Chapter 20
Andy left the engine running and quickly got out to open the door and reach in to push the seat back as far as it would go to allow her to maneuver the cumbersome brace. Scully smiled at him, appreciating his concern and handed him the crutches to stash in the back.
She expected that they would go to the station, but he surprised her when he pulled into a diner.
"I didn't have breakfast and I'm not about to settle for that sludge we got," he told her, matter of factly.
"Mulder will be jealous," Scully said with a grin.
"Too bad," Andy retorted with a wink. "He should have been here. So lay it on me – where is he?"
Scully sighed. "Talk about the best laid plans going completely awry."
They went through the front door and as Scully hobbled in, she recounted how Jane had made it home safely, but since there was a car following her, she had completely convinced herself that she's a target for our killer.
"Oh for cryin' out loud!" Andy groused, as he sat down.
"So Mulder said he'd go and get her calmed down and convince her that she's safe but the hard part is to accomplish that with the least amount of specifics as possible."
Andy refrained from any further comments as a waitress took their order. Although the diner was nearly empty, they kept their conversation away from the case.
While Andy wolfed down a large order of pancakes and sausage, Scully nibbled on an English muffin. "How much did Mulder tell you about my injury?" she asked in between bites.
She watched Andy's brow furrow as he tried to remember what exactly Mulder had said.
"Actually, nothing really. All he said that first day was that you're recovering from a - " he paused, fumbling for the word until it came to him. "Incident – he called it an incident." He shifted in his seat, obviously uncomfortable. "I mean, I don't want to be nosy – I don't need particulars – but this case – and now you're a target. I just need to know how to protect you – rather – what you can physically - "
Scully held up a hand. "Yeah. Okay – I'll keep it simple. I had multiple fractures in my leg due to a fall. And under normal circumstances, I would be much further along in my recovery, except that before the fall, I had an infection involving my heart. I wasn't allowed to be up walking, much less doing the necessary rehab on my leg until very recently. But with this case – I overextended myself, so as a precaution, I'm back in my brace and using my crutches. The bones are healed but the muscles are weak."
"Wow – that's rough," Andy commented.
"Well, just so you know," Scully continued, "as Mulder will attest – I don't make the best patient and I may not be able to outrun you – but I am armed."
Andy chuckled. "I can see that about you." He finished his coffee, stood and tossed down several bills to cover the tab as well as a tip. He insisted that Scully let him lead the way to the car, scanning the area carefully for anything or anyone that seemed amiss.
He found himself contemplating what Mulder must be feeling right now – knowing that the woman you loved had been marked for death –because- he loved her. He could only imagine the rage if someone threatened his wife and kids. Having lived in this small city his whole life, he'd never had to deal with this violent crime and a serial killer to boot.
The drive to the station was a short one but quiet. After making sure that Scully made it safely inside, Andy excused himself to the Men's room and Scully headed straight for the "War Room".
Confronted by all the photos, diagrams and information that had been displayed, especially the pictures of the three murdered women, Scully sank into the nearest chair and desperately tried to figure out who – who could possibly have known about Mulder's past relationships? It wasn't like he'd lived here his whole life and that he'd been with them any length of time. From what Mulder had said, Nancy had been a high school crush, a prom date and he'd never seen or heard from her again.
Phoebe – who even knew that she and Mulder had been together? Did he tell his mother? Knowing the type of relationship he'd had with his mother, she doubted it. Maybe he told his best friend, Tommy. After all, Tommy had competed for Nancy. But how would he relate to Diana Fowley? That had happened after Tommy's death.
The more she thought about it – the less sense it made. What point was being made by killing a woman that Mulder had taken to prom when he was a teenager? Mulder hadn't seen Phoebe Green in years and hardly anyone outside the Bureau knew that Diana Fowley was dead: killed by Scully just after she attempted to kill Mulder. Whoever was doing this didn't have current information on Fowley and who, besides the Lone Gunmen had known she and Mulder had been together many years ago?
The women named Phoebe and Diana that had been killed here were "symbols". Nancy was not. Nancy was the key somehow. She could feel it but she just couldn't see it.
She needed to talk to Mulder. Maybe they should start putting some information out there – letting the community know that the victims had been targeted by a killer with a specific agenda and that the PD would not be releasing these findings but that they could assure everyone that they had unlocked the clues.
She reached for her cell phone to call Mulder, when Andy came to the door. "Dana – could I bother you for a minute? I got a guy out here says it's urgent that he talk with you."
Scully turned around to see Andy taking up the entire doorway to block the visitor's view. She put her phone back in her pocket to grab her crutches and pull herself to a standing position.
Andy turned the light off and closed the door behind Scully. "Agent Scully, this guy, Steven Burnett, says he has some information about this case and it involves that lady that was helping you – Jane."
Scully was aghast. "Jane? Jane Houndeford?"
