“I’ll stand if you don’t mind. I’ve been in the car all morning on the drive from San Diego, and I have to drive straight back after I leave here.”
“Fine.” Jessie sat on the edge of her desk. “So what’s going on? You need someone followed? A background check?” She added slyly, “Another world-renowned research scientist you need hidden away?”
“No, but you did do that superbly.” She made a face and then said, “Something much nastier, I’m afraid. You’ll probably throw me out. I could use your help to catch a serial killer.”
Jesse raised her brows. “Wow. Is that all?”
“Okay. It’s asking a lot, I know.”
“You think?”
“If you’re not interested, I under—”
“I didn’t say that,” she interrupted. “It sounds a hell of a lot more interesting than busting the balls of some Beverly Hills adulterer or tailing some movie star’s daughter to make sure she doesn’t buy drugs. Two of my most recent jobs by the way. A serial killer kind of sounds like a breath of fresh air to me.” She tilted her head. “Unless I’ve just disqualified myself by making such a psychotic admission.”
“Not at all.” Kendra suddenly chuckled. “Which is either a reflection of how much I respect you or how desperate I’ve become. Take your pick.”
“Desperation, I like it.” Jessie smiled. “And I’m curious why you came to me. So that’s an added incentive to the desperation. How can I help?”
Kendra stepped away from the wall of photos. “We’ve had four murders in the past week. Have you heard about them?”
“In San Diego? Sure. They’re all over the news. You’re right, that is nasty. But your police department hasn’t officially linked them, have they?”
“That’s about to change. The FBI has taken over the investigation, and they’ve asked me to help out.”
“Good. At least they’ve done one thing right.” She paused. “And are you going to do it? The last time I saw you I thought you only wanted to get back to teaching your kids.”
“I did.” She shook her head. “But yes, I’m going to do it.” Her lips tightened. “I have to do it.”
“Why?” Jessie’s gaze narrowed on her face. “Bored?”
“No, of course not,” she said impatiently. “That’s my chosen career. I always find it fascinating and challenging. It’s just that those killings are … different.”
Jessie’s lips quirked. “And also fascinating and challenging?”
“No.” She shuddered. “Hideous and scary.”
Jessie’s smile disappeared. “And that’s where the nasty comes in. You don’t scare easily. I take it the crime scenes are even worse than the journalists are hinting?”
“Much worse. Someone’s got to stop him, Jessie.”
Jessie nodded. “And you’re pulling out all the tricks you can find to try to do that. It’s really bothering you, isn’t it?”
“It will bother you, too.”
“Nah, not much does these days. I’m a tough nut, Kendra.”
“Not that tough. I know you, Jessie.”
She shrugged. “Maybe not. Tell me about it. Are the cases linked, or not?”
“They are linked, but in a way none of us has ever encountered before. We’ve uncovered something … unusual.”
“Yeah?”
Kendra told her about the souvenirs and their links to the earlier murder cases in other cities. After she was finished, Jessie sat in thoughtful silence.
Kendra gestured for a response. “Well?”
“I’m just trying to process this. If what you’re telling me is true, this guy has been at this for over a decade. He’s adopted four MO’s, each different enough that nobody has ever put them together.”
“Well, we put them together.”
“Only because the killer wanted you to.”
“Exactly. And we have no idea why he’s chosen this moment to step forward and connect the dots for us.”
“Okay … What help do you think I can be?”
Kendra hesitated before speaking. “Well, there are some potential legal ramifications in what I’m about to ask. If the answer is no, I’d appreciate it if you keep this conversation between us.”
Jessie lowered her voice melodramatically. “Ooh, I do like the sound of this.”
“I thought you might. The forbidden usually intrigues you. I’ve been looking over the case files, and in a few of the killings it was obvious that the victim had been tied up before the murder occurred. The rope was never left behind but in two cases there was a recognizable impression left on the victims’ skin.”
“Recognizable as what?” Jessie asked.
“A clove hitch.”
“And what, exactly, is that?”
“It’s a knot. It’s one of five knots that Navy SEALs have to tie in an underwater test before they can graduate.”
“How in the hell do you know what that looks like?”
“I live in San Diego, remember? Home of the SEAL training school. At any given time, there are scores of incredibly fit young adults walking around town with short lengths of rope so that they can practice whenever an opportunity presents itself. Sit in a Starbucks long enough, you’re bound to see one practicing underwater test knots over their Caramel Macchiato.”
“Hmm. Do Navy SEALs really drink Caramel Macchiatos?”
“Okay, bad example. But you get my point. It’s a knot I’ve seen and can recognize. And it happens that each of the other four cities are near Navy bases: Oxnard is very close to Port Hueneme; Washington, D.C.; is near Naval Station Norfolk; Jacksonville, Florida, is a short drive to Naval Station Mayport; and Hartford, Connecticut, is near the New London Naval Submarine base.”
Jessie thought about this. “Just to satisfy my own curiosity, you didn’t know that off the top of your head, did you?”
“Afraid not. Google is my friend. I knew about Oxnard and Hartford, which is what made me look up the other two once I recognized that knot.”
“Nobody in the FBI ever figured this out?”
“They didn’t know the cases were connected, remember? And it’s possible someone recognized the impression of that knot, but there’s nothing in the case files about pursuing a military angle.”
“Did you tell the FBI about this?”
“I will. I wanted to talk to you first.”
“The million-dollar question: Why?”
Kendra paused for a moment, trying to think of a way to explain it to her. There was no way she wanted to offend her. Jessie had done two tours in Afghanistan. “Military cases can be difficult. I’ve been involved in a case that crossed over military lines before and it was a nightmare. There were communication problems, secrecy issues, egos, and general stonewalling. I’m sure the FBI will hit that again but we don’t have time for it. Three more people could be dead by the time we cut through the red tape. You have connections everywhere, and I thought with your military background, you might be able to find out if there’s any one person who has been stationed at each of those bases during these times.”
Jessie bit her lip. “These are Navy bases. You do know I was in the Army, don’t you?”
“Of course. I just thought—”
“You thought the United States Armed Forces are all just one big happy family?”