Page 7 of Absent Feeling

Amberwas still contemplating that when her phone rang. She picked up and wassurprised to hear Agent Palliser’s voice on the other end of the line.

“Ms.Young, how are you? Have you made up your mind about my offer yet?”

“I…” Amber didn’t know what to say. She got the feeling that Agent Palliserwasn’t going to hold her offer open forever, but she still couldn’t commit tosaying yes. “Not yet.”

Maybeit would make things easier if Palliser said that the offer was no longer onthe table. Maybe that would make Amber’s mind up by default, leaving her forcedto plunge back into the world of puzzles, with her stint helping the FBI only anexciting memory.

“Well,you can’t take forever, but you can have a little longer. For the moment, Ihave a suggestion. A case has come in, one that I believe that you might beable to help with.”

Thatmade Amber pause, leaning back in her seat.

“Whatkind of case?” she asked.

“Apair of murders,” Agent Palliser replied. “Murders that exhibit … unusualcharacteristics. Agent Phelps has stepped up for you on this. He says that hebelieves you would make a good partner. Given the difficulty I’ve had gettinghim to accept a partner, I’m inclined to listen.”

Thatput more pressure on Amber. Simon was starting to go from someone she hadworked with a couple of times to a friend, and she didn’t want to let him downby saying no. She just didn’t feel like she could say yes to joining thedepartment straight away either. Maybe this murder was the perfect middleground.

“So,you want me to come help you investigate two murders?” Amber said. The idea ofbeing called in to help out like this was a little surprising, when she hadn’tgotten the impression before that Palliser liked her very much.

AgentPalliser answered. “You’ve done it before. Call it a trial run. You won’tactually be an agent for this one, so it will be the same as the last time youworked with Agent Phelps. It will probably help you to make up your mind, andat the very least, you may be able to help Agent Phelps catch a killer.”

Amberhesitated for a moment or two. Was she really going to just jump onboard toinvestigate a couple of murders, leaving behind everything that she had goingon?

“Thisis the part where you say yes, Ms. Young,” Palliser said. “Let’s put it anotherway, what else would you be doing if you weren’t doing this?”

Amberwished that she could think of something better to say than the truth.

“I’vebeen trying to catch up on some puzzle projects that I need to finish.”

“So,that’s what you’re thinking of doing rather than joining my team?” Palliserasked. She made it sound as if she couldn’t imagine how anyone could everconsider choosing Amber’s current life over working for her.

“I… maybe,” Amber said. She wanted to be as honest as possible with her potentialboss, and right then, there really was a chance that Amber might turn aroundand plunge back into the world of creating puzzles.

“Thatwould be a waste,” Palliser said. “Your scores at the academy show that you’re wellabove average in terms of your analytical skills and your capacity to followthe trail of evidence, while your efforts in bringing two killers to justicehave shown that those skills are applicable in the field. Are you really goingto waste that by going back to making puzzles?”

Theproblem was that Amber didn’t think of it as a waste—couldn’tthink ofit that way. She produced things that brought people joy and challenged them.More than that, it had been a part of who she was for so long that she wasn’tsure how to do anything else. Such a complete change in who she was seemedalmost impossible right then.

“Let’sbe clear about this, Ms. Young,” Agent Palliser said. “I could have invitedanyone to join my department. Any of your fellow trainees would have jumped atthe chance. Even most experienced agents would have. So, this hesitation ofyours … it is not a quality I admire. I’m only indulging it because AgentPhelps thinks you are worth the effort and because your successes so farsuggest that he is right.”

“Thankyou,” Amber said, unsure of what else she was meant to say in response to that.

“Butlet’s be clear, my patience is not infinite. If you are not prepared to helpwith this case, I’ll have to conclude that you were never really serious aboutjoining the FBI, and I will make that clear to anyone who asks me.”

Meaningthat Amber would never have the chance to join it at a later date. Doing thiswas the only way of keeping her options open. Besides, wasn’t it a good thingto get to work with Simon again? To maybe see what it would be like for her,working as an agent?

“So,I’ll ask you one last time,” Agent Phelps said. “Are you going to do this? Areyou going to accompany Agent Phelps to Guisborough to solve these murders?”

Ambertook a breath. She had to do this.

“Yes,I’m in.”

CHAPTER SIX

“Whyare we going so fast?” Amber asked.

Amberread the case file on a tablet while Simon drove out towards Guisborough. Hewas driving with a speed and urgency that made Amber wonder what the rush was.

“Therehave been two murders in two days,” Simon replied. “And serial killers don’tusually slow down or stop without a reason.”

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