Guarding Light by Cate Mckoy Page A

upset. She would have been too if someone had totally ignored and undermine her authority. "Jack, please, we were going to tell you."
       "Yeah, when? When one of your agents ended up on a slab in the morgue?"
       Catlyn placed a hand on his arm, trying to ease his anger. "Please it's…"
       Jack stepped back from her touch and went to the table, grabbing a pen and paper. "I want their names and location right now."
       Sighing Catlyn answered. "Special Agent Sharonda Washington and Probationary Agent Jabaria James they are posing as roommates in an apartment located in the Flats on the corner of Liberty and Benkard."
       Jack swore lavishly. "Are you telling me you have a young, black pro-bee out there in my city dangling as bait for a serial killer?"
       "Yes. And she has been there for two months." Sanchez said.
       Ignoring Sanchez Jack barked out. "Write down their descriptions, any distinguishing marks." Catlyn took the pad, pen and quickly complied.
       Jack took the pad to the phone, dialed. "Hello, yeah, Anderson, I need you and Rider to drop what you're doing and get over to the Flats, Liberty and Benkard. Find the two female FBI agents and keep an eye on them. Don't interfere, but keep your eyes on them and don't let them out of your sight." He closed the call with the two agents' names, descriptions and exact address.
       Jack looked at Catlyn with a considering pause. "If you've been involved for two months, why didn't you just send these agents over to conference with me after I called?"
       Again the agents did that silent communication bit, Catlyn spoke. "We wanted to make sure their cover remained intact. And, we decided to put me in the mix. I could blend. I wouldn't be seen as new but as a returning local."
       "You have an angle?"
       "Yes, I've already rented an apartment not too far from the other agents and I will be waitressing at the bar and grill on the waterfront."
       "You already knew the women were being targeted on the waterfront?"
       Catlyn nodded. "Like you said, the victims' lives didn't intersect anywhere. The only common denominator is the Newburgh waterfront."
       Tasha who until now had remained deep in the files looked up. "I think I found something, another common denominator."
       The law officials returned to the table. "What'd you find, Tash?" Jack asked.
       "Well, get this, Ashley Ford, wasn't all black." Tasha said hopefully.
       "So." Catlyn shrugged.
       Tasha gave her a dirty look. Catlyn gave her one right back.
        "No, wait a minute, go on Tasha, what are you trying to say?" Jack encouraged.
       "Well, Ashley Ford was part Mexican, Becky Lions was part Hawaiian, Carrie Stint part Jewish, Deanna Manelli part Italian and Ebeth Troy was part Puerto Rican. Although they are mixed, you can't tell right away because their skin is darker than the majority of mixed races."
       Sanchez catching on to the theme went through his hard copy case file. "Another thing, each woman had been seen on a date at the waterfront with a white guy."
       Jack was now studying his copy of the case file while the others talked.
       "Those agents you got there in the Flats are they mixed?" Tasha wanted to know.
       Catlyn shook her head. "I don't believe so." She nodded at Sanchez. "We'll need to ask them."
       "Their names too." Tasha added.
       Now all the law enforcement officials were looking at Tasha strangely.
       Catlyn smirked. "Ok, I'll bite whose name and what of it?"
       "Well, the agents have ethnic names, but all of your victims have white-girl names."
       Catlyn rolled her eyes. "That is so ridiculous."
       Sanchez agreed with and defended Tasha. "Come on, Cat, how many black girls do you know with the name Ebeth or Deanna?"
       Jack looked up. "Tash, you might be on to something. All of the girls had been dating a white guy but there was also some kind of event regarding each couple on the