no matter what happened, it doesn’t give him the right to slaughter innocent people.”
“You’re right. What happened to the real Georgie?”
Kaely shrugged. “I told you about this already, but if you want to hear it again . . .”
“I do.”
“When my dad was arrested, the news was splashed across every TV channel and newspaper in the country. TV news vans camped outside our house, and we couldn’t leave without being assailed by reporters. The second day after it happened, I snuck out my bedroom window and made my way to the back of Georgie’s house. I tapped on her window, and she pulled back the curtains. I waited for her to let me in, but she just shook her head. She was crying. I think she wanted to see me, but I guess her parents told her to stay away from me. The next day my mom, my brother and I went to stay in an apartment on the other side of town, some place the U.S. Marshalls used as a safe house. We stayed there until my father was sentenced. Then we moved to Nebraska. I never saw Georgie again.”
“Why Nebraska?”
“Mom grew up there. Her parents moved to Arizona after she got married and moved away. Even though she had no family or friends in the state, she felt comfortable there. She went back to her maiden name. Changed our names too.”
Noah took a sip of his coffee. “I wonder if you should have talked to Georgie and her parents. I think you’re reading a lot into what happened on one night.”
Kaely waved her hand at him. “I don’t want to talk about Georgie or what occurred years ago. I need to figure out what to do now.”
“Sorry. I’m just trying to take you back to your childhood in a way that wouldn’t be too painful. I’d hoped talking about Georgie might help give you some perspective.”
“If it wasn’t so hurtful, it might. I appreciate it, but maybe we should just confront the situation head-on.”
Noah nodded. “Okay. What are the positive reasons for talking to your father? And what are the negative reasons?”
Kaely snorted, her face contorted in anger. “Well, one negative reason is that I hate him. I detest him for what he did to those women. And I’m angry about what he did to our family.”
“I understand that. But is that a reason? Or is that just how you feel?”
Kaely jumped to her feet and started to walk away, but then she turned around and glared at him. Her expression twisted with resentment. But before she responded, her body suddenly relaxed. “Okay,” she said. “You’re right. It’s not a good enough reason.”
She returned to the couch, but this time she sat on its arm, her stockinged feet landing on the cushion. Then she put her elbows on her knees and rested her head on her hands. “We both know what I have to do, don’t we?” she asked in a voice so small it reminded him of a child. “If he’ll even talk to me. Not sure he will.”
“Kaely, I certainly don’t believe you have to do this. No matter what Sawyer said, they’ve just started interviewing him. Two weeks isn’t enough time. They couldn’t have tried everything. And the Bureau has agents trained to deal with people like your father. The FBI has lots of professionals who will step in to help when they’re needed. And what about the BAU? Why not send them in before contacting you?”
“Because if they do, I’ll never get the chance to talk to him. Sawyer seems completely convinced I’m the only one who can do this.”
Noah sighed. “Look, maybe you should tell them to try again. Even if it doesn’t work, it might give you a week or two to get yourself acclimated to the idea of facing your father.”
Kaely’s dark eyes met his. Every time she looked at him that way, he felt something like electricity course through his body. It took all his strength to ignore it.
When they’d come back from Nebraska, he’d been so angry that staying away from her had been easy. But as his anger eased, he realized how much he missed her. He’d toyed with the idea of asking for a transfer. To get away from her for good. But he’d promised her once that he’d always be there for her, and he felt bound by that promise even though being near her caused him pain—like a wound that wouldn’t heal. But until she