“That would be great, thank you.” Kate grabbed a pen and paper. “Whenever you’re ready.” She listened as he relayed the number and jotted it down. “I appreciate your cooperation.” Kate ended the call and headed toward Fisher’s office. She spotted him at his desk and began, “I don’t suppose you can pull some strings for me?”
Fisher looked up from his computer. “That depends. What do you need?”
“A warrant.” Kate walked in. “I need the med school records on Theodore Bishop and I can’t get them without one.”
“That is a fact.” Fisher shook free a toothpick from the box on his desk and placed it between his lips. “You sure you don’t want to wait to see what Scarborough and Duncan come up with on a composite drawing? Palmero’s expecting one too. You’ll know if we’re dealing with the same unsub.”
She dropped into the chair across for him. “I did think about that.”
“I appreciate you wanting to nail down this unsub, but if you jump through hoops now and it turns out to have been for nothing, we’ll have burned favors. We always need favors, Reid,” Fisher replied.
“Then what do you suggest? I hate waiting. You’ve probably figured that out about me already.”
“I have. But look, our team is working on this. You have to let them do their thing.”
“It’s just if Walsh is able to discover where Bishop’s working, I want to get to him before he knows we’re looking,” she added.
Fisher studied her. “If I was sitting here talking to Quinn, he’d have already gotten the warrant. He wouldn’t have asked Scarborough.”
“He wasn’t the type to ask for permission. I’m not him. I trust in the process. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been known to sidestep a time or two, but I want to be better. I know I can’t behave like I’m running a one-woman show. I’ve done that and have learned my lesson. What I’m asking is, do you trust me enough to believe that I’m right about Bishop?”
“Trust has nothing to do with it. I trust you with my life. I also know that Scarborough gave you a long leash. No offense.”
“None taken. In all fairness, he did that because I am usually right.”
Fisher smiled. “Now you’re starting to sound like Quinn.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t…”
“Don’t be sorry. When you ask for something, you need to be all-in. Don’t waver. If you do, I’ll see that you doubt yourself. I need you to be the type of agent who doesn’t doubt herself. Ever. That doesn’t mean you won’t be wrong sometimes. That happens to the best of us.” He sat up and pulled out the toothpick, aiming it at her. “I want you to come in here, tell me what you want to do and why. Stick to your guns, Reid. Don’t let anyone tell you any differently.” He sighed. “I’ll make the call and get the warrant. But you better be right about this man. It’ll cost you if you’re not.”
Kate stood. “I’m right. I might not have been sure when I walked in here, but I am now. Thank you.” She turned to leave.
“Do me a favor?” He asked and waited for her to turn back. “Remember who you are and don’t second guess yourself.”
“I won’t.” Kate left his office, confident in the direction she wanted to take. Running things by Nick for his approval was now a thing of the past. She’d always depended on him to restrain her actions or dissuade her, or just simply to get his endorsement. She had needed Nick’s approval and it was the very thing Nick, himself, had warned her about years ago with Marshall. The conversation they’d had was so clear to her again.
“I saw how you looked at Avery back there. Seeking his approval; wondering if he thought it was a good idea for you to come along with me this morning. Now I’m not saying that’s what he expects. My guess is, he doesn’t. But that’s how you are when you’re around him.”
Fisher was telling her that same thing. Why hadn’t she seen it before now, or more importantly, why hadn’t Nick seen it? Kate knew the answer to that. When she’d fallen in love with Nick, she fell into the same pattern as she had with Marshall. He let her because he thought it meant keeping her safe. Safe from her own decisions, apparently.
Kate walked back to her office understanding that if she ever wanted to occupy Quinn’s old office, that pattern had to be broken. It wasn’t Nick’s fault any more than it had been Marshall’s fault. They did what men do, which was great unless you also happen to work for those men. It was up to her to decide what she wanted more. The job or Nick Scarborough.
The Riverside field agent, Miles Denton, ended his call and looked across his desk at the two BAU agents who had recently arrived. “He’s here.”
Eva Duncan and Nick Scarborough traded glances before he spoke up. “If he doesn’t agree to this…”
“He already said he would,” Denton replied. “All we can do now is hope his memory is intact. Let’s go set him up with the sketch artist.”
They made their way to the first-floor forensics unit where the composite artist sat at his computer.
“He’s in the lobby. I’ll bring him in.” Denton left the room.
“You two are with BAU Quantico?” The artist asked.
“Yep,” Duncan replied. “We flew in last night with the hopes Denton’s witness would cooperate. Agent Scarborough pulled a lot of strings to get him what he wanted.”
“I hope it’s worth it for you folks.” The man turned back to his computer. “I’ll get this ready to go and see what I can pull from him. Why don’t you two take a seat over there? This will take a while.”
“We have all day,” Nick replied.
Agent Denton, a young hotshot looking
