Dean put a hand on my neck, the way he had the first time Id crawled into a killers mind. Nobody is going to believe you, he said. Youre too close to it. He ran his thumb up and down the side of my neck. But Briggs will believe me.
Dean was the only person in this house who shared my ability. Michael and Sloane might have been skeptical about my theory, but Dean had instincts like mine. Hed know if I was crazy, or if there was something to this. Youll look at the case? I asked him.
He nodded and dropped his hand from my neck, like hed only just realized he was touching me.
I stood. Ill be right back, I said. Im going to get the file.
CHAPTER 24
the bacon, I finished hastily.
Agent Briggs turned to face me. And why does Michael have your bacon? he asked.
As if this whole situation wasnt awkward enough, Lia chose that moment to come sauntering into the room. Yes, Cassie, she said with a wicked grin, tell us why Michael has your bacon .
The way she said the phrase left very little question that she was using it as a euphemism.
Lia, Judd said, waving a spatula in her general direction, thats enough. Then he turned to me. Grub will be ready soon. I expect you can hold out until then?
Yes, I said. No bacon needed.
From behind Briggss back, Michael pantomimed smacking his palm into his forehead. Apparently, my attempts at subterfuge left something to be desired. I tried to make a quick exit, but Agent Briggs stopped me in my tracks.
Cassie. A word.
I glanced at Michael, wondering whatif anythingBriggs knew about what Michael, Sloane, and I had been up to.
Ambidextrous, Sloane said suddenly.
This should be good, Lia murmured.
Sloane cleared her throat. Agent Briggs asked for a word. Ambidextrous is a good one. Less than point-five percent of the words in the English language contain all five vowels.
I was grateful for the distraction, but unfortunately, Briggs didnt bite. Cassie?
Sure. I nodded and followed him out of the room. I wasnt sure where we were heading at first, but after we passed the library, I realized we were going to the only room on the ground floor I hadnt been in yetBriggss study.
He opened the door and gestured for me to enter. I walked into the room, taking in my surroundings. The room was full of animals, lifeless and frozen in place.
Hunting trophies.
There was a grizzly bear, reared up on its back legs, its mouth caught in a silent roar. On the other side of the room, a lifelike panther crouched, canines gleaming, while a mountain lion seemed to be on the prowl.
The most disturbing thing about this entire roommaybe this entire situationwas that I hadnt pegged Agent Briggs for a hunter.
Theyre predators. Reminders of what my team deals with every time we go out in the world.
There was something about the way Agent Briggs said those words that made me realize, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he knew what Michael, Sloane, and I had been up to in his absence. He knew that we knew the exact details of the case that he and Agent Locke were working now.
How did you find out? I asked.
Judd told me. Briggs crossed the room and sat on the edge of the desk. He gestured for me to take a seat in a chair in front of him. You know, Judd might fade into the background around here, but theres not much that goes on in this house that he doesnt know. Information gathering has always been a specialty of his.
Keeping his eyes fixed on me, Briggs opened his briefcase and took out a file: all of the papers wed printed out earlier. I confiscated this from Michael. And this, he added, holding up the USB drive, from Sloane. Her laptop will be making a trip to our tech lab to ensure that all traces of data have been wiped from the hard drive.
I hadnt even had a chance to tell Agent Briggs my suspicions, and he was already shutting me downand shutting me out.
Briggs ran one hand
roughly over his chin, and I realized that he hadnt shaved in at least a day.
The case isnt going well. I paused. Is it?
I need you to listen to what Im saying, Cassandra.
That was only the second time hed called me by my full name since Id told him I preferred Cassie.
I was up front with you about what this program is and what it is not. The FBI isnt about to authorize teenagers to dive into the middle of active cases.
His choice of words was more revealing than he knew. The FBI had qualms about throwing teenagers into the thick of things. Briggspersonallydid not.
So what youre saying is that using the twelve-year-old son of a serial killer as your own personal encyclopedia of murderous minds was fine, but now that the program is official, we cant even look at the files?
What Im saying, Briggs countered, is that this UNSUB is dangerous. Hes local. And I have no intention of involving any of you.
Even if this case has something to do with my mothers?
Briggs paused. Youre jumping to conclusions. He didnt ask me why I thought this case had something to do with my mothers. Now that Id brought up the idea, he didnt have to. The occupations. The red hair. The knife. It isnt enough.