The Blackout Girl ✔️

chapter thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

The conference was scheduled to be held at the Dallas City Hall, seven o'clock on the hour. Nolan knew the place would be packed long before they arrived since people were eager to witness the official word from the FBI. The silence would be broken, and the world was waiting for news.

Nolan, Kaytee, and Price arrived in their standard black SUV, rolling up to the back entrance to get in smoothly. Kaytee fixed her hair several times using the mirror on the sunshade, making sure that she was as put-together as possible for the impending presentation. On the way to the door, she adjusted the collar of her shirt, straightened the hem of her pencil skirt, and rubbed her glossed lips together once more.

If Price noticed her apprehension, he didn't point it out. He was probably familiar enough with Kaytee's routine to give her space to collect her thoughts. It took everything in Nolan not to say something to her.

A local officer was waiting for them, guiding them into the large room comprising the auditorium, where Kaytee was expected to take the stage. Once they were in the spotlight, something changed in her. She went from nervous to strong, ready to deliver. She refused to be vulnerable in front of the crowd. It wasn't what they needed.

"Remember, Carlisle," Price began. "You tell them what we've profiled. Since we don't have a narrow enough pool of potential victims, try not to incite panic. Keep it vague, but valid. Dodge the questions that could take control away from local authorities."

"I hear you," she said.

"Don't feed the flames. If they give the woman a nickname, don't identify her by it. Keep the focus on the victims, not her. We need to weaken her ego as much as possible and serial killers feed off the attention they get," Price continued. "Are we clear?"

"Crystal," Kaytee replied.

"You can do this," Price told her. It was the first time Nolan had ever heard him offer encouragement. It was never his style, but this was a day full of surprises. He wasn't sentimental with anyone.

With that, Kaytee stepped into the heat of the stage lights, in front of flashing bulbs and rolling cameras. They were live.

Nolan was worried. He couldn't help but feel that way after he watched Kaytee freak out moments before. She was strong, and he soon realized she could handle herself.

"My name is Agent Kaytee Carlisle," she said confidently. "I'm with the violent crimes unit of the Dallas FBI. As some of you may have heard, we have a violent offender in the area whose senseless killings have garnered controversy. My team and I have been working diligently to bring justice to the families whose lives have been ruined by these horrible actions."

It seemed as though everyone in the room was at the edge of their seats, hanging onto everything said. The statement was going to change the investigation; Nolan knew that much.

"Four victims were taken from us all too soon and that's unacceptable. However, we have learned a few crucial details from each crime scene. We believe we're looking for a woman in her late twenties to early thirties. She believes these men have wronged her in some way and is seeking revenge against those people. Take this information under advisement, but be vigilant. If you find that you have anything pertinent to share, don't hesitate to contact local authorities through your local tip line or the FBI Field Office directly. Any questions?"

A reporter standing closer to the front shouted out first. "Have you taken any suspects into custody?"

"We've pursued some leads, but we have no reason to believe any of the people we've spoken to are the one we're looking for," Kaytee said.

"How do you know it's a woman and not a man committing these crimes?" someone else inquired.

"Due to the facts of the case, we've deduced the subject is female," Kaytee responded succinctly.

"How long before we catch her?"

"Do you know what to look for?"

"How can we be safe?"

So many distinct voices arose from the group, but Kaytee didn't pay too much attention to them. She knew bombarding them with too many things to process wasn't a good idea, so she picked a good moment to bring it to a close. It was almost instinctive for her. Price didn't have to give her a cue.

"Thank you," said Kaytee. "But that will be all for now."

The journalists continued to yell after her, but she didn't say anything. She disappeared back behind the curtains with the other two agents, knowing better than to draw out the public address for too long.

It was always best to keep it brief, in order to keep the killer out of the spotlight as much as possible and minimize the chances for mistakes. Nolan knew words had to be chosen carefully because nothing could be taken back once it was said. Kaytee was a master at that. She had nothing to worry about.

"Nice work, Carlisle," Price complimented her.

"Thanks," she said. She cast one glance back over her shoulder. "Now, let's hope that worked."

The rest of the team had left by the time they returned to headquarters. Kaytee and Nolan walked to their respective cars together, since they were the remaining few. Price would be at his office late, as he often was. It was part of his responsibilities as the boss to handle the last of the loose threads.

She pressed the button for the lowest floor in the elevator and met his eyes. "Thanks for coming."

"You didn't need me. You were awesome on your own," he told her.

"You'd be surprised. This team helps me a lot," she said.

"We help each other."

"You have a point there," she replied.

There was a small ding as the doors opened. They made their way out to the parking garage, even though Nolan wasn't parked there. She drove a silver Prius kept close to the entrance. He hoped she wouldn't question why he wasn't going for his ride yet.

She leaned against the driver's side door and looked down at her shoes. "I was faxed a few more police reports earlier today. I had to turn them down and send them to another department. Isn't that awful? We're so swamped with this that we can't help everyone."

"That's not your fault," he assured her.

"I know. Price told me the same thing. It was his idea, actually. I was ready to work overtime." She shook her head in a self-deprecating sort of gesture.

"You do that enough," Nolan pointed out. "What about Fluffy? He probably misses you."

"He's a housecat, he doesn't care too much about me," she joked. "I love him to death. He's spoiled."

"My mother thinks I should get a cat. I told her I don't really have time with this job."

"Yeah, you're probably right. I'm gonna need a huge break when this is over," she said. She looked down at her watch and whistled, a low sound. "Speaking of, I better feed the poor guy before he runs away. I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"

"Yep," he confirmed.

He waited until she drove away to leave. He wanted to make sure she was safe, so he watched her license plate grow smaller and smaller before he made his way to his vehicle.