Forty-Seven

Taylor was about to step out into the parking lot when she heard gunshots. She drew her Glock.

“Lieutenant, did you hear that?” Kris squeaked in alarm.

“I did. Go inside the main offices, shut the door behind you.”

Kris disappeared into the hallway. She’d be safe in there, you needed a key card to get through.

Taylor glanced out the front door and saw her two bodyguards standing over a man. Whatever was happening was over, the threat had obviously been neutralized. She holstered her gun and ran outside.

“What happened?” she yelled. “Who is this?”

Wells turned to her, eyes quiet and cold. “Pretty sure he’s one of the copycats. License plate matches. And he went for a gun. I had no choice.”

She looked at the man spread-eagle on his back, his face arranged in a soft smile, eyes forever focused on a sky only he could see. Felt nothing for him.

“Which one was he?”

Rogers tossed her the man’s wallet. “His license says William Reiser. I’d assume he’s the Zodiac copycat out of California.”

“What the hell is he doing here? Making a move on me?”

“We don’t know, ma’am. We saw him coming up the road, then stop for a minute in front of the TBI. Then he came up here, parked and took out his BlackBerry.”

He handed that to her as well. She pushed the home button and the screen came to life. He’d been composing an email, to someone named Troy.

She scrolled down and saw the message he’d been responding to, felt her skin crawl.

Come to Papa.

He was answering a direct communiqué from Copeland. Wells was right, this was one of the copycats.

“Well done,” she said to him, then grabbed her cell and got Commander Huston on the horn.

Before she could even say hello the commander launched in, fast and loud. “Jackson, what in the hell is going on? We’ve just had a homicide in the parking facilities. That woman you’ve had Detective Ross babysitting was killed a few minutes ago.”

All the breath went out of her in a rush. Oh, God. Colleen.

“How?” she managed to ask.

“We’re figuring all that out now. She left the building and was ambushed. Detective Ross shot and killed her attacker. You need to come down here, now.”

Lincoln killed a suspect. He must be devastated. He’d never taken a life before. All of her people were getting hurt. Taylor took a deep breath.

“Ma’am, I can’t do that just this minute. I need a crime scene tech at Forensic Medical. We’ve had a breach of security, one of the national copycats got into the parking lot of the building. He was taken down by two of Mitchell Price’s men, who I hired to watch my back.”

“Another shooting? Christ almighty, Lieutenant.”

“I know, ma’am.”

“You sit tight there then. I’ll handle things here. Be careful, Lieutenant.”

“Yes, ma’am.” She hit End, then called Kris, who answered on the first ring.

“Kris, everything is fine out here. We need a death investigator. I need to leave. Can you arrange things, come out here and make sure nothing is messed with?”

“Yes. But, Lieutenant, shouldn’t you stay—”

“Kris, I have to find Sam. Please. Do this for me.”

“All right.”

She hung up and looked at Wells. “I need to move.”

“Yes, ma’am. What do you want us to do? Come with? There are more of these fools out there, right?”

“Stay here. Call Price and tell him what went down. Give your statement and tell the truth, Wells. You won’t be held accountable, he drew first. When you get clear, call me and we’ll meet back up.”

“Are you sure, ma’am? You’ll be exposed. These killers are getting close, too close for comfort, if you ask me.” He nudged Reiser with his foot.

“Stay, Wells. Give your statement. That’s an order.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

And just like that, she was free. Her guards had served their purpose, for the first stage of the game.

Thank you for the setup, Copeland. Couldn’t have planned it better myself.