LITMIR.BIZ

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to Quantico right away.”

      Blaine nodded without complaint and unloaded the gun.

      “I’ll drive you there,” he said.

      “No, I’m going to need my go bag. And that’s in my car at home. I’m afraid you need to drop me off at my place. I’m also afraid we’re in a bit of a hurry.”

      “No problem,” Blaine said, carefully putting the new weapon in its case.

      Riley gave him a kiss on the cheek.

      “It sounds like I’m going to be leaving town,” she said. “I hate that. I’ve had such a wonderful time.”

      Blaine smiled and kissed her back.

      “I’ve had a wonderful time too,” he said. “Don’t worry. We’ll pick up where we left off as soon as you get back.”

      As they left the shooting range and exited through the gun store, the owner called a hearty goodbye to them.

*

      After Blaine dropped her off at her house, Riley dashed inside to explain to everyone that she was leaving. She didn’t even have time for a change of clothes, but at least she had showered at Blaine’s house this morning. She was relieved that her family seemed unruffled by her sudden change in plans.

      They’re getting used to getting along without me, she thought. She wasn’t sure she really liked that idea, but she knew it was a necessity in a life like hers.

      Riley checked that everything she needed was in her car and then made the short drive to Quantico. When she arrived at the BAU building, she headed straight for Brent Meredith’s office. To her dismay, she encountered Jenn Roston walking in the same direction down the hall.

      Riley and Jenn made eye contact for just a fleeting moment, then they both hastened on in silence.

      Riley wondered whether Jenn felt as awkward right now as she did. Just yesterday they’d had an uncomfortable meeting, and Riley was still uncertain whether she had made a terrible mistake in giving Jenn that thumb drive.

      But Jenn probably wasn’t worried about it, Riley figured.

      After all, Jenn had had the upper hand yesterday. She’d controlled the situation brilliantly to her own advantage. Had Riley ever known anyone who had been able to manipulate her that way?

      She quickly realized – of course she had.

      That person was Shane Hatcher.

      Still walking and still facing straight ahead, the younger agent spoke quietly. “It didn’t pan out.”

      “What?” Riley asked, without breaking her own stride.

      “The financial information on the thumb drive. Hatcher used to have funds stored in those accounts. But the money has all been moved out, and the accounts are closed.”

      Riley resisted the impulse to say, “I know.”

      After all, Hatcher had said as much yesterday in his threatening text message.

      For a moment Riley didn’t know what to say. She kept walking without comment.

      Did Jenn think that Riley had double-crossed her by slipping her a phony file?

      Finally Riley said, “That file was all I’ve got. I’m not holding out on you.”

      Jenn didn’t reply. Riley wished she had some idea whether she believed her.

      She also wondered – if she had put that information to use earlier on, might Hatcher be behind bars right now? Or even dead?

      When they reached the door to Meredith’s office, Riley stopped, and so did Jenn.

      Riley felt a touch of alarm.

      Jenn was obviously going to Meredith’s office too.

      Why was the new agent in on this meeting? Had she told Meredith about Riley withholding information?

      But Jenn just stood there, still making no eye contact.

      Riley knocked on Meredith’s door, and then she and Jenn went inside.

      Chief Meredith was sitting behind his desk, looking as intimidating as usual.

      He said, “Sit, both of you.”

      Riley and Jenn obediently sat down in chairs in front of the desk.

      Meredith was quiet for a moment.

      Then he said, “Agent Paige, Agent Roston – I’d like each of you to meet your new partner.”

      Riley stifled a gasp. She glanced at Jenn Roston, whose dark brown eyes had widened at the news.

      “That had better not be a problem,” Meredith said. “The BAU is overloaded with cases right now. With Agent Jeffreys on leave and everybody else on assignment, you get each other. Consider it settled.”

      Riley realized that Meredith was right. The only other agent she might really want to work with right now was Craig Huang, but he was busy watching her home.

      “This is fine, sir,” Riley said to Meredith.

      Jenn said, “I’ll be honored to work with Agent Paige, sir.”

      Those words surprised Riley a little. She wondered if Jenn really meant them.

      “Don’t get too excited,” he said. “This case probably won’t amount to much. Just this morning, a teenage girl’s body was found buried in farmland near Angier, a small town in Iowa.”

      “A single murder?” Jenn asked.

      “Why is this a case for the BAU?” Riley asked.

      Meredith drummed his fingers on his desk.

      “My guess is it probably isn’t one,” he said. “But another girl went missing earlier from the same town, and she still hasn’t been found. It’s a small, quiet place where this sort of thing just doesn’t happen. Folks there say that neither girl was the type who might run away or take up with strangers.”

      Riley shook her head doubtfully.

      “So what makes anybody think this a serial?” she asked. “Without another body, isn’t that a little premature?”

      Meredith shrugged.

      “Yeah, that’s the way I see it. But the police chief in Angier, Joseph Sinard, is in a panic about it.”

      Riley’s forehead crinkled at the sound of the name.

      “Sinard,” she said. “Where have I heard that name before?”

      Meredith smiled a little and said, “Maybe you’re thinking of the FBI’s executive assistant director, Forrest Sinard. Joe Sinard is his brother.”

      Riley almost rolled her eyes. It made sense now. Somebody high in the FBI food chain was being pestered by a relative in the heartland, so the case had gotten kicked to the BAU. She’d been stuck with politically driven investigations like this in the past.

      Meredith said, “You two need to go out there and see if there’s even a case to look at.”

      “What about my work on the Hatcher case?” Jenn Roston asked.

      Meredith said, “We’ve got plenty of folks working on that – technicians and fact-finders and such. I assume they’ve got access to all your information.”

      Jenn nodded.

      Meredith said, “They can spare you for a few days. If this even takes that long.”

      Riley’s feelings were decidedly mixed. Aside from not being sure about whether she wanted to work with Jenn Roston, she didn’t much look forward to wasting her time on a case that probably didn’t even need BAU help.

      She’d rather be helping Blaine learn to shoot.

      Or doing other things with Blaine, she thought, suppressing a smile.

      “So when do we leave?” Jenn asked.

      “As soon as possible,” Meredith said.

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