Page 28 of Her Last Promise

"Let's go," she said to Novak, already heading for their car.“I’d really like to catch up to Mitchell.My gut tells me there’s a very good chance he’s still going to end up being our killer.And if not…well, we’re going to bewaybehind and have no time to waste.”

“Got everything you need?”Detective Foster asked.

“For now, I think so,” Rachel said.“Thanks.”

As she and Novak made their way back to their car, she saw the forensics team pulling into a spot not too far away.

“Tell me,” Nova said as he got back behind the wheel.“Do you haveanytheories yet?”

“Just one,” she said as she buckled her seatbelt."Someone wanted these people to feel what it was like to be trapped in their own bodies.The question is, who had that kind of motivation?"

The answer was there, she was sure of it.Hidden in the details of a case that had torn a family apart three months ago.And maybe even waiting at the nearest precinct in the form of Nathan Mitchell.And if she was wrong…well, they needed to know as soon as possible before someone else turned up dead or missing.

CHAPTER TWENTY

The precinct buzzed with a strange, gentle form of chaos that Rachel had come to expect from local law enforcement offices.While this particular station was one of the city's better-equipped facilities—with its newly renovated bullpen and fresh paint still evident on the walls—it still carried that unmistakable air of municipal funding limitations.It was illuminated by harsh overhead lights that made Rachel grateful for the warmer, more considered lighting design at the FBI field office.

She and Novak strode through the maze of desks, their FBI credentials drawing respectful nods from the officers they passed.The sound of ringing phones and murmured conversations created a familiar white noise that seemed to grow more urgent as they approached the back of the bullpen.Rachel thought she might need to ask one of the officers where they’d stashed Nathan Mitchell but then she saw him sitting at a desk, speaking in a tired manner to a uniformed cop.

The cop saw them coming before Nathan did.He straightened when he saw them approach, his posture shifting from casual to alert in an instant.He was young—probably not more than two years out of the academy—but Rachel had worked with him before, though she could not recall his name.

He gave them a nod of acknowledgement as he got to his feet and extended his hand.“Agents, I’m Sergeant Ryan.I’ve been taking Mr.Mitchell’s statement for the past twenty minutes or so.”His voice carried a mix of deference and eagerness that Rachel often noticed in younger officers when dealing with federal agents.

“Has he been cooperative?”Novak asked.

“Mostly.”

Novak nodded toward one of the interrogation rooms."Thanks a ton for the assist.We'll take it from here.Is there a specific interrogation room we should use?”

“I think they’re all open at the moment.Help yourself.”

Novak looked to Nathan and said, “Mr.Mitchell, if you wouldn't mind…"

Nathan stood, his movements careful and measured..His eyes still looked beyond tired, and the crumpled, overworn clothes didn't help.Rachel wondered when the man had slept more than a handful of hours.But she also wondered if one of the reasons he might be so tired is because he'd been up to some very devious things after visiting hours at the hospital—namely abducting and killing people related to the case concerning his mother.

As Novak led Mitchell away, Rachel hung back with Officer Ryan for a moment."What did you get out of him?"

Ryan looked to the file currently open on his laptop, referencing the notes he’d taken down while speaking with Nathan."I had another officer check with hospital staff and they confirmed his story about the visits.He's there every day after work, usually arrives around 5:30 in and sometimes leaves for lunch.Other than that, he’s there until 7:30, when they usually need to make him leave.”

“Is he aggressive when asked to leave?”

“If so, it can’t be so bad…no one mentioned it.But an evening nurse by the name of Maria Delgado says she sees him so often she could set her watch by his arrivals."

Rachel's mind immediately started calculating times."Every single day?"

"Like clockwork, according to them.His workplace backed it up, too—they say he’d taken a few days off.The officer verified the days…they all line up with several days, includingtoday,actually—when he was present at the hospital as soon as nine in the morning.”

“And where does he work?”she asked, looking over to the other side of the room where Novak was leading Nathan into an interrogation room.

“He works as an accountant’s assistant at Morton & Associates, regular nine-to-five schedule."

Something about the regularity niggled at Rachel's mind.It felt too perfect, too neat.The victims had been taken in the evening hours, their bodies discovered before dawn.The timeline didn't exclude Nathan Mitchell, but it didn't condemn him either.

"Thanks, Ryan.We'll take it from here."

The young officer nodded, then hesitated."Agent Gift?The guy seems pretty broken up about his mom.I mean, I know that doesn't mean anything definitive, but..."He trailed off, clearly wanting to help but aware of his relative inexperience.“And God only knows the last time he got a decent amount of sleep.”

Rachel appreciated his instinct to share his impression."Every detail helps, Ryan.Keep me posted if anything else comes up."

---