Page 10 of Closer Than You Know
Good to know. Not.
“If the Time Thief follows his usual MO,” she said, moving on, “he’ll drop Nolan off somewhere tomorrow night.”
Bent finished off his sandwich and sipped his coffee before commenting. “If we’re lucky and nothing changes, he will.”
But things had changed. Unease slid through Vera as she twisted on the stool and reviewed the case board’s detailed timeline. Having been a cop and crime analyst for so long, she couldn’t help forming conclusions based on the information available to her. It was the nature of the beast.
“His work has been confined to Lincoln County,” she offered, “suggesting someone local or who used to be local. Perps typically prefer to hunt where they feel most comfortable. His choice of victims as well as the time and place of each abduction indicates a preference for low-level risk—which significantly lessens the thrill.” She shrugged. “Given he has consistently worked outside any city’s jurisdictional lines—until now—he obviously prefers keeping a low profile.”
“I agree.” He braced his forearms on the table and stared at the timeline he’d created. “We’ve interviewed all the high-profile extraterrestrial believers in a tricounty area. We found more than one club with members who believe they’ve been abducted and released by aliens. One in Tullahoma in particular seems very active.”
Vera frowned. “You didn’t mention that part when we talked before.” They had discussed what was happening with the case over the past few weeks. And it wasn’t like she could escape the details anyway—the Time Thief was all anyone was talking about. Besides, what else did two investigator types do when they got together for a meal or ran into each other at the supermarket? The options she had relegated to the farthest recesses of her brain instantly pushed front and center, but she banished them.
Not going there for sure.
“Since you’re officially working on the case with me now, I figured you should know.”
True enough. In deference to his need for a more open mind, she threw out another feasible scenario. “Perhaps someone a bit more fanatical is responsible for the abductions, in an effort to spur belief or interest. Some folks need to escape what’s happening around them, and going overboard on something like this could be the chosen remedy.”
“Definitely a possibility,” he agreed.
She studied the photos of the victims after being released. “I’ve seen those rudimentary-type diagrams before from people who claimed to be abducted. Not in person,” she clarified. “Online. I also watched a program about victims who believe they’ve had that experience. What I found when comparing their stories is that the images seldom vary but the steps in the abductions are rarely so carefully executed as what we’re seeing here. There are generally all sorts of variances.”
“Maybe this alien enthusiast is more detail obsessed,” Bent suggested.
She laughed. “Maybe so.” She took some time to consider any other potential scenarios. This was what she did, after all, and she was very good at it. “Another possibility I’m seeing—and this is a stretch at best,” she proposed, “is that maybe the perp is someone who has a grudge against the department or you and wants to make you look bad.” She shrugged. “I mean, what better way than to set up a case you can’t solve. If it’s a former deputy, then he knows how to avoid all the pitfalls that get perps caught.”
It really was a stretch for sure, but when Bent had taken over, there had been cleanup to do. The former sheriff had recognized the trouble, but with his age and health conditions, the issues were too big for him to handle. He’d left that to Bent, and he’d done the job, all right. Replaced nearly half of the department.
“I’ve considered the possibility.” He looked from the board to her. “I have Myra looking into the whereabouts and activities of those who were fired.”
Vera gave him a nod. Myra Jordan, his assistant, was the perfect choice. She had been with the former sheriff for twenty years. She knew the department inside and out and everyone who lived in the area. Vera could see her quickly ferreting out anyone targeting the department.
“Another scenario,” she went on, “is that we have a perp who’s looking for his fifteen minutes of fame—even if only in the local paper.” She pondered the idea a moment. “The idea that the perp is either trying to draw attention to the existence of otherworldly beings, or maybe to himself, feels more feasible, don’t you think?”
“Those are the most logical, yes.” He considered her a moment before asking, “What are your thoughts on the way our perp contacted his victim this time—leaving a message tucked under his windshield wiper while he was shopping at Gerald’s? That was a big step away from his usual MO of no advance warning.”
The small-town supermarket had no video surveillance of the parking lot, which the perp no doubt knew—maintaining that low risk level. “It’s possible this was nothing more than his not being able to catch Nolan in the right situation without going a new route. Then again, at least two aspects of his MO this time are different. If this move is about taking his work to the next level or making a big, splashy finale, abducting a reporter would certainly do the job. Especially since Nolan is the son of one of the most prominent families in town.”
They sat in silence a moment, both staring at the case board.
“But we can’t be sure this is his final victim,” Bent countered. “He’s a repeat offender. At this point we don’t know where he’s going. He could be a fledgling serial abductor. Testing his wings before he flies. Baker could end up his first kill.”
“True ... except,” Vera argued, “this perp, so far, has no message. Nothing. Other than vague observations written on the bodies of the victims he releases. He’s told us nothing. What is he accomplishing?He’s taken nothing but time from the victims. He’s used up time and resources from your department. But otherwise, what does he get from his actions? What need is he fulfilling? What does his work say?”
Even as she said the words, the “fifteen minutes of fame” scenario was gaining ground as the more likely of the two options. And it was one she felt confident no one—including Bent—was going to like.
“Not much,” Bent admitted. His gaze narrowed. “Where does that leave us in terms of most likely scenarios?”
She braced herself and went for broke. “What if this latest victim—the reporter—either created the whole damned thing or is taking advantage of the Time Thief’s MO to create a stir of his own for a little notoriety.” No one—not even Bent—could deny the scenario was feasible. “After all, Nolan is Elizabeth’s child. Being an attention hog at all costs runs in the family.”
Bent mulled over her scenario for a bit. “You really think Baker would set this up for the headlines?”
“Think about it. No one is harmed—not really. The vics are released fairly quickly. And we both know that Nolan is an ambitious guy who would do most anything to get what he wants.”
“True enough,” he allowed, but his expression told her he wasn’t convinced.
Vera turned her hands up then. “There is obviously the possibility that I’m suggesting this, in part, because he was so mean to Luna during the cave investigation and his mother was so awful to me in high school.”
