Money for Nothing and Your Kicks for Free (standard:mystery, 2640 words) [1/3] show all parts
Author: jenne64	Updated: Jan 22 2001	Views/Reads: 4305/2537	Part vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Life is never simple but when you're female and work for the FBI well... FEEDBACK ALWAYS APPRECIATED.

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

anything. 

She picked up the papers again and read the list of injuries. It was
gruesome read that included severe trauma to the back of the head, all 
ribs broken and a face that had been smashed with a blunt instrument 
until it resembled blue mashed potato. Anne was surprised that the 
woman had survived at all. 

Now she turned her attention to the suspect, an inconspicuous looking
man in his late twenties at a guess. His face was full and well 
rounded, his eyes small and dark but the thing that struck her most was 
the pockmark's that remained from the acne that had obviously ravaged 
him when he was in his teens. His hair was dishwater brown, cut short 
and neat and she concluded that he was probably not in many little 
black books with looks like these. Still she had trouble looking at his 
alleged victims face and the suspects and putting two and two together. 
He just didn’t seem the type. So what did they have on him? 

Not much from the look of the information in the file. The bulk of the
evidence against him was that he had lured her into an Internet chat 
room, befriended her and they had met a few times. It was then that 
Anne noticed the floppy disk that had apparently appeared at the same 
time as the file. She picked it up and examined it for a label. This 
was sloppy work if they ever decided to use it in evidence and one that 
didn’t go unnoted as she slipped it into a slot on the desktop and 
began to scan it’s contents. A whole host of chat logs were contained 
within it and she began to methodically read them. 

At first they seemed innocuous just the usual chat that goes on between
computer screens every night of the week in houses all over the world 
but then they began to change in both tone and seriousness. It was 
obvious that this had developed into an intense cyber relationship as 
the chats had progressed. 

Anne became so engrossed in the text that she didn’t hear the tap on the
door or the footsteps behind her until their owner was right behind 
her. 

“Makes good reading doesn’t it?” a deep voice boomed from behind the
desk. Anne almost jumped out of her skin at the sound and quickly 
looked up to find the welcome face of her Boss, Reece, staring down at 
her. 

“God you scared the shit out of me,” She exclaimed as he perched on the
edge of the desk, “but your right. I haven’t read it all but who would 
have thought that he was capable of writing letters like this?” she 
continued pointing to the suspect’s picture. 

“Oh come on Anne, I’m sure Neil’s sent you a few of those when he’s been
away.” 

Despite her best efforts Anne felt her own cheeks begin to color as she
remembered the letter that she had received from Neil not three days 
ago. It made the chats that she had just read look like children’s 
bedtime books by comparison although she had a feeling those that she 
had read were merely the tip of the iceberg. 

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean,” came the reply in her most
innocent voice, “anyway why did you think this was up my alley, as Jim 
put it.” She emphasized Jim’s name just as she always did, the very 
thought of him was repugnant. 

“Well, I kind of figured that as your Neil specializes in Internet
security that some of his knowledge might have rubbed off onto his 
wife.” He took a handkerchief from his pocket and blew his nose as 
discreetly as possible before continuing, “most of what we have is pure 
circumstance and wouldn’t hold up in a court of law as it stands. What 
we need to know is how he got into her computer and her head the way he 
did. Something about this guy tells me that he’s not as stupid as he 
looks. Someone changed a lot of documents and texts on her pc before 
this happened and I’m betting it wasn’t her.” 

“Sorry Reece but you’ve lost me there, changed documents?” Anne
stammered, had she missed something? Then again she hadn’t finished 
reading the full case yet she quickly reminded herself. 

“Oh I’m doing it again jumping ahead of myself and you. Look into it a
bit deeper and you’ll be amazed at what went on between these two 
characters,” he offered apologetically pointing to the two photo’s that 
were still sat on her desk, “right now I think it’s time for lunch, 
care to join me?” 

Anne looked into his smoky brown eyes as they pleaded with her to say
yes from across the desk. It was hard to resist them and today she felt 
like the company so after a short pause readily agreed. 

She grabbed her coat from its neat peg on the back of the door and
followed him down the long corridor that lead to his office. As they 
entered his office she noted the difference between her office and his. 
This was male in almost every detail, the smell of expensive aftershave 
wafted through it, the black and white color scheme added to the air of 
masculinity that it eluded. It was a far bigger room than her own and 
possessed the one thing that she yearned for, a window. Even his desk 
was bigger than her own and she noted with some pride that it was even 
more untidy than her own, notes and files sprawled all over it’s 
surface. Anne felt a tinge of regret as she remembered the phone call 
that she had to make later that day. If the result of that call was as 
she expected then she found it impossible to see how she would ever be 
able to call this office her own as she had hoped to do one day. 

“Ok, so where you taking me for lunch?” Anne asked as she watched him
place the jacket loosely over his broad shoulders. 

“Depends on what you wanna’ eat.” He replied while combing his hair and
checking his final appearance in the mirror before they left the 
office. 

“Anything I just need to eat. I’ll let you decide but something quick I
need to get back to work on this case.” 

“Ease up Anne, even you need to relax sometimes. You don’t have anything
to prove to me or anyone else. Your one of the best agents I’ve ever 
worked with.” 

“Thanks I appreciate the compliment.” Anne replied as they left the
building and walked out into the cool fall air. She followed his lead 
as they walked in silence along the street until they came to the local 
Diner. Not the most delightful of places to eat but the food was always 
good and hot and a welcome smile awaited them as they stepped through 
the door. 

They took their seats and Anne was pleased to see that the place was
almost empty apart from the owners. She had an ominous feeling as to 
why Reece had decided to ask her for lunch. Nothing she could put her 
finger on and it wasn’t that unusual an occurrence but still there was 
something in his posture as he sat opposite her that made her feel 
slightly uncomfortable. 

They ate in silence for a while as if neither was comfortable enough to
start the conversation today. Anne swallowed a large piece of her tuna 
sub before deciding it was time to break the ice, “So Reece, much as 
I’m enjoying this lunch what really gives here?” 

“Oh boy, nothing gets past you does it.” He said with a wry smile on his
face as he swilled his food down with a large swig from his coffee mug. 
“Ok I’ll come clean the truth is that the case that I gave you this 
morning is a little bigger than it first appears.” He let the words 
hang in the air between them for a few seconds before continuing, “We 
suspect this guy has done this before only the last three victims 
didn’t survive.” 

“You’re kidding me aren’t you?” He had her full attention now. Anne was
no rookie but at the same time it frustrated her that the bigger cases 
always seemed to elude her. 

“Do I look like I’m kidding? Want to know more?” Again he paused as if
for effect. 

“Oh just tell me, stop teasing or you might end up wearing that coffee
instead of drinking it.” She exclaimed, the excitement in her voice 
clear. 

“Ok, Ok well it appears that we have other unsolved cases on the books
that have the same signature as this one, one in New Hampshire and a 
couple in Maine to be exact. It don’t take a genius to realize if it’s 
the same guy then we are looking at a possible serial killer.” Again a 
pause as he allowed the enormity of his words to sink in. “They have 
this guys mark all over them. I’ve arranged for you to take the first 
flight down to Boston tomorrow morning and the rest of your team will 
meet you there.” He lowered his voice to a whisper as he continued, 
“this could turn out to be the biggest case you’ve ever been in charge 
of, think you can handle it?” 

Anne sat back and digested not only her food but also the question he
had just posed. “Yes.” Came her emphatic reply. 

“Good, then I suggest we finish this coffee and head back. Oh there a
couple of other things you should know, that this guy is dangerous goes 
without saying and you keep in contact at all times. I just don’t mean 
field reports either. NO and I mean NO heroics on this one, is that 
understood?” Anne nodded her head before he continued; “I’m sending 
Jimmy with you on this one. He needs the experience, I briefed him 
before I came down to see you, surprised he didn’t tell you.” 

Anne coughed at the last sentence and fought to retain her dignity. The
very thought of having Jimmy accompany her was as repugnant as it was 
repulsive. There was a short pause before she nodded her head in 
acknowledgement. 

Reece must have noticed the hesitancy judging by his next words, “ You
don’t have a problem with that do you?” 

“No, should I have a problem?” She replied trying to keep her voice
level. 

“I just thought...” His voice trailed off as he looked at Anne’s face,
her expression seemingly set in stone. “You sure?” 

“I’m sure, Jim and I have a history sure but we are both professionals,
nothing to worry about on my account.” She announced with all the 
confidence she could muster, “thanks,” she added as they rose from the 
table. 

“Thanks for what?” Reece answered somewhat bemused. 

“Giving me the chance.” 

“You earned it, just don’t let me down.” He replied in a matter of fact
manner but Anne detected the undercurrent just the same. 

She thought about the challenge that lay ahead of her as they walked
back towards the office and although a small ripple of fear ran through 
her she was determined that she would solve the puzzle at all costs. 


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