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“But why send this now?” Alex asked. “It’s such a break in his MO. I mean, I guess being on the news may have triggered his desire to get attention, but he’s been so secretive up to now.” She looked at Logan. “I don’t think we should change our profile based on this.”
“I agree.”
“Jeff, let us know what the lab finds on the letter,” Alex said. “Either our UNSUB has changed his MO, or there are two of them. Or—”
“Or this isn’t from him at all,” Jeff said. He looked back and forth between them, then swore and left the room.
“You think this might be the result of our friend Portia’s reporting?” Logan asked her.
“I do. She’s stirred up a hornets’ nest, I’m sure. Maybe someone’s decided to insert themselves into the investigation.”
“I hope the lab finds something so we can figure out who did this.”
“Let’s finish this profile and get it to Jeff,” Alex said. “If we decide the message really is from the UNSUB, we’ll adjust the profile. It’s certainly not the first time we’ve had to change one, and it won’t be the last.”
Within an hour they had the profile ready and had delivered it to Jeff so he could distribute it to Chief Dixon and those gathered at the command post.
When they left Jeff’s office, Alex said, “Hey, it’s almost lunchtime. How about grabbing a bite somewhere?”
“I’m sorry,” Logan said, “but I think I’ll ask Jeff if I can knock off early. If we get a case, I’ll come back. I’m just tired. It’s been a tough week.”
Alex frowned at him. “Do you have another headache?”
“No. Like I said, just exhausted. I think the newest meds the doctor prescribed have that effect.”
“Let me go with you. I can pick something up for both of us.”
Logan smiled. “Thanks, Alex. Really. I appreciate it, but I want to be alone so I can sleep. It’s not really a two-person thing.”
Alex hesitated a moment but then shrugged and walked away. Logan knew she cared about him. That she really wanted to help him. A few months ago, when Alex was in the hospital, she’d been given morphine for her pain. As she’d drifted off, she’d told Logan she loved him. He’d wondered about it ever since. Was it some kind of brotherly love? Or was it possible she actually cared about him in a non-brotherly way? He wished it was the latter, but he couldn’t ask her. If he was wrong, he could lose her friendship, and he couldn’t imagine his life without Alex.
He called Jeff and told him he wanted to go home.
“Of course, and if you need anything, please let me know.”
“I will. And by the way, Alex is getting suspicious. Please don’t let her wheedle anything out of you. I don’t want her to know until I feel it’s the right time. There’s nothing she can do.”
“All right, but I think you’re making a mistake. If she finds out you didn’t tell her right away, it might hurt her. You two are close friends. I’d hate to see this drive a wedge between you. She might think you don’t trust her.”
“It isn’t that. It’s just...”
“Logan, if you think she’ll pledge her undying love for you out of pity—”
“That’s not it,” he said sharply. “That never entered my mind.”
As soon as he’d denied Jeff’s premise, he realized his boss was right. He didn’t want Alex’s pity. He wanted her love, and this wasn’t the time for her to express it. If she actually did have romantic feelings for him, he wanted to find out when the playing field was level. He had no intention of forcing her into a corner so she’d say something she might not mean. It had to be real.
Give me patience, Lord.
“Look, I understand,” Jeff said. “But don’t wait too long. Sometimes being too careful in love is a mistake. You have to jump into the water without knowing if you’ll sink or swim. There’s never a guarantee on this kind of thing.”
“I keep telling you we’re just friends.”
“And I keep telling you I’m a trained analyst too. You’re not fooling me.”
Logan sighed. “I’ll see you on Monday.”
“I wish you’d just stay home and get ready for your surgery on Wednesday. I can tell Alex if you want me to.”
