Chapter Two

The smooth, steady purr of the SUV"s tires created a comforting rhythm against the freshly laid asphalt. The vibrant scenery of the highway was nothing but a blur of mixed greens and blues, framed by the tinted windows that kept the sun"s rays at bay. No one could have asked for a more beautiful May day—not too hot to be uncomfortable, but not too cold to require coats.

Unfortunately, the perfect weather brought to mind Stella Bennett and the summer of 1996. The theories surrounding the girl"s disappearance were something that Brook could do without this morning.

She glanced toward the map on the infotainment display. According to the directions listed on the left-hand side of the screen, they were still many miles away from their exit. She pressed the cruise control button so that she could stretch her legs.

"Do you think it was a dream or a memory?" Sylvie Deering asked from the passenger side seat. She had exchanged her usual, black-rimmed glasses for a pair of oversized prescription sunglasses. Her blonde hair was pulled back in its usual bun, but some of the strands had escaped to frame the right side of her face. No one would ever have guessed that she had a brush with death three months ago. "I mean, it wouldn"t be a stretch to assume you buried a lot of unpleasant memories from back then."

"I wish I knew the answer," Brook responded truthfully as she rubbed her left thigh. She had run for an additional mile during her morning jog before being driven to the airport. She had been distracted by the possible direction the search could go for Stella Bennett"s remains. "There is a good chance it was both a dream and a memory. We know that Stella was with her uncle during that summer, and we know their campsite wasn"t too far from the location of my summer camp. I could have seen Stella from a distance. I could have spoken to her. Or…my mind is trying to fill in the blanks."

"You would think with what we see on a daily basis that it wouldn"t surprise me a boy so young could commit murder." Sylvie closed the lid of her laptop, which she had been using to research their most recent case that had nothing to do with Stella Bennett. The hot spot on Sylvie"s phone had provided an adequate signal strength for the most part. "If Stella was Jacob"s first victim, he would have only been eleven years old when he killed her."

By all intents and purposes, Jacob Matthew Walsh had been a sweet boy raised by two loving parents in a quiet suburban neighborhood. Before that fateful summer, he had been surrounded by friends, played football, and doted on his baby sister. He had been…normal.

Or so Brook had thought at the time.

The mind was a fickle thing when it came to drawing conclusions, and she wasn"t so sure there was any credibility to her memories. The one hard truth Brook couldn"t deny was that her brother was a serial killer.

"I spoke to the federal agent leading the grid search, and he"s going to concentrate on the campground in the coming weeks." Brook checked her review mirror out of habit. Since it was well past the morning rush hour, there weren"t that many vehicles on the highway. "The search team has been focused on the site where Stella"s uncle set up camp back then, but what if Jacob somehow managed to drag Stella"s body back to a setting where he was most comfortable? It"s worth checking out."

Brook noticed immediately when Sylvie straightened her shoulders and rested a hand over her abdomen. It was as if she had suddenly experienced a sharp pain. She hadn"t complained once during her recovery, and her most recent doctor appointment had provided her an all-clear for field duty. Such official clearance didn't mean that Brook wouldn't keep a close eye on Sylvie in the coming weeks.

"I"m fine, you know," Sylvie muttered in displeasure as she reached for her computer bag behind Brook"s seat. "I don"t want to be handled with kid gloves, Brook. I"m in better shape now than before the attack."

Brook believed Sylvie"s statement to be accurate, but only in the physical sense. Her mental well-being was for another discussion altogether.

There wasn"t one aspect of Brook"s life that hadn't been stained by her brother"s sins. While Jacob was currently behind bars in federal prison, he had still managed to set plans in motion that would secure his freedom. One of those plans had backfired recently, and Sylvie had been on the receiving end of an attack by one of Jacob"s unhinged followers.

For that matter, so had Brook.

She forced herself to stop massaging her left thigh before Sylvie could turn the conversation to Brook"s own recovery. The scar tissue was still tender and angry beneath her fingers, and there was no denying that the blade of the knife had severed more nerves than she had originally thought. She still found herself waking up in the middle of the night from the sharp, burning pain, which meant Sylvie experienced the same on a nightly basis...or worse.

The ringing of Brook"s phone emanated from the speaker system of the SUV. She had connected her phone to the vehicle"s Bluetooth, so she was able to answer with a press of the button on the steering wheel.

"Sloane."

"This is Special Agent Rick Tirelli." The federal agent"s deep voice contained a slight Boston accent, but the phone number on the display had a Michigan area code. "Listen, you might want to reschedule your morning plans. There are media vans parked in front of Mary Jane Reynolds" house. Two local, and one national. It wouldn"t surprise me if more camera crews are on the way after her video went viral yesterday."

It was clear from Agent Tirelli"s tone that he didn"t appreciate the way Miss Reynolds had handled her situation, but fear was a powerful motivator. The woman should be afforded some leeway, especially given that three other women with the same name had lost their lives in what could only be described as gruesome deaths.

"Are you at Miss Reynolds' residence right now, Agent Tirelli?"

"No. One of the local deputies gave me a heads up."

"While I appreciate the warning, my colleague and I will keep the appointment we have scheduled with Miss Reynolds," Brook replied as she turned off the vehicle"s cruise control. She pressed the gas pedal so as not to lose speed while activating her turn signal. Their exit was just up ahead. "I"ll keep you apprised of the meeting, as well as provide you with an address as to where my team and I will be staying for the time being."

"Don"t say I didn"t warn you, Sloane."

Brook"s previous experience as a former federal profiler hadn"t seen her in the field often, but that had changed drastically when she handed in her resignation years ago. She was now part owner and operator of SE Investigations, Inc. The private investigative firm had not initially been set up to consult on serial cases for the Bureau, but the direction of the firm had been altered early on in the firm"s infancy.

The offices of SE Investigations were located in Washington, D.C., and the firm employed several other team members who had become like family to Brook over the years. Considering that she had basically isolated herself from everyone to concentrate on hunting her brother, it spoke a lot to her colleagues" characters that she viewed life differently now.

"Do you know him?" Sylvie asked about Agent Tirelli after Brook had disconnected the call. Sylvie fastened the flap of her laptop bag before lifting it over the middle console to store it in the backseat. "Personally, I mean?"

"No." Brook eased off the gas as she guided the SUV toward the exit. "I read Agent Tirelli"s file on the flight here, though. He seems to be a solid agent. He is merely a point of contact. We have full reign over the investigation."

Brook gently pressed on the brake pedal, bringing the vehicle to a smooth stop at the intersection. She had turned off the annoying voice programmed into the GPS, but the directions were clearly instructing her to turn left. She had a different plan in mind. The gas station on the right side of the highway not only promised a quick break for both herself and Sylvie but also the ability to make contact with Theo and Bit.

Theo Neville and Bobby "Bit" Nowacki were driving the firm"s Mercedes Sprinter Technical Van outfitted with everything the firm would need while in the field. Bit was the firm"s tech specialist, and he had spent months putting together a mobile office with top-of-the-line surveillance equipment. The van had been a game-changer for the team when on field assignments.

Whereas Theo and Sylvie were both former federal agents, Bit had learned everything in his specialty through life experiences. Not all of them had been on the right side of the law, either. Brook couldn"t pass judgment considering the extreme measures she had taken over the years in her search for Jacob.

"Go ahead and use the restroom," Brook instructed as she deftly pulled the SUV parallel to a gas pump before cutting the engine. "I"ll top off the tank."

Brook unfastened her seat belt before grabbing her cell phone. The corporate credit card she needed to purchase fuel was in the sleeve of her phone case. By the time she had swiped her card, removed the gas cap, and inserted the nozzle into the gas tank opening, Sylvie was already inside the convenience store. Brook took advantage of her time alone and accessed her speed dial list. She pressed her thumb firmly on the second name listed on the display.

"We"re so switching places next time," Theo said in irritation without any preamble. "This entire van smells like onions, and we've only been on the road for the past hour."

"Hey, Boss!"

Brook ignored the sideways glare she received from the male subject on the other side of the pump. She was well aware that she shouldn"t be on her cell phone while pumping gas. Pulling on the handle, she opened the driver"s side door and climbed in behind the steering wheel. The SUV had a large fuel tank, and she could monitor the intake from her seat.

"Sylvie is doing just fine," Brook stated, answering the unspoken question from both Theo and Bit. They were both worried about Sylvie, and their concern was very valid. "We"re at a gas station, maybe eight miles from Mary Jane Reynolds" neighborhood."

"I"m switching to video," Theo advised, prompting Brook to pull the phone away from her ear. Theo"s face suddenly came into view, and his position in the passenger seat told her that Bit was driving the van. No wonder Theo wasn"t in the best of moods. "Arden is all set to pick up the kitten this weekend."

Arden Hinnish was a former private investigator who manned the offices of SE Investigations when the team was called out into the field. At sixty-eight years of age, his experience offered a different perspective, albeit a welcome one. He had also become a father figure to those at the firm, and it had been his idea that had put the entire pet idea into motion.

"We have no idea how long this investigation will take," Brook pointed out as she sat sideways in the seat. The tank was only half full. In her opinion, so was the plan to pick out a kitten without Sylvie"s knowledge. "We could be here for weeks, Theo."

Brook understood that the team wanted to ensure Sylvie was okay after losing her father to pancreatic cancer. She had also mentioned several times that she wanted a kitten to come home to after working the types of caseloads the firm dealt with daily, but the travel involved was an obstacle that couldn"t be overlooked.

"Arden has already declared himself the uncle of said furball, and he already has plans in place to take the kitten home with him when we're required to travel out of the city." Theo readjusted his hold on the phone so that Brook had a better view of his good eye. The black patch covering his right eye had been the result of an injury sustained in the field during his tenure with the Bureau. In her opinion, the impairment caused others to underestimate his abilities. "Sylvie needs this, Brook."

Considering that Brook didn"t always read certain situations correctly when it came to others" personal lives, she had made the conscious decision to leave it in the hands of the others. She wouldn"t change her mind now, which was why she chose to change the subject.

"Fine," Brook muttered as she stepped out of the SUV. "Hold on a second."

She set her cell phone in the seat so that she could remove the nozzle and replace the gas cap. The male subject across from her was now using the squeegee to clean his windows, and Brook didn"t want him to hear the rest of the conversation. Once she had taken the receipt and stored it on the side of the door for safekeeping, she picked up the phone to reclaim her seat.

"...too close. If the guy brakes, we"re going to..." Theo was now holding the phone with one hand while resting his palm on the ceiling of the van with the other. "Bit, go around him. Do you want me to drive? I can..."

Brook spotted Sylvie walking back toward the SUV. She was casually scanning those individuals standing at the gas pumps, but there was also an alertness in her body language that hadn"t been there before her attack.

"Is there anything that Sylvie and I should know before we meet with Mary Jane Reynolds?" Brook asked as she guided their conversation toward the case. "Agent Tirelli called a little while ago to inform us that her video had done its job. The press is already camped out in front of her house."

"I just received the file on the third victim," Theo replied right as Sylvie opened the passenger side door. She hoisted herself into the seat with ease. "I"ve also put in a request for the local authorities to send all evidence to our forensics lab for retesting. I"ve designated the chain of emails numerically so there won"t be any confusion."

"Did you know that there are over four thousand Mary Jane Reynolds in the country?" Bit chimed in, much to Theo"s dismay if his expression was anything to go by. He muttered something about paying attention to the road, but Bit must have caught sight of the screen. "Hey, Little T! Gumshoe found us a rental on a lake. He"ll be sending you the address shortly."

Bit"s propensity for nicknames was endearing unless he didn"t like someone. Fortunately for the team, he had given them accurate monikers. While Bit referred to Theo as Big T due to the man"s muscular frame, Sylvie"s was Little T for her love of tea. Gumshoe was simply an old reference to what people used to call private investigators back in the day, and it suited Arden perfectly. As for Brook"s nickname, only Bit was able to get away with calling her Boss. She didn"t view herself as such, because they all contributed their talents equally to their cases.

"I"ll start drafting a profile of the unsub once we set up shop at the rental tonight," Brook said with a hint of annoyance. She didn"t like working out of sync, but this case wasn"t a typical serial investigation. "I reviewed what files Arden was able to upload into our software system. On the surface, the two common denominators between the victims are their names and their state of residence."

"Mary Jane Reynolds." Sylvie had also read over the uploaded reports on their flight to Michigan, and her memory was close to eidetic. "All three Mary Janes were stabbed to death. Mary One was murdered last October at her residence in Ann Arbor. Mary Two was killed inside her home located in a neighborhood outside of Lansing this past January. And Mary Three's body was discovered on the side of a jogging trail near her parents" home in Mount Pleasant last month. Brook has her work cut out for her on the profile due to several factors. The unsub doesn"t seem to care about race, age, profession, physical attributes, or even societal classes. Basically, we are left with no pattern except for the method of killing."

The root of the problem lay in the fact that these three murders were now inextricably tied together by the powerful influence of social media. All it had taken was one person to post a comment in a thread regarding the odd coincidence of the names to spark a ton of conspiracy theories. The local police in each of the cities had been working tirelessly to solve their individual cases, but they didn"t have the manpower needed to form a task force. Now that a third victim with the same name and cause of death had emerged, the FBI had been forced to act quickly, especially given the most recent scrutiny.

"Maybe you should let Theo drive for a while, Bit," Brook suggested much to Theo"s apparent relief. "You can start to create an application that compares the victims" information side by side as we collect data. There must be similarities between the victims that were overlooked at first glance."

"We"ll start by interviewing Mary Four," Sylvie advised Theo and Bit as she reached for her seat belt.

"Why are we giving Mary Four a number?" Bit asked over the sound of his blinker. He was taking Brook"s advice, which had prompted Theo to remove his hand from the ceiling overhead. "She"s not dead yet. Plus, she took advantage of her name to gain notoriety on social media. How do we even know we"re in the right town to solve this case? The killer could easily still be in Mount Pleasant. Not to mention that there are still sixteen other women listed as potential victims."

While Bit"s observation about Mary Jane Reynolds" video being a blatant grab for fame was not wrong, it only scratched the true extent of the situation. The woman's plea for protection had gone viral, spreading like wildfire across the internet. No one could blame the woman for living in fear, but she had also inadvertently placed herself in danger.

Mary Jane had also managed to put several law enforcement agencies under the microscope of the public eye. While no detective involved was completely convinced the three murders were related other than by mere coincidence, the FBI was unwilling to risk their reputation being tarnished. SE Investigations, known for their high success rate in complicated cases like these, had been brought on in a desperate attempt to appease the public and quell their fears.

Brook didn't care for the firm being used as a public relations stunt, which was why she intended to solve all three deaths…whether or not the team was dealing with one killer or three.

"Unfortunately, we don"t know if we"re in the right area to solve this case, Bit." Brook paused and shared a knowing glance with Sylvie. They had already spoken at length about the investigation on the drive from the airport, both coming to the same conclusion. "But if the unsub had no prior knowledge regarding Mary Jane Reynolds' existence—Mary Four, in this case—he certainly does now."