“Well, itisa chemical attack and it didstartat the elementary school.But there’s been another one.At a flower shop in Georgetown.But that’s… damn, I shouldn’t have told you.I doubt it’s on the news yet.”
The line went quiet for a long moment.When Elena spoke again, her voice carried the careful control of someone trying not to explode.
“How are you?Is it… is it dangerous?”
“I mean, it’s chemical gas… fluorine.But I’m not in any physical danger, no.Just… for something like this, I need to be on the scene.And look, Elena, I should have called earlier to explain—”
“You should have talked to me before taking another case,” she interrupted.“We discussed this after San Francisco.You promised you'd focus on laboratory work and our wedding planning.”
Miles felt the conversation spiraling in the direction he'd been dreading.“I know what I promised.But this came upsofast.And people are dying, and I might be the only person who understands the connections between these attacks.”
“There are hundreds of FBI agents who can investigate murders, Miles.There's only one person I'm supposed to marry in five months.”
The pain in her voice was worse than any amount of anger.Miles could hear how much his choices were hurting her, but he couldn't bring himself to walk away from a case that might save lives.
“I love you,” he said quietly.“More than anything.But I can't ignore this pattern of murders just because investigating them is dangerous or stressful.No one is ready to admit it yet, but this all ties directly into my periodic table killer theory.And if I'm right, this could be very big, Elena.We could save countless lives and stop a madman."
“I know.And I also know that I’d be a lot more understanding if this wedding wasn’t hovering over our heads.I just… it’s hard, Miles.”
“I know.And I’m sorry.”
“Do you think you’ll be home for dinner?We could talk it out then.”
He had no idea if he could manage to get home for dinner but he knew he had to find a proper balance.So he said, “Yes, I’ll be home.”
“Good.I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
The call ended, leaving Miles staring at his phone while crime scene technicians processed evidence.Their conversation hung in the air like the chemical smell that had killed Janet Reilly.He knew that at some point he was going to have to choose between the theoretical patterns that had consumed his thoughts for years and the woman who'd supported him through every professional triumph and failure.
As he watched Vic coordinate with local authorities, Miles realized he wasn't ready to make that choice.Not while innocent people were dying according to a twisted periodic table logic that only he seemed to understand.
But Elena was right to demand an answer.His investigation was destroying their relationship one case at a time.If he wasn’t careful, he might solve the elemental murders only to discover he'd lost the person who mattered most to him in the process.
CHAPTER NINE
The conference room at the FBI's Washington field office had a professional look but it also felt slightly like a prison.Gray walls held whiteboards covered in timeline notes and evidence photos.A long table dominated the center of the room, its surface cluttered with case files, laptops, and the remnants of their late lunch.Fluorescent lights glowed overhead, casting everything in the harsh glow that seemed standard in federal buildings.
Miles rubbed his eyes and reached for another slice of pizza from the box sitting between stacks of financial records.They'd been at this for three hours, digging through shipping manifests and purchase orders while trying to understand what had made Sarah Morrison and Janet Reilly targets for fluorine purification.
“This is brutal,” Vic said, flipping through another set of invoices.“I've looked at so many chemical names today that they're all starting to blend together.”
Assistant Director Hayes sat across from them, his sleeves rolled up and his usually pristine appearance showing signs of the long afternoon.The fact that he was joining them in the midst of this grunt work showed just how rapidly this case was moving and how complex it had become.He'd joined them an hour ago when the scope of their research became clear.What had started as a simple background check on two victims had expanded into a comprehensive analysis of their business practices and chemical usage, both of which had been referenced in the killer's rambling notes.
“Did you find anything interesting in Janet's recent orders?”Hayes asked, not looking up from his laptop screen.
Miles sorted through a stack of shipping receipts from Petals & Stems.They’d acquired them through one of just two other employees working for Janet.“Well, even I can tell from the materials she had ordered over the past few months that she was definitely experimenting with new products.Look at this.”He held up an invoice dated two weeks before her murder.“She ordered something called ProBloom Plus from a specialty chemical company in Delaware.”
Vic leaned over to read the details.“What's ProBloom Plus?”
“Pesticide,” Miles said, pulling up information on his laptop.“It was designed specifically for florists who want to extend the life of cut flowers.It's supposed to eliminate bacterial growth in water while protecting against common plant pests.”
“That fits the killer's manifesto,” Hayes observed.“Synthetic chemicals used to manipulate natural life.”
Miles read through the product specifications, comparing them to what they knew about Sarah Morrison's recalled art supplies.“The active ingredients are completely different, though.Janet's pesticide contains quaternary ammonium compounds and synthetic preservatives.Sarah's art supplies contained trace amounts of heavy metals and volatile organic compounds.”
“So there's no chemical overlap between the two victims?”Vic asked.
