“Fine,” he said. “But after the briefing, you go back to your room, and you stay there.”
“Agreed.” Claire moved to the conference table and set down her laptop. “Where’s Dr. Montgomery?”
“On her way,” Lynx said.
As Grizzly headed out to set up post at the main entrance, Vivi entered, tablet in hand, looking like she hadn’t slept in days. “Agent Dawson.” Vivi’s voice was warm despite the circumstances. “I’m glad you’re here. We can use your expertise.”
Claire let go of a heavy sigh. “Will everyone stop addressing me as Agent Dawson? Just Claire, please.”
Vivi smiled. Garrett pulled out a chair for Claire. “Everyone, take a seat,” he said. “Let’s review everything from the top. The message tells us he knows Claire is in Montana, but it doesn’t specifically mention this compound or that he’s already in the area. However,”—he circled the end of the conference table, unable to stand still—“we need to assume both. We are Code Red until I ascertain our suspect is not outside our doors.”
They took positions around the table. Garrett remained standing—too wired to sit, too focused to relax. Claire pulled up files on her laptop, and Lynx helped connect them to the main screen.
“We estimate that I’ve been the Countdown Killer’s target for approximately six months,” she said. Her hands were steady as she navigated her files, but Garrett saw the tension in her shoulders. The way her jaw tightened when the stalker’s messages appeared on screen. “Possibly longer.”
She pulled up a timeline. Dates. Incidents. Photos. “Six months ago, I started feeling watched. I didn’t have any evidence. Just... instinct.” She glanced at Garrett. “You know the feeling. When you’re being surveilled.”
He did. Every operator knew that crawling sensation between your shoulder blades. He nodded, encouraging her to go on.
“Four months ago, flowers were delivered to my apartment. No card. No sender information. I reported it to building security. They had no record of a delivery.”
“He hand-delivered them?” Vivi said.
Claire absentmindedly tapped a finger on her laptop. “That’s my guess. Three months ago, a note arrived. Slipped under my apartment door.” She pulled up a photo with an evidence bag. Through the plastic, they could read the handwritten note:
You couldn’t save Lily. Can you save yourself?
Garrett’s hands curled into fists. Lily’s name.Her name. This predator was using his sister’s death to terrorize CJ.
Claire didn’t notice his reaction. She was focused on her presentation, clinical and detached. “I wrote it off as a crank. Two months ago, the surveillance became overt. He sent me photos of me at work, at the grocery store. Getting coffee. He wanted me to know he was watching.”
More photos appeared on the big screen. Claire in the parking garage. Claire at a crosswalk. “The photos escalated. Closer angles. More invasive. And then, the killings started. I didn’t connect them at first. It was only after I realized the women resembled me and were all survivors. Recently, he sent a package to me with this.” She pulled up another evidence photo.
The bracelet. Silver. Delicate. Identical to Lily’s.
“My best friend Lily was murdered fifteen years ago. She was wearing a bracelet like this when she died. I always wanted a matching one so we’d be twins.” Claire’s voice was steady, but Garrett heard the emotion underneath. “This isn’t an exact replica, but it’s close enough to send a message.”
Vivi nodded. “As I suspected, he’s not just targeting you as a survivor of violence. He’s targeting you specifically because of your connection to Lily Harper.”
“It appears so.” Claire pulled up the timeline again. “Three days ago, I received the first direct threat. A message on my work computer, sent through an encrypted account.”
The text appeared on screen:
You’re all alone, Claire. Your friend couldn’t outrun him. Will you outrun me?
“Meaning Collin Brands, the killer who took Lily and tried to take you?” Garrett asked.
Claire swallowed hard. “That’s what we’re assuming.” She cleared her throat, but the emotions she was holding back were still evident in her eyes. “That’s when SAC Reeves pulled me from the case and sent me here.” Claire’s eyes, so full of sadness mixed with determination, slid to Garrett again. “And now, tonight, he found me.”
Garrett started pacing again. When he caught this asshole…
He took a deep breath and focused on the screen, not Claire’s eyes. “How did you first connect him to the other three murders?”
“The messages. I ran a search through ViCAP for any murders involving victims who’d received repeated text messages before their deaths. I found three cases. All women who’d survived previous violence. All received text messages, as well as handwritten ones and gifts, before they were killed.” Claire pulled up the victim files. “That’s when I knew. I saw their resemblance to me.”
Lynx looked up from his laptop. “And your team has no leads?”
“There’s been no forensics at the crime scenes. He’s careful. Meticulous.” Claire’s frustration was evident. “That’s why I agreed to come here. Reeves thought that if I was off the board, he might make a mistake. Get sloppy.”
