Chapter Eighteen

The relentless rain beat against the glass panes of the bar with such ferocity that it was obvious something had upset Mother Nature. Every flash of lightning illuminated the outside world through the windows to display leaden drops slamming against the hoods of parked vehicles and the asphalt below before plunging the chaotic scene back into darkness. Thunder rolled in the distance, but it was a dull roar compared to the laughter, clinking glasses, and the pulsating beat of music inside the bar.

The heavy bass reverberated through the wooden floorboards and up into Bit's chair. He always wondered if such vibrations altered the rhythms of people's heartbeats. He rubbed his chest at the thought of having a heart attack so young.

Brook had claimed a chair to his left at a table in the back of the bar. The original plan of her bringing dinner back to the lake house had been altered by the storm front. Mary Jane Reynolds and her fiancé had decided to stay in town and join friends for some drinks at a local bar. The Crestlake Bar Grill had closed down for the night due to the inclement weather, so their usual hangout hadn't been an option.

The group was at a nearby table, where Mary Jane laughed as her friend leaned in to share something private. Adam's arm rested on the back of her chair. Unless one had firsthand knowledge that a killer wanted her dead, no one would ever be the wiser.

"We don"t really do things like this one-on-one, huh?" Bit said as he attempted to find a topic unrelated to the case. He glanced her way, wondering if she would rather discuss the investigation. Just in case, he quickly spoke so that Brook didn't have to comment on his previous question. "I thought a federal agent was supposed to be with Mary Jane twenty-four-seven."

Brook gave a discreet nod toward the far end of the bar. A man occupied one of the three stools, though the dim lighting obscured his features. The baseball cap helped with that endeavor, as well. He remained inconspicuous, nursing a drink with an easy indifference that belied his true purpose.

"He"s good." Bit reached for a shelled peanut before squeezing it with his fingers. Once it broke apart, he picked out the two nuts. "Hey, you don't think our unsub has police training, do you?"

Brook shook her head, her long black hair moving slightly up and down as the strands rested over her left shoulder. It always amazed him that she had features that were so different than those of her brother. Whereas Jacob's jawline was square like his father"s, Brook took after her mother. Her heart-shaped face with high cheekbones made for a beautiful combination. Not that Bit thought of her as anything other than his boss and friend.

"No. Our unsub has had too many missteps. I"m convinced he works remotely, which gives him the flexibility to stalk his victims at will. Plus, his DNA isn't in the system." Her gaze never actually landed on Mary Jane, but Bit figured Brook wasn't missing a single action that took place at the woman's table. "He didn't have to work that hard with Mary Four, did he?"

As if on cue, Mary Jane raised her phone, capturing the pink hues of the beverage inside her glass. With precision, she made a few swipes on her phone before setting it down and rejoining the conversation. Bit"s phone vibrated almost immediately against the wooden tabletop. He glanced at the screen, noting the social media alert. Mary Jane"s post was already gathering momentum online…but her location had been turned off. At least she had taken some of Brook's advice.

"I had a long conversation with Mary Jane today during her break." Brook reached for her club soda. She took a sip before meeting Bit's gaze. "We came to an understanding. At first glance, Mary Jane appears to be enjoying herself. She is laughing with her friends, reaching out and casually touching her fiancé's knee, and even joining in on the conversation as if nothing was wrong. Look closer. Her gaze darts to the door every time someone enters the bar. When she reaches for Adam's knee, it's usually when someone walks by their table. And her drink? She's nursing it, which is why she was able to take a picture ten minutes after it was delivered to her table."

"Why even post to social media then?" Bit asked in confusion, reaching for another peanut. "I mean, she has gotten hundreds of reactions in seconds. She'll have thousands within minutes. Also, everyone in the comments is asking for an update on the case."

"On one hand, Mary Jane has to keep her daily routine the same. She can't put her life on hold. That doesn't help her, and it certainly doesn't help us." Brook set her drink on its designated napkin. "I did request that she omit the location tags on her posts. It's one thing to maintain a day-to-day schedule, but there is a fine line between being in danger and taunting the man who wants to take her life."

Bit was prevented from continuing the topic of discussion when a waitress came toward them with a tray of food. Granted, it was bar food, but he wouldn't complain. Just the sight of a greasy burger and fries had his stomach rumbling louder than the thunder. Or the bass. He wasn't sure which was louder at this point.

"Mary Jane wanted to go straight home after work," Brook said as she spread a thin paper napkin over her lap. She had ordered boneless teriyaki chicken wings and a basket of fries. Normally, she would have requested traditional wings. The way she casually kept examining their surroundings had him realizing that she wanted to be free to draw her weapon with ease should something unforeseen take place. "It was Bouras who talked her into staying out tonight."

"Are you saying—"

"No, I don't believe the unsub is working with someone." Brook used her fork to divide one of the wings into smaller bites. "I spoke with Agent Tirelli, and he has interviews lined up with Reggie Hollins' family members. The scope of this investigation is wide. By the way, you've done an excellent job merging the information. I know it isn't easy with intel coming at us from multiple agencies, but I don't want them to have access to our software."

"It was simple really," Bit said after wiping his fingers. With each bite of his burger, he used his napkin. He was following her lead, and should something take place this evening, he would have her back. "I've created separate portals for each agency, and all they have to do is upload their files. The software then compresses each—"

"How is Zoey?"

"Zoey?"

"Zoey," Brook reiterated before sticking the tongs of her fork into a steak fry. She then shot him a curious sideways glance. "Your girlfriend? The one whose parents you are meeting when we get back home?"

"She's good." Bit cleared his throat. "I met her mother. Sort of. It was an accident really. Zoey and I were on a video call when there was a knock on her door. Her mother showed up unexpectedly. I was going to disconnect, but Mrs. Collins must have a sixth sense or something."

"All mothers have that sixth sense, Bit." Brook shook her head in what he assumed was amusement as she chose another fry. "Especially when it comes to their daughters."

"Yeah, well, Mrs. Collins made a beeline straight for Zoey's computer. She started peppering me with questions, and then she kept going on and on about how much she liked my taste in furniture. She then asked where I bought the beautiful antique table behind me."

Brook's fork hovered midair as she waited for his reply. When he couldn't bring himself to finish his story, he took a huge bite of his burger.

"You didn't, Bit." Brook lowered the utensil until it rested on the paper of the plastic basket that held her food. "Tell me you did not lie to Zoey's mother."

"I panicked," Bit exclaimed around a mouthful of food. He chewed for a moment, not expecting Brook to laugh. When he first met her, she never even cracked a smile. "I told her that I found it at a yard sale, which she took to mean that I love those kinds of things. One thing led to another, and the next thing I know—are you still laughing? This isn't funny, Boss. What am I going to do? I can't spend an entire weekend walking around looking at junk."

By this time, Brook had set her fork down completely in exchange for her napkin, which she was using to dab the corners of her eyes. He had been serious about his question.

"Can I get you a refill?"

Seeing as Brook wasn't going to answer the waitress, Bit nodded his reply followed by asking for more ketchup. He would have swiped a bottle from another table, but the place was packed. There wasn't one table available.

"I would advise you to tell Zoey's mother the truth, but I don't think you'll take that recommendation." Brook still had a grin on her face as she reached for her fork. "Bit, you never cease to amaze me."

He waited for her to continue, because it was obvious from her expression that she was going to say more on the subject. Yet there was a subtle shift in her body language that had him turning his focus toward Mary Jane.

Only it hadn't been Mary Jane who had captured Brook's attention.

"How were the chicken tenders and double order of loaded fries you had for lunch?"

"Fantastic," Bit replied to the waitress who worked at the Crestlake Bar Grill. He remembered her name was Mindy and that she had been the one to hand him his lunch. "I noticed that you threw in some extra barbeque sauce. I appreciate that."

"No problem." Mindy flashed a smile toward Brook, who simply nodded her greeting in response. Mindy peered over her shoulder toward Mary Jane. "Has there been any progress on the case?"

"Yes."

Mindy quickly turned back to meet Brook's gaze.

"Really?"

Brook remained silent, and Bit shifted awkwardly in his seat when the two women continued to stare at one another. Mindy began to alter her position with discomfort, as well.

"I'm glad to hear it," Mindy said after a moment of strained silence. "I hope you catch the guy. I, um, I was just going to the restroom."

Brook monitored Mindy's progression to the small hallway near the back, not removing any scrutiny until the restroom door closed behind the woman. Bit waited for any instructions in silence.

"Who is Mindy here with tonight?" Brook asked Bit before their waitress returned with their drinks. It wasn't until after she had returned to the bar that Brook continued her line of questioning and the reason behind it. "Do you recognize anyone from the Crestlake Bar Grill? Mindy walked through the front door and directly toward the restroom as she scanned the faces of those inside."

The fact that Brook would even ask him those questions meant that she hadn't recognized anyone present whom they had already met at the pier. He was confident that Brook had already memorized every face in the joint.

"I don't see anyone," Bit replied after he glanced around the establishment. He then pushed away what remained of his food. He had pretty much polished off his burger, anyway. "I'll know for sure when I get back to the van."

"Where did you park?"

"Directly across from the front entrance of the bar," Bit said before flashing Brook a smile. "Once you told me why the plans had changed, I made sure to load everything up in the van while we were here. We'll have hours of footage to go through when we get back to the lake house. I'll also run the footage through our facial recognition program. Anyone who came here tonight will be run against those people at the pier."

"I think most everyone will match given the crowd," Brook replied wryly as she tossed her napkin into the small plastic basket. "Still, I have to commend you, Bit. That was excellent planning and a reminder that you should be out in the field more often."

Bit wasn't so sure about her last statement, because he was a lot more comfortable behind his computer screens. Granted, he had been in the field here and there, but it wasn't his preferred place to be during an active investigation.

"When Mindy comes out of the restroom, we can see who she joins afterward," Bit pointed out as he took the straw from his glass of ice and slid it into his new soda. He finally understood the direction of Brook's thoughts. "You don't think Mindy is working with the unsub, but you think the unsub might be using others to his advantage without their knowledge."

"Such a tactic would fit his profile," Brook murmured before they both fell quiet, waiting for Mindy to reappear from the restroom.

A part of Bit wished Mindy hadn't interrupted his conversation with Brook. It was rare that they spent time together without the others around, and he always valued her input when it came to any type of advice. While she was right that he should try and rectify the misunderstanding that he had gotten himself into with Zoey's mother, doing so might damage the rapport the two of them had already established over the video call.

"Mary Jane and Adam are getting ready to leave."

Brook leaned back against the high-top chair as she discreetly observed the couple. Bit noticed two things at once—Adam Bouras stood to pull out Mary Jane's chair while the federal agent at the bar casually reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. The man's movements weren't hurried, and no one detected that his imminent departure was based on Mary Jane Reynold's decision to leave the bar.

It wasn't long before the couple stood at the door with Adam getting ready to open an umbrella. The rain was still coming down in torrents, though there appeared to be less lightning than when Bit had first arrived. As the door was about to close behind them, the federal agent somehow managed to join them without anyone the wiser.

Bit turned to monitor the door to the restroom when the air shifted at the table. He wasn't sure how or why, especially considering that Brook hadn't altered her expression in any way, but something had caught her attention.

"Boss?"

Brook slowly set her club soda down on the table. The restroom door opened to reveal Mindy, and her face lit up with recognition. Her smile grew as she continued to walk across the hardwood floor of the bar. Bit followed her progression until she reached…Cav Buckley.

The man must have entered the establishment right after Mary Jane's exit. No wonder Bit had sensed a change in Brook. It didn't help that Cav peered over Mindy's shoulder and purposeful winked in Brook's direction.

"Boss, I don't know why Cav Buckley is back in town, but he had alibis for the first three murders." Bit understood the need for further verification, but he was one hundred percent confident that the lawyer had nothing to do with their case. "I have security footage from one work event, plus two nightclubs for the other evenings in question. The man likes to drink, party, and flaunt his money."

"I don't think that Cav Buckley is here because of Mary Jane Reynolds," Brook replied softly as she reached for her purse. Bit wasn't sure exactly what she meant by that statement, but there was an edge to her tone. Normally, she would have paid the bill with a credit card to expense the meal when they got back to the city. Instead, she pulled out a fifty-dollar bill before securing the money with her glass of club soda. "I need to take care of something, Bit. I'll meet you back at the lake house."

Brook made no move to leave the table, and it was obvious that she was waiting for him to leave. He stood, grabbed his phone, and then removed the keys from the front pocket of his jeans. He thought over the information that had been in Cav Buckley's background check, but the only thing of interest had been a restraining order filed by a woman over five years ago. Bit assumed that it had been in relation to a domestic situation, but maybe there had been more to it than that.

Brook's slight nod of encouragement when he glanced her way had him finally turning away from the table. It was as if she was planning on doing something that she didn't want him either witnessing or taking part in. He could only assume that she wanted him to have some type of deniability, but whatever it was seemed to be going over his head.

"Bit?" Brook called out, stopping him maybe ten feet from their table. He turned around to find that she had stood from her chair and was in the middle of securing the strap of her purse over her shoulder. "I'll be home in thirty minutes."

"Copy, Boss."

Bit understood the meaning behind her statement. If she wasn't at the lake house in a half hour, he was to alert Agent Tirelli and local enforcement. He still wasn't sure exactly what she was planning on doing or what it had to do with Cav Buckley, but he would do as she requested because he trusted her…just as she trusted him.