Page 7 of Once Marked (Riley Paige #19)

Whispers had reached even the newest agents at the BAU about Riley Paige’s almost otherworldly intuition.

A talent for delving into the psyche of killers, a skill that bordered on the paranormal.

Ann Marie found herself both drawn to and wary of this aspect of her partner.

There was an enigma there, a fascinating mystery that she wished she understood.

Ann Marie watched, her breath held in suspense, as Riley’s index finger hovered over the concrete before coming to rest beside a scuff mark.

To Ann Marie, it was just another blemish on the alley’s skin, no different from the countless others they had stepped over.

But Riley, with her eyes narrowing into slits of intense focus, saw something else entirely.

“See this?” Riley’s voice barely rose above a whisper, yet it cut through the morning hush with the sharpness of a blade.

Ann Marie crouched down beside her partner, trying to see what made this particular mark stand out, but it remained stubbornly indistinct.

She felt a trickle of frustration at her own inability to perceive the subtleties that so clearly spoke to Riley.

Standing behind her, Sheriff Beeler was remarkably silent.

“Right here,” Riley continued, straightening up. Her gaze seemed to penetrate the very fabric of the alleyway. “This is where it happened. Billie was lured into this alley and attacked.”

Riley’s words painted an image more vivid than any crime scene photo could. “The perpetrator then dragged her to a waiting vehicle, likely parked right here.” She pointed to a spot by a wall where the asphalt met dirt and debris.

Ann Marie looked at the indicated place, trying to shake off the eerie feeling that crept over her. The spot appeared mundane and ordinary, yet now it was transformed in her mind’s eye into a silent witness to violence.

“Dragged to a vehicle...here?” Ann Marie echoed, seeking clarity in Riley’s theory. Her partner’s method—this uncanny knack for visualizing crimes—never ceased to unnerve her.

“Here,” Riley affirmed, gesturing again to the nondescript patch of alley. “There are signs of a struggle. Not obvious to the untrained eye, but look closer at the patterns, the displacement of dirt, the way these marks abruptly start and stop.”

Ann Marie’s gaze followed the arc of Riley’s hand as she mapped out the unseen journey Billie Shearer had been forced to take. Ann Marie’s mind raced to keep pace with Riley’s deductions, piecing together the fragments of evidence into a coherent narrative.

She observed the ground with renewed attention, trying to align her vision with Riley’s insights. Slowly, she began to discern irregularities she had missed before, subtle disruptions in the dust and grime that told of a violent dance.

“Footprints, signs of a scuffle, maybe even drag marks,” Ann Marie muttered under her breath, piecing together the fragments of evidence.

“Exactly,” Riley acknowledged, her eyes reflecting the gravity of their discovery.

“Perpetrator would’ve needed quick access to the street, minimal visibility from bystanders. This spot is perfect for an ambush,” Riley mused, her eyes tracing invisible lines only she could see.

“Could there be surveillance cameras that caught something?” Ann Marie suggested, scanning the walls of the surrounding buildings.

“Unlikely. They would have checked already, and this area...” Riley’s voice trailed off as she surveyed the alley, “It’s too exposed for someone not to notice cameras. No, our killer knew what they were doing.”

Ann Marie’s eyes followed Sheriff Beeler’s gaze as it played over Riley’s face, searching for some sign of ordinary logic in the extraordinary claim. The sheriff’s brow furrowed, his mouth opened as if to question the very ground beneath their feet.

“Are you sure about this?” Beeler asked, his skepticism giving way to a dawning uncertainty. But Ann Marie had no doubts. She’d seen Riley take leaps of logic before, and each time they’d landed on solid ground.

The air around them seemed charged with the tension of unspoken thoughts, Sheriff Beeler’s confusion clashing silently with Riley’s quiet confidence.

Ann Marie felt the pull of her partner’s intuition, the draw of that uncanny ability to see into the shadows where others saw only light.

It was a gift that Ann Marie both marveled at and envied – a gift that had solved cases that would have remained mysteries to anyone else.

As Riley continued to paint the picture of Billie’s last known moments alive, Ann Marie felt a rush of admiration.

Riley’s words were careful but certain as she described how Billie must have been taken by surprise, overpowered, and then removed from this place of mundane passings-by.

Every detail added depth to the scene, turning the alley into a silent witness to an unseen struggle.

As Riley’s voice ebbed and flowed with the cadence of her reasoning, Ann Marie could feel the strength of each conclusion. This was what she had missed – the thrill of seeing unusual skills applied to the chase. A familiar surge of adrenaline coursed through her veins.

But in that moment of heightened awareness, a subtle shift occurred. Ann Marie saw Sheriff Beeler had pulled out his phone, thumb swiping across the screen with a distracted air. His eyes darted across the screen, fixed on a text message with an intensity that drew a tight line between his brows.

Ann Marie’s breath hitched slightly, her focus torn between Riley’s ongoing analysis and the sheriff’s sudden change in demeanor.

What could be so important as to draw him away from Riley’s revelatory deductions?

Something was up, something beyond the grim facts laid bare on the concrete in front of them.

“Agents,” Beeler’s voice cut through the air, a resigned undertone marring his usual authority. “We’ve got another stop to make. Fair warning - it’s not going to be pleasant.”