Page 36 of The Girl He Wanted

"I know," Paige said. "Profiling isn’t an exact science. It's not much to go on, but it's a start. And the Greek angle should get us somewhere."

Paige just had to hope that it would be enough to catch the killer before he struck again. Because there was one thing that was certain now: he would strike again.

"The Tower of the Winds connection means that the killer will try to kill at least one more victim," Paige said. "Maybe another four after that if he wants to hit all eight compass points."

"But we can't say that for sure," Christopher replied.

Paige shook her head. There was a chance that the killer would murder one last victim and then disappear, leaving no trace of himself to follow. They might never catch him once he did that.

Would he strike quickly? Or would he wait, biding his time, knowing that the FBI was on his tail?

Paige knew that they didn't have the luxury of waiting for the killer to strike again. They needed to act fast if they were going to catch him.

"I think we should start by talking to experts on Ancient Greek mythology and the history of the Tower of the Winds," Paige said. "Maybe they can help us get a better understanding of the killer's motives and behavior."

Christopher nodded in agreement. "I'll start researching and see if I can find anyone who might be able to help us."

Paige was grateful for that. Every moment that they wasted was another moment that the killer had to slip away from them. The latest victim had been killed last night, but that didn’t mean that the killer wasn’t already out there, looking for another victim.

Paige leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. For a moment, she let herself feel the weight of everything that they were up against. The killer was intelligent and careful, and he seemed to be always one step ahead of them. But then she opened her eyes and looked at Christopher, and she knew that they could do this. They were a good team, and they had a plan.

"Let's get to work," she said.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

It was getting later, and the storm had begun, rain starting to lash the outside of the Winterly PD’s windows. Paige had been looking for answers for what felt like forever now. It was one thing to say that they should look into the Tower of the Winds, but quite another to find a way to turn that into a real suspect. As if sensing her thoughts, Christopher leaned back in his chair with a sigh. He was obviously at least as tired as Paige was right then.

"We've been pushing hard," Paige said. "Maybe we should take a break for food.”

Christopher shook his head, though. "I feel like we're almost there with this. We need to keep going."

Paige rubbed her eyes and stood up, stretching her arms and legs. "I need to take a break even if you don’t," she said, looking over at Christopher. "Do you want me to grab you a coffee?"

"That would be good," Christopher said. Christopher was back typing away on his computer, his brow furrowed in concentration as he tried to find answers.

Paige was impressed by that determination but also a little worried by it. Was Christopher trying to lose himself in his work as a way of avoiding feeling anything? The news that the Exsanguination Killer had been caught had to have some kind of effect on him, didn’t it? It certainly had on Paige, leaving her feeling both exhilarated and empty, all at once.

She grabbed her coat and headed out into the chilly rain. As Paige walked, she thought about Christopher and the way he had been working lately. She knew that he was dealing with a lot, not just with the case, but with his personal life as well. Would finding answers here do anything to help him?

The streets were empty in the storm, and she shivered as the wind whipped through her hair. She made her way to a coffee shop on the corner and ordered two steaming cups of coffee to go.

As she waited, she found herself looking around at the rain lashed buildings and the empty streets. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of fear. It wasn't just the killer she was worried about; it was the storm itself. The way it seemed to be closing in around her.

She shook her head, trying to shake off the feeling. It wasn't like her to be afraid of the dark. She was a trained FBI agent, after all. She shouldn't be afraid of anything.

But in the silence of the night, with the wind howling through the empty streets, she couldn't help but feel like there was something out there. Something waiting for her.

She took a deep breath and gathered her courage. She had to get back to Christopher. They had work to do.

Paige got back to the office and saw that Christopher was no longer typing. Instead, he had fallen asleep at the desk, head in his arms. The office was empty enough by now that no one was going to disturb him.

Paige went over to him, putting a gentle hand on Christopher's arm to wake him up. He started awake with a sudden sound, eyes glancing around as if looking for threats.

"Here's your coffee," Paige said, handing him the cup. "And I think we should take a break. Even if it’s only for a few minutes."

Christopher shook his head. "Not yet, we're close to getting answers, and I—"

"What, Christopher?"

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