“‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing,’” he quoted. “You did the right thing.”
“I don’t believe your colleagues see it that way.”
“But I do. I know you’ve told your story again and again, but would you tell it one more time for me? I will listen with an entirely open mind, I promise you.”
Raina stared at him, incredulous that a boy from her past was suddenly here now in a somber deep-blue suit. He wore it well. His features had matured, as had his frame. He was more striking than he had been in his youth.
“I understand you grew up to be an animal trainer?” he asked.
“Dogs, mainly. But other animals, too. Mammals, that is,” she added. “The occasional bird.”
“They say you’re the best.”
“I don’t know who ‘they’ might be, but I have a good work ethic and I love all creatures.” She winced. “Including human creatures. Mostly.”
That brought a real smile to his lips.
“And you grew up to be an FBI agent?” she asked.
He nodded. “I joined the military, managed a college degree that way, and then a friend led me toward the academy and the bureau.” He looked at her kindly. “So, what brought you in today?”
“I was planning on attending a fundraiser for a children’s foundation on Friday night. I’m speaking, and I was trying to find the right dress to wear. There’s a place I like on Sunset near the mall that carries local designs. Anyway, I tried on a dress, looked in the mirror and, instead of my reflection, I saw the crime scene. I know how ridiculous that sounds. But I’d heard that the body of a woman was recently found in the Everglades—or what remained of her. And a few months back, the remains of a man were discovered in a similar state. When I saw that...” She paused, looking down, wincing.
“You’re a decent human being. When you saw her lying there, you had to call.”
She looked up at him. “You believe I saw her in the mirror?”
He nodded at her gravely.
She sat back, staring at him skeptically. “Is this an act? If not, aren’t you worried about what your colleagues are going to think when they listen to the recording?”
“We’re not being recorded.”
It seemed he was telling the truth.
He stood and said, “Come on. I’m going to get you out of here. Except I need you to do me a favor. Will you come with me to where the body was found?”
Again, she looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. She shook her head slowly and her voice came out as a whisper again.
“I really don’t want to see—”
“The body is gone,” he said softly.
“I don’t know how that can help,” she said.
“I don’t, either, but it’s worth a shot. We don’t know what’s going on. Let’s face it, the Everglades is an area that’s unique and wonderful in many ways with a fantastic history, but it also has a history of bodies being dumped. You heard about the latest victims. We believe these murders are related, we just don’t know how. At least, not yet.” He was quiet a beat, watching her before he continued. “I work with a special unit of the bureau. We are willing to look in just about any direction—with open minds. Have you ever had something like this happen to you before? The mirror thing?”
“No!”
“Then, who knows? To me, that suggests there’s a reason you did this time. You might be able to really help.”
He was serious, she realized.
Either that or she was being played.
“Two things,” he continued. “I know I’m asking a lot. I know you have a life. What I’d like is to return to the dress shop. We’ll purchase the dress.”
She frowned. “You want me to put it back on? No, no, no, no, no!”
The door opened again; it was Detective MacDonald. There were a few seconds when she feared he was coming in to officially arrest her, then she saw her older brother, Robert, had arrived.
Raina adored her brother. He was tall and lean with hair redder than hers that he kept neatly and closely cropped. He was a prosecuting attorney for the county, but he managed to keep that separate from his life. He was married, a great dad who attended T-ball every weekend, and had maintained a sense of humor.
“I’m here to advise my sister of her legal rights. Oh, wait, you people have nothing.