Chapter 23: Red in the Face - Part 1
December 12, 2008 - Morning - Ridgeway Military Academy
The campus looked like it had been carved from granite and discipline.
Stone buildings, manicured lawns despite winter, cadets in perfect formation marching past. Everything here operated on precision—time, structure, hierarchy. The kind of place where deviation from protocol was punished swiftly.
Colonel Marcus Yates lay dead in his office, single gunshot wound to the chest. The door had been locked from inside, window closed, no signs of forced entry. Someone he'd trusted enough to let into his private space.
Jane wandered the office like a tourist, touching books, examining photographs. But his usual fluid charm was absent, replaced by visible discomfort. Military environments didn't suit him—too rigid, too structured, his social manipulation bouncing off disciplined minds trained to resist influence.
"This place makes my skin crawl," he muttered. "All this regimentation."
"It's just a different social framework," I said, scanning the office. "Same human behaviors underneath, different rules governing expression."
Lisbon interviewed the academy commandant while Rigsby and Cho processed the scene. Van Pelt compiled cadet records. And I activated the System, analyzing the environment.
[ **ANALYZING: MILITARY ACADEMY SOCIAL STRUCTURE** ]
[ **HONOR CODE: CENTRAL ORGANIZING PRINCIPLE** ]
[ **ADHERENCE VS PERFORMANCE: KEY DIFFERENTIATION** ]
[ **SUBJECTS GENUINELY FOLLOWING CODE: 67%** ]
[ **SUBJECTS PERFORMING COMPLIANCE: 33%** ]
[ **ENERGY: 64/100** ]
"The honor code isn't just rules—it's identity. Anyone breaking it would show stress markers trying to maintain the facade."
My phone buzzed. Text from Lorelei.
Lorelei: Wagner at shelter today. Spoke privately with three residents. Check-in 1/3.
Me: Any concerns?
Lorelei: Nothing immediate. Will update in 2 hours.
I pocketed the phone, anxiety settling in my chest. Lorelei was there, close to Wagner, gathering intelligence while I stood in a military academy three hours away.
"Focus. She knows the protocols. She'll be safe."
December 12, 2008 - Afternoon
The cadets lined up for interviews like soldiers reporting for duty.
Backs straight, eyes forward, answering questions with "yes sir" and "no sir" regardless of whether the question required it. Jane tried his usual techniques—casual conversation, personal questions, emotional manipulation—and hit walls of discipline.
"This is impossible," he said after the fifth interview. "They're trained not to reveal anything."
"They're trained not to reveal weakness," I corrected. "There's a difference."
I took the next interview alone. Cadet Robert Chen, nineteen, one of Yates's favorite students according to academy records. The System activated the moment he sat down.
[ **ANALYZING: CADET ROBERT CHEN** ]
[ **CONFIDENCE: 76%** ]
[ **SHAME MARKERS: 89%** ]
[ **FEAR OF EXPOSURE: 76%** ]
[ **STRESS BASELINE: CRITICALLY ELEVATED** ]
[ **HIDING SOMETHING: CONFIRMED** ]
[ **ENERGY: 60/100** ]
"How well did you know Colonel Yates?" I asked.
"He was my instructor. Mentor. Respected him greatly, sir."
[ **LIE PROBABILITY: 67% - PARTIAL DECEPTION** ]
"But you disagreed with him about something."
Chen's composure cracked fractionally—a tightening around his eyes, a shift in posture. "No disagreement, sir."
[ **LIE PROBABILITY: 91% - HIGH DECEPTION** ]
"The honor code says lying is dishonorable," I said quietly. "You believe in the honor code, don't you?"
His jaw clenched. The conflict played across his features—duty to honesty versus fear of exposure.
"I don't know what you're implying, sir."
My phone buzzed again. I ignored it, maintained eye contact.
"I'm implying that Colonel Yates discovered something about you. Something you desperately needed to keep hidden. And when he threatened to expose it, you made a choice."
[ **ANALYZING: STRESS RESPONSE** ]
[ **CHEN APPROACHING BREAKING POINT** ]
[ **GUILT COMPLEX: OVERWHELMING** ]
[ **ENERGY: 57/100** ]
"I didn't—" He stopped, swallowed hard. "It wasn't supposed to happen like that."
The confession came slowly, painfully. Chen was gay in an environment that still treated homosexuality as weakness. Yates had discovered evidence—letters, photographs—and threatened to expose him unless he withdrew from the academy voluntarily. In Yates's office, during their "final discussion," Chen had grabbed the colonel's own weapon and fired.
By the time Jane entered the interview room, Chen was sobbing, confession complete.
Jane studied the cadet, then looked at me. "How did you know?"
"Shame and fear. He was carrying both, trying to hide them behind military discipline. The System—" I caught myself. "The body language gave him away."
December 13, 2008 - Evening
The case wrapped cleanly. Chen confessed formally, explained the circumstances, accepted responsibility. Tragic situation—repressive environment forcing someone to choose between identity and honor.
In the car back to Sacramento, Jane was quiet. Finally: "You cracked that faster than I would have."
"You would've gotten there eventually."
"Eventually isn't fast enough in this job." He stared out the window. "Your analytical approach worked where my emotional reading failed. Different tools, same goal."
Lisbon's voice came from the front seat. "That's why you two work well together. Complementary skill sets."
Cho, driving, added his rare contribution: "Different methods, same results."
The partnership acknowledgment felt significant—official recognition that Jane and I balanced each other's weaknesses.
My phone buzzed for the third time that day.
Lorelei: Check-in 3/3. Befriended resident named Sarah. She mentioned Wagner asks "very personal questions about past relationships, family dynamics." Trying to learn more without raising suspicion.
The System analyzed her message automatically.
[ **ANALYZING: WAGNER BEHAVIORAL PATTERN** ]
[ **INFORMATION GATHERING: CONSISTENT WITH PREDATOR METHODOLOGY** ]
[ **VULNERABILITY DATA COLLECTION: PROBABLE** ]
[ **THREAT ASSESSMENT: MODERATE TO HIGH** ]
[ **ENERGY: 54/100** ]
"He's selecting victims. Learning which women are most vulnerable, least likely to have support networks. Building profiles."
I typed quickly.
Me: Good work. But be careful. Don't push too hard.
Lorelei: I know the limits. Love you.
Me: Love you too. See you tonight.
Jane watched me pocket the phone. "Everything alright?"
"Just checking in with Lorelei."
"She's still investigating the shelter connection."
Not a question—a statement. Jane had figured it out weeks ago, probably. He just respected the boundary enough not to push.
"Yeah. Finding patterns."
"Patterns are dangerous," he said quietly. "Especially when they point to dangerous people."
December 14, 2008 - Evening - Safe Harbor Parking Lot
I picked up Lorelei at eight PM, watching her exit the shelter through the security cameras visible from the street.
She climbed into the car looking exhausted but determined.
"Long day?" I asked.
"Wagner was there for four hours. Saw six residents privately." She buckled her seatbelt. "Sarah opened up more. Said Wagner always asks about their 'support networks'—who they have outside the shelter, who would miss them if they disappeared."
The implications made my blood run cold.
"He's identifying isolated women. Ones who won't be immediately missed."
"That's textbook predator behavior," I said.
"I know. Sarah didn't see it that way—thought he was just being thorough, making sure they had resources. But the pattern's there." Lorelei leaned her head back. "I'm getting closer. The residents trust me now. If Wagner tries anything, they might mention it."
I pulled out of the parking lot, heading toward her apartment. "Promise me you'll be careful."
"I'm always careful."
"Promise me."
She looked at me, saw the genuine fear underneath. Her expression softened. "I promise. We're in this together, remember?"
"Together."
The System provided unwelcome updates.
[ **WARNING: SUBJECT EXPOSURE TO POTENTIAL THREAT INCREASING** ]
[ **LORELEI DEEPER INTEGRATION WITH SHELTER COMMUNITY** ]
[ **WAGNER AWARENESS OF NEW VOLUNTEERS: PROBABLE** ]
[ **DANGER LEVEL: ESCALATING** ]
[ **RECOMMEND: RISK REASSESSMENT WITHIN 48 HOURS** ]
[ **ENERGY: 52/100** ]
I held her hand tighter than necessary during the drive. She squeezed back, understanding without words.
December was half over. The investigation was escalating. And the woman I loved was walking deeper into a predator's territory with every shift at Safe Harbor.
"Forty-eight hours. If anything changes, if Wagner shows any direct interest in her, we're done. Investigation ends, Lorelei gets pulled out, safety takes priority."
But I didn't say it aloud. Because Lorelei would argue, would insist on continuing, would remind me that Miranda deserved justice.
And she'd be right.
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