"Just wanted another perspective on this, Andie. Don't get paranoid on me."
She wanted to accept that, but it wasn't just Gould who had her nervous. It seemed strange that Isaac would personally attend a meeting like this--a little too hands-on for the office ASAC. Perhaps he was trying to show Victoria how important this case was to the office. Perhaps he wanted to evaluate the performance of his former protege firsthand. Either way, Andie felt under the microscope.
For Victoria's convenience, they met in a hotel suite right at the airport. An occasional commercial jet streaked across the sky outside their seventh-floor window, but not even the space shuttle would have broken their concentration. Victoria sat in an armchair near the television. Isaac sat across from her, preferring the desktop itself to the chair behind it. Andie was seated on the couch with Gould. They were at opposite ends, but Gould was such a large man they were still closer than Andie would have liked. For a man who had joined the FBI in the height of the image-conscious Hoover era, he had certainly let himself go in retirement.
Andie updated them on the latest victim outside Rainier. The group listened and fished little goldfish crackers from a bowl on the coffee table, the bulk going to Gould. When she had finished, Isaac took over.
"The basic question is, why would the killer lead us to the recovery site with this strange phone call to a six-yearold?"
"Let's take a broader look:' said Victoria. "We have two contacts. The latest one is to Morgan Wheatley. But the first was to the Torture Victims' Institute." She glanced at Andie. "How is your follow-up in Minneapolis coming?"
"It's pretty much done."
"Excuse me," said Gould. He brushed the gold layer of cracker crumbs from his bulging lap onto Andie; as if she were a dustpan. "I went over the whole file just this morning and didn't see anything to suggest it's pretty much done."
"Maybe you missed it." She brushed the crumbs back at him.
"Maybe it isn't pretty much done."
She glanced at Isaac, as if to say, You invited this jerk? "Mr. Gould, I assure you I've worked very hard on this case:' "I'm sure you've done your best."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Isaac interjected. "Andie, what's happening in Minnesota?"
She let it go. "The Minneapolis office put two agents on it: They reviewed records, interviewed current staff. To the extent possible they interviewed former staff and even some former patients. They focused especially on people who were fired or disciplined, anyone who showed any bitterness toward the institute, any individuals or organizations that opposed the type of work that was going on there. They've also done follow-ups with certain victims to determine whether any of their torturers might currently be in the United States."
"Any leads?"
"Nothing promising."
Isaac said, "We have to look at everyone who was ever an employee of the institute. Not just the ones who were fired. Check everyone."
"We did," said Andie. "But I'll double-check."
Victoria asked, "What about the International Center for Victims of Torture in Denmark? Have they received any messages that might be from our killer?"
"None they've identified."
"You've actually checked, then?" said Gould.
"Yes," said Andie. "I checked. There's nothing."
Gould rose and started to pace, his look pensive. He moistened his finger and gathered the last few specks from the cracker bowl. "That may tell us something in and of itself."
"Like what?" asked Isaac.
"From what I saw in the file, Miss Henning's initial theory was that his e-mail to the national institute in Minnesota was simply his way of telling us that his signature is torture."
"That was actually my theory," said Victoria.
Gould said, "That's quite all right, we all make mistakes, Vicky."
"It's Victoria. And where's the mistake?"
Gould was still pacing, stroking his double chin. "Think about it. If our killer was simply trying to convey the message that torture is what gets him off, why would he limit his e-mail message to the torture institute in Minnesota? Why not the international center in Denmark? It's every bit as accessible on the Internet. It seems more likely that he has a connection of some sort to the national institute. All the more reason to turn up the scrutiny there."
Isaac said, "Maybe he just doesn't know about the international center."
"That's possible, too," said Gould. "In fact, that fits neatly with my own preliminary take on this guy. He's got no time to do any homework. He's too rushed. That's what I see here. A guy in a hurry. He's showing signs of a spree killer, like that young fella who killed Gianni Versace."
"Cunanan."