Page 13 of Haunted By Sin
“I have no doubt,” Brook said, meaning every word as she continued to pour the contents of the carafe into her cup. Sometimes, she wished she could just insert a straw into the machine. “From what you told me about Mia, she understands our work and respects your time. That’s a rare combination to have in a relationship.”
Her fingers wrapped around the mug before leaning back against the counter so that she could face Theo. The welcoming steam curled upwards, and she couldn’t help but inhale deeply before taking her first sip. As she lowered her cup, her gaze landed on a colorful box with its lid open on the countertop of the island. The jelly donut that Bit had already confiscated had left behind a noticeable void among its pastry companions. Fortunately, she spotted two chocolate donuts on the lefthand side of the box.
“You have it with Graham,” Theo pointed out as he lifted his bottle once more.
“I do,” Brook agreed softly as she couldn’t suppress her own smile. “But Graham’s entire career was spent in the military. He understands the demands of the job.”
It was rare that Graham was able to call during his trips, but he had managed to call her via video last night. They had spent a good hour talking about their views on what constituted incredible modern art. It was silly, but she had appreciated the distraction.
“Have you decided if you’re flying back to D.C. on Wednesday to have dinner with his mother?” Theo asked, causing her hand to pause mid-air, her cup inches from her lips. Fortunately, Sylvie’s sudden presence prevented Brook from having to reply. “Don’t think that lets you off the hook.”
Brook feigned ignorance before turning her attention to Sylvie.
“Morning,” Brook said as she took in Sylvie’s appearance. She had dressed comfortably for the upcoming trip to Lansing, but she had also maintained an air of professionalism with the soft pink blouse that she had paired with white denim. Her pink pumps matched, as well as her earrings. Brook was happy to observe Sylvie’s vigor to dive into work. “All set for the drive out to Lansing?”
“I contacted Mary Two’s husband, and he’s meeting me at his residence later this morning.” Sylvie’s blue eyes lit up at the sight of donuts. She immediately reached for a napkin and didn’t speak again until she had taken a bite out of a blueberry cake donut. Her eyes rolled in satisfaction. “This is delicious. And I don’t want to hear one word out of you, Theo. Everything in moderation, right? And on another note, Bit should start a rating system for bakeries.”
“Moderation is key,” Theo said in agreement before switching the conversation back to the case. “It’s hard to believe that Mary Two’s husband didn’t sell the house. They have a daughter. You’d think that he would want a fresh start.”
“Well, his daughter might be the reason that he hasn’t sold the house,” Sylvie pointed out after licking the corner of her lip. “Their daughter has already been through so much, maybe it’s best to keep her in the same routine.”
Brook snapped her fingers, causing both Theo and Sylvie to glance her way. The fact that Mary Two hadn’t been born Mary Jane Reynolds had special meaning, and it was imperative she cover the profile thus far before Theo and Sylvie headed out for the day.
“Let’s gather in the living room to go over the profile.” Brook pushed off the counter. She made sure to top off her coffee, tuck her tablet underneath her arm, and snatch a chocolate donut from the box before proceeding toward the small hallway. “There are a few things you should know before interviewing the family members and friends.”
“I’ll be in shortly,” Sylvie said as she set her donut on the napkin. “I’m going to make a cup of tea.”
Theo remained behind with Sylvie while Brook walked into the living room. Bit was still in his zone, head bobbing to the beat of his music. He reached up and pulled his headphones off when he caught sight of her.
“Hey, Boss. I can confirm that the first three victims had no contact with each other online. As far as the data goes, they did not know one another.”
“Thanks, Bit.” Brook carefully set her items down on a side table, keeping ahold of her coffee. She would have preferred to have taken a shower before their meeting, but she understood Sylvie’s desire to get a start on her day. “Would you please add Arden to the meeting?”
With a few keystrokes, Bit was able to connect with Arden in their D.C. offices. While it was a Saturday and quite early in the morning, Arden had assured them that he would be available to join in on any meetings regarding the investigation.
“Good morning,” Arden greeted with his usual morning smile. His mustache was more salt than pepper, and he had deep laugh lines etched into his weathered features. Brook was able to detect from his background that he wasn’t sitting at his desk, but rather in the large conference room. Doing so gave him the ability to view the same information on the large 4k monitor as the one Bit had brought with them to Michigan. “How is the rental? I made sure the living room was large enough to accommodate all the equipment.”
“The house is perfect, Arden,” Brook responded as she stood in front of the portable monitor. “Were you able to do the same in Ann Arbor, just in case we need to change locations?”
“Yes, and I also took the liberty of doing the same in Mount Pleasant and Lansing.” Arden’s gaze drifted over Brook’s shoulder. It was evident that he wanted to know who else was within earshot, but she quickly shook her head to dispel any attempt at discussing the kitten. He understood and kept the conversation casual. “I only needed to put small deposits on the other Airbnb locations. The owners understood our situation, and they were very accommodating.”
“Morning, Arden,” Theo greeted as he entered the living room. He must have polished off his protein shake. A bottle of water was in his hand, though he hadn’t removed the cap yet. “How goes the battle?”
“Depends on which battle you speak of,” Arden said with a hearty laugh. “According to the eye doctor, I’ll need cataract surgery soon.”
“What’s this about surgery?” Sylvie asked with concern as she joined them. She usually preferred to boil her water in a kettle, but she must have slipped a cup of water into the microwave for her tea. She came to a stop beside Brook with a teacup in hand. “Can it wait until we’re back? I’d like to be there, Arden.”
“Oh, you don’t have to—”
“Gumshoe, you know that you can’t win an argument against Little T,” Bit warned as he righted his knitted cap after knocking it askew with his headphones. “How do they numb your eyes? Drops? Needles? I heard this story about—”
“The unsub,” Brook stated loudly in an effort to avert Bit from upsetting Arden with stories of surgeries gone wrong. Brook closed the distance to the portable monitor. Since it was a touch screen, she was able to move the video of Arden to the side. His shoulders were shaking from laughing at Bit, who still didn’t seem to understand where he had gone wrong with his questions. “Caucasian male, mid-twenties to mid-thirties. Even if we were working without the autopsy reports, which do happen to indicate the force at which the victims were stabbed with a fixed-blade knife, the profile points toward a male subject. DNA from the first two crime scenes is a match, but the unsub is not in the system. We’re still waiting on the forensics report from the Mount Pleasant crime scene. This isn’t your textbook serial killer, though. Something very specific drives him. I do not believe that he kills for the sake of killing or satisfying some sexual fantasy. The unsub is charming, sociable, and blends in seamlessly with his surroundings.”
“Profession?”
The inquiry had come from Sylvie, who had taken a seat on the couch. She set her tea on the side table while finishing off what was left of her blueberry donut.
“White collar,” Brook replied as she pulled her profile up on the screen. As usual, she had made bullet points for easy reference. “The killer most likely has the ability to work remotely. The combination affords him the time needed to study the daily routines of his victims.”