Chapter 23
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Despite all the handwringing the guys had subjected her to over the weekend, Jane did get some benefit out of it. She’d read through Hal’s extensive notes on Agent Scott, though none of it proved the man’s guilt.
Supervisory Special Agent Matthew Ronald Scott, the thirty-seven-year-old son of Senator Ronald Scott and Mrs. Belinda Scott née Rupert, daughter of a tech giant worth several hundred million dollars, had graduated at the top of his class at Harvard and spent several years getting a law degree, only to join the FBI, not as a lawyer but as a field agent.
Fast forward twelve years while he fast-tracked his way up the organization. Rumor speculated he might move into another position in the federal government, taking steps to eventually slide closer to the oval office.
Scott had the brains and the drive to succeed, not much of a personal life to speak of, and no scandals or secrets to be exploited. Hal’s extensive probing convinced her that tying Scott to any form of misdeed wouldn’t be easy.
Money had a way of burying family skeletons.
And thinking about money led her once again to that envelope he’d handed a stranger in McGrath’s parking lot.
She was dying to know what was in it and why the handoff had been so secretive.
Had Scott been behind her near rundown at the bar?
Or did Jane continue to see conspiracies where none existed?
For all she knew, her dislike of Scott colored her view on his involvement in the Mazzuca case. Perhaps he was just a bad boss.
Yet her friends also distrusted him. That had to mean something.
Frustrated at her lack of progress and wondering if the OPR would ever let her get back to her real job, on Monday morning, she worked quietly for the first few hours, going through more data Diego had turned up on the victims.
A few times, she felt someone’s gaze burrowing into the back of her head and peeked up to see Gina glaring at her. Jane thought about the woman’s animosity, realized she didn’t care, and returned to her work.
By noon, her head ached from reading through so much information—information she’d already read several times. But in her experience, paying attention to everything often led to the small things that broke a case.
The Mazzucas had to take a backseat to Code Blue, and that ate at her too. Dan Simmons needed closure. Everyone knew the Mazzucas had to be tied to it. Had Sullivan or Williams found out more? And if they did, would they tell her? Probably. She hoped.
“Okay, you and you. In my office.”
Jane frowned up at Rapp, who stood glaring at her. “Who, me?”
“Yes.”
She followed him and Gina into his office, where he shut the door to give them some privacy. As if Diego wouldn’t be watching or listening as hard as he could.
“Okay, what’s going on with you two?”
“We don’t like each other,” Jane said, wanting to get back to work. “Can I go now?”
“What? Why?” Rapp seemed genuinely confused.
Gina answered, “She doesn’t play well with others. And she’s not really on the team.”
Jane shrugged.
“That’s where you’re wrong,” Rapp said. “We’re all a team, Gina. We need to come together. We don’t have nearly the manpower we need for this case.”
“I know, Rapp. But she’s prickly. And I’m tired of catering to her.”
“How is doing your job catering to me?” Jane genuinely wanted to know.
Gina ignored her and offered a sigh instead. “I don’t have to like her to do my job. And we need to be a team. You’re right. I’ll keep my glaring to a minimum if that helps.”
“Yeah, thanks.” Rapp frowned.
Gina left. Before Jane could follow her, he pointed at the chair across from him. “Sit.”
She stared at him, waiting to be asked.
“Please sit, Jane.”
She sat and waited.
“Look, I know you’re here to help. I also know you like to do things your own way. Your insights are valuable but not replaceable. We’re a small group, but we can make do with or without you.”
Without her might take longer to catch their killer. He knew that, but he wanted her to know that as well. She sighed. “Fine.”
“Good. Now I know we’re all frustrated at our lack of progress.
But I think we’re making headway. We know Code Blue isn’t tied to the Mazzucas, but he is targeting medical workers.
And he’s been pretty quiet since the EMTs a little over two weeks ago.
If he’s consistent in his patterns, he’ll attack again soon.
We need to stop him before that happens. ”
“I’m trying, but I’m getting nowhere with victim records or the phone interviews Gina’s done. And her in-person interviews, though helpful, only paint our victims as decent, upstanding people with nothing worse than an overdue library book.”
“I know.” He nodded. “We’re swimming in circles. That’s why it’s time for a field trip.”
Jane caught his excitement. “Oh? Where?”
“To the scene of the next crime.”