Then he said, “Possibly—just possibly—we’ve got a serial killer to catch.”
Riley thought she detected more than a little skepticism in his voice, as if he didn’t believe any such thing.
Crivaro paused, then continued, “About a year ago, a young woman’s body was found on a hiking trail in Dyson Park in Colorado. Yesterday another woman’s body was found on another hiking trail in Arizona. She died under … well, similar circumstances. We’re going to Arizona to check and see if there’s really any connection.”
Crivaro looked out the window again, as if there were nothing more to say.
“Is there anything else?” Riley asked.
“Not really,” Crivaro said, still looking out the window.
Riley felt thoroughly confused now. This might be her first day on the job, but she knew perfectly well that Crivaro ought to know more than he was telling her. In fact, he ought to have had a folder full of materials to show her to bring her up to date. They should be poring over that stuff right now.
She asked, “What were the victims’ names?”
Crivaro shrugged slightly. “I don’t remember the name of the victim in Colorado. Nobody’s told me the name of the one in Arizona.”
Riley couldn’t believe her ears.
What does he mean, nobody’s told him?
What does he mean, he doesn’t remember?
Was he being secretive, or …?
Her eyes widened as she got a strong hunch about what was going on with him.
She said to Crivaro …
“This isn’t an official BAU case, is it?”
Crivaro said with a slight growl, “It doesn’t matter.”
Riley felt a flash of anger.
She said, “I kind of think it does matter, Agent Crivaro. This is my first day as a BAU agent. What am I even doing here? I think I have a right to know more than you’re telling me.”
Crivaro shook his head and rolled his eyes.
“Riley Sweeney, one of these days those instincts of yours are going to get you in serious trouble.”
Then he turned toward her in his seat. Keeping his voice low, he started to explain.
“Look, early this morning I got a call from an old friend. Harry Carnes is his name. He used to be a cop in LA, and we worked on a case together there. He retired and moved to Colorado. A year ago a woman got murdered near where he lived—the first of the two women I just mentioned. He tried to help out the local cops, but they never solved the case.”
“And?” Riley asked.
“And—Harry and his wife are traveling through the Southwest this winter, and he heard about this new murder in Arizona, and he thought there might be a connection with what happened in Colorado. So he called me to come out and check things out.”
Riley felt more baffled by the second.
“Identical murders,” she said. “So why isn’t this an FBI case?”
Crivaro shook his head and said, “I didn’t go through official channels. It doesn’t sound to me like something the FBI would get mixed up in. I don’t even know how identical they are, and some of the details just aren’t all that unusual anyhow. In fact, I suspect there’s probably no connection between the two murders at all.”
Riley squinted hard at Crivaro and said …
“So what you’re telling me is, you’re flying out to Arizona just as a favor to this old friend of yours.”
“You got it,” Crivaro said.
Riley struggled to make sense of what she was hearing.
She asked, “Why are you dragging me along?”
“You’re my partner,” Crivaro said.
“But this isn’t even a real case!”
Crivaro shrugged. “We don’t know that. Maybe we’ll find out that Harry’s right and the two murders are connected, and we have a real serial killer to hunt down. If so, it will wind up being a BAU case. You wouldn’t want to miss out on that, would you? Anyway, I thought … well, I thought maybe this would be a good chance for the two of us to, you know, get used to working with each other.”
Riley almost blurted aloud …
We’ve already worked three murder cases together!
But she quickly reminded herself that there had been plenty of friction between them during those early cases. And she hadn’t been an agent then.
Maybe Agent Crivaro was right.
Maybe they did need a little time to get used to working together in their new roles. But was this non-official and possibly even nonexistent case really the way to do it?
She asked, “Who’s paying for this trip, anyway?”
“I am, OK?” Crivaro grunted. “Of course I might get reimbursed if it turns out to be a real case.”
Riley said, “So you’re telling me—what? That we’re sort of on vacation together?”
Crivaro chuckled awkwardly. “Hey, the weather in Arizona this time of year is sure a lot nicer than it is in Virginia. Don’t bother to thank me for a change of scenery.”
“I don’t think this is funny,” Riley said, trying not to sound as irritated as she felt. “You could have at least told me from the start what this was all about.”
Crivaro said defensively, “Well, I was in kind of a rush. And it’s not like you were going to have any work to do in Quantico while I was gone. You might as well be with me, at least trying to get something done. We will be doing some investigating while we’re there. It might even be a good learning experience for you. So what’s the problem?”
“I’ll tell you what the problem is,” Riley said. “I’ve got a fiancé back home who’s pissed off that I’m taking off like this all of a sudden. Do you think he’s going to be less angry to hear I’m not even on a real case?”
Crivaro sighed guiltily. “And you’re going to tell him that?”
Riley was startled. She hadn’t even considered not telling Ryan all about her activities while she was away from him.
“Of course,” she snapped.
“Sorry about that,” Crivaro said. “I guess you’re right, I should have asked you first.”
“Yeah, I think so.”
Crivaro looked at her more sympathetically and said, “Look, if you want out of this whole thing, I’ll understand. When we get to Phoenix, you can catch the first flight back if you want. I’ll even pay for the ticket. Is that what you want to do?”
Riley felt startled anew by his offer, and she didn’t know what to say.
Shouldn’t I take him up on it? she wondered.
For a moment the choice seemed obvious. Crivaro had no business dragging her across the country on this possibly pointless errand. And heading straight back home might be a good way to patch things up with Ryan—especially if she wound up with another day or two before she really had to start work at Quantico. It might be just what she and Ryan needed.
Then she quickly remembered the anger in Ryan’s voice when he’d asked her over the phone …
“What about my car? How long am I going to have to do without it?”
Riley stifled a growl of irritation.
That damned car, she thought.
Not having that car around mattered more to Ryan than Riley not being there.
It really pissed her off.
Suddenly Riley didn’t feel in the mood to patch things up with Ryan. And as far as Crivaro was concerned …
Well, at least he’s showing some interest in me.
Besides, Crivaro was right about one thing. They’d surely be doing a little investigating, even if it was only to find out there was nothing to investigate. It might turn out to be a good experience after all. She might actually learn something.
Finally Riley said, “It’s OK. I’ll stay with you.”
Crivaro’s eyes brightened.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
Riley smirked a little and said, “I’ll let you know if I change my mind.”
Crivaro grinned. “Well, the offer still stands, if you want to get the hell away from me. At least as far as this trip is concerned. When we start working cases together officially, you’ll be stuck with me.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Riley said.
Crivaro leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, apparently about to take a nap.
Riley took a flight magazine out of the seat pocket in front of her and started to browse through it.
She found herself mulling over what she’d just done.
I chose work over Ryan.
And to her surprise, she felt good about it.
What does that say about me? she wondered. And our future?
Then her mind turned to speculation about the present.
Arizona.
She really knew nothing about it.
She’d spent most of her life in the green hills of Virginia. What might such a different part of the country have in store for her?
CHAPTER FIVE
When the flight landed in Phoenix, Riley and Crivaro got their go-bags out of the overhead bin and made their way through the boarding bridge into the terminal. About twenty people were waiting for the passengers from their flight, but there was no question about who was there to meet them.
A hearty-looking guy with a ruddy expression was waving vigorously at Crivaro. Riley knew that had to be Harry Carnes. The equally sturdy woman standing beside him with crossed arms and a frown on her face must be Harry’s wife, and she was not looking happy at the moment.
The man welcomed Crivaro with a big hug, and Crivaro introduced Riley to the couple. The wife’s name was Jillian. Riley guessed them to be about Agent Crivaro’s age or maybe just a little bit older.
For a moment, she was startled to see that both of them were wearing T-shirts, jean short, and sandals. She and Crivaro still had on their jackets and clothes suitable for colder weather.
“Luggage?” Harry asked, eyeing their outfits.
“No, just these,” Jake replied, holding up his go-bag.
Harry laughed and said, “Well, that’s something you can take care of soon enough.”
She remembered what Crivaro had said during the flight.
“The weather in Arizona this year is sure a lot nicer than it is in Virginia.”
She definitely wasn’t prepared for the weather here. They’d been in so much of a hurry to leave, she’d given no thought to packing a different wardrobe. She wondered if she was going to have to buy some new things for herself. Her budget sure wouldn’t cover much.
Maybe it won’t matter, she thought. If they headed back to Quantico soon, she could probably make do with what she had.
Harry led the way to the nearest food court, where they sat at a table and ordered sandwiches for lunch.
Crivaro said to Harry, “So here I am. Now tell me everything you know.”
Harry shrugged. “I don’t know much except what I told you over the phone. A woman was found dead yesterday on a hiking trail near Tunsboro, a town north of here. Her name was Brett Parma. When I heard about it on the news, I got curious and called the Tunsboro police chief. I had trouble getting him to open up, but I managed to pry a little out of him. He did mention the slashes on the woman’s arms—and also that she’d bled to death somewhere before her body had been left on that trail. Then he basically told me to keep out of the way of his investigation.”
“Which is what we’re going to do,” Jillian commented.
Harry leaned across the table toward Crivaro. “Jake, it all just gave me the weirdest feeling. It was like Erin Gibney’s murder a year ago all over again. I started flashing back to how I’d tried to help the cops in Gladwin solve the case, and how we’d failed.”
Harry lowered his eyes and muttered, “We never even came close to finding out who did that one.”
Jillian sighed unhappily and said to Crivaro, “Harry’s feeling all guilty about this whole thing. He says if he’d solved that case back in Colorado, maybe this new murder wouldn’t have happened. Of course that’s ridiculous. Jake, can you talk some sense into him? Tell him he’s got no reason to feel that way.”
Crivaro gazed at Harry sympathetically.
He said, “Jillian’s right. You can’t beat yourself up about that. Even if there is a connection between the two murders—”
Harry interrupted, “Jake, there is a connection. I feel it in my bones.”
Riley could see a world of skepticism in Crivaro’s face.
“Harry, I’ve worked a lot more homicide cases than you have,” Crivaro said. “I know what it’s like to feel responsible for those deaths, for not being able to catch a killer. But you can’t let it get the best of you.”
He reached out and put a hand on his friend’s arm.
“You didn’t kill anybody, Harry. You’re not responsible for that. It’s not your fault. Do you hear what I’m saying?”
Harry heaved a long, bitter sigh, then said to Jake and Riley, “Well, I was a cop long enough to know that. We never solve them all. But I was also out there long enough to recognize when my cop’s instinct is likely to be right. This thing, this latest murder, is really ringing some alarms for me.”
He put his unfinished sandwich back on the plate and pushed it away.
“I’m glad you two came out here to check things out,” he continued. “That makes me feel a whole lot better. Finish your sandwiches and I’ll drive you to Tunsboro.”
Jillian poked him in the arm and said almost in a whisper, “Wait a minute, Harry. You’re not driving anyone anywhere. We’ve got to get back to the campground.”
Harry gave his wife a pleading look.
“Come on, honey,” he whispered back. “We’re not in that much of a hurry. And Tunsboro’s just a short drive.”
“They can rent a car,” Jillian said. “Remember, we’ve got a deal.”
Harry looked embarrassed. Riley wondered what was going on between them. She saw that Crivaro seemed uncertain about what to say next.
Finally Jillian looked sternly at Jake and said …
“Harry’s not getting mixed up in this—this—whatever it is. He’s retired. We’re on vacation. I don’t want him getting all worked up about the Erin Gibney killing again. He was a guilty wreck about that for months. I thought we’d put all that behind us.”
Harry nodded reluctantly and said to Riley and Crivaro with a weak smile. “Well, you heard what the missus said. She’s got me on a tight leash. I wish I could work with you, but there it is. We’ve got an itinerary. We’re headed south to the Coronado National Forest today. We’ve got a reservation at the Riggs Flat campground.”
“And we’re not canceling,” Jillian added sharply. “No matter what.”
Harry squeezed her hand and said, “Of course not, honey. But we’ve got enough time to drive these two to the police station in Tunsboro. Then we can get back to the campground and check out there. It’s the least we can do for them, after they went to all this time and trouble.”
Jillian stared hard at Harry. “OK—as long as you promise not to change your mind along the way.”
Harry awkwardly raised his right hand.
“I promise,” he said and gave her a quick kiss.
Jillian smiled and looked reassured. She wagged her finger at Crivaro and said …
“And don’t you go trying to persuade him otherwise!”
“I wouldn’t think of it,” Crivaro said with a chuckle.
The couple seemed a lot more relaxed now. Harry even picked up his sandwich again and as they all kept eating, he regaled Riley and Crivaro with small talk. Now and then, Jillian added details or corrected him.
Harry and Jillian had recently become first-time grandparents, and their youngest daughter was getting married. As usual at this time of year, the weather in Colorado was too cold for their liking. So as they almost always did during the winter, the couple had packed up their camper and driven into the warmer Southwest, where they were hopping from one campground to another.
Harry proudly showed Riley and Crivaro a picture of their camping rig—a fair-sized trailer towed by a white truck. Harry called the getup “our home away from home.”
As the small talk continued, Riley noticed a wistful expression on Crivaro’s face.
She wondered …
Does Crivaro envy them?
Again she noticed that Crivaro and Harry looked close to the same age. She hadn’t given any thought to Crivaro retiring. Did he ever think about that?
Would he see any point in it?
Although there was a lot Riley didn’t know about her mentor, she did know that he was divorced and had an estranged son.
Crivaro’s life wasn’t anything like Harry and Jillian’s, with their close and happy family. If he had grandchildren, he’d never mentioned them to Riley. He’d told her that his ex-wife was happily remarried, and his son had gone into real estate, and …