Chapter 19
Nineteen
“Why didn’t you tell her the whole truth?” Lisa asked. Adrian looked up. She was standing in the doorway of his office again. He hadn’t noticed her there.
“Don’t you have anything to do?” he asked crossly.
She didn’t answer him. Just continued to stand there.
He sighed loudly. “Because she might have felt she needed to come back.” He frowned at her. “Do I need to run all my decisions by you?”
“No, boss. But when she finds out you were attacked, how do you think she’s gonna take it?”
“I hope she’ll realize what I was trying to do. Look, we’re going to keep a close watch on the house. She just gave me the codes for her alarm system. If I feel like I need to go inside to check things out, I can do that now.”
“Whoever hit you was serious about stopping you,” Lisa said. “He could have just run away. Attacking you took this to a whole new level.”
“I know. Look, let’s just pray he’s moved on.”
Lisa didn’t respond, but she had a habit of rubbing the back of her neck when she was troubled. She did that now.
“You don’t think he’s done, do you?” Adrian asked.
“No. No, I don’t. And I don’t want anyone else injured while we’re watching the house. Boss, I don’t think you should send our officers out there alone. How about two cops whenever they check out Erin’s cabin?”
Adrian thought about what she’d said. She was right.
He’d asked Lisa more than once if she might be happier as a police officer, but she always said no.
She loved her job and had no desire to change things.
Too bad. She was as savvy as any officer under his command.
Thankfully, though, she was here and available to him and the department.
He felt ashamed for speaking to her so harshly.
Thing was, she never got offended. She always believed the best of him. Even when he didn’t deserve it.
“I think you’re right. Can you send out a message letting everyone know that? And assign times and match officers to do surveillance?”
“How many times a day, boss?”
Adrian shrugged. “You decide. You know what needs to be done.” He met her gaze. “Sorry about snapping at you.”
“Did you snap at me?” she asked, grinning. “I didn’t notice. I’ll take care of the surveillance schedule right away.” She turned and left his office.
Adrian went back to the reports on his desk, but it was almost impossible to concentrate.
Why had someone been checking out Erin’s house?
And what about the scratches on the back doors?
Since the alarm was set, whoever was sneaking around couldn’t have gotten inside without setting it off, but still, it was troubling.
Had the assailant’s encounter with him run the guy off for good?
Lisa was right. Assaulting a police officer was serious.
This guy had been willing to put his life on the line for some reason.
Thank God, Erin hadn’t been there. Adrian had to make certain things would be safe before she came home.
If anything ever happened to her . . . He pushed the thought away.
He needed to concentrate. It seemed like every time he thought about Erin, his mind refused to let anything else in.
He pulled the first report closer and forced himself to focus on the papers in front of him, instead of the short girl with deep green eyes and a smile that made him feel happy inside.
“Like I told you, the command center is almost always set up in an abandoned building,” Kaely said once they’d parked.
“Why not house it at the marine base, or CIRG?” Erin’s research into the FBI’s Critical Incident Response Group was extensive. It seemed as if keeping the investigation in-house made more sense.
“Not enough room for everyone. Just wait until you see the inside.”
“Boy, you weren’t kidding about it being hidden,” Erin said. “From the front of this warehouse I would never imagine there were people inside.” Erin frowned. “I can see setting something like this up if it’s a national security issue, but a serial killer?”
“It’s not only because they need the room, but they also want to keep their information from prying eyes. They don’t want the killer to know what they know.”
“But the media is already talking about it.”
Kaely nodded. “True. And like Noah said, the press will probably find the command center before long. They’re like bloodhounds.”
“The UNSUB will love the attention.”
“That’s true, but trust me, if law enforcement doesn’t control the narrative, the media will run wild with speculation—that will feed his narcissism even more.”
“What if someone from the press tries to get inside?”
“First of all, everyone must be on an approved list,” Kaely said. “And each and every person will have to sign in when they try to enter. A police officer or a deputy will check their ID. Also, look at the windows.”
Erin turned her head to see that all the windows of the building were obscured with something.
“Every window is covered with brown paper so no one can look inside and see what’s going on. Investigators use dry-erase boards for notes. And computer screens have information that investigators want to keep private.” Kaely shrugged. “It might sound like a primitive solution, but it works.”
“I hope attention from the media doesn’t encourage the UNSUB to kill again in an attempt to gain more notoriety.”
“It might,” Kaely said, her tone solemn. “But to be honest, I think he already has.”
Erin’s gut told her that Kaely was right. She nodded. “Narcissistic personality. He craves attention. Enjoys creating fear. He has everyone on edge. He can’t allow too much time to go by before he strikes again. He’s afraid to be out of the spotlight too long.”
Kaely smiled at her. “You would have made a great analyst. You’ve got good instincts.”
“Some of it comes from being a cop, but most of it’s because of you.
You’ve taught me so much.” Erin looked away for a moment.
She was experiencing a wave of unexpected emotion.
In the past, it would have made her feel too vulnerable, but now .
. . Now she was just grateful she could feel again.
She’d shut herself off for so long, protecting her mind and emotions, she’d also trapped the pain inside with her.
She looked over at Kaely and saw the compassion in her eyes.
“Thank you,” Erin whispered, her voice breaking.
“Thank you for . . . for being here for me. For being my friend. And for telling me that there’s a God who loves me regardless of all the mistakes I’ve made. ”
Kaely reached over and took her hand. “You’re welcome. And thank you for being my friend as well. You bless me more than you realize.” She blinked away tears that filled her own eyes. “Now, before we cry ourselves into wet messes, let’s go inside.”
Erin laughed lightly and wiped her eyes. “Sounds good. I only hope I can really help with the investigation.”
“I know you will. Not only with your own story, but your instincts and knowledge will be a great asset.”
Kaely started to open her car door, but Erin stopped her.
“Give me just a second,” she said. She took several deep breaths, trying to calm her nerves.
“Hey, I’m right here,” Kaely said. “I’ll stick close to you until you’re interviewed.”
“You won’t be able to stay with me during the interview?” Erin’s anxiety level rose some and she tried to force it back down.
“No, but I’ll be nearby. Really, Erin, you’ve got this.” Kaely frowned. “If the investigator who interviews you is too harsh, remember . . . I’m packing heat.”
Erin laughed. Of course, she wasn’t packing heat today.
Kaely had made it clear that no guns were allowed in the building unless you were law enforcement.
It felt strange sometimes, not having her gun, even though she hadn’t carried it for a couple of years now.
As a cop, it was almost part of her body.
But that body part had been excised the night Scott and Sarah died.
As they got out of the car and headed toward a large metal door, Erin’s heart began to beat harder.
What did these people want from her? Although she really wanted to help, she was apprehensive.
A serial killer knew who she was, and he had killed in her name.
No matter what Kaely said, she felt responsible.
And guilty. At that moment, she wished she’d prayed with Kaely and asked God to come into her life before facing what was ahead of her.
She craved the peace she’d felt earlier.
As if Kaely knew what she was thinking, Kaely reached over and took her arm.
Once again, it was as if Someone she couldn’t see began walking next to her, reassuring Erin that she wasn’t alone.