“Theyareplanning more attacks.But we're not going to prevent them by staring at shipping invoices for another six hours.”Vic began organizing the scattered papers into neat stacks.“Hayes is right about getting ahead of them, but we need fresh perspective.Go home, get some sleep, fix things with her… and come back tomorrow with a clear head.”
Miles looked around the conference room at the evidence they'd accumulated.Financial records, chemical analyses, crime scene photographs, witness statements.All the pieces of a puzzle that refused to form a clear picture.The killer's philosophy made a kind of twisted sense, but their methodology remained vague.It was infuriating.
“You think we're chasing the right leads?”he asked.
“I think we're chasing the only leads we have,” Vic replied.“The chemical connection is real, even if it's broader than we initially thought.And the manifestos prove this person is operating under the same general framework as Diana Hartwell, even if their specific obsessions are different.”
Miles gathered his notes and laptop.The drive home would take forty-five minutes through evening traffic, giving him time to think about how to explain the case to Elena without making her more worried than she already was.He needed to find a way to be honest about the danger while reassuring her that he wasn't taking unnecessary risks.And perhaps more importantly, that he did value her and their upcoming wedding beyond measure.
As he headed for the parking garage, Miles felt the weight of two unsolved murders pressing down on him.Sarah Morrison and Janet Reilly had died because someone believed their ordinary activities constituted molecular corruption worthy of death.Until they caught this killer, anyone who used synthetic chemicals in their work or daily life could become the next target for fluorine purification.
The thought should have been terrifying, but instead Miles found himself feeling oddly determined.And despite Elena's concerns about his safety and their relationship, he knew he couldn't walk away from something this important.
The conversation with Elena would be difficult, but it was necessary.He needed her support to do his job effectively, and she deserved to understand why this case mattered so much to him.Somehow, he had to find a way to be both the investigator this case required and the future-husband Elena needed.
The balance felt impossible, but Miles was determined to try.
CHAPTERTEN
Miles pulled into the driveway at 6:42, just twelve minutes later than when he and Elena usually had dinner.Traffic had been kind to him, so that was at leastonepositive thing.The guilt that had been gnawing at him all afternoon intensified as he saw the warm glow of lights in their front windows.She was waiting for him, probably keeping dinner warm while wondering if he'd actually make it home at all.She’d never minded cooking; she enjoyed it and was damn good at it.It was one of the few old-school gender roles they’d stuck to.
He found her in the kitchen, cutting up chicken breasts.The smell of garlic and fresh herbs filled the air.She looked up when he entered, and her smile was genuine but tinged with careful concern.There were times when he almost preferred her being angry with him to the ever-present look of concern.
“Perfect timing,” she said, though they both knew he was slightly late.“Dinner still warm.”
“I'm sorry I'm late.It took me longer to get out of the office than I’d hoped.”He kissed her cheek and washed his hands at the sink.“This smells incredible.”
They ate dinner while Elena talked about her day at the pharmaceutical lab.The Phase Two clinical trials were showing even better results than expected.The Alzheimer's drug her team was developing seemed to be maintaining cognitive function in ways that exceeded their most optimistic projections.Miles focused, again reminded how interesting he found her work.Also, he was just thrilled they hadn’t instantly jumped straight into his end of things.
But of course, that’s where the conversation ended up.“Do you want to tell me how things went with the case?”she asked, seeming genuinely curious.
Miles pushed pasta around his plate.“Two people died today.The second was a florist named Janet Reilly.Same methodology as the school attack.The killer is using fluorine gas, introduced through small devices planted in the ventilation systems.”
“My God, that’s awful.”Her expression grew more serious.“Are you okay?Physically, I mean?”
“I'm fine.We used proper protective equipment.But this killer is moving fast, and their target selection is almost random.Anyone who uses synthetic chemicals in their work could be next.So that gives us a very wide range of victims.Based on the scant information we have right now, it’s almost impossible to predict.”
“I guess so.Jesus, that’s basically everyone.”
“Exactly.”Miles met her eyes across the small dining table.“That's what makes this so dangerous.And why I can't walk away from it.”He found himself becoming emotional, but managed to hold it together.“It’s why my mind stays locked on it.”
They finished dinner in relative quiet, both of them processing the implications of what he'd shared.After cleaning up the kitchen, they went through their usual evening routine.Elena checked her work emails while Miles reviewed his notes from the day's investigation.He did venture into his home office just long enough to type in some notes about the fluorine deaths to add to his previous research of the elemental murders he’d been researching, but he kept it short.
At 9:30, they headed upstairs to get ready for bed.Their bedroom was simple and clean, with white walls and minimal decoration.A queen-size bed dominated the space, covered with a soft gray comforter and white pillows.Two matching nightstands held reading lamps and the books they were currently reading.A single dresser against the far wall was topped with a few framed photos from trips they'd taken together.One of the photos had been taken by one of Miles’s best friends, hiding while Miles proposed.
The adjoining bathroom continued the same understated aesthetic.White tile floors and walls created a bright, airy feel.A single vanity with dual sinks sat beneath a large mirror.The shower was enclosed in clear glass, and white towels hung from simple chrome bars.
Miles brushed his teeth while Elena removed her makeup at the vanity.They moved around each other with the comfortable choreography of a couple who'd shared the same space for three years.But tonight, the familiar routine felt different, charged with the tension of the remaining conversations they needed to have.
Elena pulled her hair back with a soft headband and began applying moisturizer to her face.“Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Do you think about the periodic table murders more than you think about our wedding?”
The question hit him like cold water to the face.Miles paused with his toothbrush halfway to his mouth, meeting her eyes in the mirror.“What do you mean?”
“I mean exactly what I said.When you're lying in bed at night, when you're driving to work, when we're having dinner together.Are you thinking about elemental deaths or are you thinking about marrying me?”
