Page 11 of Absent Remorse

“It seems to be a multi-layered puzzle cube, where solving each puzzle unlocks the next layer,” Amber explained.

“And at the center there will be, what? A picture of the killer? A clue to his identity? The location of a crime he intends to commit? Why would a killer give that away willingly?”

Amber wasn’t an expert on the psychology of killers, but she realized that she had an answer to that one. “Because he believes that no one will solve the puzzle. Because he gets to prove that he’s cleverer than everyone else, and that doesn’t mean anything unless there are meaningful stakes to it all. If this puzzle genuinely means anything to him, then solving it will at least help us to solve the murders.”

Agent Palliser seemed to think for a moment or two, then nodded briskly. “If that is true, then logically, we should have someone cut into that cube to get at whatever’s in the center.”

“What? No!” Amber said, instinctively hugging the puzzle cube to herself as if to protect it. The thought of someone taking a puzzle and simply destroying it like that was hard to believe, and not just because Joseph had trusted her with it.

Agent Palliser’s expression became, if anything, even sterner.

“Ms. Young, if you have any real ambitions of being an FBI agent, you’ll have to learn that there is a chain of command here. If I make the decision to have that cube cut open, then that is what will happen.”

“That might not be the best course of action,” Simon said.

Agent Palliser raised an eyebrow. “If it gets us to the killer faster, of course it is?”

“And if the killer boobytrapped the device?” Simon asked. “Someone capable of building something like this would probably be able to make it tamper proof. Vials of acid that will destroy the contents if someone cuts through them, explosives rigged to destroy the contents. Even if there isn’t something like that, the destructive means it would take to get inside run the risk of rendering any contents useless.

That made a lot of sense to Amber. More than that, she had her own arguments to add. “With physical puzzles like this, tampering can be bad even under normal circumstances. It can make it impossible to actually solve the puzzle if it doesn’t work, and yes, a lot of creators try to build puzzles in ways that shut them down if people try to force their way in. There’s every reason to think that a killer might try a more dangerous version of that approach. Honestly, solving the puzzle may be the only way into it.”

“And you’re the best person to do that?” Agent Palliser said.

“She is,” Simon replied.

Agent Palliser gave him a sharp look. “I want to hear it from her, Phelps.”

“I am.” Amber tried to project confidence. “I’m good at solving puzzles. Probably the best person you can get for it right here and now.”

She saw Agent Palliser nod. “All right, but I want you to remember, Ms. Young, that you are not an FBI agent yet. You don’t have the power to arrest people, and you cannot identify yourself as FBI. The FBI does not send trainees into the field. You’re here as a civilian consultant.”

Amber nodded. “I understand.”

“We’ll see.” Agent Palliser headed off in the direction of a large corner office. Thankfully, it seemed to be well away from the one that Simon was leading Amber to.

“What was that all about?” Amber asked.

“I think my boss believes that I’m trying to shortcut your training process,” Simon said.

Amber shook her head. “But that isn’t true. I’m willing to put in the work. Iamputting in the work.”

She didn’t mention that the work was currently running into problems on the shooting range. The point was that she was trying to do it honestly, without taking any shortcuts. She wanted to be an agent, but she wanted to do it the right way.

“I know that,” Simon said. “It’s just that it isn’t usual for a trainee to be involved in cases. But we need your puzzle solving skills for this one, I think.”

He led the way through into his office. It was neat and clean aside from a large stack of files on a broad desk on one side of the room, next to a computer screen. The whole place looked as though Simon barely spent any time in it. He gestured for Amber to take a seat in front of the desk. She did so, setting down the cube and its metal cover in front of her.

“You need to know the details of the case,” Simon said. “I was assigned to it this morning. So far, there have been two murders.”

“Two?” Amber said. She only knew about the one that had been on the news earlier.

“Two. The first was of a woman named Mandy Grieder, 22, who was killed two days ago at approximately 8pm according to the coroner.”

Simon sounded as if he were quoting from the case file, but he hadn’t opened a file so far. It was clear that he’d taken the time to learn the details as soon as he was assigned to the case.

“She had been stabbed through the heart with a knife that was left at the scene. A stiletto with an ornate scrolled handle. Local PD tried to trace it but couldn’t come up with anything. Then, today, Rose Ferne, 25, was killed using an almost identical dagger. At both scenes, the killer left a note instructing us to solve the most difficult puzzle to find him.”

“And that’s all you have from the scenes?” Amber asked. She’d done enough of her course to know the roles that forensic evidence and witness testimony could play in a case like this.

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