing she wasn’t eating. “I thought you were hungry.”
“Yeah, me too.” She dropped the burger onto its paper wrapper.
“We’re not okay, are we, Kate?” He wiped his mouth and turned to her. “Do you think we’ll ever be okay?”
“I don’t think I can answer that right now. I know I put you on a pedestal. I always have and that’s not fair to you. I get that. But to me, you’re the best agent I’ve ever known. You’ve been my biggest advocate since the beginning, pushing me to be better. Insisting there’s some greater purpose for me.”
“Because there is,” he replied.
“Stop. Please. Whether there is or not isn’t the real issue. You know, there was a time, not so long ago, when you said to me you were afraid to work beside me because it might compromise your actions in the field. That you might hesitate out of fear I could be hurt.”
“I remember,” Nick said. “But I think I’ve done a pretty good job of overcoming that fear, that hesitation.”
“I’m not so sure. I think the reason you did what you did in Rio was a direct result of the dangerous situation I faced. And not only me, but our entire team. That, combined with what Quinn was trying to do. It all boiled down to the fact that I was right there with you and you felt impotent about both situations. So you walked inside that bar.”
“Kate, I’d been forced to drink with a drug runner. The desire came flooding back and I found it too great a pull on me.”
“I’m sure that was part of it too. But if you had been in control of the situation both regarding the case and Quinn, I don’t think you would’ve come close to opening that door and walking inside the bar. I was your downfall. And I don’t know if I can live with that.”
“I see.” Nick closed his eyes and appeared to consider his next words. “I don’t view it that way, but since you do, I guess it’s starting to make more sense the way we’ve been around each other lately. I don’t blame you for my selfish actions. I don’t
