Hours ticked by every day and Joe Carroll just spent the hours waiting. He had let himself be caught so easily this time. Watching from the inside was limited but worth it. Had he stayed on the run he would have never been able to see Ryan Hardy's tortured face. The power he had from inside was even greater than it would have been outside. Everything was orchestrated to write this second book with Ryan so Joe felt safe on the inside. He was more connected to the FBI than ever. He also knew it was his only way to get access to her.
She was the puzzle piece that Ryan had never figured out.
Every killer has a reason to start killing or multiple reasons. She had been his reason. A trigger to start such a murderous warpath. Such a beautiful trigger too. His friends had given as much information about her that they could find. Jacob had gone so far to befriend her to feed Joe more information. After almost ten years of stirring in a prison cell Joe knew he was close. She was not his student anymore but instead she was the youngest member of the BAU and after the next show of his power the FBI would have no choice but to pull every available member of the unit onto this case.
He would finally get to see her again.
Joe was not at all surprised when he was being moved out of his cell to a far too familiar interrogation room. So many people had wanted access to him over the past week that Joe felt like he was busier than ever. Nighttime seemed to be the only time of day where he spent more than a few hours in his cell. They kept questioning him as if it was going to help them solve something. They had no idea how big this was and how ready he was to lead them astray. Jordy's survival had caught him off guard but it was a minor setback. Rick's murder almost made up for it. The plan wasn't going perfectly but Joe was learning to compromise. As long a some details remained the same. As long as Ryan Hardy looked more pissed off and tortured every day.
"Where is she Joe?"
"Good afternoon Ryan, it is nice to see you too. Still not sleeping?" Joe replied calmly. He knew well enough that three hours ago Maggie had taken Ryan's sister. Just as Paul and Jacob had gotten close to Sarah, Maggie had become friends with Ryan's sister Emily. Chapter four involved a personal attack. Joe had heard that Ryan had been distant from his family since the end of the first trial so this was Joe's way of bringing them back together.
"Joe you're going to tell me where Emily is or I wi-,"
"You'll what Ryan? I'm pretty sure your escort is here to keep you from breaking anymore fingers. Please, sit down. Lets chat." Joe's voice was slow. His eyes followed Ryan's every move. The man was more agitated than ever. This was far more person. Taking Joey had upset Ryan but taking his sister was another matter. Joe knew Ryan would blame himself if Emily died. He counted on it.
"I don't want to chat Joe." Ryan's voice was hard in comparison to Joe's. They were polar opposites in almost every way. While Joe remained calm Ryan stirred. Anger was boiling in the man's blood but he had to control it.
"Then I'm afraid you'll never see dear Emily again," Joe shrugged, folding his hands. Ryan hesitated but he knew Joe was serious. Shouting at the man would do nothing. Joe didn't scare, not with threats or screaming. Ryan slowly pulled the chair out and sat down, waiting for Joe's first words of their chat.
"I will only speak to one person about Emily's location," Joe said carefully "And it isn't you."
This was unusual. Ryan seemed to be the person that Joe wanted to talk to with the exception of Claire. Joe knew it would be a long time until they let Claire back in here. He had almost choked the life out of her last time and that had been with broken fingers. They weren't about to trust him with his deal ex-wife again.
Right now Joe was okay with that. He wanted someone else.
"Who then?"
"Her name is Liette Arnaut."
Debrah Parker froze. Watching from the room outside she had not expected this. She had predicted that Ryan would snap with Joe. She hadn't wanted to send him in there but he had assisted. She was slowly loosening her leash on Ryan even though she tended to get kicked in the ass for it. He was probably the only one who could figure out Joe. Or at least she had thought so.
"Who the hell is that?"
Debrah knew the answer already. Ryan would have known had he stayed with the Bureau. Agent Arnaut had been pulled into the BAU four years ago. She had been twenty four at the time and was already finishing her first PhD. Many government agencies had approached her but the BAU had been her first choice. No one had blinked twice at the fact that she had taken two of Joe Carroll's english courses as electives while doing her bachelors degrees. Many people had been Carroll's students and had never been involved with the case at all.
But Liette was more than involved and it was time that everyone knew that.
"She's an agent, Agent Parker will know how to find her. Bring her to me and you might be able to save Emily," Joe said, making no promises that Emily would survive. "You don't have much time though, so you better make it quick."