A little over an hour later, Mackenzie was quickly brought back to reality as she watched Agent Jared Ellington stand in front of a conference room filled with local police that clearly felt like they didn’t need his help. A few sitting around the table were taking notes, but there was a tension in the air that showed on everyone’s face. She noticed that Nelson sat near the head of the conference table, looking nervous and uncomfortable. It had ultimately been his call to contact the FBI and it was clear that he wasn’t sure if it had been the right choice.
Meanwhile, Ellington did his best to keep control of the room as he went through a short spiel where he went over the same material that he and Mackenzie had discussed on the way from the airport – that they were looking for a killer that likely had some aversion to sex and was also proud of the murders. He also went through a review of all of the clues they had to go on and what they might mean. It wasn’t until he got to the topic of having the wood from the posts analyzed that he got any sort of response from the officers scattered round the table.
“In regards to the wood samples,” Nelson said, “we should have results from that within a few hours.”
“What good would that do, anyway?” Porter asked.
Nelson looked over to Mackenzie and nodded, giving her permission to field that question. “Well, based on the results, we could look into local logging companies or mills to see if anyone has recently purchased that certain type of post.”
“Seems like a long shot,” an older cop in the back of the room said.
“It does,” Ellington said, quickly taking back control of the room. “But a long shot is better than no shot at all. And please, make no mistake about it; I am not here to assume total control over this case. I’m just here as a moving part of the solution, a point-man to make sure you have full access to any resources the Bureau can provide. That includes research, manpower, and anything else to help bring this killer in. I’m here only temporarily – probably no more than thirty-six or forty-eight hours – and then I’m gone. This is your show, guys. I’m just the hired help.”
“So where do we start?” another cop asked.
“I’ll be working with Chief Nelson following this briefing to divide you up as appropriate,” Ellington said. “We’ll have a few of you head out to speak with Hailey Lizbrook’s co-workers. And as I understand it, we’ll have fully autopsy results and information on the deceased discovered last night. As soon as we have a positive ID, some of you will need to visit her family and friends to mine for information. We’ll also need someone to check with local mills when we get the results of the wood test back.”
Again, Mackenzie noticed the stiff posture of most of the police around the table. She found it hard to believe they were so proud (or perhaps, she thought, too lazy) to take direct orders from someone that they did not know well, regardless of his place in the food chain. Was small-town mentality that hard to break away from? She’d often wondered this in the midst of the demeaning way most of the men in this room had treated her since she arrived.
“That’s all I have for now,” Ellington said. “Any questions?”
Of course, there were none. Nelson, however, got to his feet and joined Ellington at the front of the room.
“Agent Ellington will be working with Detective White, so if you need him, you can find him in her office. I know this is a little unorthodox, but let’s take it for what it is and take full advantage of the Bureau’s generosity.”
There were mumbles and grumbles of acknowledgment as officers got up from the table and headed out on their way. As they filed out, Mackenzie noticed that a few of them were looking at her with more reproach and angst than usual. She looked away as she got up and joined Nelson and Ellington at the front of the room.
“Is there something I should know?” Mackenzie asked Nelson.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m getting nastier looks than usual,” she said.
“Nasty looks?” Ellington asked. “Why do you usually get nasty looks?”
“Because I’m a determined younger woman who speaks her mind,” Mackenzie said. “Men around here don’t care for that. There are a few that think I should be home, in the kitchen.”
Nelson looked highly embarrassed, and a little pissed, too. She thought he might actually say something to defend himself and his officers, but he didn’t get a chance. Porter joined them and slapped the day’s local newspaper down on the table.
“I think this is the reason for the dirty looks,” he said.
They all looked down to the paper. Mackenzie’s heart grew cold as Nelson let out a curse behind her.
The front page headline read “SCARECROW KILLER STILL AT LARGE.” Under that, the subtitle read: “Beleaguered police force seems to have no answers as another victim is discovered.”
The picture beneath it showed Mackenzie getting into the car she and Porter had driven out to the field yesterday. The photographer had captured the entire left side of her face. The hell of it was that she looked rather pretty in the picture. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, this picture placed directly beneath the headline essentially painted her as the face of the investigation.
“That’s not fair,” she said, hating the way it sounded coming out of her mouth.
“The guys think you’re getting off on it,” Porter said. “They think you’re bent on breaking this case for the publicity.”
“Is that how you feel?” Nelson asked him.
Porter took a step back and sighed. “Personally, no. White has proven herself to me over these last few days. She wants this guy captured, no matter what.”
“Then why don’t you stand up for her?” Nelson said. “Run some interference while we wait for the latest victim to be ID’d and for the results on that wood sample.”
Looking like a child that had just been scolded for lying, Porter put his head down and said, “Yes, sir.” He made his exit without looking back.
Nelson looked back down to the paper and then at Mackenzie. “I say you make the most of it. If the media wants to put a pretty face to this investigation, let them run with it. It’ll make you look that much better when you bring this bastard in.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Agent Ellington, what do you need from me?” Nelson asked.
“Just your best detective.”
Nelson grinned and hitched a thumb toward Mackenzie. “You’re looking at her.”
“Then I think we’re good.”
Nelson headed out of the conference room, leaving Ellington and Mackenzie alone. Mackenzie started to gather up her laptop and notes while Ellington looked around the room. It was clear that he felt out of place and wasn’t sure how to handle it. She was a little out of place herself. She was glad everyone else was gone. She enjoyed being alone with him; it made her feel as if she had a confidant in all of this, someone who saw her as an equal.
“So,” he said, “they really look down on you because you’re young and a woman?”
She shrugged.
“Seems that way. I’ve seen rookies come in – men, mind you – that get some ribbing, but they aren’t spoken down to the way they speak down to me. I’m young, motivated, and, according to a few, not too bad to look at. Something about that combination throws them off. It’s easier for them to write me off as the over-ambitious piece of ass than a woman under thirty years of age that has a harder work ethic than them.”
“That’s unfortunate,” he said.
“I’ve felt a slight shift in the last few days,” she said. “Porter in particular seems to be coming around.”
“Well, let’s wrap this case up and bring them all around,” Ellington said. “Can you arrange to have every photo from both sites brought into your office?”