"Not yet."Paul held up a hand to forestall James's objection."I know she said she wanted to hear from us the moment we found something.But what we have right now is a theory, not evidence.We call her with half a picture, she drops everything to chase it, and whoever's behind Devco sees her coming."
James stared at him silently, thinking.He clearly didn't like this plan.
"I know you want to help her," Paul added, "want to make up for everything you feel you should have done before."
"That's got nothing to do with—"
"But we don't need any family drama interfering with this investigation, no more than it already has.We'll talk to her when we have something worth sharing.A real lead."
"So what do I do?Just wait?"
"You do the work.You prove that you're committed to this, that you're not going to bail when it gets hard or complicated or dangerous.And when the time is right, when we have something substantial, then we swap notes."
James shook his head, disgusted, and went to the window."Funny.I didn't know you were moonlighting as a babysitter."
"You need to understand something.Kari's not looking for a father, not right now.She's looking for a colleague, a resource, someone who can help her finish what her mother started.If you can't accept that, if you're hoping this will magically repair your relationship—"
"I'm not hoping for anything."James's voice was quiet but firm."I lost the right to hope for that a long time ago.I just want to help her find the truth about Anna.I want to do what I should have done years ago."
Paul studied his old friend—the gray hair, the lined face, the weight of regret that had become a permanent fixture in his eyes.They'd worked together for over a decade at the Bureau, had built the kind of trust that came from surviving difficult cases and watching each other's backs.James had always been the thinker, the analyst, the one who saw patterns where others saw chaos.Paul had been the actor, the one who turned insights into action.
They'd made a good team, once.Maybe they could be a good team again.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Kari stood in the parking lot of Southwest Running Company, watching through the storefront window as a group of runners gathered for what the sign advertised as a "Tuesday Night Trail Run."The late afternoon sun painted the asphalt in shades of amber, and the temperature was finally dropping below triple digits—perfect conditions for the kind of training that would kill most people but only energized the ultra-marathon crowd.
She'd spent hours interviewing Jessica Ramirez's training partners, and the pattern Maria Santos had identified kept reinforcing itself.All three victims—Jennifer Hayes, Jordan Rodriguez, and Jessica—had been seeking advice from experienced desert runners, trying to gain every possible edge for the Sonoran 100.The race was six weeks out, and the training had become increasingly intense as runners pushed themselves to adapt to conditions that would have sent anyone sensible running for air conditioning.
The store's door chimed as Kari entered, and conversation among the assembled runners faltered.She recognized the look—wary recognition mixed with the kind of discomfort people got around law enforcement when death was involved.Three of their own had been murdered in the past two weeks.Nobody here was eager to be next on Kari's interview list, but nobody wanted to be unhelpful either.Not when a serial killer might be watching.
"Detective Blackhorse?"A woman in her early forties approached, extending her hand.She had the lean build of someone who burned calories faster than she could consume them, all sinew and sun-weathered skin."I'm Rachel Chase.We spoke on the phone."
"Thanks for arranging this."Kari shook her hand, noting the calluses from years of gripping trekking poles."I know your group has been through a lot."
"We're all pretty spooked," Rachel admitted."Half the people who usually show up for group runs have dropped out.The other half are afraid to train alone."She gestured toward the assembled runners."Nobody wants to talk about it, but nobody can stop talking about it either."
Kari scanned the faces in the group—twelve runners in various stages of stretching and checking their gear."I'm trying to understand what all three victims had in common beyond the Sonoran 100.The more I learn about how they prepared, the better chance I have of figuring out who might have targeted them."
"Jordan Rodriguez trained with us sometimes," a younger man offered.He had a runner's number pinned to his shirt—483."He was always asking the veterans for advice about heat management.He'd grown up running in cooler climates and was worried about the desert conditions."
"Did anyone in particular give him advice?"
The runners exchanged glances.Rachel spoke carefully."Dr.Mendez treated a lot of us.Sports medicine, hydration protocols, that kind of thing.Jordan mentioned she'd been really helpful with his training plan."
The name registered immediately.Maria Santos had mentioned Dr.Alicia Mendez during their last call—a sports medicine physician whose name kept appearing in connection with elite ultra-marathon runners."Did Dr.Mendez treat Jennifer Hayes or Jessica Ramirez?"
More exchanged glances.A woman in her fifties nodded slowly."Jessica saw Dr.Mendez regularly.I know because we compared notes after appointments.Dr.Mendez had this whole theory about pushing through dehydration thresholds to build better heat adaptation."
Kari nodded, interested."What kind of theory?"
"Controversial stuff," Rachel said."Most sports medicine doctors recommend careful hydration management, but Dr.Mendez advocates for what she calls 'controlled dehydration training.'The idea is that if you can teach your body to function at lower hydration levels, you'll have a competitive advantage in ultra-endurance events."
"Sounds dangerous."
"Itisdangerous," the woman in her fifties said firmly."I tried some of her protocols last year and ended up in the ER with heat exhaustion.But for runners chasing podium finishes, the potential advantage is tempting.Especially for events like the Sonoran 100, where managing water weight can mean the difference between finishing and dropping out."
Kari pulled out her notebook."Do any of you know if Dr.Mendez was conducting formal research?Clinical trials, that kind of thing?"
