Page 25 of Haunted By Sin
Brooklyn Sloane
May 2024
Thursday — 11:26 am
“I never understood the appeal of incense.”
Brook stepped through the white picket fence surrounding the front yard of Mary Jane Reynold’s home. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, though another round of storms were set to hit in the coming days. A gentle breeze carried the fresh scent of cut grass, courtesy of an older gentleman a few houses down. Brook inhaled deeply to clear out her sinuses.
“Studies have shown that the aromas from incense raise serotonin in the brain,” Theo offered up as he made sure the gate latched behind him.
“You’ve been spending too much time with Sylvie,” Brook muttered wryly as she came to a stop on the sidewalk. She glanced toward the rental car where she had locked her purse in the trunk. Theo had parked behind her in the SUV, and both vehicles appeared secure. “Serotonin? I’d be more worried about the risk of lung cancer.”
“Mary Jane is scared, as well she should be,” Theo pointed out as he glanced up and down the suburban street. The press had given up after two days of staking out Mary Four’s residence after another story had caught their interest. All it would take was one whiff of the investigation potentially taking another direction to grab their attention and presence. “Agent Tirelli sent one of his colleagues to the house, but the agent didn’t arrive until after two o’clock in the morning. Let’s just say that by the time Agent Laurel made an appearance, every room in the house had its own incense. Wait. Cancer? From incense? Did you read that somewhere?”
“I take it back,” Brook said as she scanned the houses across the street. “You’ve been spending too much time with Bit.”
Bit and Sylvie had remained at the rental house. Between the two of them, they would be able to gather enough information regarding Mary Four’s surgery to put together a long list of people to interview. Once they had those names in hand, Sylvie and Theo would be able to drive to Ann Arbor. They would handle the interviews, while Brook and Bit stayed in Crestlake.
Mary Four was the unsub’s next target, which meant the unsub was nearby.
“If I spotted the scar on Mary Four’s chest during that online video, then the unsub would have noticed it, too.” Brook noticed toys in one of the yards, which meant the woman who was giving an interview last week probably resided in that home. “A heart transplant? That opens the door for a long list of suspects.”
Brook had spent the past hour convincing Mary Jane not to post a video about this new information, as well as how important it was for her not to change her daily routine. They stood a better chance at apprehending the unsub if he believed there was an opportunity he could reach her. While a federal agent had been appointed to safeguard Mary Jane, the unsub would assume the FBI would eventually tire and send him on his way. In the meantime, it was probable that the unsub would remain in the area to observe Mary Four’s daily routine.
“Sylvie has been working on the paperwork to submit warrants for Mary Four’s medical records, as well as everything related to her operation. And you’re right about the net widening. We’ll need to look into everyone involved in the transplant…the donor, the donor’s family and friends, the recipients who were denied organs, and even hospital personnel who might have held a grudge from being denied involvement or some other far-out theory that caused the unsub to snap.”
“Which means that we were right about this not being a typical investigation.” Brook needed to adjust the profile now that new information had come to light. The individual who they were searching for was someone who had a specific target in mind. Given the collateral damage, the unsub wouldn’t stop until he had completed his mission. “Listen, I didn’t have a chance to eat breakfast. I’ll stop and pick up lunch for everyone. Bit has already texted me twice to see if one of us is bringing back food.”
“I’ll meet you back at the house then,” Theo said as he continued to monitor their surroundings. “I’m going to canvass the neighborhood. This street, anyway. We’ve had someone sitting outside Mary Four’s residence for the past week. She hasn’t been alone since posting her video, which could potentially force the unsub to find alternative means to study her routine.”
Mary Four had agreed to allow Agent Laurel to remain inside her residence as of earlier this morning. As Theo had pointed out, a patrol car had been parked on the street. There could have been several ways that the unsub had attempted to garner information on his target. He could have posed as a law enforcement officer, asking questions about Mary Jane Reynolds. Then there were the traditional methods of gaining access and information, such as a handyman or a landscaper.
“I’ll take the houses on the right.”
“The kids are probably starving, M—”
“You can stop right there, Theo,” Brook warned good-naturedly as she fastened the sole button on her blazer. The dark grey material soaked up the warmth of the sun, not that she would complain about it. While the day was what some would call perfection in terms of weather, the gentle breeze still held a crisp coolness that lacked humidity. “We’ll work our way down and meet at the house across the way.”
Theo’s laughter from her previous warning carried in the air as she began to cross the street. She glanced back at Mary Four’s residence, gauging how far the unsub might have attempted to gain information about his target. While everyone probably had superficial knowledge about those living inside the community, only those closest to each other would have the information that he would be seeking in this scenario.
Brook paused when she reached the third house across the street, pulling her credentials from her pocket. The suburban homes all seemed to blend together with their neat lawns and similar two-story architecture, but upon closer inspection, each one had its unique characteristics. Some had brightly painted doors, while others chose to stand apart with wooden porch swings or uniquely shaped shutters. The small difference gave each home its own personality.
It didn’t take Brook long to walk up the two porch steps and knock on the screen door. She glanced to her left, noticing that Theo was already speaking to the older gentleman who had been mowing his grass.
“May I help you?”
“Good afternoon,” Brook said as she held up her credentials. The older woman remained just inside the screen door as she tilted her head so she could look at the identification through her reading glasses. “My name is Brooklyn Sloane. My team and I are consultants with the FBI, and I was hoping to ask you a few questions.”
“Is this about Mary Jane? I told my husband that her posting online all the time would lead to trouble,” the older woman said as she pushed open the door. Her glasses had a thin chain attached to each temple tip, so they fell against her chest. “I’m Ruth. Ruth Pace. My husband’s name is Charles.”
She stepped out onto the porch, her seeking gaze finally landing on Mary Four’s white picket fence. Ruth’s voice contained a rasp that only belonged to smokers, but it was the yellowish tint on her index and middle fingers that confirmed the woman’s habit.
“Have you noticed anything unusual in the neighborhood? People who don’t belong? Suspicious vehicles?”
“Just the patrol car that has been sitting outside Mary Jane’s house since last week.” Ruth’s eyes narrowed as she noticed said vehicle missing from its usual spot. “Have you made an arrest? Wait. No, you haven’t, otherwise you wouldn’t be here asking me questions.”
Ruth was sharp, which meant that she didn’t miss much that happened inside her community. Her observation came from smoking on the front porch, evident by the pack of cigarettes that were tucked discreetly against the windowsill near the porch swing.