Chapter 14: Expanding the Search
October 18, 2008 - Afternoon - Tedd's Apartment
Case files covered every surface.
Coffee table, kitchen counter, floor space between couch and TV. Five murdered women stared from photographs—Miranda Martins, Rachel Chen, Jennifer Kowalski, Sarah Thornton, Diana Reeves. 2002 through 2005. Five lives ended, five cases closed unsolved.
Lorelei sat cross-legged on my living room floor, police reports spread before her. She'd been reading for two hours, occasionally making notes, her expression cycling through grief, anger, and determination.
The System monitored her constantly.
[ **ANALYZING: LORELEI MARTINS** ]
[ **STRESS: 84%** ]
[ **DETERMINATION: 91%** ]
[ **TRAUMA RESPONSE: MANAGED BUT PRESENT** ]
[ **FOCUS: EXCEPTIONAL** ]
[ **ENERGY: 68/100** ]
"Rachel Chen was a counselor at Safe Haven Women's Center in Sacramento," Lorelei said, tapping one report. "Sarah Thornton volunteered at New Beginnings Shelter in Fresno."
I pulled up my notes. "Jennifer Kowalski worked part-time at Citrus Heights Women's Resource Center. Same town where Miranda died."
"And Miranda volunteered at Hope House." Lorelei looked up, eyes sharp. "Four out of five worked with women's shelters or domestic violence organizations. What about Diana Reeves?"
I scrolled through Diana's background. Employment history, volunteer work, social connections. The System highlighted relevant data.
[ **ANALYZING: DIANA REEVES BACKGROUND** ]
[ **SHELTER CONNECTION: FOUND** ]
[ **SUBJECT WAS BOARD MEMBER: WOMEN'S CRISIS LINE** ]
[ **PATTERN CONFIRMED: 100% VICTIM CORRELATION** ]
"Board member for a women's crisis hotline," I said. "All five. Every single victim was connected to organizations helping women escape abusive situations."
Lorelei's hands trembled slightly. "The killer targets women who help other women."
"Specifically women who provide safety, resources, or counseling to abuse victims." I pulled up a map, marking each murder location. "He's operating across Northern California. Different jurisdictions, different police departments. Nobody connected the cases because they're spread so far apart."
"But you connected them."
"The staging was the key. The way he positions victims, the lack of forced entry, the forensic awareness. It's too consistent to be coincidence."
She studied the map, tracing patterns with her finger. "If he's still active, he's probably monitoring these organizations. Watching for potential victims."
[ **CRITICAL INSIGHT DETECTED** ]
[ **LORELEI DEMONSTRATING INVESTIGATIVE APTITUDE** ]
[ **RECOMMENDATION: UTILIZE HER SOCIAL INFILTRATION SKILLS** ]
"She's right. And she could help gather information without raising suspicion."
"I was thinking the same thing," I said carefully. "Someone needs to visit these shelters, ask questions without making it obvious we're investigating. A cop showing up raises red flags. But a woman asking about volunteer opportunities..."
Lorelei met my eyes. "You want me to go undercover."
"Not officially. Just... asking questions. Building profiles of staff and volunteers. Looking for anyone who seems wrong."
"Like finding the wolf in the henhouse."
"Exactly."
She nodded slowly. "I can do that. Cocktail waitress means I'm good at reading people, making conversation, getting information without seeming nosy."
The partnership was solidifying. Not just romantic, not just emotional support—actual investigative collaboration. Lorelei had skills I didn't, social access I couldn't achieve, and motivation that matched my own.
We spent the rest of the afternoon building a target list. Fifteen women's shelters and crisis centers across Northern California. Lorelei would visit them systematically, gathering information under the guise of wanting to volunteer.
It was dangerous. If the killer was monitoring these locations, she'd be putting herself in his orbit. But the alternative—doing nothing—was worse.
October 22, 2008 - Evening - Local Restaurant
The team dinner was Rigsby's idea.
"We never do anything social," he'd argued to Lisbon. "Just cases and paperwork. We should actually be a team outside work."
Lisbon had agreed, probably exhausted from refereeing the couch war. Van Pelt picked the restaurant—Italian place, mid-range pricing, private room in the back.
I brought Lorelei.
"Nervous?" I asked as we walked in.
"Terrified," she admitted. "Meeting your coworkers feels very official."
"They're going to love you."
Van Pelt proved me right immediately, pulling Lorelei into conversation about Sacramento restaurants and best cocktail bars. Rigsby was friendly and welcoming, making jokes about how Lorelei had "survived dating Colen this long."
Cho offered a nod and a simple, "Nice to meet you."
Jane, however, studied her like she was a puzzle to solve.
He waited until after appetizers, after wine had been poured and conversation flowed naturally. Then he turned his attention fully on Lorelei.
"You have excellent taste," he said, gesturing at her outfit. "That jacket is perfect for you."
"Thank you." Lorelei smiled, genuine but guarded. "You're the consultant Tedd mentions. The one with the couch obsession."
"It's not an obsession. It's a reasonable attachment to personal space."
She laughed, touching his arm briefly. "I like this one. He's charming."
My jaw tightened involuntarily. The touch had been casual, friendly, meaningless. But something primal in my chest didn't care about logic.
[ **ANALYZING: OWN EMOTIONAL RESPONSE** ]
[ **POSSESSIVE REACTION: DETECTED** ]
[ **JEALOUSY MARKERS: PRESENT** ]
[ **INFLUENCE METRONOME: TRACKING SOCIAL DYNAMICS** ]
[ **ENERGY: 64/100** ]
Lorelei noticed. Her eyes sparkled with mischief, and I knew—knew—she'd done it deliberately. Testing my reaction, discovering a vulnerability.
"She's playing me. And enjoying it."
Jane watched the exchange with obvious amusement. But underneath the humor, I could see him analyzing Lorelei properly now. Reading her body language, searching for truths beneath the surface.
Whatever he saw made his expression soften.
Later, when Lorelei was talking with Van Pelt, Jane pulled me aside.
"She's been through something terrible," he said quietly. "Loss, grief, something that left scars. But she's strong. Stronger than most people who carry that kind of pain."
"I know."
"And you're helping her find answers."
"Trying to."
Jane nodded. "Good. She deserves someone who'll fight for her. Just..." He paused. "Don't let the investigation consume you both. Obsession with unsolved cases has a way of poisoning everything it touches."
"Voice of experience again?"
"Always." He smiled sadly. "Just be careful. Both of you."
The warning was genuine, rooted in his own failures and losses. I appreciated it even as I knew I wouldn't heed it fully.
October 22, 2008 - Late Evening - Tedd's Apartment
"You got jealous," Lorelei said, grinning.
We'd returned to my apartment after the dinner. She stood in my kitchen, pouring wine, radiating satisfaction at having discovered a weakness.
"I don't get jealous."
"You absolutely do. When I touched Jane's arm, your whole face changed." She handed me a glass. "It was adorable."
"I wasn't jealous. I was... observing."
"Observing me flirt with your colleague." She settled on the couch beside me. "You got possessive. Admit it."
[ **ANALYZING: LORELEI'S INTENT** ]
[ **PLAYFUL TEASING: CONFIRMED** ]
[ **TESTING BOUNDARIES: ACTIVE** ]
[ **ENJOYS YOUR REACTION: 92%** ]
[ **ENERGY: 62/100** ]
"She's storing this information. Going to use it against me."
"Fine. Maybe slightly jealous."
Her laugh was delighted. "I knew it. You're so composed about everything else, but this? This gets to you."
"You're enjoying this too much."
"I really am." She kissed my cheek. "Don't worry. Jane's not my type. I prefer detectives who investigate cold cases and fight over couches."
The conversation shifted to the investigation—she'd scheduled visits to three shelters next week, starting with Safe Haven in Sacramento. We discussed cover stories, what questions to ask, how to gather information without raising suspicion.
By midnight, we had a plan. Lorelei would be our social infiltrator, the friendly face asking innocent questions. I'd analyze data from CBI resources, cross-referencing names and looking for patterns.
We were hunting a serial killer without official sanction, using personal time and resources, risking careers and possibly lives.
And somehow, that felt exactly right.
October 24, 2008 - Morning - CBI Headquarters
I compiled the shelter list during a slow morning at work.
Fifteen locations across Northern California. All connected to the five murders, either directly or through similar victim profiles. The pattern was there—I just needed to prove it.
My phone buzzed. Text from Lorelei: Visiting Safe Haven this afternoon. Wish me luck.
Me: Be careful. If anything feels wrong, leave immediately.
Lorelei: You worry too much. I'll be fine.
The anxiety sat heavy in my chest. She was walking into the killer's hunting ground, asking questions that might draw attention. If Red John was monitoring these shelters, if he noticed her interest...
"Stop. She's competent. She knows what she's doing. And you can't protect her by keeping her locked away."
Jane appeared beside my desk, coffee in hand. "You look worried."
"Just thinking about a case."
"The off-books investigation?" He studied my expression. "Your girlfriend is helping, isn't she?"
The accuracy was unsettling. "She has skills I don't."
"And you're terrified something will happen to her." Jane's voice was gentle. "I understand that fear. The need to protect someone while knowing you can't control every variable."
"How do you manage it?"
"I don't." A sad smile. "I failed to protect my family. That's why I'm here, hunting their killer. So my advice is worth exactly nothing."
He walked away before I could respond, returning to his couch and his book. But the admission hung in the air—Jane's entire existence was built on the ashes of failed protection.
I wouldn't let that be my story. I wouldn't let Red John take Lorelei the way he'd taken Jane's family.
The System chimed.
[ **QUEST PROGRESS: PREVENT LORELEI'S RED JOHN RECRUITMENT** ]
[ **STATUS: 58% COMPLETE** ]
[ **SHELTER INVESTIGATION: ACTIVE** ]
[ **VICTIM PATTERN: IDENTIFIED** ]
[ **WARNING: ACTIVE INVESTIGATION INCREASES EXPOSURE RISK** ]
[ **RECOMMENDATION: MAINTAIN VIGILANCE** ]
[ **ENERGY: 59/100** ]
By evening, Lorelei texted: Safe Haven visit complete. Nothing suspicious, but got names of regular volunteers and staff. Two people gave me weird vibes—forwarding info.
Relief and anxiety competed in my chest. She was safe. She'd gathered intelligence. And we were one step closer to finding a killer who'd remained invisible for years.
The hunt was on.
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