“Security cameras?”
“We have live cameras that are monitored by campus security, but don’t keep internal backup tapes,” the librarian said.
“And we don’t know when it went missing. Anytime in the last three years,” Tony said.
He seemed unusually angry about the misplaced file box, but Suzanne didn’t know him well enough to know if that was par for the course. She gave the librarian her card and said, “If it turns up, call me immediately.”
“I’m assigning two of my best archivists to search for it,” she said, eager to please.
“Thank you.”
Suzanne walked out with Joe and Tony.
“It’s about that case,” Tony said.
“We don’t know that,” Joe said. “Why would the killer wait so many years to go after her?”
“I don’t know, but she made a lot of enemies after she wrote that book, particularly in law enforcement.”
“Are you saying a cop killed her?”
“No. But she highlighted the flaws in the investigation, which all stemmed from erroneous information that the victim’s family provided. By the time we sorted through the truth and lies, Rachel was dead. In fact, she was dead before anyone knew she was missing.”
“Maybe the research assistant knows where it is,” Suzanne said.
Joe glanced at his watch. “I have to talk to the M.E. Call me if you find anything.” He left, and Suzanne turned to Tony.
“Do you have any other information about why you think it’s connected to McMahon?”
He shook his head. “It’s odd that all three manuscript files were submitted three years ago, shortly after her third book came out, and only that one is missing.”
Suzanne led the way back to the sixth floor. Kip Todd was still sitting where she’d left him, but he wasn’t working. He was staring at the wall in front of him.
He seemed startled to see her again so soon.
“More questions?”
Suzanne introduced Tony. “We just came from Manuscript Archives. One of Ms. Weber’s boxes is missing.”
“Missing?” Kip’s brows pulled together in confusion. “How?”
She didn’t answer. “Did you check out any of them?”
He shook his head. “No.”
“Did anyone ask you for the files? Or tell you they were looking at them?”
Again, Kip shook his head. “I’m sorry. I can help look for them; I’m familiar with manuscript archives.”
“The librarian is handling it.”
“Which box is missing?” Kip asked.
“The first-Rachel McMahon.”
Tony said to Suzanne, “I still have my notes. I’ll go through them when I get back and contact the other investigators if we need more information.”
Suzanne thanked Kip again, and they walked out. “Are you coming back to headquarters with me?”
“I’d like to speak with Rob Banker.”
“Right after I verify that Wade Barnett had nothing to do with this.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
FBI Academy
Glock in hand, Lucy Kincaid aimed and fired all fifteen rounds into the target. When her magazine was empty, she ejected it, popped in the second magazine, and fired fifteen more rounds.
She quickly hid her smile. If this were her official qualification test, she’d have passed with flying colors. She didn’t even need to see the sheets to know that she’d scored the requisite minimum 85 of 100 points. She may have topped 95.
She glanced at Reva as the petite blonde put her own gun down, grinning. She gave Lucy a thumbs-up.
Lucy glanced in the other direction to where Alexis Sanchez was still shooting at her target. She hesitated before each shot and Lucy cringed when she realized that most of the rounds hadn’t even hit the black portion of the target. Alex was book smart, focused, and brilliant with numbers-unfortunately, she had no firearm skills. They’d already lost two recruits opening week who failed the physical test; no one wanted to see anyone else leave.
“Cease fire. Guns down on the table. Step back from your station and await your score.”
There was no privacy here at the gun range. All thirty-four recruits in New-Agent Class 12–14 would know who passed, who failed, and what score they got.
Carter and Eddie were standing at the two stations to the right of Lucy, between her and Reva. They had a friendly competition about who would score higher, but Lucy suspected they both had perfect scores. The eleven recruits who had military experience had an upper hand at the gun range.
Special Agent Joel Kosako went down the row to announce their scores. Lucy had heard from her sister-in- law Kate that over 70 was acceptable at this stage, because they would be practicing rigorously before the actual qualification round.
“Jackson, seventy-five. Caruthers, thirty-three.”
Ouch.
“Penrose, seventy-two.”
Lucy looked at Reva and smiled, but Reva frowned. She’d expected a higher score.
“Acosta, ninety-eight. Nix, ninety-eight.”
“Tied?” Carter exclaimed. “Rematch!”
The instructor frowned at him and moved to Lucy. “Kincaid, ninety-three.”
“You sure you weren’t a soldier?” Carter asked her.
“My brother was Army,” she said. “He trained me. He’s going to expect me to get a perfect score before I leave.” But Lucy was very happy with her score. It was her personal best on this range.
“Not that there’s pressure in
“Fields, sixty-eight. Dorfman, forty-one. Sanchez, twelve.”
Carter whispered, “I’m surprised she hit the target at all.”
Lucy winced. “We need to help her,” she said quietly. “She’ll never pass at this rate.”
There was one perfect score for the first round, a former Marine. Lucy was the top female scorer, beating out Margo. Lucy was surprised, since Margo had been in the Army for three years. Had this been the real qualification round, only thirteen new agents would have passed. They had two weeks to get the others up to speed.
Kosako, a former drill sergeant, called everyone to gather in a circle.
“This is one of the worst group of shooters I’ve had in years,” Kosako said. “Only a third of you would have passed if this was the real test. We’ll be spending extra time on the range for the next two weeks, all of you. Now, we’re doing it again. Reset the targets.”
As Lucy jogged toward the far end of the range, a familiar shiver ran down her spine. Someone was watching her.
She shook it off-Kosako was watching all of them. She’d done well in the drill; she shouldn’t worry.
She reset her target and turned to jog back to her station. She was tense as she scanned the crowd, trying to figure out who had eyes on her.
She spotted Class Supervisor SSA Paula Kean standing with Agent Laughlin right behind Lucy’s station. They hadn’t been there during the first round.
Laughlin caught her eye, then said something to Kean, who nodded, and glanced at Lucy.
She swallowed and turned her back on them. Put on her ear and eye protection, checked her weapon, reloaded. Focus on the routine. Focus on what she knew.
When Kosako cleared them to shoot, Lucy’s muscles froze. She couldn’t shoot if she was this rigid. Her first
