Page 14 of Haunted By Sin
“After last night, the killer has two potential victims in Crestlake,” Theo pointed out grimly as he pulled a seat out from underneath the table. Bit reached for his donut and energy drink to move them to the other side of his workstation. “By the way, I listed the wife of the couple last night as Mary Five into the software program.”
Brook had spent a good portion of the evening on the phone last night with Agent Tirelli. He had agreed it was in the Bureau’s best interest to give every Mary Jane Reynolds in the state of Michigan some type of protection, whether through their local law enforcement or a federal agent. Tirelli had also agreed to make the arrangements. He would have another federal agent contact all Mary Jane Reynolds, with the exception of Mary Five, whom Theo had personally escorted to and stayed with at the hotel until the arrival of a local state trooper.
“The murder of Mary Two points to the motive that the kills are not about women born with the name Mary Jane Reynolds,” Brook pointed out after taking a sip of her coffee. She then reached out to the screen and closed down her profile. She opened the three crime scene photos. “I’d like for the two of you to take photos of the crime scene for comparison. Mary Three was the only victim wounded in the back, while the other two were stabbed in the chest. Considering that Mary Three was on her morning run, we can assume that the unsub isn’t searching for something specific. Bit, can you conduct a street view of the jogging trail where Mary Three was killed?”
“Sure thing, Boss.” Bit glanced up from his screen. “I still haven’t found any connections between the victims. One married, one engaged, and one single…the list of differences is endless.”
“Could that be it?” Sylvie asked as she crumbled a napkin in her hand. She reached over for her teacup before settling back against the cushion. “The victims’ differences?”
“No,” Brook murmured, confident in her summation. “If we take out Mary Four, who is thankfully still alive, only one victim was adopted. Two victims were raised in loving households. One victim has a child, the other two do not. I believe there is a connection, and we will find it in due time.”
“Before I forget,” Arden interjected, garnering everyone’s attention. “Theo, a rental car is waiting for you at the car agency. I scheduled you to have it for the next few days, but I can easily extend it if need be.”
“I appreciate that, Arden.”
“I'll be speaking with Daniel Callaghan today,” Brook informed them as she finally stepped away from the monitor. “Bit located the rental house that he booked for the week. His preliminary background check states that he is thirty-two years of age, an electrician, and also happens to be going through a divorce. Bit discovered through Callaghan’s social media that he is meeting some old high school friends to fish for the week. Evidently, he arrived a day early. He may not fit our profile, but he could have seen something last weekend when he was fixated on Mary Four. Afterward, I’m going to place a call to the detective who investigated the first murder in Ann Arbor. Depending on what he has to say, I might be taking a drive out there.”
“That’s a two-and-a-half-hour drive,” Arden pointed out with a frown. “I can call one of the private airstrips. Maybe someone can fly you there and back.”
“I’ll keep you posted on my plans,” Brook said before taking a sip of her coffee. “Arden, anything on the home front?”
“We received a call regarding a cold case in Minnesota,” Arden replied, his gaze being drawn off-screen. “Four victims between 2016 and 2018. Lit on fire, and left to die. From what I gather, the investigation never made it into the hands of the FBI.”
“Email me the information, and I’ll reach out to the caller later today.” Brook’s curiosity was piqued, but she pushed it on the back burner. “To finish, the three victims also had very different professions—teacher, accountant, and sales. Theo and Sylvie, include colleagues in your list of people to interview.”
“Sylvie, will you drop me off at the car agency?” Theo asked as he stood from the chair. He had finished his water, and he carried the empty bottle with him toward the kitchen. “Give me ten minutes to shower and dress. I’ll—”
A timid meow could be heard through the speaker of the portable monitor, but it was so faint that it could have been mistaken for a figment of one’s imagination. Arden immediately began to whine in a high-pitched voice before wincing to finish out the charade. "Ah, damn charley horse. That’s my cue to go and eat a banana. Call if you need anything.”
No one in the living room said a word as the video feed disappeared from the screen. Bit coughed, Theo rubbed his mouth to prevent Sylvie from catching his smile, and Brook merely continued to sip her coffee. She had warned them that it was a bad idea to pick up the kitten while they were out of the city.
Fortunately, Brook’s cell phone rang, creating a diversion. She walked over to the side table where she had left her phone to charge, recognizing the number on the display. The agent in charge of finding Stella Bennett’s remains was reaching out to her, which meant a team was about to start their grid search of the area that used to house the cabins for summer camp.
When Jacob had turned himself into the FBI, he had done so with the purpose of luring Sarah Evanston out of WITSEC. She had been the only woman to survive one of his horrific attacks, and he couldn’t stand that she had gone into hiding. Betting that she would believe it was safe to live her life once again, Jacob had taken extreme measures to entice her out of safety.
Fortunately, Brook had managed to convince Sarah to remain in the witness protection program, knowing full well that part of the deal to take the death penalty off the table was to give a list of victims’ names. Brook’s brother never would have given up his freedom without having a backup plan. Several of them, in fact.
Only Jacob had left one name off the list—Stella Bennett.
Should the remains of the young girl be discovered and her death traced back to 1996, it could result in devastating consequences for Jacob. A trial would ensue, and with it…the death penalty.
Chapter Eight
Brooklyn Sloane
May 2024
Saturday — 10:43 am
A cool breeze made its way across the small lake, ruffling the surface of the water. The small house that Daniel Callaghan had rented for the week had been built at an angle, affording any visitors a picturesque scene of a small pier and a fishing boat. The temperature was set to hit the mid-seventies later this afternoon, but a storm front was blowing in from the west. The threat of rain could be the reason why the group of friends had decided not to get in one last day of fishing before their flights home tomorrow.
Brook's black kitten heels crunched against the gravel path as she approached the front of the house. She stepped onto the porch, but there were no railings surrounding the worn wooden planks. Someone had left the inside entrance open to allow fresh air to infiltrate the screened door. She raised her hand and rapped her knuckles on the thin frame.
As Brook waited for either Daniel Callaghan or one of his friends to make an appearance, she replayed her conversation with the federal agent leading the search for Stella Bennett’s remains. Special Agent Dever had spoken of new methods, recent technology, and the latest equipment to accomplish the task at hand. She wasn’t one to hope, knowing how futile such a gesture could be in the grand scheme of life, but she couldn’t deny her impatience to follow through with her promise to ensure Jacob was punished for his crimes.
A promise that she had made to her brother’s victims, their families, and herself.
“May I help you?”