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Chapter 9 To Catch a Killer.

Colette waited until everyone had left the church before she approached James once again.
“What was so urgent?” Ryan asked as he moved closer to them both.
“Let’s speak in the car. That way we know we are alone.” James replied leading them to the waiting car. Once inside he looked at the two anxious people.
“I over heard Senator Kelly and Agent Rodriguez speaking about Meranda.”
“Ok.” Ryan replied looking at him strangely.
“They were talking about Meranda being a thorn in Kelly’s side, just like her father had been. That was two less agents he was having to worry about.”
“What else?”
“It seems that what ever has been going on has been ordered by Kelly, he’s got his dirty hands in all of this.”
“But the problem is proving it.” Colette pointed out.
“That shouldn’t be to hard. They think Meranda is dead, that means they will mess up.”
“I am not so sure about that sir. They’ve been doing this a long time. Kelly seemed hell bent on not getting caught and if that meant killing off any agents that knew about what he and Rodriguez were doing that would be what would be done.” James stated, he watched at the shocked expressions of both his companions.
“What will they do if they learn that Meranda isn’t dead?”
“She’ll become dead really quick. For now they are buying the fact that she’s dead. I will make sure that she remains that way. The problem is that means no visits to the hospital.” Ryan replied looking toward James.
“Yes sir, and I promise that I will refrain from going anywhere near the hospital. I did tell the staff to call me immediately if there was any change in Meranda’s condition.”
“Good idea, until this is ended we can’t take any chances.”
“Understood.” Colette and James replied together. Neither liked the idea of leaving Meranda alone, but for her own safety it was for the best. The car stopped at the cemetery and Colette was the first to exit. James followed her and then Ryan stepped from the car, he could hardly see where the line of cars ended as they walked toward the gravesite. They could see the large angel that stood above the gravestone.
“Who’s idea was that?”
“Meranda’s actually. This plot was already here.” Colette said as she sat down in one of the chairs. James sat down next to her and looked to see George and Kelly standing off to the side. He could hardly believe they had the guts to show their faces at the funeral, but they had some form of show to keep putting on.
Colette stood beside the car as people started leaving the cemetery. She watched as every single car left the area until the only car remaining was the one that she had arrived in. Ryan and James walked over to her, once they knew everyone was gone.
“What now?”
“Now we wait, we make a promise that we remain away from the hospital at all costs and wait to see what happens.”
“Yes sir.” Colette said getting into the car first, followed by James and then Ryan. They drove back to the agency and waited. They knew that it would be a long wait, so Ryan decided that they needed to find things to occupy their time.
“I have some new assignments for you both.”
“We aren’t going to be working together?” James asked, his voice full of surprise.
“Oh you’ll continue working together. I just have a few more cases that were never finished that Meranda was working on. Thought you might get them done.” He said looking at them both. Colette knew what he was meaning, they couldn’t just wonder around the agency not doing anything, it would rise suspicion. Colette agreed that it would be for the best. She walked down the hallway in silence, she pushed open the door and turned on the light as she entered their office. Off to the side were boxes already packed up with Meranda’s things. She guessed that with there being reports that she was dead, it was a good idea to move her things. James entered the room and gasped.
“I can’t believe it.”
“I know neither can I. But we have to face facts that she’s gone.” Colette responded as she sat down behind her desk. She pulled out a file and looked it over. She wouldn’t look up from the papers as she heard James pulling folders from the boxes that had been marked Meranda’s. She wondered what he was looking for, but didn’t want to ask. It hurt to much to feel that their friend was alive and well in the hospital but couldn’t be there because of some crazy killer that was one of their own.
Ryan sat quietly in his office, everything had to look as if they had just buried one of their own. He watched as George walked down the hallway, and noticed that he would look up and then down at the floor. Something was off with him, but wasn’t ready to approach him about it.
It seemed that days passed quickly without anyone saying anything about Meranda. Flowers had been dropped off in the lobby and several bunches had been sent to a local senior home. Ryan would walk past the plack that had been placed on the wall, in memory of Meranda. But he had made sure that Meranda’s name as well as Lucas’s and other fallen agents names had been listed as well. Over the years his branch had seen a great many deaths and he wanted to make sure none had been forgotten.
“Sir, there is an urgent call for you.”
“Thank you, I will take it in my office.” Ryan said heading into his office quickly. Picking up the phone he hit the blinking light.
“Ryan.”
“Director Ryan?”
“Yes this is. Can I help you?”
“I was told to call if there was any change in our Jane Doe.”
“Has there been?”
“A slight change. The breathing tube was removed this morning and it seems that her vitals are showing signs that she’s waking up.”
“What?”
“She’s showing signs of waking up. But with those signs it could be a matter of hours or days.”
“Call me when she’s awake.”
“Sure thing.” The kind woman on the other end replied. Ryan put the phone back on the hook and knew that he couldn’t tell James or Colette yet. Not until Meranda was fully awake and ready for visitors. Now all they needed to do was catch the man responsible, the one that had caused all this heartache in the first place. But how was he going to make George or the Senator mess up. Do something that could get either of them caught. This would take a lot of thinking.