Page 54 of So Deadly
Faith held him, crooning softly and rocking back and forth as she watched the paramedics roll the unconscious Jennifer Suleiman out of the house.The older paramedic motioned for Faith to leave the tailgate of the ambulance, and Faith got to her feet and led Turk to the sidewalk.
She watched them load Jennifer onto the ambulance and watched it drive away.Not for the first time, Faith felt sympathy for the killer she’d helped to catch.There was no excuse for what she’d done, but Faith understood her anguish.When she stepped into the house and saw Jennifer’s claws raised above Turk, she almost pulled the trigger.If she was fractured the way Jennifer was, could she have controlled herself?
She was afraid to answer that question.She knew the answer she would give.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
The door to the precinct breakroom opened, and Jenkins stepped in, carrying a box of a dozen donuts.He smiled at the federal agents.“Maple bars and Boston creams as promised.RealBoston cream, not whatever crap they put in those D.C.donut shops.”
“Those dastardly D.C.donut shops,” Jessica quipped, shaking her head.“What are we gonna do about them?”
“I’ve got some ideas,” Jenkins said, pulling out a Boston cream for himself and lowering into one of the chairs.
Faith swore when once again, Michael didn’t answer his phone.She was about to say to Hell with it and rush from the room to take the next flight to Oklahoma when he sent a text.Have David.Will update soon.He’s all right.
She cried out with relief, nearly bursting into tears.Jenkins frowned.“Everything okay?”
Jessica, guessing at the reason for Faith’s relief, asked, “David’s all right?Michael found him?”
Faith nodded.Jessica pumped her fist and whooped.Faith wiped tears from her eyes and looked at the confused Jenkins.“My husband.A long story.”
“At least it’s good news,” Jenkins said.“God knows we need as much of that as we can get.”He nodded at Faith’s bandages.“How’s the arm?”
“Still attached.”
Faith wasn’t trying to be funny, but Jenkins laughed uproariously at that.Turk looked at him, then looked quizzically at Faith.
Faith reached over with her uninjured arm to scratch Turk behind the ears.She understood Jenkins’ laughter.Everyone coped with stress differently.Jenkins preferred humor, boisterousness, and real Boston creams.Judging by the softness around his midsection, those Boston creams would catch up to him eventually.That was probably when he’d look in the mirror, decide he couldn’t do it anymore, and hang up his badge and gun.
When would Faith do the same?
Now,the voice in her head said.You don’t want to see anything like that anymore.It hits you differently.Jessica can handle it.She’s young, tough, and new.You’ve seen too much.You don’t have much skin left to flake off.
Yes, but would she stay gone this time?Would she stay retired, or would she get the itch again and use a request from the Director as justification for getting back out there?
“Doesn’t matter,” Jessica said.For a moment, Faith thought she had asked her question out loud, and Jessica was answering her, but then Jessica continued, “She clearly understood right from wrong.She was enacting vengeance.She shouldn’t be able to get off on some bullshit insanity claim.”
Faith realized they were talking about Jennifer Suleiman.Apparently, Jenkins had suggested she might plead insanity and avoid consequences for her actions.
“The problem is that she has a past,” Jenkins informed them.“We looked at her records.Princess actuallywasa service dog.She was an emotional support animal.”
“That’s not the same thing,” Faith said, responding before it occurred to her that the distinction was meaningless for the purposes of this conversation.
Jenkins didn’t seem offended.“Doesn’t matter.Jennifer had her because she had dissociative tendencies.”
“Dissociative tendencies?”Jessica scoffed.“What does that even mean?”
“Hell if I know.Point is, a psychologist was worried enough that she prescribed an emotional support animal because she was afraid Jennifer would break from reality without something to focus on that needed her and loved her.Since these murders all stem from the loss of that animal, a good defense attorney is going to paint a picture of a timid, innocent young woman who lost her grip on reality after her dog was brutally killed by someone who—like the victims—selfishly stepped outside the rules.”
“And since one half of her reallyistimid, it could stick,” Jessica said.
“Maybe,” Jenkins replied.“A good prosecutor—and ours areverygood—will point out that Jennifer had to show forethought and cunning with these killings.They’ll point out that she researched her targets and studied them.She picked times when they would be alone, took steps to protect herself from their dogs in the case of Margaret Hayes and Robert Crawford, and concealed evidence.”He shrugged.“Fifty-fifty what the judge is gonna go for.Not to be even more cynical, but a lot of it might come down to public opinion.”
“Well, I hope she gets first-degree,” Jessica said.“I feel bad for what happened to Princess, but she needs to be kept off the streets.”
She looked expectantly at Faith.
Faith sipped her coffee.
