Chapter 3

• Brent took his time going to work for a change. He’d spent yesterday with Reid, gathering up the little pieces to the dating site murders. With the evidence recovered from the homes of Howard and Lawson, the case was now air-tight and neither of them would be able to squirm their way out of a very long jail sentence.
• Hopefully, the Captain would give them a few days off to rest, he smirked knowing he was just dreaming and a few days off weren’t going to happen. Blowing out a breath, he pulled into the parking lot, noting the swarm of reporters was finally gone. A few easy cases would be a nice change. He smirked, knowing both Reid and him would get bored silly if it were easy, but it was still nice to think that might happen.
• He heard the voices before he reached the office. As he stepped in the door, he saw Jacinda waving papers at Reid while Sandy leaned against the desk reading. Well, that was a change from coming down to the scowling, silent partner he was used to starting his days with.
• “What do you mean there’s something? Define something?” Reid crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at her.
• Tossing the papers back on the table she put her hands on her hips, glaring up at him. “If I could define something – then most likely I wouldn’t refer to it as something.”
• Brent smirked. She did have a point, not that his partner would admit it. Walking over, he stopped beside the Doctor, he leaned closer to her. “Have I missed something interesting?”
• Sandy glanced away from the pages she was flipping through. “Yes, and I think it’s my fault.”
• Jac turned around and looked at her. “It’s not your fault. You were concerned and I said I’d check into it for you…”
• “All night?” Reid went and sat behind his desk. Glancing at Brent he scowled. “The name you ran yesterday—she spent all night digging around.”
• Brent frowned. “Really? Other than a few minor incidents, no convictions – I didn’t think there was too much to find out.”
• Sandy handed him the papers she’d been reading. “You’d be wrong.”
• He took the pages and walked over to his desk. He flipped through them a few times. “Okay, so she’s been in the news here and there.”
• Reid raised his eyebrows. “Here and there? She’s left a trail of press releases.”
• Brent looked back down at the papers sitting in front of him. He quickly scanned the towns named in them. He blew out a short breath. “Okay, so she moves around a lot —no doubt about that.” He looked at Reid, trying not to grin at his annoyed look, and then turned to Jac. “So, what’s the issue here exactly?”
• Jac threw up her hands. “I’m a little worried that Sandy is going to be alone with this person and Reid is being an idiot.”
• Brent smirked. “Not much new with that.” He received a look from his partner and glare from Jac. Frowning, he looked over at the doctor. “Are you worried?”
• She shook her head. “Not so much. But there is a lot of history I wasn’t made aware of.”
• He wished now he’d gotten a coffee before coming down to the office. Scanning over the first few pages, he concentrated through the morning fog. She had been involved in leading police to a kidnapping site. Finding a murder weapon used in three killings. Locating an old cellar with trapped people, leading a family to a missing elderly relative. He flipped through a few more and looked up. “Miss Dante seems to be in the wrong place a lot.” He looked at Jac chewing her lip. “What is this something that’s nagging at you?” He pulled the priors sheet out of the pile and held it up. “She’s never been convicted or guilty— just has really bad luck.”
• “Or is extremely lucky,” Jac mumbled. Turning, she looked at Sandy. “When do you see her?”
• Sandy glanced at the clock. “Two hours.” She smiled at Jac. “I’ll be fine; the judge just wants me to see if she’s all right. He thinks it’s more of a bored rich girl phenomenon really.”
• Brent gave her a puzzled look. “A what?”
• Sandy perched on the edge of the desk. “She came from a wealthy family before she started moving all over the country. Sometimes children from a family like that will do just about anything to get noticed…”
• Brent frowned at the papers in front of him. “That’s a lot of anything she’s been linked to Doc…”
• “Exactly what I’m saying!” Jac glanced over at Reid, noting he still wasn’t going to budge on the issue. “I wanted to wait outside Sandy’s office while she’s…”
• “Absolutely not,” Reid spoke quietly but knew he was heard when everyone turned to look at him. He studied Jacinda, and then glanced at Brent. “I don’t want her near her. She’s just barely recovered from the last criminal she got too close to.”
• Brent nodded and gave Jac a sympathetic look. “He has a point. If she is responsible for being involved in any of these – then you won’t do much good being passed out on the floor.”
• Jac went over and dropped down into one of the chairs. “I know.” She gave Reid a pouting look and shrugged her shoulders. “You’re right.”
• Brent glanced from Jac to Reid and knew by the look on his partner’s face those soft brown eyes were ripping him up inside. He couldn’t blame him really. Maybe it was a male thing because he was also a real sucker for soft, pouting eyes
• Reid shrugged. “Brent will go hang out in the Doc’s office if it will make you feel better.” She immediately smiled at him.
• Brent’s jaw dropped and he turned to look at the other man. “I will?” He looked over at the smirking doctor, then at Jac. She had turned those huge brown eyes on him. At that point he was sure they were boring right into his soul, pleading—he nodded. Sighing, he looked at the doc. “I guess I’m hanging out in your waiting room in two hours.”
• Sandy laughed. “I have very comfortable chairs.”
• “Lucky me.” He watched Jacinda get up and go over and lean down and kiss Reid. Why did he feel like he’d just been sacrificed for his partner’s good?
• Sandy glanced at the clock. “Again, thank you for everything.” She smiled at Brent. “I’ll see you in a few hours.”
• He nodded, silently watching her walk from the room. Glancing back around he found Reid and Jac whispering face to face and shook his head. Picking up the papers, he started to read through them more thoroughly.
• When Jac left to go to her own office, he turned to the man at the other desk. Reid grinned at him. He raised one eyebrow.
• “Thanks,” Reid said quietly.
• Brent studied him for a moment. “What’s really going on?”
• “Jacinda was up half the night digging up stuff, something about all of it is really bothering her—when she starts to get that feeling, we both know there’s something to it.”
• Brent held up the newspaper photo of a young girl with her parents. “I don’t see her being a real problem.”
• Reid gave a helpless gesture with his hands. “I know, neither do I, but there’s just something about it all that is really off.”
• He had to agree with him there, how was it this Felicity always seemed to be in the right place all the time? Things like that just didn’t happen in his world. “You owe me one.” He said holding out his empty cup.
• Reid stood up grinning. “Yes, I do.” He grabbed the cup and headed out the door.
• “I want it in writing too.” He mumbled only to be answered with a laugh.
• Brent looked back down at the photo. He read through some of it … Mr. Archibald Dante and his wife didn’t wish to comment on why they’re daughter hadn’t been seen with them in over two years… He studied the child in the photo again; she looked lost. What would cause her to give up her family and move to so many places? He read the date of the picture, briefly wondering what she’d look like all grown up. Great, now thanks to Jacinda his mind wouldn’t shut up about it either.