“We can’t comment on that incident,” Jim replied tersely, securing his cufflink after slipping her business card into his pocket. It was the second time that he’d done so, and she got the impression that it gave him something to do to alleviate his stress. “We’ll be in touch with those sign-in forms, Ms. Sloane. If you’ll excuse me, I have some phone calls to make.”
Brook waited until Mr. Risner was out of earshot before addressing Amelia.
“I apologize if I overstepped,” Brook said without truly being apologetic in the least. She then addressed Amelia’s softer side. “As I said, anything and everything could be important when it comes to giving peace to Debbie Horton and Felicia Rhimes’ families.”
“Of course, of course,” Amelia stated with a wave of her hand. It was her way of dismissing Jim’s sudden change of attitude. “Please forgive Jim. He didn’t mean to be dismissive. The facility is facing a civil lawsuit from one of the families who used to use our services, and it’s gotten quite ugly.”
“Lawsuit?” Brook didn’t break her stare with Amelia. The woman had to know that it would take a simple phone call from Brook to unearth all the details. “Amelia, all I want to do is give the families of those women who were abducted in broad daylight the closure that they deserve.”
Amelia quickly glanced in the direction that Jim had disappeared by taking the hallway to Brook’s left. Once the woman had reassured herself that he couldn’t overhear them, she finally divulged specifics that could very well change the course of the investigation.
“It’s nothing really. Nothing that you would be interested in,” Amelia explained right before getting to the heart of the matter. “The lawsuit is based on something that happened years ago. One of our nurses was hired without the proper due diligence. We weren’t aware that he was under suspicion of…well, using certain medications to end the life of a patient at another facility. We were in a bind, his resume was impeccable, and he was very charming. We realized a little too late that we’d acted a bit too hastily, and one of our patients died before we were able to rectify our misstep. The autopsy was inconclusive, but the family still filed suit against our facility after discovering that the man had been a suspect in a previous death.”
“How was this kept out of the press?” Brook asked, knowing full well that S&E Investigations would have eventually revealed such a shocking crime before week’s end. The first few days of any investigation was like being thrown in the deep end of a pool. “And what was the nurse’s name, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Like I said, the autopsy was inconclusive, and the facility’s legal counsel threatened to countersue the family if they went public. The name of the nurse doesn’t really matter, but he went by Jack Ridgeway.”
“You said that this happened around the time that Gregory Fleming was transferred to hospice?”
“Yes, but that incident has nothing to do with your investigation, Ms. Sloane.”
“And why is that?” Brook asked specifically, wondering what she was missing in context of their conversation. Amelia seemed so sure of herself. “Why do you believe that Jack Ridgeway has nothing to do with the abductions of Debbie Horton or Felicia Rhimes?”
“Because Jack Ridgeway took his own life three years ago.”
Chapter Thirteen
Unsub
February 2023
Tuesday — 2:38pm
Fear.
He wasn’t used to the emotion, but it was now coursing through his veins.
He’d returned to the city late last night, only to find that Jenny Capshaw had made the news. It was what he’d wanted, so that her family wouldn’t be left to wonder for years what had happened to her. They should know that she’d paid for her sins.
What he hadn’t expected was the broadcast to include the backstory of the woman who’d discovered Jenny’s parting message to her family.
Brooklyn Sloane, also known as Brooklyn Walsh.
An experienced hunter.
She was the sister of a notorious serial killer named Jacob Walsh. According to the news report, she currently owned and operated a firm called S&E Investigations, Inc. She was experienced in profiling, had worked closely with those inside the BAU, and had been able to hone her skills as a profiler for over eight years before branching out on her own.
What were the odds of someone like her being the one to deliver his message to the Capshaws?
At first, he’d found humor in the situation.
Then reality had begun to set in once the news anchor had shared with her viewers that S&E Investigations, Inc. would be working closely with the FBI to track down Jenny’s abductor. An agent’s presence at the nursing home three years ago had been the reason that he’d paused his mission. He’d believed enough time had passed that he could finally continue his work without being discovered, but what if this Brooklyn Sloane was as good as her reputation?
He’d already chosen his next target, so it wasn’t like he could stop midway to the finish line. The woman who he’d singled out wasn’t a victim, and she deserved to join Jenny and the others in their quest for redemption. It wasn’t like he hadn’t given them the chance to prove he was wrong. He’d given each and every one of them an opportunity to do the right thing.
They had chosen poorly, which was why he would push aside his fear of being discovered and locked away…only to be forgotten.
Chapter Fourteen