Annie sat cross-legged on the floor of her apartment, the contents of the thick file stacked around her in piles. Police reports here, photos of the crime scene there, autopsy report and photos on the edge of the coffee table.
In her hand she held the master list of the contents of the file. She’d read through the reports of Dylan’s death many times, but this time she thought she’d put them in the same order in which they appeared on the list. It would be easier for Evan, who’d be taking his first look at the records this weekend. It would go a lot faster if he could just follow along and check off each report as he read it. Unfortunately, the file had been taken apart and read by so many people over the past two years, nothing was where she’d expected it to be.
The photos were easy to put in order. They were numbered in chronological order. The witness statements were a little more challenging. It seemed that few of them had been returned to their rightful place.
No time like the present, she told herself as she proceeded to search the file for the first report on the list. She found it near the bottom of the stack. She checked it off, then went on to the next. Three hours later, she had most of the reports where they should be. There were three, however, she’d not been able to find.
One was a report attributed to Connor Shields. She frowned, trying to recall if she’d previously seen a report from Connor in the file. She didn’t think she had. And why would there have been a report from Connor? Hadn’t he been out of the country at the time of Dylan’s death?
If he hadn’t been there, hadn’t been involved, what could he possibly have contributed to the investigation?
She was tempted to call and ask him, then thought better of it. Who knew where he was, or with whom? Better to send an e-mail that he could read at his leisure.
She opened her laptop and typed her message.
TO: CShields00721
From: AMMccall00913
RE: Report
Hey, Connor-Just a quick question. Brought Dylan’s file home tonight, it’s all out of order (too many hands in this pot over the past couple of years)-quite the mess. Started trying to organize, using the master list as a guide. Found all but three items in file, including a report that was attributed to you. Could I ask you about the nature of your report? Do you remember? Did this reflect directly on the op, or did this deal with identifying Dylan at the M.E.’s office, maybe? Am confused, since I was not aware you had been involved in this op in any way.
Just curious-would like to tidy up the file, as well as try to find some closure. I guess we all would like that.
Annie
She turned her attention back to the file and its master list, which continued to guide her in her quest to put the file in perfect order before sharing its contents with Evan. Some minutes later, she heard the ping that announced in-coming email. She leaned over the computer to see who the correspondence was from and was surprised to see that Connor had responded so quickly.
To: AMMccall00913
From: CShields00721
Re: Yours
Hey, Annie-You’re sure that report isn’t stuck inside another folder or something in the file? Definitely turned it in. Didn’t contribute a whole hell of a lot to the investigation. They just wanted me to confirm that I had been pulled from the op at the last minute and that Dylan substituted for me and why-how that whole thing had been set up. All before-the-fact stuff. Nothing that shed any light on the events later that night.
Anything I can help you with, any other questions, I’m here.
Connor
Annie read the e-mail, then reread that one line over and over. They just wanted me to confirm that I had been pulled from the op at the last minute, and that Dylan substituted for me and why-how that whole thing had been set up. All before-the-fact stuff…
Annie stared at the screen. Connor had originally been part of this operation? Dylan had been sent at the last minute as a substitute for Connor? Why had she not heard this before?
Or had she? In the dense fog of confusion and pain she’d been trapped in for weeks after Dylan’s death, had someone mentioned this?
Maybe.
She doubted it, but then again, there was much from that time she couldn’t remember. She was hard-pressed to remember Dylan’s funeral, had little recollection of the viewing, and none whatsoever of the graveside services, though certainly she’d been there. Maybe someone had mentioned that Connor originally had been slated for this assignment, and the information had been lost in the midst of her grief. She couldn’t honestly say she hadn’t been told. On the other hand, she couldn’t say she had.
She drummed her fingers on the side of her laptop, trying to determine the importance of this new information.
She dialed Evan’s number and was grateful that he picked up on the second ring. She told him about the e-mail from Connor, then said, “I’m trying to decide how-or if-this changes things.”
“I guess the only way to answer that is to know what else Connor had been involved in back then.”
“You mean, if he’d been involved in something someone might have wanted to kill him for?” She laughed roughly. “That’s every assignment Connor’s ever been on.”
“Look, why not just ask him if there was anything going on back then that sticks in his memory.”
“Even if there was, he wouldn’t be able to tell me.”
“Maybe not, but maybe it’s something he can look into himself. You won’t know if you don’t ask.”
“True. Maybe I’ll just e-mail him…” She opened her laptop and debated on how best to put forth the question.
“Good idea. Bring it all with you this weekend and we’ll toss it around a little more.”
“How’s your case going?”
“Not well.” His voice dropped with something more than disappointment. “In the past week, we’ve had three victims. I was going to call and ask for your opinion on this. Have you ever known a serial killer to target different types the way this guy is? I mean, two distinctly different types of victims? This guy is going back and forth between the pampered and privileged to girls who haven’t even been reported missing a week after we’ve found their bodies. It just doesn’t make sense to me.”
“It is odd. And no, to answer your question, I’ve never heard of a case like this one.” She pondered the facts he’d given her. “Maybe I should take a look at the files while I’m up there this weekend. Can you get me copies of all of them? It will give me something to do while you look over Dylan’s file.”
“You show me yours, I’ll show you mine?”
“Something like that.” Annie smiled.
He laughed.
“We’re going to be all right, aren’t we.” It wasn’t a question.
“We are all right,” he told her.
He appeared to be about to say something else, but his thoughts were interrupted by a click on the line.
“Hold up, Annie, I have a call coming in.” He put her on hold.
Moments later, he was back.
“I have to go,” he said, and she knew by the tone of his voice he was wanted at a crime scene.
“I’ll see you Friday night, then,” Annie told him. “I’ll be flying up, then I’ll rent a car at the airport.”
“You sure you don’t want me to pick you up?”
“You might be tied up. I’ll just go to your place, and you’ll get there when you get there.”
“I’ll see you then,” he said as he hung up. “I love you, Annie.”
“I love you too, Evan.”
Later that night, Annie opened her laptop and checked her e-mail. Amid several from the office, there was one from Connor.
To: AMMccall00913
From: CShields00721
Re: Missing Reports
Forgot to ask-what were the other missing reports?
Annie went in to the living room and opened the file, searching for the note she’d made, then returned to her laptop to respond.
To: CShields00721
From: AMMccall00913
Re: Missing Reports
One was written by SA Melissa Lowery. The other is a diagram of the crime scene drawn by SA Lou Raymond.
Connor’s reply was almost instantaneous.
To: AMMccall00913
From: CShields00721
Re: Missing Reports
Special Agent Raymond killed in car ax almost two years ago. Heard Missy Lowery quit the Bureau but don’t remember when.
Annie stared at the e-mail as it appeared on the screen, and a little chill sneaked up her spine.
Don’t look for something that isn’t there, she reminded herself. People die in car accidents every day. Agents quit the Bureau every day.
She began to type.
To: CShields00721
From: AMMccall00913
Re: Missing Reports
Thanks for the info. BTW, I noticed there’s no reflection in the file that you had been set for this assignment originally-other apparently than the report you wrote, which is missing. Seems odd to me. Just out of curiosity, was this widely known? That you were on this op? And called off at last minute?
– -
To: AMMccall00913
From: CShields00721
Re: Missing Reports
It was no secret that Aidan and I were running this-don’t know who knew that Dylan stepped in for me when I got called out. What are you thinking? That I was intended target?
– -
To: CShields00721
From: AMMccall00913
Re: Missing Reports
Well, it did cross my mind. Can you think of anything you might have been working on back then that could have made you unpopular in the wrong places?
– -
To: AMMccall00913
From: CShields00721
Re: Missing Reports
You’re kidding, right?
– -
To: CShields00721
From: AMMccall00913
Re: Missing Reports
That’s what I thought you’d say. Would you let me know if anything comes to mind, maybe something… odd or strange that happened that made you think twice? Sorry if I sound off-the-wall. I just don’t recall having heard that you were slated for that night. Strange no one else mentioned it.
She hit send, then waited. And waited. But there was no further reply from Connor that night. Nor was there e-mail from him waiting for her in the morning.
She’d touched a nerve, no doubt, and felt a stab of regret. If Connor started to question if the bullets that killed his brother had been intended for him, he’d have one hell of a time forgiving himself.
Then again, knowing Connor, there’d be no question that he’d put his own personal feelings aside to search for the truth.
Annie turned off her computer, content with that knowledge, for now. If the truth had been buried with Dylan, there was no one more likely to help her ferret it out than Connor.