The Blackout Girl ✔️

chapter fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

Nolan arrived home to a missed call from his mother on his answering machine and a spoiled carton of milk. It foiled his dinner plans, so he found himself ordering pizza instead of eating the last of his Cheerios like he initially intended to. After he called it in, he dialed her back and waited for her to pick up.

"Hey, Nolan!" she said cheerfully. "How's it going in Dallas? Are you liking the new job?"

"Yeah. It's great. I like the Bureau and stuff." He was exempting the details, quick to deflect before she could push him further. "How are you? How's the family?"

He hoped that, even if the case had become national news, she wasn't worrying about him. She didn't know a whole lot about his work, which was probably for the best.

"Your sisters are a handful, as always," she replied. He could practically hear her playful eye roll. "I love them, though. I don't know what I'll do after all my kids have moved out. I'll probably have empty nest syndrome for the rest of my lonely days."

"You'll still have dad," he reminded her. "And Buster."

Buster was the family labrador they'd had for years. Leaving his dog behind was the hardest thing about going into the academy. He didn't regret joining the FBI. He never would. Still, he got homesick here and there. It was just a fact of life.

"Have you tried any of the recipes I sent you?" she asked. "You can't live on Ramen your whole life."

"I totally have," he fibbed. "The spaghetti was delicious."

"I can tell when you're lying, son. Are you eating take-out again?"

"No," he said guiltily.

"Well, at least have a salad or something. Maybe some dessert. You're too skinny for your own good," she said.

Nolan looked down at his lean frame. "I'm not a skeleton."

"I suppose that's true, but take care of yourself before those sodium levels get too high," she pressed.

"Yes, ma'am," he said.

"I've got to go to sleep soon, but I wanted to hear your voice. I love you. Make sure you stay safe out there, being a hero and all," she reminded him.

"I will. Say hi to everyone for me?"

"Of course," she said.

"I love you, Mom."

He missed her as soon as she hung up. Being this far from everyone he knew definitely had its downsides. He was trying to adapt. Part of the job meant being ready for relocation anywhere, anytime. There was no way for him to know just how hard it would be until he was experiencing it.

He wasn't sure how he felt about eating dinner alone on the couch, flipping through the pages of his current read with greasy fingers. There was a part of him that wanted company, but it was too late and he was tired and there was no way for him to make that happen. He settled for silence, for solitude. Even in the peace of his own home, his mind was buzzing.

The tip hotline was active for 24-hours. It wasn't his place to call and check up on the operators, but he wanted to know if anyone had brought anything to the Bureau's attention. The trail had gone cold after the last murder. He didn't want another body, but he also didn't want their subject to slip away and disappear without being brought to justice.

* * *

Nolan picked up his usual coffee and a newspaper the following morning, eager to return to the Field Office. He didn't know who he was outside of being an agent. He understood Kaytee's restlessness. He felt the same way, and he wasn't going to relax until the woman was caught and confessed.