It took a moment for Brook to comprehend the meaning behind his question. He had basically labeled the two of them as a unit, regardless of if she was right or not in her judgement of Special Agent Ann Nelson. Brook should be the better person. She should tell Theo that he could draw his own conclusions.
“No.”
Brook winced inwardly at her own response. She’d just experienced a weekend in hell. Being dragged into her past of horrors was the only excuse she could come up with, so she was going with it.
“Got it.” Theo stepped forward and opened the door. “Shall we?”
“I mean, yes. Nelson is good at her job.”
“That wasn’t what I asked you,” Theo murmured as Brook brushed past him to step onto the sidewalk. “Besides, first answer is usually the right one, so I’ll go with it. Is it so bad to have someone in your corner?”
Brook was grateful that she didn’t have time to respond, and she noticed that the cold temperature was no longer refreshing as it had been when she’d left her building. She quickly buttoned her dress coat and tied the two ends of her scarf together so that there was a barrier between the wind and her neck. The reason that she’d even stepped outside to discuss the situation with Harden and Agent Nelson was so that the remaining few customers couldn’t overhear their conversation.
It was more than apparent that Ann was arguing with Harden, most likely over the fact that he’d agreed with Brook about questioning the patrons as soon as possible. Since over an hour and a half had passed since she’d entered the coffee shop, only a few of their potential eyewitnesses were still inside. Sylvie had done an exceptional job at garnering statements and all requisite contact information.
“Brook, it’s good to see you.” Harden took her by surprise when he took the hand that she’d offered in greeting and pulled her into a warm embrace. “We were sorry to hear about your father.”
While Harden had basically been her mentor, he’d understood her need to keep him at arm’s length. She could only chalk up his friendly gesture as a reaction from almost losing his life a few months ago. Not being used to such displays of affection, she awkwardly patted his back in slow motion.
“Thank you, Matt. It’s good to see you up and around,” Brook managed to say before he pulled away. Agent Nelson cleared her throat in an effort to draw attention back to the subject at hand. “Supervisory Special Agent Harden and Special Agent Nelson, this is Theo Neville. He’s already done a sweep of the area, noting where each and every street camera is located so that our technical expert can pull any CCTV footage that we might need, as well as any shops that use their own security cameras. What are your thoughts on how to work this investigation?”
“We don’t even know what we’re dealing with, and you shouldn’t assume—“
“It’s good to see you again, Agent Neville,” Harden acknowledged warmly, purposefully cutting off his agent’s rude greeting. “Please congratulate your father for me on being appointed Commissioner.”
“Thank you, sir,” Theo replied with a proud smile as he shook Harden’s hand.
Theo’s father had filled the vital role as NYPD Police Commissioner at the first of the year. He’d easily been the most experienced and deserving candidate, and Brook had no doubt that he would excel in his duties to oversee the day-to-day operations of such a large department in one of America’s largest cities.
“Shall we get down to business?” Harden asked as he took time to survey the bloody handprint on the window. “Do you remember Agent Sid Parker? He retired at the end of last year, but he was the one who handled the initial investigation for the Bureau.”
Brook had been with FBI at the time of the murders, but she hadn’t been the assigned profiler on the case. She wasn’t personally familiar with the facts of the investigation, but Harden had given his word that he would have the files sent over to the offices of S&E Investigations by this afternoon.
“Again, I’d like to point out that we don’t know if this handprint has anything to do with Parker’s investigation,” Ann said as she maneuvered past Theo so that she could get a better look at the evidence. “Don’t you think it would have been more prudent to call the MPD first? Maybe have them pull footage to see if maybe someone was drunk in the wee hours of the morning and leaned against the glass? The handprint might be nothing.”
Brook had worked with Ann long enough to know that the woman wasn’t being rude. She was cautious and meticulous, which was what usually made her an excellent agent. Brook couldn’t fault the agent for her professionalism, but her personal demeanor was something else entirely.
“You worked with Brook for many years, so I’m sure you know that she doesn’t overreact on a whim.” Theo had gotten his point across, but he’d softened the blow by following up with corroborating evidence. “Our tech expert has already been able to pull footage of a woman who walked up to the window, pressed her injured hand against the pane, and then proceeded to round the corner. We’re pulling all missing persons cases in the past two months to see if we can get a match with her description.”
“You pulled footage without a warrant?” Ann asked in disbelief as she directed her question toward Brook. “You can’t just—“
“The coffee shop owner granted us permission in writing.” Brook slowly inhaled and counted to ten before saying another word. It wouldn’t do to start off this so-called working relationship by quarreling at the onset. She also wouldn’t give Ann the ammunition needed to call a halt to their newfound coalition. “We’ll wait until you inform us that warrants have been granted before we seek footage from MPD or the City Transportation Authority.”
Brook’s response seemed to mollify Ann, who had pressed her lips together in reluctant acceptance.
“Alright then,” Harden stated with a firm nod. He and Brook had spoken at length about the possibility the bloody handprint had nothing to do with the serial killer from three years ago. Still, it was something that needed to be looked into, and it would be wise to keep it in-house until proven otherwise. Having MPD take the lead only to find out that the handprint was indeed the killer’s signature would be a complete waste of time, effort, and resources. “Let’s set some ground rules on how this partnership will work.”
“I’d actually like to offer an alternative,” Ann replied before even taking the time to hear Harden’s proposition. Her blonde hair rested against her shoulders and didn’t have the healthy shine that Sylvie’s longer hair possessed that had nothing to do with products and everything to do with genetics. “Sid is retired, Frank is tied up with a counterintelligence investigation, and our field office has been inundated with tips regarding an organized crime syndicate that is preparing to move into the city. Since an agreement has already been made with your firm regarding this case, why don’t you take the lead for now? If you discover that the unsub from Parker’s investigation has resurfaced and need additional resources, I’ll jump on board.”
Brook had worked with Theo long enough to know when he was about to correct someone. The moment that his right leg shifted so that his winter boot lined up with Ann’s position on the sidewalk, Brook made sure that she was the one who addressed the suggestion first.
“We’ll keep you apprised of what we find,” Brook said in agreement at the same time that Harden nodded his approval. Once again, she couldn’t help but wonder why he was being so amicable about them pooling their resources. “I take your cell phone number is still the same?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll leave Theo to fill you in on the specific warrants that we would like to be requested while I speak with Matt in private.”
Brook left the two of them facing off as she turned and walked in the direction that the missing woman had moved in the footage. Bit had immediately uploaded the segment of film to everyone’s tablets, and there was no doubt that fear had been embedded into the woman’s stiff gaunt and stark facial features. While she might have been alone when she’d pressed her palm to the windowpane, someone had forced her to do so under duress.