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He keptpacing the hallway, biding his time. Sooner or later, he'd find a way out ofthis mess.
Afterall, his insects were here to help him, to watch over him.
Theirblessing would protect him, just as he protected them.
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
Jake'spulse quickened as he scanned the dimly lit corridors of the museum, the eeriesilence only amplifying his anxiety. He couldn't shake the nagging feeling thattime was running out. Fiona was beside him, her eyes darting from one shadow toanother, searching for any sign of their elusive suspect.
"Damnit," Jake muttered under his breath, frustration mounting. "Where isthis guy?"
"Keeplooking," Fiona whispered back, her gaze still locked on the darknessahead. "We can't let him slip away."
As theycontinued their search, Jake couldn't help but feel a surge of admiration forFiona. Her intuition and quick thinking had led them to Bradley Caine, and hewas confident they were on the right track. But as each minute ticked by, hisconcern grew. If they didn't find the killer soon, they might lose their chanceto catch him.
"Overthere," Fiona suddenly hissed, pointing towards a flickering light at thefar end of the hallway. "I think I saw something move."
Withouthesitation, Jake sprinted towards the light, his heartbeat pounding in hisears. As he rounded the corner, he came face-to-face with a janitor pushing acart of cleaning supplies. His shoulders slumped in disappointment.
"Sorry,sir," Jake mumbled, trying to hide his frustration. "We're looking forsomeone. The museum is under lockdown, so you really don't have to keep atthis."
Thejanitor looked up at Jake and Fiona with a mixture of confusion and fear."Under lockdown?" he repeated, his eyes darting nervously around thehallway. "What's going on?"
"We'reinvestigating a series of murders that have occurred here," Fionaexplained calmly, her voice steady and reassuring. "We need your help.Have you seen anything suspicious?"
Thejanitor shook his head, his eyes wide with disbelief. "No, no, I haven'tseen anything. I swear."
Fionagave him a small nod of thanks before turning to leave. Jake followed hersilently, his mind racing with questions. Who was this killer, and why was hetargeting people who had killed insects? Was Bradley Caine really their guy, orwas there someone else involved?
"Let'skeep moving," Fiona said, her voice laced with determination. She wasn'tready to give up, and neither was Jake.
Theymoved through the dimly lit museum halls. The shadows of insect displays castobscure patterns on the walls, but there was no sign of Bradley Caine. Jake'sheart pounded with a mixture of anticipation and dread as if it were trying tobreak free from his chest.
"Nothing,"Fiona muttered, her voice strained with frustration as she crossed another nameoff their list. "He's not here."
"Keeplooking," Jake urged, his eyes scanning the crowd for any hint of the manthey sought. He could feel the pressure mounting, the weight of the unsolvedmurders bearing down on him like the crushing jaws of one of the insectssurrounding them.
Hisphone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out, answering the call withouttaking his eyes off the search. "This is Agent Tucker," he said, hisvoice tense.
"Tucker,it's Chief Johnson. We checked Bradley Caine's residence, just like youasked."
"Didyou find anything?" Jake asked, holding his breath as he awaited theanswer.
"Negative,sir. Looks like he hasn't been there in some time."
"Damnit," Jake swore under his breath, his frustration boiling over. If Fionawas right, and Bradley was the killer, then where was he? Every second thatpassed felt like an opportunity slipping through their fingers, and the thoughtthat they might be too late sent shivers down his spine. If Bradley wasn't inNevada, then there was a high chance he was here, in Portland, evading captureafter these heinous crimes.
"Keepsearching the area and keep me updated," Jake ordered, hanging up thecall. He turned to Fiona, who had been listening intently. Her eyes met his,filled with concern and determination.
"Bradley'snot at home either," he told her, the words heavy with disappointment.
"Thenwe need to figure out where he is," Fiona said resolutely, her jaw set ina stubborn line. "He has to be somewhere, and we'll find him."
As theycontinued to search the museum, Jake's admiration for Fiona only grew. It washer determination and insight that had led them this far, and he knew thattogether, they would uncover the truth. But with each passing moment, the clockticked down, and the fear of losing their chance to catch the killer gnawed athim. They couldn't afford to let this guy get away. If he escaped to anothercity, then the risk to the public was far too high.
"Wherecould he be?" Fiona murmured. They had searched every corner, questionedevery person, but Bradley Caine remained elusive.
"Maybehe's left the city," Jake suggested, a sinking feeling in his gut."We should call in an APB, get the airports and bus stations onalert."
