Chapter Twenty-One

"I uploaded the footage from the van," Bit said as he reached for another donut out of the opened box. "I've been over it twice, and I've separated the individuals who are regulars at the Crestlake Bar Grill. Nothing stands out, though."

Brook narrowed her gaze on the box until she was confident Bit hadn't taken the last chocolate donut. She should have known that he would take the raspberry jelly one since those were his favorite.

"I've been thinking about that, and I might go back to Mary Jane's neighborhood to canvas the neighborhood once more. Our unsub is still looking for an opportunity to reach her without being caught. If the unsub is under the impression that Janice Morris' death was simply collateral damage, there is a good chance that he'll try the same method again…especially if he believes law enforcement won't double back and ensure the safety of the community."

Patrol cars were not going to be enough to deter someone like their killer. His patience was unlimited, and he wouldn't be prevented from monitoring his target, regardless that law enforcement was breathing down his neck. He would do everything in his power to outsmart those hunting him.

"I thought the local police were doing welfare checks every day." Bit had already eaten half his donut. He used the back of his hand to wipe away the powdered sugar that remained on his upper lip. "Speaking of welfare checks, Big T checked in when you were in the kitchen. He stopped in at every shelter in Ann Arbor. Shane Dawkins hasn't been seen in years. Oh, and the warrant Big T submitted for additional hospital security footage came through, but only for the elevator banks that have access to the ICU. Big T is at the hospital now."

Brook turned back to face the portable monitor, her hands wrapped around a porcelain mug. The warmth from her freshly brewed coffee seeped into her palms.

"I've read the update from the local police department, but I'd feel more comfortable checking on those neighbors myself."

Brook took a moment to study their handiwork on the screen. She and Bit had spent the morning segregating the software program to include three branches of the investigation—Sheila Wallace, Reggie Hollins, and those involved with the transplant team.

"What about Sylvie?" Brook asked as she stepped forward and pressed on a specific file. Mitch Swilling's picture appeared, taken from the last time he renewed his driver"s license. "I know that she was attempting to locate Swilling, but did she go with Theo to the hospital?"

"Little T is currently pulling up to Andrea Simpson's residence." Bit had everyone's location at his fingertips based on their phone's GPS. "Sylvie mentioned that Andrea has been in touch with Mitch, so she should know where he has been staying while in town. I was of no help to Little T, because the man doesn't have an online presence."

The melody that usually alerted them to an incoming call came from one of the laptops. Brook wasn't surprised to find the blue eyes of a kitten suddenly staring back at her. The white kitten reached out to tap Arden's phone with her paw, causing Bit to converse with the furball in a high-pitched tone.

"Look at you. Look at those blue eyes. You are so—"

"Sylvie's here, Arden."

The phone bobbled and eventually fell with a thud. Brook turned to find Bit standing on the other side of the table with his mouth open. She shrugged, fighting a smile as she lifted the rim of her coffee cup to her lips.

"Gumshoe, that's not true! Little T is in Ann Arbor."

Brook's phone chimed from the coffee table.

"I'm turning sixty-eight this year, Brook," Arden reminded her in a stern voice, though there was humor shimmering in his dark eyes. He must have been holding the kitten for a while, because there was white fur attached to his brown cardigan sweater. "I'd like to stick around for a while."

"Arden, I have a feeling you'll be around long after me." Brook retrieved her phone. Reading the name on the display, she began to walk toward the kitchen. "You two go crazy over the office mascot while I take this call. Oh, and Arden? You might want to invest in a lint roller."

Brook swiped the screen of her phone to accept the call.

"Sloane," Brook announced as she entered the kitchen.

"It's Dever. Do you have a minute?"

Brook could hear the gravity in the federal agent's voice. The brusque tone had her setting her coffee mug on the counter. If he was going to tell her that the search for Stella Bennett's remains turned up nothing, Brook was going to need some fresh air.

"Yes."

Though the forecast had promised an overcast sky, the sun was currently bathing the wooden planks in warmth. Not even the heat from the golden rays could chase away the cold that settled in her bones. Seeing as it would be near impossible to sit while listening to the results of the search, she crossed the deck to stand at the railing.

"We found the remains of a young girl."

Brook wrapped her left hand around the weathered wood, needing something to hold onto that would anchor her for the rest of the conversation. She usually spun the outer band of her worry ring when needing some semblance of comfort, but she was afraid that she would drop her phone.

"Stella Bennett?"

"We won't know for sure until we are able to transport the remains to the lab, but I'm being told the bones belong to a young female between the ages of ten and twelve." Dever paused, allowing Brook the needed time to gather her thoughts. She wasn't the type of woman who wished upon a shooting star or had faith in something she couldn't see with her own eyes…but this moment made her want to be that woman. "Even though the camp has been closed for over a decade, most of the buildings are still standing. We discovered the remains under the wooden planks of the cabin you advised where your brother stayed with a group of other boys."

"Far left corner?" Brook managed to ask while her pulse throbbed in her temples. "Underneath a bed?"

"From the marks on the floor, yes. The furniture was moved out of this place long ago." Dever must have pulled the phone away from his face, because his words became muffled and weren't directed at her. She was grateful for the reprieve to remind herself to breathe. "First impressions are that the body was wrapped in plastic. Sealed tight. It would explain why no odor was detected in the weeks following her death."

Brook's brother had only been eleven years old when Stella Bennett had officially been reported missing by her uncle. In the long hours that the campers were attempting to locate a lost boy from camp, Jacob had found the time to brutally commit his first murder. Given his high IQ, it wasn't shocking that he would know how to hide a body while disguising the odor at such a young age.

Something in Jacob's mind hadn't snapped that day. Plastic? Enough to seal the body of a young girl? The materials and hiding spot proved premeditation.

"I'll hold off notifying Special Agent Houser until we are given a positive ID. Still, given everything that we know right now? I think it's safe to say Jacob Walsh will stand trial and receive the death penalty."

"Thank you, Rick."

Such formalities of gratitude were inadequate, but that was all she had at the moment. She disconnected the call, but she didn't move from the railing. Remaining in place, she slowly raised her face to bask in the warmth of the sun.

Had this moment arrived three years ago, Brook wasn't sure what her reaction would have been to the news. She had been so isolated back then. Her entire existence had revolved around her brother.

In a way, Jacob was the one responsible for the changes in her life. His obsessive need to check in on her from time to time had prompted her to break the consulting agreement she had with the Bureau. And when Graham had made her an offer that she couldn't refuse…it had been like taking her first breath after being suffocated for so long.

Brook brought her head forward so that she could access her phone.

The line trilled, but only once.

His deep voice caressed her ear and brought a smile to her face.

"They found her, Graham. They discovered Stella Bennett's remains."