Page 31 of Once Silenced

“There was a body buried at the coordinates found on the quiz sheets,” Riley said.“It was a woman who was buried 20 years ago—Patricia Warren was her name.Her husband is on our suspect list, but we’re far from sure that he killed her, and I doubt that he committed the recent murders.”

Hagen leaned forward, his voice a rumble of assurance.“I’ll give you a fuller report on the twenty-year-old case later on, Agent Meredith.”

“Okay, keep me updated, Hagen,” Meredith instructed.“But I’m going to need Paige and Esmer at the new crime scene.”

Hagen glanced at Riley and Ann Marie.Although he looked worried, he assured Meredith, “My team can handle things here in Glencoe for now.”

“Good,” Meredith’s voice was clipped with urgency.“Agents Paige and Esmer, head to 1432 Elm Street in Basingstoke.And hurry,”

“Got it,” Riley replied, her mind already racing ahead to the scene that awaited them.Then Meredith added, “You’ll meet Agent Putnam there.I want both of you on this.”

Riley was glad he couldn’t see the frown that crossed her face at the mention of Putnam.Squaring her shoulders, she accepted the necessity of collaboration, despite her reservations.There was an active killer, and personal conflicts had to take a backseat.Professionalism was essential at a time like this.

“Understood,” she told Meredith.

“Good luck,” he said, the line going silent as the call ended.

“Let’s move,” Riley said to Ann Marie, pocketing her phone.“We need to get back to our car.”

The trio hurried to Hagen’s cruiser.After the sheriff pulled his vehicle away from the curb, he glanced over at Riley.“Your impressions of Levon Warren?”he asked.“Do you think that Levon killed his wife?”

Riley turned her head slightly, considering the layers beneath the surface of his inquiry.In her mind’s eye, she revisited the burial site, the subtly marked grave.While there, she had visualized two people carrying the body, and she doubted whether a solitary figure actually could have managed it alone.

“I don’t think that Patricia Warren’s burial was likely to be the work of a lone individual,” she told him.“It needed coordination, cooperation.And let’s just say I’m having trouble picturing Levon Warren as part of a team—any team.”

It wasn’t just about physical ability; it was about temperament, a willingness to share a load, both literal and figurative.

“Unless he was working with his crazy conspiracy group,” Ann Marie muttered.

But Riley still doubted it, her mind replaying the conversation with Levon.It was true that a name like “Cipher Society” conjured images of shady figures hunched over cryptic puzzles.But could a man who clung to his solitude in an imagined reality be part of something as insidious as murder?Of course, it was possible.But in spite of his angry outbursts, the old mathematician didn’t quite fit the profile that was building like a puzzle in her head.

“Then you don’t think he was involved in the recent murders either?“Hagen probed.

“Too soon to tell,” she finally responded.“So far, I doubt it.But we can’t write him off.Not yet.”

Hagen nodded, accepting her cautionary advice as they continued their drive in contemplative silence.The streets of Glencoe seemed to Riley to be passing by like frames in a slow-motion film.By the time they reached the Sheriff’s headquarters, Riley was feeling the familiar surge of adrenaline that came with the prospect of diving into a new crime scene.

“Keep an eye on Warren,” she instructed Hagen tersely.“He might not be our man, but he could still tell us something valuable.”

“I’ll do that,” Hagen agreed.“You don’t think he’ll run?”

Riley shook her head.“He’s too enigmatic, too confident in his own eccentricities.Flight doesn’t fit his profile.”Then she added, “He may not run, but people like Warren often hide things in plain sight.”

“Alright,” Hagen acquiesced.“I’ll have my men discreetly monitor his movements.”

Riley unlocked the BAU sedan and slid behind the wheel, and Ann Marie took the passenger seat again.She keyed the ignition, and the engine purred to life, a promise of momentum against the stagnation of unsolved cases.As the vehicle rolled out of the parking lot, the reality of their mission settled over them.

“Should be a two-hour drive,” Riley said, glancing at Ann Marie.“Let’s use the time wisely.”

“Of course, Riley,” Ann Marie responded, already reaching for her computer tablet.

"You’re right to be suspicious of the Cipher Society,” Riley said.“Go ahead and access the FBI records for any intel.We need to know if they have a history that could connect them to these murders.”

“Right away,” Ann Marie responded.She fell silent as she navigated through the secure FBI database, her blue eyes scanning the screen intently.

As the road unfurled before them, and Riley felt the familiar pull between the cold professionalism required of her job and the fascination that field cases stirred in her.Her hands gripped the steering wheel a little tighter, each mile bringing them closer to Basingstoke and another scene that required her mind, her eyes, every bit of her ordinary and extraordinary abilities.She could feel an internal shift, the transition from one role to another, from teacher to hunter.

“Got some info,” Ann Marie announced, pulling Riley back from her thoughts.“Looks like the Cipher Society has been on the radar for minor computer crimes, and some of its members have gotten busted.Mostly for pranks—digital graffiti, hacking billboards.They seem more interested in thumbing their noses at authority than causing real harm.”

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