Page 122 of Girl Between
“I know my community pretty well. Can I take a look?”
“I’d appreciate if you would,” said George.
He escorted Dr. Landry to the crime scene’s inner circle. After a brief explanation, Creed gestured for him and Landry to approach the bodies, but Dana was kept back with everyone else deemed non-essential.
Landry carefully rounded both grave sites, his wrinkled features pinched with pain. “These poor girls.”
“Do you know them?” George asked.
Landry shook his head. “Is it horrible that I’m relieved I don’t?”
George knew the feeling.
“I can stay and help if you need me,” Landry offered.
“Thanks, but Dr. Cruz is standing by once the BAU is finished here. Why don’t you go home and get some rest?” suggested George.
“I know I’m not a young man anymore, but I can still be valuable to this investigation,” Landry argued.
George tapped the tablet. “You’ve already helped. We’re gonna follow up with the EMS crew. See if they can shed any light.”
“You are?” Something like relief washed over Landry’s features. “Good,” he said. “That’s good.”
“Well?”Dana asked eagerly when George returned from walking Dr. Landry to his car.
“I don’t know what to tell you, Dana. He answered my questions.”
Dana crossed her arms tightly. “He may have all the right answers, but I still don’t trust him.”
“Well, I do. And it’s my investigation.”
“You sure about that?” she asked, looking at the BAU agents spread across the cemetery like locusts.
George clenched his jaw. It took a lot to rile him, but betweenCreed’s arrogance and Dana’s unfounded accusations, he’d had enough. “You asked me to question Landry. I did. Now drop it.”
“I wish I could,” Dana argued. “But something doesn’t add up. We’ve got a killer who’s suddenly escalating, which tells me he knows we’re getting close. How?”
George snapped. “You want answers, Dr. Gray. Work the scene.”
106
Dana pushedher glasses into her hair and rubbed her eyes. It didn’t help. Sleep was the only thing that would, but that was a long way off.
The long night had bled into morning, and now she found herself, bleary-eyed, in the back seat of an FBI vehicle on her way to Levi Monroe’s last known address.
Today’s mission—divide and conquer.
Richter and Neville were on their way to Luis Fontera’s place with Creed and the rest of the task force. Dana had been assigned to George’s team with LaSalle and a handful of BAU agents she was still getting acquainted with.
She took another sip of the value-sized gas station coffee. It wasn’t helping. If she kept drinking it, she’d just end up with the jitters and a full bladder.
Setting her coffee in the cup holder, she tried to resist the comfort of her leather seat. The plush headrest was practically begging her to close her eyes. The ambient road noise, the gentle rocking of the suspension, the purr of the engine. It was lulling her to sleep.
“Mind if I roll down the window?” she asked.
“Suit yourself,” the young BAU agent driving replied.
Dana pushed the button, and the tinted glass rolled down, letting a rush of balmy air into the car. She took in the sparse farmland that rolled by. They were far from New Orleans now. Out in God’s country as LaSalle called it.
