Read Online Flash Point by Colby Marshall - Free Book Online

safe,’ Ashlee said.
    Consistent with her previous statement.
Not that Jenna expected anything different, but when they caught the bastards responsible, Ashlee’s unchanging testimony would be huge in court.
    â€˜I want you to think hard about that move from under the counter down to the safe,’ Jenna said. ‘Go through every movement it took to get there. Take every footstep or crawl.’
    Ashlee nodded.
    â€˜As you go there, tell me what other things you notice,’ Jenna said.
    Eyes tightly closed, Ashlee breathed faster, heavier. ‘It’s such a blur. I tried hard not to look at the ground, keep my eyes toward the stairs, up. Something on the floor near there.’
    A body.
    â€˜We walked down …’ her voice trailed. ‘Wait. I heard something else. Someone tell someone else something.’
    â€˜OK,’ Jenna said. ‘Good. What was it?’
    â€˜Someone said, “Scout, keep it together. DNA.”’
    Jenna blinked rapidly, surprised. Lapis lazuli flashed in. ‘Are you sure that’s what they said?’
    Ashlee nodded hard. ‘Positive.’
    Jenna stayed in the moment, pushing for details like how far away the voice had been, whether it was male or female, and if anyone had reacted to the statement. Jenna walked Ashlee through the exercise all the way to the vault and being locked in, just in case her witness had anything else to reveal, but all she could think about was talking to Irv.
    Finally, they reached the point when Ashlee had been found inside the safe by police, and Jenna could wrap this up. She had what she needed from Ashlee’s memories; now, she needed the interview to end so she could do what had to be done with it.
    â€˜Ashlee, that must’ve been so difficult, and I appreciate you being brave to go through it again. You rest now. An officer will drive you to the hospital to be checked out just to be safe. If you need something to help with anxiety, be sure to ask for it. I’ll be in touch in the next few days, OK?’ Jenna said.
    Ashlee nodded at her, looking like she was about to cry. ‘I can’t believe this really happened,’ she muttered.
    Jenna reached across, closed her hand over Ashlee’s. ‘It never should’ve.’
    With that, she stood and left the room.
    As soon as she closed the door, Jenna whipped out her phone. She clicked to open her texts, thinking of Irv, but smiled to see texts from Vern and Charley that said only, ‘Bobblehead’ and ‘Clementine,’ respectively. Then Yancy’s text of his safe word ‘Smorgasboard,’ along with an ‘I love you.’ She exhaled. Smiled. Ayana was home safe.
    She snapped back a quick text to Yancy: I love you, too, hot stuff.
    Just as Jenna was about to text Irv and ask where they stood in their hunt for someone Jenna really wished they didn’t have to find, she noticed Saleda descending the stairs, approaching.
    â€˜What do you think now?’ her team leader asked.
    Jenna sighed.
That we have one hell of a problem right now.
    â€˜I think we should go back to Quantico and watch that video until it’s so burned in our memories that we can call it up anytime, anywhere in our heads. I think we should use it to start profiling every single individual killer within the group, because I think it’s going to be one of two giant steps we’ll have to take to profile and nail the actual
group
.’
    â€˜I’m assuming you’re going to explain why, but say I trust you for the moment. What’s the other giant step?’
    â€˜Irv needs to find my literature and linguistics contact. Put the profiles of the individuals together and find her and I think we’ll know a little more what we’re dealing with.’
    Assuming we can deal with Grey Hechinger herself first.

Nine
    An electronic doorbell sounded as Yancy entered Yorke’s Custom Prosthetics and Orthotics.
    â€˜Mr