[7:00 PM EDT, in the car]

It was only a short drive back to the motel, but long enough to start organizing thoughts about everything they had seen and learned at the sorority house. It was a good thing Washington was sending another agent, Kate thought, because considering all that had happened just in the few hours they had been in town, they needed all the help they could get.

Another murder, a suicide as a direct result, the abject terror she had seen in Jennifer and Corrine. All of this weighed heavily on Kate’s mind. Tired as she was, she was having trouble thinking about it objectively - particularly about Brian. He had been only a few years older than her sons. She couldn’t help, just for a moment, putting herself in the place of his parents, imagining what they would be going through in the days to come and for the rest of their lives. Of course, the same could be said of the families of all of the victims, but her own family history…

She dismissed that thought before it went too far.

"Too bad I couldn’t get some kind of statement from Jennifer," she said, just to be saying something.

Eithne nodded. "She was so scared when I talked to her earlier. I can’t imagine what an experience like this will do to her. She didn’t say anything at all?"

"No. She just moaned and stared straight ahead. Like a deer caught in headlights. The hospital will let us know when she’s able to answer some questions. And she’ll have a guard on her door at all times."

"Good."

"Five FBI agents and who knows how many local cops milling around in that house, and no one saw anything going on," Sandra said. "Is it just me, or does that not make any sense?"

Neither Kate nor Eithne had a good answer to that.

"The murders have been ritualistic, methodical. Would that sort of killer take that big a risk?"

"Not likely," Sandra said. "But not impossible."

"And then, of course, there’s the possibility that its not related to our case at all," Kate said. "But until I’ve had dinner and good night’s sleep, I don’t think I can form a coherent theory about any of it."

There were murmurs of agreement as they pulled into the motel parking lot and parked beside the other rental car. After a brief discussion, the group headed to the coffee shop adjacent to the motel office. As they passed the door, a man came out and seemed to watch them for a few seconds.

"Excuse me," he said finally. "By chance, is one of you Sarianna Kelly?"

"Agent Glass," Sari ventured.




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