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The weight of anger and fear hung heavy on his shoulders, but he couldn’t take the time to process them. Not when the team was splintered, which was exactly what Jacob Walsh had counted on when he had directed Lorena Dobbs to insert herself into one of their lives.
“I’ll take one.”
Theo’s mind had registered the faint beeping sound of the biometric scanner, but exhaustion had prevented him from moving his body until the very last moment. He rubbed his left eye, but it did nothing to ease the gritty sensation behind his eyelid. Without a word, he opened the cupboard and pulled out another mug. Once he had filled them both to the brim, he slid the carafe back onto the burner so the appliance could finish its job.
“I haven’t heard from her.” Theo turned to find that Graham had taken a seat at the high-top table off to the right of the kitchen. Theo closed the distance and set the second mug down on the table before he claimed the other stool. “All we know is that Brook received a call from Jacob right before she was supposed to leave the hospital to drive to Erin Smith’s residence. After the call, Brook went outside, told the driver that she didn’t need his services, and then disappeared into the parking garage.”
Graham might have requested a cup of coffee, but he made no move to pick up his beverage. For someone who was probably running on less sleep than Theo, there wasn’t one shred of exhaustion found in the man’s face.
“Bit will let us know if Brook resurfaces,” Graham stated in a way that almost rivaled Brook’s ability to mask her emotions. The man’s clipped tone was a dead giveaway that he was concerned about the turn of events. Brook had never done anything like this in the time that she had opened the doors to S&E Investigations, and that meant that any future actions were unpredictable. “What can I do to help the investigation? I saw one of Alex DeSilva’s men outside of the ICU, but there is also a federal agent stationed near Sylvie’s room.”
“I’ve already been in contact with Alex,” Theo divulged as he took another drink of his coffee. Lack of sleep tended to cause headaches for him, especially after the loss of his right eye. Now was no exception. “Since Brook was able to label this a federal investigation, Alex is going to stay on the sidelines for now. Two of his men are keeping an eye on Sylvie’s apartment building since there is a federal agent inside with Arden. At this point, it’s all about tracking down Lorena Dobbs.”
“Bit filled me in when I was at the hospital.” Graham finally reached for his coffee. “Walk me through what you have so far.”
Graham had never inserted himself into their cases before, but he had been around the offices enough to know the team’s process. Their briefings were held in such a way that information was constantly reiterated so no detail was overlooked in the mundane tasks of gathering intel. Many things on Theo’s list needed attention, but even he could see the benefit of taking additional minutes to cover the groundwork.
“Lorena Dobbs chose Erin Smith as a mark due to the woman’s disposition. From what we know so far, Erin was an introvert. She didn’t have any immediate family in the area. Her physical description is the opposite of Lorena Dobbs, but I’m getting the sense that Dobbs likes the thrill of pushing the envelope.”
Theo didn’t have to disclose that Brook was the expert at profiling, but he had picked up a few things from her. He had also gotten used to relying on such parameters within an investigation. While he might be angry with Brook over how she was handling the situation, he wouldn’t allow his emotions to hinder his process.
“Smith was in her mid-forties, overweight according to the BMI scale, and a brunette,” Theo shared of the facts so far. “Dobbs is the complete opposite—mid-twenties, thin, and ashen blonde hair. I can only presume that she has been monitoring every single one of us, looking for a way into our lives without us ever truly noticing her. Nigel Deering’s compassionate release offered Dobbs the entry that she had been searching for, but I don’t believe she wanted to be discovered this early. She was waiting for something…or someone. Stabbing Sylvie wasn’t meant to happen. At least, not now.”
“Are you sure about that? How would Jacob know to call Brook otherwise? Either the date was preplanned, or Dobbs was able to get word through to someone working at the federal prison.” Graham rested his forearm on the table. From his pristine suit and starched white dress shirt, one would never know that he had traveled from the West Coast to the East Coast in the past twelve hours. Everything about the man screamed military. “Bit informed me that Erin Smith’s body was discovered in her garage.”
“Smith had been stabbed to death, but the timeframe is in question due to her body being stored in a deep freezer.”
Theo had walked through the residence hours ago, and the place had been a mess. Dirty dishes had been everywhere, clothes had been strewn across the bedroom floor, and garbage had basically been scattered across the main floor of the residence. Forensics had taken what they had needed, and they had left the rest.
“Profile?”
“Lorena Dobbs is impulsive.” Theo turned the mug on the table as he shared his thoughts. “Her behavior is erratic. She also possesses an innate sense of survival instincts that have somehow managed to help her evade authorities.”
“Bit mentioned that Dobbs was previously listed as a missing person, but her status has now been updated to a suspect in her parents’ deaths.” Graham glanced at the coffee machine when a high-pitched sound indicated that the brewing process had been completed. “She clearly has the mental capacity to manipulate a crime scene.”
“We know that Jacob was in Idaho when he attempted to track down Sarah Evanston. The only thing that makes sense is that Jacob somehow stumbled across Dobbs during that time, and he somehow convinced Dobbs to help him.” Theo couldn’t fathom how two killers had stumbled upon one another in Idaho. “I’m guessing that Dobbs was attempting to find out everything she could on Evanston’s status. Once Dobbs had the information in hand, maybe Jacob instructed her to take off the proverbial collar and leash.”
In a long string of murders committed by Jacob Walsh, there had only been one surviving victim—Sarah Evanston.
The team had been standing outside of a small B&B on the day Evanston had been attacked by Jacob. Their presence had been the only reason that Evanston had survived such a brutal assault.
Brook had been the first to suspect that Jacob had retaliated against the reporter for attempting to compare him to another serial killer. When they had finally reached Sarah’s room, she had barely been breathing, and most of the flesh had been sliced off her facial bones. Witness protection had been the only viable option for Sarah Evanston, because Jacob’s profile suggested he wouldn’t stop until he successfully ended her life.
“I can see such behavior as being the reason Jacob chose Dobbs, especially after crossing paths with her.” Graham stood and walked to the counter. He returned with the carafe, and he didn’t reclaim his seat or resume the conversation until he had topped off their mugs. “Jacob would have needed someone like Dobbs—cunning and deadly. Someone without a conscience. If we go on those assumptions, the only remaining question is how Jacob knew that Sylvie had been attacked last night.”
There were still a lot of discoveries to be made about the investigation. First and foremost, had Dobbs left the city? She could have remained in the area, not finished with her mission of carrying out Jacob’s requests.
Did Jacob want each one of them dead to prove a point to his sister?
“Listen, Bit has enough on his plate without worrying about Jacob. Bit is sitting vigil at Sylvie’s bedside. He won’t leave her side, but he also refuses to sleep. He’s too afraid that he’ll miss an alert from one of his applications.” Graham took a healthy drink of his coffee now that the beverage had time to cool. Theo had a gut feeling that Graham wasn’t going to sit on his hands while Brook was out there somewhere alone. “I’ll stop by the prison and see what I can find out from Jacob. In the meantime, Bit’s sister should be here in about five minutes. He is sending her here to collect some more equipment so that he can keep working from Sylvie’s hospital room. The hospital staff isn’t too happy about it, but I spoke with the medical director myself. Bit should no longer run into interference.”
Theo had reservations about Graham paying Jacob a visit in prison. Brook wouldn’t want Graham anywhere near Jacob. While her brother had never veered from his profile, there was no telling what Jacob would do if he were to get even a hint of Brook being in a relationship. As far as Theo was aware, Jacob only knew of their business arrangement.
“I know what I’m doing, Neville.”
“I never said you didn’t, General.”
“We’re past titles, and you know it.” Graham slammed down the rest of the contents in his mug before he stood from his chair. There was an edge to the man that warned others not to cross him. Theo had no doubt that Graham was in control of his emotions. Somehow, such restraint made him even more dangerous. “If you have something to say, say it.”
