Leave No Trace

Chapter 13

Danielson

He and Kate were sitting at his desk eating Chinese takeout, while Mira slept in a borrowed office chair, a blanket thrown over her. He glanced over at her fondly.

Kate noticed, "Danielson, why did you change your mind about her so fast?"

"I'm a trained profiler, Nolan. I just saw who she really was."

"And yet you failed to see it earlier?" she persisted.

"Are you trying to make me angry?"

"No," she retorted, jabbing her fork into her noodles, "I just don't get it."

He sighed, "Her side of the story checks out. She was never threatened with suspension but Dean has been. Multiple times," then he took a closer look at his partner, "You look like hell, Nolan."

"What woman doesn't want to hear that?" she smiled a little saying it. There was silence for a few minutes, then "Why did you become a cop, Danielson?"

"Because of my brother," he stared into his soup.

"Your brother?"

"John Danielson. He'll be out of prison by this time next year."

She stared, "Prison?"

"Yeah, he was put in prison in 2001."

"Why?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes."

"He abducted two girls. Killed one of them. The other died of her injuries after she was rescued. He was 18 at the time. It's how I met Bates."

"Did you know?" she searched his eyes with hers.

"No. I had no idea he even knew those girls. But they died all the same. He took them, he assaulted them, and then he left them to die."

"And that's why you became a cop?"

"My sister is a marriage counsellor, and my other brother is a therapist for trauma victims. So tell me... does the sins of one sibling make the others face perpetual atonement?"

"I don't know."

"What about you?" he asked, desperate to change the subject.

"What about me?" she blushed.

"Why did you become a cop?"

"I've always been the leader in my family okay?"

"You had it made in the army, didn't you?"

"Yes. To be fair, I did have a pretty sweet life. In the army. I was part of this group of daredevils. And then I saw more people die. And I lost all desire to serve my country."

"Weren't your comrades upset?"

"Can we change the subject?"

He stared, "They did mind."

"Hell yes, of course they minded. I was the only girl worth their time. Because I had such a desire to fit in with the boys club. Hell, maybe that's why I joined. To continue trying to find my place, and earn my jockstrap in the old boys club."

He chuckled, "That's funny. Are we going to be ready for the stakeout tomorrow?" They were staking out the next day around noon.

"I certainly hope so. If there is any chance that Ally is there.... there'd be someone completely possessive of the boat. There are just too many people who will be shattered if she doesn't come home."