through their victims. The profiles we establish, based off not only
the evidence and MO, but the victims chosen, tell us a lot about the
perpetrators. Taking false credit for another victim that doesn’t fit in the
already established victimology, changes things. But we still have every
confidence we will track this guy down.”
His
confidence did very little to boost mine. “So what happens now?”
“Now,
you both go home and let us do our jobs. We’ll be in touch if we have any more
questions, and remember, if either of you think of anything, or you see or hear
anything that gives you pause or even just a bad feeling, don’t hesitate to
call. Nora, you especially need to be vigilant. If Emily knew her abductor, it
is likely you’ve had contact with this person as well. He disposed of her purse
behind your business, which means he was there.”
The
entire ride back to the shop to get my car and then the drive home, I couldn’t
stop thinking about what Agent Monroe said. It was unsettling enough to think
that whoever was responsible might be watching, but that it could be someone I
knew . . . there was just no way. But the seeds of doubt and suspicion had been
planted.
I
hoped they figured it out soon. I didn’t want to look up every time the door to
my shop opened and wonder if the person walking in the door could have had
anything to do with Em or the other girls.
Seven
“Damn
gremlins,” I grumbled, as I rifled through Emily’s suitcase, the one she hadn’t
gotten the chance to unpack. I found it just inside the door when I came home
that night. I’d lugged it back to her room where it sat unpacked since.
“What’s
up?” I jumped at the voice, spinning around to see James in the doorway.
I
set my hand over my racing heart. “You startled me. I didn’t hear you come in.”
“Just
got back. Heard you in here muttering about gremlins.” He crossed his arms in
front of his chest and leaned against the doorframe. “You have a pest problem?
I’m not sure if the Ghostbusters handle gremlins, but you might be able to give
them a call.”
I
chuckled and stood. “You have their number? I’ve got gremlins or ghosts or some
sort of thieving creature.”
“Lose
something?”
“Maybe,”
I let out a resigned breath. “I thought I’d find them in here. Emily and I are
always borrowing each other’s stuff, but no luck finding what I’m looking for.”
I’d misplaced several things over the past couple weeks.
“I
think maybe my dryer is eating my laundry, but instead of sticking to the usual
socks, mine has developed a taste for everything, including my underwear.” I
brushed past him into the hall and sent an evil glare at the pantry where said
dryer was. The dryer didn’t explain my missing jewelry though, which is why I’d
decided to search Em’s stuff. We’d been living together so long it was
sometimes easy to forget whose stuff was whose.
“This
is the first time I’ve heard of a dryer devouring underwear,” he gave me a
teasing grin.
I
sighed, “I suppose it all might turn up if I cleaned my room.” I pushed open
the door directly across from Em’s. It wasn’t exactly messy, but with the hours
I worked, it was known to get a little cluttered, usually with stacks of folded
laundry I didn’t bother to put away, and occasionally piles of dirty laundry
that had yet to find their way to the washer. Currently, it looked as if every
dresser drawer and hanger in my closet was probably empty, because my clothes
were all over the place. The piles were made worse by the digging I did through
them earlier trying to locate the missing goods.
“I
guess I know what I’ll be spending the evening doing. If you have any laundry
you want done, you can toss it in the bin by the washer and I’ll throw it in
with mine,” I offered. “And if you give me a little bit of time to get a load
started, I can probably throw together something for dinner.”
He
unfolded his arms and
the evidence and MO, but the victims chosen, tell us a lot about the
perpetrators. Taking false credit for another victim that doesn’t fit in the
already established victimology, changes things. But we still have every
confidence we will track this guy down.”
His
confidence did very little to boost mine. “So what happens now?”
“Now,
you both go home and let us do our jobs. We’ll be in touch if we have any more
questions, and remember, if either of you think of anything, or you see or hear
anything that gives you pause or even just a bad feeling, don’t hesitate to
call. Nora, you especially need to be vigilant. If Emily knew her abductor, it
is likely you’ve had contact with this person as well. He disposed of her purse
behind your business, which means he was there.”
The
entire ride back to the shop to get my car and then the drive home, I couldn’t
stop thinking about what Agent Monroe said. It was unsettling enough to think
that whoever was responsible might be watching, but that it could be someone I
knew . . . there was just no way. But the seeds of doubt and suspicion had been
planted.
I
hoped they figured it out soon. I didn’t want to look up every time the door to
my shop opened and wonder if the person walking in the door could have had
anything to do with Em or the other girls.
Seven
“Damn
gremlins,” I grumbled, as I rifled through Emily’s suitcase, the one she hadn’t
gotten the chance to unpack. I found it just inside the door when I came home
that night. I’d lugged it back to her room where it sat unpacked since.
“What’s
up?” I jumped at the voice, spinning around to see James in the doorway.
I
set my hand over my racing heart. “You startled me. I didn’t hear you come in.”
“Just
got back. Heard you in here muttering about gremlins.” He crossed his arms in
front of his chest and leaned against the doorframe. “You have a pest problem?
I’m not sure if the Ghostbusters handle gremlins, but you might be able to give
them a call.”
I
chuckled and stood. “You have their number? I’ve got gremlins or ghosts or some
sort of thieving creature.”
“Lose
something?”
“Maybe,”
I let out a resigned breath. “I thought I’d find them in here. Emily and I are
always borrowing each other’s stuff, but no luck finding what I’m looking for.”
I’d misplaced several things over the past couple weeks.
“I
think maybe my dryer is eating my laundry, but instead of sticking to the usual
socks, mine has developed a taste for everything, including my underwear.” I
brushed past him into the hall and sent an evil glare at the pantry where said
dryer was. The dryer didn’t explain my missing jewelry though, which is why I’d
decided to search Em’s stuff. We’d been living together so long it was
sometimes easy to forget whose stuff was whose.
“This
is the first time I’ve heard of a dryer devouring underwear,” he gave me a
teasing grin.
I
sighed, “I suppose it all might turn up if I cleaned my room.” I pushed open
the door directly across from Em’s. It wasn’t exactly messy, but with the hours
I worked, it was known to get a little cluttered, usually with stacks of folded
laundry I didn’t bother to put away, and occasionally piles of dirty laundry
that had yet to find their way to the washer. Currently, it looked as if every
dresser drawer and hanger in my closet was probably empty, because my clothes
were all over the place. The piles were made worse by the digging I did through
them earlier trying to locate the missing goods.
“I
guess I know what I’ll be spending the evening doing. If you have any laundry
you want done, you can toss it in the bin by the washer and I’ll throw it in
with mine,” I offered. “And if you give me a little bit of time to get a load
started, I can probably throw together something for dinner.”
He
unfolded his arms and
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