“Cooper was close to something,” Sam continued. “Close enough to get killed for it.”
Jo’s gaze flicked to the pictures tacked to the corkboard on the wall. “The dump site was staged. Whoever did this wanted us to find him.”
“Message killing,” Kevin said.
“Exactly.” Sam’s eyes moved around the room, landing on each of them. “Which means they’re not done. This was a warning.”
The words hung in the air.
The front door opened, and footsteps approached down the hall. A moment later, Shaw appeared in the doorway, Shadow at her side. Lucy’s tail immediately started wagging, and Shadow’s ears perked forward.
“Sorry I’m late,” Shaw said. “Had to make a call to Quantico.” She glanced at the assembled team, then at Keller. “What did I miss?”
“Just getting started,” Sam said. “Come in.”
Shaw stepped inside, finding a spot along the wall. Shadow settled at her feet, but his eyes kept drifting to Lucy. The two dogs seemed to be having their own silent conversation.
“We were discussing the staged nature of the crime scene,” Jo said. “Message killing.”
Shaw nodded slowly. “That tracks with what I’ve seen from this organization. They don’t just eliminate threats—they make examples.” She pulled a small notebook from her jacket. “Cooper’s last few reports mentioned he was close to identifying someone inside law enforcement. Local or federal, he wasn’t sure yet.”
The room went still.
“Inside law enforcement?” Kevin asked.
“It’s how they operate.” Shaw’s voice was calm, factual. “They don’t just buy off politicians and businessmen. They get people inside the system. Cops, prosecutors, sometimes federal agents.” She glanced at Keller. “No offense.”
“None taken,” Keller said quietly.
Sam’s jaw tightened. “So we might be looking at a leak.”
“It’s possible.” Shaw looked around the room, her gaze settling on each of them in turn. Not accusatory—more like she was taking stock. “I’m not saying it’s anyone here. But someone fed Cooper’s location to the people who killed him. That information came from somewhere.”
Wyatt’s stomach turned to ice. He forced himself to keep breathing, to keep his face neutral.
“I need everyone sharp,” Sam said. “We’re coordinating with the Bureau, but this is still our jurisdiction. Our case.”
He started assigning tasks. Jo would handle evidence coordination. Kevin would work the victim’s background, see if anyone in town knew him.
“Wyatt,” Sam said, “I want you on digital. Pull anything we’ve got from Cooper’s phone records, emails, whatever the Bureau releases. Cross-reference with local databases.”
“Got it.”
Relief again. Computer work. Something that kept him alone, kept him useful without having to be present. Without having to lie to their faces more than necessary.
“I can help with that,” Shaw offered. “I’ve been building a database of the organization’s known patterns—communication methods, money trails, that kind of thing. Might help narrow down what to look for.”
Kevin glanced at her. “You’ve been tracking them for a while?”
“Long enough.” Something flickered in Shaw’s eyes—something old and personal. Then it was gone. “They’re patient. Methodical. They don’t make mistakes often, but when they do, the pattern shows.”
“That would be helpful,” Sam said. “Wyatt, work with Agent Shaw on the digital side. See what overlaps.”
Wyatt nodded, trying not to let his unease show. Working closely with an FBI agent was the last thing he needed right now. But refusing would look suspicious.
“Questions?” Sam asked.
No one spoke.