The Doll Collector's Son

Chapter 3: Jordan

Annalise met me in the field office parking lot, coffee and donuts in hand. Ah, she was the best... and that's why I knew I needed to tell her about the note. It had been addressed to me, The Doll Collector's Son. I'd even brought it with me, tucked into my pocket, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. We'd spent considerable amount of time trying to distance ourselves from our names and lineage, but there were reminders every now and then. Quantico was especially hard when we actually studied and profiled our parents' murders.

I was surprised the FBI hadn't excused us or even removed us, I was surprised they had even accepted us. That should have blacklisted us from any government job, ever. But I guess they liked my mom and Alec enough to extend us a courtesy. Now someone was bringing it up again. They had broken into my apartment and left it on my pillow. There was just one line: You will see how great it can be. I know I thought about it for probably hours. I would see how great it could be? What could that be? Deep down, I knew, but I didn't want it to be true.

What I needed was my mom, and I hated the way it sounded, but she knew what this was like. He'd left her notes too, and I knew he was dead and the Mistress was dead too, but sometimes I wondered if they had somehow lived. Evil never really died, and maybe they were finally reaching out.

"Jordan, you alright?" Annalise grinned.

It was harder on her, I had to spare her for now.

"Oh, yeah, just thinking I'll have to bring you something nice for breakfast tomorrow." I said.

"Looking forward to it! Hey, have you called your parents yet, and told them about, you know."

She wiggled her eyebrows in excitement. Ah yes, the phone call to mom and dad. They hadn't met my girlfriend, Marina yet, and we'd been together for about a year. Bringing someone into my life wasn't something I took lightly, but she had become pretty special to me, and I had been thinking about possibly proposing to her.

"I'm calling my mom tonight, to confirm our dinner." I said, as we climbed into Annalise's car.

"Good, definitely don't want to wait on the good news, especially since you're buying the ring soon."

"I hope they like her. Mom's usually wary of anyone new."

"Well, with good reason. I mean that intern she had three years ago was a wreck."

Some podcaster had pretended to be a psychology student and somehow landed an interview with my mom's department in the FBI. Within a couple of days, she started showing up at my parents' house trying to get information about the Doll Collector murders.

"I'm really excited for them to meet, Marina's been nervous." I said.

"Why? Your mom is the best! I mean, does Marina know about..." Annalise trailed off.

Forbidden words about forbidden topics.

"Uh no. I've never brought it up."

Annalise glanced at me from the driver's seat.

"Jordan, you have to tell her." She said.

"Do I? I mean it's not like he's alive and can come back."

"Yeah, but it could come out. That's not something you just take with a grain of salt. We've learned that, we're children of serial killers, and some people freak out. Look at all my past relationships. They heard Valentine and they immediately associated me with her."

"Have you thought about changing your name?" I asked.

"And leave my dad and brother as the only two Valentines? What she did was horrible, and she hurt so many people. I hate her for it, and I hate my name, but it's also my family's name. They've been through enough with her turning her back on us. I can't do the same."