Page 6 of Say Now
"Sleep first or…?"Claire asked.
"No, I can't sleep now," Alison admitted."I’d like to get started if you're up for it."
"I’ll lead you back to the office," Claire said.
"You wondered earlier if there might be more," Alison noted."I have a feeling there will be.This was planned and personal.I don't know when or who or how, but I don't think this killer is done.We need to get ahead of this before they kill again.
CHAPTER THREE
The FBI field office in Missoula was deserted, which made perfect sense given the early hour of the morning.Caffeine was still fueling Alison’s system, but she knew she would crash at some point.All she needed to do for now was to get as much work done before that happened.
"You can take this desk."Claire pointed to a small wooden desk, completely empty."I’m sorry that it’s out in the main area, but we don't have a large office here."
Alison took her laptop from her bag and placed it on the desk."Don't worry about it; this will do just fine.I’ll need some credentials to get logged into your system."
"I can do that for you now," Claire said.She pointed to an open door on the opposite side of the office."That’s the staff canteen.Again, pretty small, but there’s always coffee in the pot, and any of the snacks in the cupboard are fair game."
"Thanks," Alison said."I’ll see how long I can last on coffee, and then I’ll go back to my motel.
Claire left Alison for a few minutes to get login credentials, which allowed Alison time to get set up and grab a mug of coffee from the canteen.As she walked back to her desk, she felt calm.The empty office did that to her, and she could focus on the killer.She did her best work when working with someone else, but she enjoyed working alone.
When Claire returned, she got Alison set up on their system.Alison checked her phone.It was five am, too early to call or text Derek.She’d messaged him when she landed, but he hadn’t seen it yet.
The double green ticks by the message would have given her an additional sense of peace.He wasn’t with her on the case, but he was only a phone call away, and he would drop everything to help in any way he could.
"Okay, that should do it," Claire said."If you find that you don't have access to anything, you can let me know.Other than that, you should be good to go.You think that the three prison victims are the way to go?"
"I think it’s the best place to start," Alison said."When more agents arrive, I would like to get some of them and local law enforcement to help.We’ll need to know everything we can about Torres—any family in the area, known associates, that sort of thing.Then, we can look into Dr.Kent.Maybe she had contact with Torres after the decision to transfer him.The more we know, the more dots we can connect."
"Before there’s another murder," Claire said.
"I often hope I’m wrong, but I’m often not."Alison yawned.She lifted her arms and stretched out her body, yawning again."Torres was transferred and killed three people soon after.It makes sense that someone is out for revenge for one of the victims, so that’s where we start.When you get in contact with local law enforcement, I want them to start talking to anyone else involved in the decision to transfer Torres.I know from experience that Dr.Kent will have made a recommendation, but the final decision is not hers.That information might give us some clues to who is next if the motive is the transfer of Torres."
Claire stood silent for a second, nodding her head slowly."Sorry, it's just so interesting to watch you work, to listen to you.There’s just so much that I wouldn’t think about so immediately.I’m going to enjoy working with you."
"As long as you do the job, I’ll enjoy it too," Alison told her.
The two women went to work, working through any files connected to Torres.They looked at the prison where he was incarcerated, the guards who worked there, and the other prisoners he shared cells with or was a known associate with.He seemed to be reasonably well connected on the inside, but he didn't have a lot of people on the outside—no one who was on good terms with him, anyway, and none of his family lived in the area.
The investigation into the three people killed threw up a lot of information.They all had family and friends in the area, especially the prison guard.He left behind a wife and kids, along with a brother and a cousin.What they read suggested he was well-respected in the community, too.
All of that told Alison they would need a lot of grunt work done—going to doors, talking to people, and getting information.
The office building filled up as they worked.Agents and administrative assistants came in, and some of them were introduced to Alison and assigned to the case.Claire made contact with the police chief to give him a heads-up and ask for assistance.
With the people filling the office came the dawn, and the office took on a golden hue for a while before the light became more white.
Alison was intrigued by a shout from the entrance to the building, and when she looked over, the man standing there gathered more of her attention.He was tall and held himself as if he were or had been in the military.There was a security about him that suggested law enforcement.He spoke and acted with ease in the FBI offices, but he obviously wasn’t an FBI agent.Alison couldn’t say why she thought that; she just knew.
"Who is that?"Alison asked Claire.
The agent looked over."Dale Kent," she said sadly."Rachel Kent’s brother.He must be here to pick up her personal belongings."
"What does he do?"Alison asked.
"He was a detective for about twenty years before he became a police captain.He's spent decades working on violent crimes, and now this."
"I should speak to him," Alison said."I’m sure I’ll bump into him sooner or later, and he likely knew the victim better than anyone else."
