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“We believe the note writer is SMK from the two previous cases.”
Neil hit the mute button. “Why is she telling us our business?”
The Smithsonian Museum Killer had been our case from the beginning.
ASAC Dempsey ignored him and took it off mute. “You want us to interview this employee?” he asked.
“No. She needs undercover protection in place to let this play out until we can get a handle on the Unsub.”
Neil shook his head. “What does museum security have on this?”
“The Unsub could be in their security, so we don’t think we can loop in anyone in the building.”
“Who is we?” Dempsey asked.
There was a hesitation on the other end. “The director and me.”
She’d just pulled out the biggest trump card in the deck, and Dempsey’s face showed it. A case involving the death of a federal employee in DC was a big deal, two murders was a bigger deal, but one with the director’s attention was the biggest. Dempsey wasn’t fool enough to argue with her if she’d already brought it up with the director. Being assigned a case by the AD was serious; mentioning the director took it up another notch.
“The previous abductions were both offsite.”
Again, she was telling us things we knew.
“If this follows the pattern, she should be secure in her building. We need you guys to go under to cover her off premises.”
Neil huffed. He didn’t like being told what to do, and she’d already decided how we were going to run our operation.
Dempsey ignored Neil. “We’ll get right on it.”
“Thanks, guys. I’ll send over the meeting detail,” she said.
Dempsey punched the speakerphone off. “Needless to say, this is your top case starting today.”
“She’s got some brass ones, telling us what we’re going to do. Who the hell was that?” Neil asked.
“Ashley Newton. Now she’s Ashley Benson.”
Neil nodded. He and I had heard the same rumors about her. He wisely decided to shut up. You didn’t argue with someone who had the director’s ear.
I hated the name. But she was good. Singlehandedly taking down a corrupt Assistant US Attorney and keeping it out of the papers was a major coup, even if she’d had the poor taste to marry a Benson later. At least she wasn’t a Benson by birth.
Dempsey pointed at me. “Cartwright, you’re up. Neil will provide backup.”
This would obviously entail a lot of hours, and Dempsey always favored Neil in these decisions.
Once again, I had no choice in the matter. “Great. Who’s the protectee?”
Dempsey passed over the thin file. “Rich girl. Just your type.”
I dreaded opening the cover. He was probably kidding, and it would turn out to be a middle-aged cat lady.
The name surprised me: Kelly Benson. I knew that name. Now Ashley Benson’s involvement became clear. Kelly was her sister-in-law, and the younger sister of the man who’d ruined my knee, and my life.
I slammed the folder shut. Protecting a Benson? I couldn’t think of a worse punishment.
“Is there a problem?” Dempsey asked.
“It’s just…” How could I explain and get out of this?
