CHAPTER 2
Carolyn Ross sat in the padded leather chair across the desk from Bailey Malone, tapping one long and shaped fingernail on the arm of the chair, as she watched him read the report she had presented him with. He was still a remarkably attractive man, and she was very pleased to finally be meeting him. She had heard much about him in the Boston Office, he and the VCTF team, their amazing success, and also their amazing long term hunt for the serial killer Jack-of-All-Trades, which had taken almost 5 years! She had worked long and hard to be assigned to this department, and had personal reasons to come here - reasons that must not be made known to Bailey Malone or his team, or indeed anyone from the FBI at all.
Bailey looked up at her, she was a beautiful woman, in her early 40's, tall and slender, with long blonde hair, and deep violet eyes, a woman who knew she looked good, and had no self-doubt. "Lets go and meet the rest of the team," he said, standing up and extending his hand toward her.
George looked up as Bailey came down the stairs. He smiled his pleasant smile, and extended his hand. "Pleased to meet you," he said, "I look forward to working with you." Carolyn took his hand, and smiled back "Thank you George." She said, looking around the room. "Are you the rest of the team, - or are there others?"
Bailey glanced at his watch, and then enquiringly at George, who shook his head. "I don't know where .." But just then Rachel came down the stairs, holding her ever-present coffee cup. The two women looked assessingly at each other, Rachel finally smiling and introducing herself. "I've heard about you," said Carolyn "And wanted to meet you for some time."
"Why thank you," said Rachel "have you found a place to live in Atlanta yet, or are you still in a hotel?"
"I'm staying in the Astor at the moment, but looking around - let me know if you hear of anything."
Bailey looked at his watch again and then asked of Rachel "have you seen or heard from John this morning?" Rachel grimaced "I'm not his keeper," she said "He's probably slept in again." And then to Carolyn "Come and meet Grace."
Bailey explained Grace's position to Carolyn, and she then followed Rachel and Bailey to Grace's office. Grace was introduced, and then Carolyn returned to the command centre, with Bailey and Rachel. She walked down the steps, and stopped short, staring at the man sitting next to George, and obviously telling some sort of joke, as they both cracked up at the same time. John looked up at the three people, the laughter still brightening his blue eyes, and the smile fading from his face.
"This is John Grant - John - Carolyn Ross." John smiled again, and put out his hand, and Carolyn shook it, staring back at him intently.
"You are late," said Rachel from behind her, and John narrowed his eyes and frowned. "I've been here for an hour, at least," he retorted, "upstairs looking through those witness statements."
Bailey nodded "Of course, now let's bring Carolyn up to speed with our current case load," he said, indicating a chair for her to sit on. "This is how we usually do this - throwing ideas into the middle..."
A couple of hours later, Rachel let herself into Grace's office, and sat down heavily in her spare chair. "What's up?" asked Grace, putting down her pen. "Nothing," said Rachel, and sighed. "I'm just not sure about her." "Seemed all right to me," said Grace "If you like the tall, blonde and controlling type." "And bossy," said Rachel "The men couldn't stop drooling - and she's old enough to be John's mother! Well, almost.." "Seemed all right to me," said Grace again - "Nobody liked you, when you started either."
Rachel laughed, Grace was right - she had been a pain, defensive and abrupt, trying to fill Sam Waters' shoes, worrying about failure and clashing with John. She sighed again, and Grace stood up. "Come on, coffee time, you are going through withdrawal, it must be at least an hour since you had a cup."
She and Rachel wandered into the canteen, grabbing coffee and in Grace's case a sticky bun, and sat at one of the tables. A pretty blonde girl bounced up to them, and sat in the third chair. "Hey guys, what's the newby like?" "Tall, blonde bossy," said Rachel "What happening upstairs Sara?" "Nothing much - John was up there this morning," answered Sara, whose crush on John was the talking point of all the women in the building. "Yuk." Said Rachel "Let me arrange a date with him, for you, that would put you off." Sara shook her head, "I'd die if he knew I liked him," she said giggling - "I just like looking from afar."
Grace laughed, "You make me realize how old I am," she said to the young girl. "You're not old at all Grace," said John as he walked over to them, carrying a coffee cup. Sara gulped, and went red, and Rachel laughed. "How is Ms Ross getting on?"
John sighed, and gazed into his cup. "O.K. I guess," he said, "but she wants to know everything about every case we've done in the last 6 months." He glanced over at Sara and gave her a wink "Its all right though, I told her you'd be glad to help her Rachel."
Rachel for once, was unable to think of a quick comeback, and picking up her cup, headed back towards her office.
Carolyn, piled up with case notes, set herself up in her own office, next to Bailey's, and began sorting through them. She unpacked her briefcase, glanced at a framed photo she had inside, and then put it back into the case. Finally she logged onto the computer at her desk, and began to work steadily through her emails. She had to make a good impression, and quickly. Her plans were nearing fruition; she did not want to make a mistake now!
Carolyn Ross sat in the padded leather chair across the desk from Bailey Malone, tapping one long and shaped fingernail on the arm of the chair, as she watched him read the report she had presented him with. He was still a remarkably attractive man, and she was very pleased to finally be meeting him. She had heard much about him in the Boston Office, he and the VCTF team, their amazing success, and also their amazing long term hunt for the serial killer Jack-of-All-Trades, which had taken almost 5 years! She had worked long and hard to be assigned to this department, and had personal reasons to come here - reasons that must not be made known to Bailey Malone or his team, or indeed anyone from the FBI at all.
Bailey looked up at her, she was a beautiful woman, in her early 40's, tall and slender, with long blonde hair, and deep violet eyes, a woman who knew she looked good, and had no self-doubt. "Lets go and meet the rest of the team," he said, standing up and extending his hand toward her.
George looked up as Bailey came down the stairs. He smiled his pleasant smile, and extended his hand. "Pleased to meet you," he said, "I look forward to working with you." Carolyn took his hand, and smiled back "Thank you George." She said, looking around the room. "Are you the rest of the team, - or are there others?"
Bailey glanced at his watch, and then enquiringly at George, who shook his head. "I don't know where .." But just then Rachel came down the stairs, holding her ever-present coffee cup. The two women looked assessingly at each other, Rachel finally smiling and introducing herself. "I've heard about you," said Carolyn "And wanted to meet you for some time."
"Why thank you," said Rachel "have you found a place to live in Atlanta yet, or are you still in a hotel?"
"I'm staying in the Astor at the moment, but looking around - let me know if you hear of anything."
Bailey looked at his watch again and then asked of Rachel "have you seen or heard from John this morning?" Rachel grimaced "I'm not his keeper," she said "He's probably slept in again." And then to Carolyn "Come and meet Grace."
Bailey explained Grace's position to Carolyn, and she then followed Rachel and Bailey to Grace's office. Grace was introduced, and then Carolyn returned to the command centre, with Bailey and Rachel. She walked down the steps, and stopped short, staring at the man sitting next to George, and obviously telling some sort of joke, as they both cracked up at the same time. John looked up at the three people, the laughter still brightening his blue eyes, and the smile fading from his face.
"This is John Grant - John - Carolyn Ross." John smiled again, and put out his hand, and Carolyn shook it, staring back at him intently.
"You are late," said Rachel from behind her, and John narrowed his eyes and frowned. "I've been here for an hour, at least," he retorted, "upstairs looking through those witness statements."
Bailey nodded "Of course, now let's bring Carolyn up to speed with our current case load," he said, indicating a chair for her to sit on. "This is how we usually do this - throwing ideas into the middle..."
A couple of hours later, Rachel let herself into Grace's office, and sat down heavily in her spare chair. "What's up?" asked Grace, putting down her pen. "Nothing," said Rachel, and sighed. "I'm just not sure about her." "Seemed all right to me," said Grace "If you like the tall, blonde and controlling type." "And bossy," said Rachel "The men couldn't stop drooling - and she's old enough to be John's mother! Well, almost.." "Seemed all right to me," said Grace again - "Nobody liked you, when you started either."
Rachel laughed, Grace was right - she had been a pain, defensive and abrupt, trying to fill Sam Waters' shoes, worrying about failure and clashing with John. She sighed again, and Grace stood up. "Come on, coffee time, you are going through withdrawal, it must be at least an hour since you had a cup."
She and Rachel wandered into the canteen, grabbing coffee and in Grace's case a sticky bun, and sat at one of the tables. A pretty blonde girl bounced up to them, and sat in the third chair. "Hey guys, what's the newby like?" "Tall, blonde bossy," said Rachel "What happening upstairs Sara?" "Nothing much - John was up there this morning," answered Sara, whose crush on John was the talking point of all the women in the building. "Yuk." Said Rachel "Let me arrange a date with him, for you, that would put you off." Sara shook her head, "I'd die if he knew I liked him," she said giggling - "I just like looking from afar."
Grace laughed, "You make me realize how old I am," she said to the young girl. "You're not old at all Grace," said John as he walked over to them, carrying a coffee cup. Sara gulped, and went red, and Rachel laughed. "How is Ms Ross getting on?"
John sighed, and gazed into his cup. "O.K. I guess," he said, "but she wants to know everything about every case we've done in the last 6 months." He glanced over at Sara and gave her a wink "Its all right though, I told her you'd be glad to help her Rachel."
Rachel for once, was unable to think of a quick comeback, and picking up her cup, headed back towards her office.
Carolyn, piled up with case notes, set herself up in her own office, next to Bailey's, and began sorting through them. She unpacked her briefcase, glanced at a framed photo she had inside, and then put it back into the case. Finally she logged onto the computer at her desk, and began to work steadily through her emails. She had to make a good impression, and quickly. Her plans were nearing fruition; she did not want to make a mistake now!