“And what did it say?”
“It went with the picture of the stuffed animal. It read, ‘Remember what happened to Sparky?’”
Jasmine banded her arms across her chest and shivered slightly.
“Obviously, it was a threat. But we have to keep it in perspective. He’s in a maximum-security facility. He’s never getting out.”
“So you don’t think I’m in any danger.”
Vail hesitated. “I think we have to be smart about this. You should file a police report so that we can get the Fairfax County PD involved.”
“Why?” Jasmine said. “It’ll just mean endless questioning and a whole to-do over nothing. It is nothing, right?”
Vail averted her eyes. “I honestly don’t know. But it’s better to be safe than sorry. If your father has friends or if someone on the outside owes him for something, you could be in danger.”
“Did you meet with him?”
“I did.”
“And?”
“And …” Shit, do I tell her what he said? “For the most part he had normal reactions to my questions. He gave the impression he would never hurt you because you’re his flesh and blood. …”
“But you didn’t believe him.”
“He’s a violent criminal skilled in manipulation. No, I didn’t believe him. He’s telling me what he’s supposed to say. And he did say I should tell you to be careful.”
Jasmine clenched her jaw and nodded slowly. “I still don’t want to report it. Just do whatever needs to be done.”
“Jasmine, I’m … getting way outside the scope of my job. My unit chief’s on my case. No pun intended. She—” Before Vail could finish the sentence her Samsung buzzed again. She held it up and said, “That’s her. She wants me back at the office. She’s concerned that I’m hand-holding you.”
Jasmine stood up from the chair. “Okay. I’m sorry. I know, you’re not a detective.”
Not anymore. But sometimes I can’t resist playing one. “Know anyone who was friends with your dad the police can look at, anyone who might be willing to do things, favors, for him while he’s inside?”
Jasmine glanced around the kitchen, her eyes moving from one wall to the next but seeing nothing. “He didn’t have many friends from what I can remember. A few, I guess, that he went drinking with. But there could be others I never met. One guy who’s really scummy has probably had contact with my father. I saw him a few months ago at the market.”
“You talked to him?”
“I caught him staring at me from the back of the store. Creeped me out. I turned and went back the other way and got the hell out of the place.”
“Remember their names?”
“Vincent Stuckey and Scott MacFarlane. Those were his friends. At least the ones I knew. Booker Gaines, he’s the creep I saw in the store.”
“Gaines could be the guy to watch out for. He may’ve been keeping tabs on you when you saw him. It might not have been a chance meeting.”
“You mean he may’ve been following me? For my father?”
“When did that article on you come out in Time?”
Jasmine’s mouth dropped open. “About a week earlier.”
Vail looked at her with a raised brow. No words were necessary.
“Fine.” Jasmine massaged her forehead. “I’ll file that police report so the detective can follow up.”
Vail rose and gave Jasmine’s right shoulder a squeeze. “Good.”
“Should I just call the same detective who handled my father’s case? Erik Curtis?”
“That’d be a good place to start. Give him those names. And if any of them contact you in any way, even if you happen to see them anywhere near you or your house, call Detective Curtis immediately.” Vail’s phone buzzed again and she glanced at the display. “Let me know if you have any problems. Or if you get more letters from your father. I’ll be going back to see him again. If I find out anything else, I’ll let you know.”
She gave Jasmine another hug, then headed out the door, dialing DiCarlo on the way back to her car.
8
Erik Curtis sat down in front of Vail’s desk. “Never been here before. Interesting place.”
Curtis’s New Orleans roots could still be detected in his speech. Someday she was going to invite him to a barbeque just to see if he showed up with a slab of alligator meat to throw on the grill.
“It’s not as interesting as the subbasement at the Academy where the unit was started. Dark, quiet, deep below ground. This is just office space.”
“I was picturing something more like the TV show. You know, Criminal Minds.”
“Seriously. Hollywood? That was what you thought my reality was like?” Let me go summon our private jet. Wheels up in fifteen.
Curtis shrugged. “Guilty as charged.”
“Speaking of guilty,” Vail said, taking a file and setting it in front of her. “Roscoe Lee Marcks.”
“Bastard’s still a thorn in my side, all these years later.”