Family Honor Read Free Page B

sophisticated computer systems available, with a database that would blow your socks off."
    "I knew it!" Stone exclaimed. "Complete with super-geeky, way smart technical analysts?"
    Willis chuckled. "Not exactly like you see on TV. And it doesn't happen as fast, either. But our analysts are cracker-jack. I'll start feeding them information today. They'll have information for us by tomorrow."
    "Tomorrow is Saturday," Stone commented.
    Willis looked from him to Mel. "I suppose you two don't work weekends?"
    "Of course we do," she piped up before Stone could say anything, and made a mental note to talk to Reeder about allowing some overtime.
    "Sure." Stone shrugged, then added, "So are you here alone? I thought you people usually worked in teams."
    "I supervise a team of agents," Willis acknowledged. "I sent them to Tacoma after a missing child. This particular case was right up my alley, so I volunteered to come here."
    "Hence the title 'Supervisory Special Agent' ," Mel teased. She thought she saw a slight flush to Willis' cheeks.
    "Yeah." He shrugged. "Sorry about that. As I said before, I tend to get a little overexcited. These cases make my blood boil."
    "But not enough to enlist a whole team to help." Stone mused. "I guess a missing kid in Tacoma outranks a bunch of dead hookers in Wichita."
    "Not so." Willis said firmly. "If you saw the sheer volume of cases that cross my desk you'd be amazed. Dozens of people get killed or go missing each week, and the FBI has to choose where we feel we can do the most good. As I was telling Detective Curtis here, I seem to have developed the specialty for serial killers who prey on working girls. I don't particularly like it, but the cases generally share some similarities, and often times I'm able to help."
    Stone seemed to mull over the information for a few moments until the geek in him resurfaced. "So, are you from Quantico?"
    "No, San Antonio."
    "San Antonio ? " Mel and Stone repeated at the same time. "I don't hear a Texas accent," she added.
    "I didn't say I was born and raised there. I grew up running through the cornfields of Iowa. Did a stint in the service which took me to Kosovo and Bosnia. Joined the FBI and did my training at Quantico," he nodded at Stone, "and now I go where they send me—wherever I'm needed."
    Stone stared at the white board with all the information Willis had compiled. "I think we need you here, SSA Willis. I know these women do."
    Mel followed his gaze. "Yeah. We appreciate any help you can give us on this case."
    Willis looked at each of them for a moment. "We'll find this guy. I can feel it in my gut. He might think he's smart, but he's making mistakes. And we're smarter. We'll get him." To Mel he said, "What was your plan of action for today?"
    "Go over the report when it comes in, obviously, then take the vic's photos to Oldtown. The girls don't start working there until afternoon. If we don't get a hit, more girls show up in the evening. We can check back. I'd like to identify this woman, see if anyone out there is missing her."
    Willis nodded. "What about Rhonda and Donna? Was anybody missing them?"
    Stone spoke up. "Rhonda Jensen was homeless, living off and on in a shelter run by the Lutherans. She had an expensive meth habit. One daughter, married with two sons, didn't much want to hear about what happened. Said she tried to help her mother over and over again, but finally gave up when mom started stealing money from her grandsons for drugs. Seemed sad when we told her, but not overly so. I suspect she walled off those emotions years ago."
    Willis screwed up his face.
    Mel added, "Donna Leonard is pretty much the same story, except no drug habit—she was bipolar and wouldn't stay on her meds. Daughter said they made her mom 'feel funny'.   She was in and out of shelters, never in one place for long. The daughter is a lawyer, with a very nice lifestyle. She had mom committed several times and tried every service money could buy, but as soon