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“Then maybe think twice before you say something thatstupid again.”
Before he had a chance to respond, Morgan got up from thechair, grabbed the printouts from the printer in the corner, and left the room.She went to the front lobby and sat quietly, poring over the files. She knewright away that she’d reacted too harshly—that if there had been anyone at allon her side through her entire ordeal ten years ago and during the sentenceitself, it had been Derik.
But it was too early to apologize, anyway. She knew Derikwas a prideful man and they both just needed to sit in the tension of what hadhappened. As she looked at the files, she noted that a few people coming in andout of the precinct looked at her with great interest. She figured the rumorsof her return had made it all the way through the building by now…as had theresurgence of the Seven Signs Killer.
But she shrugged it off, keeping her attention on thefiles. She had come to the final one about twenty minutes later when someoneapproached quickly from the hallway behind her.
“Morgan?”
It was Derik. He looked angry, but there was also a bitof excitement in his eyes.
“Yeah?”
He handed her the folder in his hand with as muchprofessionalism as he could manage. “I think I found a hit. A guy named AndyFeeney. He was a priest at the church our fourth victim attended ten years ago.And it just so happens that he was excommunicated right around the time youwere arrested. I’m talking within a few weeks. And do you want to guess when hisexcommunication was overturned and he returned to his position at the church?”
“When?”
“Last week. Just as the murders started again. Justbefore you returned home.”
“Do you know where he is right now?”
“No, but I have a home address and an address for thechurch.”
“Sounds good. And Derik, listen, what I said earlier…”
“Don’t tell me you didn’t mean it. You did mean it. And Isort of deserved it. The absolute iron will you must have to jump right backinto this…I can’t imagine it.”
“I just want to stop this bastard,” she said, tears ofrage coming to her eyes. “I…I have to. I have to stop him to make these lastten years mean something.”
Before he could say anything, she handed the folder backwithout even looking at it. He took it, saying, “Come on, then. Let’s go find apriest.”
“What about the restrictions Mueller placed on me? I’mnot exactly able to come and go as I please, remember?”
“We’ll have to be sneaky about it,” he said finally. “Ican’t operate with my hands tied, and neither can you. Mueller knows that.Also…I think when it all boils down, he’s on your side. I think he’s justtrying to put on a strong face for the rest of the panel.”
“You’re sure about this?”
He smiled at her and when he locked eyes with her, shewas reminded of that fleeting kiss in the break room nearly eleven years ago.It then occurred to her that ten years had taken a lot more from her than sherealized…including the touch of a man.
“Positive,” he said. “Now come on…let’s not drag it out.”
It was the first time since he’d knocked on her door yesterdaythat she remembered how safe and secure she’d always felt with him. And if thathad come back so quickly, she wondered how much faster everything else aboutthe job might also fall in line.
CHAPTER NINE
Derik had meant every word he’d said just before theyleft the building. He had no idea how Morgan was managing to make herself facethis case. She was a shell of her former self and for almost the entire shortlength of this renewed case, he’d sensed a haunted vibe from her. He knew he neededto talk with her at depth, to help her process what she’d been through over thepast ten years.
Now that her father was gone, Derik feared he truly wasall she had. Sure, there was Director Mueller, but he would always put businessfirst. No, if Morgan was going to get out of this rut and back into somesemblance of normalcy, he was going to have to be the one to push her. He knewshe was more than capable of doing it herself, but he also knew she had so muchmore on her plate.
She was going to need a little extra push, and he wasmore than happy to be the one to do it, when needed.
He tried taking a baby step toward that as he drove themto the address of Engram Catholic Church, where Feeney was once again working.Ten years ago, Derik and Morgan had made something of a game of bouncingtheories off of one another, briefing themselves on leads or suspects as theywere in transit.
He tried it again now, noting that she’d still notbothered opening the folder.
“You just going to take my word for it that Feeney is worthlooking into?” he asked.
“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I?”
