Reid hated to answer her question, but he had to let her know what was to come. “Actually, the DNA would only prove that he wore it. With no sign of forced entry, the police could assume that when I took Bandit outside, you placed the cap here.”
“How would I even get his cap?” She clenched her hands together. “And why on earth would I put it here?”
“People do all kinds of strange things to get attention these days,” Reid said. “The police have to explore all angles, and that includes you.”
She released her hands to run one over her hair. “But if the cap has Fowler’s DNA on it, won’t the threat be more believable to them?”
“Could be,” Reid said. “It would also be helpful if we can figure out when Fowler was here. They can then focus their questions when they canvass the neighborhood.”
Reid didn’t addifthey canvassed. If they didn’t think the threat credible, they would file a report and move on the same way Officer York had at the hospital.
“Reid said your alarm hadn’t gone off, so your intruder would need to have accessed it,” Micha said. “Your security company should be able to give you a list of status change times while you were at the hospital.”
“Their number is on my desk. I’ll go call them.” She hurried from the room.
Micha locked gazes with Reid. “You’re certain she didn’t do this herself?”
“I can’t believe you even have to ask that.” He’d explained when he called Micha how he’d met Megan and how Fowler victimized her. “I know Megan. Know her well. You spend as much time as I did with her, and you get to know them inside and out. Especially when prepping them for testimony at a trial.”
Micha shoved his hands into the pockets of his tactical pants. “Yeah, but you haven’t seen her in years. People change. She might not be the same woman you knew, right? And she’s the only one who’s actually seen this guy.”
Reid’s gut said she hadn’t changed from a private person to an attention seeker who would perpetrate a stunt like this. She might have developed a strong determination she hadn’t once possessed, but her soft, caring demeanor had remained intact, and deep inside she was the same woman he’d fallen for. But a guy couldn’t always count on his gut. Not when the intuition he developed as an agent also said Micha’s apprehension was justified, and Reid needed to think with his brain, not his heart.
“I’ll keep your point in mind,” he said, even if it was reluctantly.
Micha fixed a narrow-eyed gaze on Reid. “Why do I think you won’t?”
Uncomfortable under his teammate’s study, Reid forced a smile. “I won’t pretend to understand the way you think.”
Micha stepped closer, as if he planned to issue a word of warning, but Megan returned and drew their attention.
She stopped inside the door, her lips flattened into a grim line. “They confirmed that my code was used to enter the house at three-seventeen a.m. and reset the alarm at four this morning.” She shivered. “He was here. Right here. In my house for forty minutes. Mine! While I was with Ella at the hospital. What could he possibly be doing for that long?”
Reid had no clue, but hedidknow speculating on Fowler’s actions wasn’t in Megan’s best interest. Not in the least. Reid wouldn’t reply and would keep his expression neutral.
Or would at least try. Not easy when visions of Fowler pawing through Megan’s personal possessions consumed his thoughts. Still, he didn’t want to amp up her concern again. Especially when her rigid body language continued to emit waves of fear.
Planning to rest a hand on her arm to let her know he was here for her, he took a step forward.
“Easy, man.” Micha snagged Reid’s arm and leaned close to whisper, “You’re not doing a very good job of hiding your concern. You’re too close to this. Let me talk to her.”
Reid shrugged off the hand but heeded the warning and nodded for Micha to proceed.
Micha’s compassionate expression of earlier was replaced by a blank one that was totally unreadable. “Can anyone vouch for you being at the hospital during that time?”
She tapped her chin. “I was in Ella’s room, but I’m not sure if a nurse came in during that time or not. Still, my car would be in the lot, and security would’ve caught me leaving and coming back, right?”
“We’ll check into that.” He smiled again. “Did you give your security code to anyone?”
“My parents have it, but no one else.” She crossed her arms. “I never give it out.”
“No repairman, house sitter, anything like that?”
“No.”
“Does anyone else have a key to your house?”
“My parents.”
