Блейк Пирс: Once Lost

After the meeting broke up, everyone left the room except Riley.

Now that it had ended, Riley felt too badly shaken to get up from her chair.

Roston had asked her familiar questions – for example, how often Riley had communicated with Hatcher, and how. She’d also asked about the death of Shirley Redding, a real estate agent who had gone to the cabin against Riley’s wishes and had died there. The police didn’t suspect foul play, but Riley was sure that Hatcher had murdered her for intruding on his territory. Riley sensed that Roston also suspected the truth.

Through all of Roston’s questions, Riley had responded with familiar lies.

She could tell that Roston was far from satisfied.

This isn’t over, she thought with a chill. How long could she hope to conceal the whole truth about her relationship with Hatcher?

But a much more terrifying worry also weighed on her.

What was Shane Hatcher going to do now?

She knew he felt bitterly betrayed that she hadn’t warned him about the approaching SWAT team. In fact, he had deliberately allowed himself to be seen at the cabin, allowed the FBI to close in, just to test her loyalty.

From Hatcher’s perspective, she had failed that test.

She remembered a text message he had sent to her afterward …

“You will live to regret it. Your family might not.”

She knew Hatcher too well not to take his threats seriously.

Riley sat at the big table clenching her hands together anxiously.

How did I let it come to this? she wondered.

Why had she allowed her relationship with Hatcher to continue even after his escape from prison?

Something Walder had just said echoed in her mind …

“You say that Hatcher’s obsessed with you. Are you sure that obsession isn’t mutual?”

Now that she was sitting here alone, she couldn’t deny the truth behind Walder’s question.

Hatcher had fascinated Riley ever since she first met him in Sing Sing, seeking out his considerable expertise as a self-taught criminologist. He still fascinated her now that he was at large – fascinated her with his brilliance, his ruthlessness, and his strange capacity for loyalty. In fact, Riley felt an uncanny bond with him – a bond that Hatcher did everything he could to strengthen and manipulate.

It was just like Hatcher had sometimes told her:

“We’re joined at the brain, Riley Paige.”

Riley shuddered at the thought.

She hoped that at long last she had broken that bond.

But had she also brought the wrath of Shane Hatcher upon the people she loved most?

Just then Riley heard a voice behind her.

“Agent Paige …”

Riley turned and saw that Jennifer Roston had just stepped back into the room.

“I think that you and I need to talk some more,” Roston said, sitting down at the table across from Riley.

Riley’s mind flooded with dread.

What trick might Roston have up her sleeve now?

Riley and Jennifer Roston sat looking at each other across the conference room table in silence for almost a full minute.

The suspense was almost more than Riley could take.

Finally Roston said, “That was quite a performance you just gave, Agent Paige.”

Riley felt stung and angry.

“I don’t need this,” she growled.

She started to get up from her chair to leave.

“No, don’t go,” Roston said. “Not without hearing what I’ve got on my mind.”

Then with an odd smile, she added, “You might be surprised.”

Riley felt as though she knew perfectly well what Roston had in mind.

She had set her mind on destroying Riley.

Nevertheless, Riley stayed seated. Whatever was going on between her and Roston, it was high time to settle it. And besides, she was curious.

Roston said, “First of all, I think we got off to a bad start. There have been some misunderstandings. I never meant for us to be enemies. Please believe me. I admire you. A lot. I came to the BAU eager to work with you.”

Riley was a little taken aback. Roston’s facial expression and tone of voice seemed perfectly sincere. The truth was, Riley had been deeply impressed by everything she’d heard about Roston. Her academy scores were said to be astonishing, and she’d already won commendations for field work in Los Angeles.

And now, sitting here looking at her, Riley was impressed anew with Roston’s demeanor. The woman was short but compact and athletic, and she radiated energy and enthusiasm.

But now seemed no time for Riley to heap praise on the new agent. There had simply been too much tension and mistrust between them.

After a pause, Roston said, “I think we’ve got a lot to offer each other. Right now. In fact, I’m pretty sure we both want exactly the same thing.”

“What’s that?” Riley asked.

Roston smiled and tilted her head a little.

“To put an end to Shane Hatcher’s criminal career.”

Riley didn’t reply. It took moment for Riley to register that Roston’s words were perfectly true. She no longer considered Shane Hatcher to be an ally. In fact, he was a dangerous enemy. And he had to be stopped before he did harm to any of Riley’s loved ones.

To do that, he would have to be caught or killed.

“Tell me more,” Riley said.

Roston tucked her chin on her hand and leaned toward Riley.

“I’m going to say a few things,” she said. “I’d like you to listen without saying anything in reply. Don’t deny or agree with what I say. Just listen.”

Riley nodded uneasily.

“Your relationship with Shane Hatcher continued even after he escaped Sing Sing. In fact, it became more intense than ever. You’ve communicated with him more than once – several times, I’m pretty sure, occasionally in person. He’s helped you on official cases, and he’s helped you in more personal ways. Your relationship with him has become – what’s the word? Symbiotic.”

It took Riley considerable self-control not to react to any of this.

All of it was, of course, absolutely true.

Roston continued, “I’m pretty sure you were aware of his presence at your cabin. In fact, you probably agreed to it. But the death of Shirley Redding was no accident. And it wasn’t part of your bargain. Hatcher has gotten out of control, and you want nothing more to do with him. But you’re scared of him. You don’t know how to break the connection.”

An unsettling silence fell between Riley and Roston. Riley wondered how she knew all this. It seemed downright uncanny. But Riley didn’t believe in mind reading.

No, she’s just one hell of a detective, Riley thought.

This new agent was extremely smart, and her instincts and intuition seemed to be as strong as Riley’s.

But what was Roston trying to do right now? Was she setting a trap, trying to get Riley to confess all that had gone on between her and Hatcher?

Somehow, Riley’s gut told her otherwise.

But did she dare trust her?

Roston was smiling enigmatically again.

“Agent Paige, do you think I don’t know how you feel? Do you think I don’t have secrets of my own? Do you think I haven’t gotten in over my head, made a pact with someone I shouldn’t have? Believe me, I know exactly what you’re dealing with. You took a chance, and rules sometimes need to be broken. So you broke them. Not many agents have your guts. I really do want to help.”

Riley studied Roston’s face without replying. She was again struck by the younger agent’s sincerity.

Riley could feel a grim smile forming at the corners of her mouth. Apparently something dark lurked inside Roston, as it did in herself.

Roston said, “Agent Paige, when I first started working on the Hatcher case, you gave me access to all the computer files you had relating to him. Except for one titled ‘THOUGHTS.’ It was listed in the summary, but I couldn’t find it. You told me you’d deleted it. You said it was just rough notes and redundant stuff.”