Chapter Fourteen
The Danishes, muffins, and hot chocolate Jack and Sue had purchased for the team had been devoured. The men's hearing had almost returned to normal after Lucy's high-pitched squeals at Jack and Sue's announcement.
Bobby tossed his trash in the waste basket and crossed the room to Sue. He casually draped an arm across her shoulders. "Before we dive into the dusty files, I have a question for the beautiful future Mrs. Sparky."
He dropped a kiss on her temple. "If Jack proposed on Saturday, how on earth did you manage to keep it a secret from our lovely little Evil Genius?" He gestured toward Lucy and winked.
Sue shrugged. "I didn't wear my ring at home or church. After church yesterday Lucy went to her grandmother's and Jack and I went to visit Helga. So neither of us was home much this weekend."
Myles waved his hand to get her attention. "How is Helga doing?" He asked softly. The memory of the feisty Holocaust survivor bringing a gentle smile to his face.
Sue gave him a grateful smile for his interest. "She seems to be doing okay. I think she is finally putting the past behind her."
Jack wiped his mouth with a napkin and sent it sailing through the air. It dropped into the trash can. He glanced at Sue and winked. Bobby rolled his eyes.
"Okay." Jack hopped off the conference table. He crossed over to where the large whiteboard had been set up.
"Sue found something of interest in the files. Five of our cold cases are young girls who disappeared in the D.C area during the past ten years. The interesting part is that each new kidnapping occurred within a week of the previous case going cold." The team glanced at each other.
Special Agent Rob Miller finally voiced the thought none of them wanted to say. "Rogue cop." His hand clenched into a fist. Lucy groaned. "Please, tell me that there hasn't been a cop stealing young girls in D.C for at least ten years."
Jack sighed. "We can't know anything for sure right now. But I'm afraid that's a possibility we have to seriously consider. Lucy," he gestured toward the rotor. She hurried forward with a stack of photos and began arranging them on the board. "Wonderful job, Miss Dotson." Joseph spoke up when she stepped back.
She glanced at him and he grinned, throwing a wink at her. "Uh, thank you." Lucy stammered as she hurried to stand by Bobby, seeming to feel more comfortable with his broad shoulder blocking her from the attractive Agent Davis.
Jack shared a smile with Sue.
"Okay. Victim number one," Jack tapped the photo of a blonde, blue-eyed teenage girl. "Michelle Scott, last seen ten years ago walking home from school. She was fourteen years old.
Victim number two," he pointed to a picture of a pretty African-American teenager. "Mikayla Davis, last seen eight years ago when she left her boyfriend's house to walk home. She was sixteen years old."
Myles waved a hand. "Was the boyfriend investigated?"
"Yes." Sue spoke up, her voice quivering.
Jack eyed her with concern.
"He always either drove or walked her home because he didn't want her to walk alone. But that day he was running late for his job at a nursing home, so he let her go. He was cleared of all suspicion, but he blamed himself. Two weeks after her disappearance he committed suicide. He was only sixteen too."
A somber silence fell over the room.
Jack sighed. "That brings us to victim number three. Natasha James, last seen six years ago when she left her dorm at George Washington University to walk to the library. She was twenty years old.
Victim four, Katie Anderson. Last seen five years ago, walking home from a babysitting job. She was thirteen years old.
And victim number five. Marie Peters, last seen three years ago, walking to work. She was twenty-two years old."
Jack looked around the room. "Okay." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "With just that preliminary info, what are some similarities or discrepancies you see?"
"Three are blonde." Tara spoke up, studying the board.
"But the other two are African-American." Myles stated. "Serial kidnappers tend to stick with one type of victim."
Jack nodded. "It's something to keep in mind though. We should do a preliminary review of the other cases. See if we can't find any similar patterns."
"None of them were snatched from home." Bobby said. "They were all out walking somewhere."
Jack pointed the marker at him. "Which could rule out premeditation. They all could have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"Or the kidnapper was stalking them." Myles interjected. "Seeking for such an opportunity."
Jack nodded and turned to write that on the board.
"Okay." He said when he had turned back around. "Lucy, check with Metro PD. Make sure we have every shred of evidence they have for these five cases."
He gestured at the board. "Tara, get all the evidence for these cases catalogued and entered into the new system. Joseph, Rob, get some of your guys to start reviewing the other cases. Have them pull any case with a similar pattern in the disappearance time or with victims that match either of our stereotypes. We'll start re-interviewing the families."
Sue felt Bobby stiffen next to her. She glanced up at him, noticing his clenched jaw. Frowning, she leaned into him trying to get his attention. But he didn't look at her.
"Bobby, Myles you take the Scott and Davis families. Sue and I will take the James and Anderson families. Joseph, you and one of your guys take the Peters family. Let's roll."
Before anyone could move Bobby raised a hand. "Jack, do we really have to drag the families into this right now?"
Jack crossed his arms over his chest. "What do you mean, Crash?"
"We have too little to go on." He gestured at the board. "The odds against any of these girls ever coming home again are too great. We can't go in there and raise their hopes only to let them crash down again."
"Bobby, to have even the slightest hope of solving any of these cases we're going to have to re-interview everyone involved. Starting with the families."
Bobby slammed a fist down on the table, making everyone except Sue jump.
"Ten years, Jack!" He shouted. "For ten years they've woken up every single day wondering where their daughter and sister is right then. Is she alive? Does she have a roof over her head? Food to eat? Clothes? Is she being beaten? Or worse?" Bobby ran a hand through his dark hair, pulling it in frustration.
His entire body trembled with his rage. "We can't ride in there and dangle false hope in front of their faces."
His voice was quieter now. "We can't drag all of that buried pain back to the surface."
"I don't like the idea any more than you do, Bobby. But we have a job to do. We have to talk to them." Jack raised an eyebrow. "Now, is there something going on here that I should know about? Do I need to get D to reassign you?"
Bobby shook his head. "I'm fine," he ground out between clenched teeth before striding out of the conference room.
Jack scratched his head and looked around at his team. "Oh-kay. Does anyone know what that little outburst was about?" Joseph and Rob glanced at each other uncomfortably. They didn't want to know anything that they would be obligated to report.
The rest of Hudson's team shook their heads. Their faces showed their concern for their teammate.
Myles stood. "Well, since I do not wish to walk to our first interview I guess I better follow my partner." He headed toward the door.
"Keep an eye on him, Myles. Report any problems to me."
"Will do, Fearless Leader." Myles saluted before disappearing down the hall.