Take a Breath (Take #1) - Jaimie Roberts Page 0,65
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“Are you okay to talk to me?”
With my mind swimming with all the information Jake’s made me process in the last few minutes running through my head, I’m unsure. But I know I have to get this over with. “Yes, I’m okay to talk.” He nods with a reassuring smile.
“I understand you’re an analyst at the Fairfax station and have been involved in this case to some degree?” I nod. “Can you tell me what level of involvement you’ve had?”
I clear my throat before beginning. “I was involved in investigating each case, where they happened, and where he could possibly strike next. I also looked into previous cases from years ago of a similar nature to see if there were any connections from past cases to this, if anyone was caught, what time they served, and who was eliminated from previous crimes. I came up with a few possibilities, but this guy is smart. It’s almost as if he is watching our investigation.” His eyebrow rises as he jots something down in his notebook.
“I’m sorry, but I’m going to get a bit more personal now. Is there anything else I need to know? Have you been involved in any relationships where you have spurned someone in the last few months?”
I have to laugh at his question. Jake’s the only person in my world. I have never let anyone else ever get that close. The only other person I remotely let in was John, and surely, he would have nothing to do with this. I shake my head.
“Is there anyone—either now or in the past—who has pursued you in any way? Has anyone acted suspiciously around you, made you feel uncomfortable, or attacked you?” I immediately tense up at his words as the memory of Alan rises to the surface of my mind. I suddenly feel nauseated, and Agent Marcos, being the detective that he is, notices it straight away.
“You have to tell me. This could help us to nail this asshole.” I wince, and he places a hand on mine. With a soothing voice, Marcos pleads with his eyes. “We will do our best to catch him, but you must help us with whatever information you can provide. The more we know, the more we have to go on.”
Feeling deflated, I begin my story. “Almost ten years ago, I was attacked by my stepfather. He abused me for a while, and shortly after my thirteenth birthday, he decided to take things further. I screamed, and he knocked me out. Luckily, a neighbor heard my screams and pulled him off me before he could take it too far. I was hospitalized for a couple of days. They never have caught him. My mother and I moved after that. She changed our last name from Jacobs to Sinclair. Apparently, my grandmother’s maiden name was Sinclair. She said we needed to change it to protect me. The police helped out as far as that was concerned. He is the only person I can think of.”
I watch him scribble away in his notebook for a minute before he looks up to me. “I’m sorry I made you bring up those memories. You can understand why this is an avenue we will have to explore, right?”
I nod my head, and it’s then I realize that things are never going to be the same. Everyone will know about my horrible past. It’s no one’s business but mine. Yet soon, it will be everyone’s business. Damn that arsehole for always being inside my head! Even now, ten years after the fact, he is still screwing with my life.
“Can you remember Alan’s full name?”
I nod. “It’s Alan Martin. He was born in Pennsylvania, I believe. At the time, he was thirty-four years old. We were living in New Jersey back then.”
He takes all the information before smiling and telling me he has enough to go on. He gets up suddenly, and I quickly grab his arm. He swings around to face me and winces when he sees the tears in my eyes.
“Please don’t tell the people I work with what I just told you. I have to see them every day, and I don’t think I could ever make eye contact with any of them ever again if they knew about this. The last thing I want is their pity.”
He stares at me for a brief moment, but then his features soften as he gently grabs my shoulder. “This is not something we would normally hide, but it’s