Winter Black Box Set 3 by Mary Stone

Author:Mary Stone [Stone, Mary]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-03-31T22:00:00+00:00

21

As Winter stepped out of the elevator and made her way down the well-lit hall to Aiden Parrish’s office, she went over her sales pitch one more time.

When she had proposed that they enlist Autumn’s help for the Arkwell case, Aiden’s refusal had taken her by surprise. She hadn’t prepared a sales pitch then, but she had mentally rehearsed a compelling argument before she and Noah even left for the office that morning.

Winter was certain that there was more to Aiden’s affinity for Autumn than just a professional friendship, but she had no idea why he would actively seek to push Autumn out to arms’ length. No matter the reason for Aiden’s sudden standoffishness, the direction of this case dictated that the bureau consult with a psychological expert.

If Winter’s theory was right—and she was confident it was—then there was much more at play than a serial killer.

Who knew how many had fallen under the spell of the mastermind behind the seven deaths so far? Who knew how many were waiting to take up the madman’s mantle the second he was captured, imprisoned, or killed?

They needed to know the extent of the killer’s influence, and there was no one better suited to unravel the mystery than Autumn Trent. Threat assessment was literally in her job title. And, in the event they came across a suspect, a psychological evaluation would no doubt be required.

If Aiden disagreed with Winter’s pitch, she always had the option to make the suggestion to SAC Osbourne. However, part of her was confident that the situation wouldn’t devolve that far. Aiden was a professional above all else, and they had a pressing case to solve.

As she neared the end of the hall, Winter popped a mint in her mouth to relieve it of the dryness the thought of this conversation had created. The blinds were closed on the other side of the glass and metal door, but the door was open wide enough to allow a slat of gold light to fall along the carpeted floor.

After rapping her knuckles against the frame, Winter eased the door open until she could see Aiden seated behind his desk.

His pale eyes flicked away from the computer monitor. “Good morning.”

Winter took a tentative step into the office, tucking the mint behind her teeth. “Morning. I was wondering if you have a few minutes? There’s something I want to run by you.”

With a nod, Aiden straightened in his chair. “Sure. Come on in.”

Much like a delicate layer of frost on a crisp fall morning, a chill had settled in over top of Aiden’s usual cool demeanor. The extra layer of professionalism—if that’s what it could even be called—was scarcely noticeable, and Winter doubted that anyone who hadn’t known him for over a decade would have noticed.

To be sure, Aiden wasn’t an emotionless automaton. Hidden under the sophisticated veneer he portrayed to the world was a man with a strong moral compass and a desire to make the world a better place. However, he wasn’t what Winter would call warm.

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