Page 24 (2/2)

"I have work I need to do," she said, "but yes Okay I think it ood to escape a bit"

"Perfect So let’s eat this bag of donuts and you can do whatever woet ready, and we’ll take off" He released her and reached for the bag and they turned on the news and chatted But any relaxation Lauren felt ended quickly as afroasping as solad she’d just finished off her donut She was no longer hungry "He wants attention," she said, without looking at Royce "He got it"

"He?"

She glanced at hi"

"Ah," he said "Well It’s all over the news Why not file that police report?"

"So alcohol at us is in the news," she said "My phone calls are not And you and I both know the police will do less than what you’re doing and so feeds copycats I don’t need to invite that kind of attention to h case"

"Are you confident this is about the case?"

She inhaled and let it out "I don’t know I have ticking clocks and one day ic says it’s this case though That’s all I can go on"

"Do you have your files on your coh them and make a list of the most likely suspects?"

"Royce, you were FBI Is there even one of the perps you took down that would send you a Christmas card?"

"No," he said "But I know the ones that were the most vicious and the most likely to lash out We need to start there"

"I have h theet this behind you I promise"

Lauren wasn’t one to lean on other people, but in that moment, she was secretly farto admit to anyone, even him And not because she didn’t appreciate his efforts Because she knew that if she let him know just how rattled she was, if she admitted it to him, she’d have to admit it to herself The way she compartmentalized the bad stuff that came with her job didn’t work that way There was an order to the way she dealt with things She had to maintain control Not Royce

Several hours later, Lauren shivered as she stepped off the elevator and into the corridor outside her apart froered on her black jeans and red t-shirt, as well as her hair "I hope the sandwiches alked two blocks for are worth getting wet over I’ve never tried this place"