Chapter Five

Dane slowly walked through the lobby, on his way to the elevator. His eyes traveled the room as he moved. From the recessed lighting in the ceiling; to the marble floors; to the unique redwood accents, walls and display cases; the space was designed to be elegant yet, comfortable. Every day people sitting in this lobby had enough on their minds. They didn't need some stuffy, overly formal space to make them even more stressed or uncomfortable, as they waited to speak with someone. 

Dane was proud walking through this lobby. He knew he had earned his place. Still, he felt so lucky. He was helping folks. His job meant fewer people in his own community would ever have to suffer. His job meant taking monsters off the street. His job meant safety. He raised his shoulders in pride;  pausing for just a moment, to think about seven years of cases solved; seven years of stopping the predators and villains from destroying any more innocent lives. He was the guy to call when you needed someone to stand against the bogeyman! 

Besides, Dane's job made his mom proud of him, just because of his job title. He had never discussed details of a case with her.  He wouldn't violate his oath so callously. Yet, his mother beamed with pride every time he went home. His dad, a retired Chief Inspector for the Akron Police Department, always had wisdom and words of encouragement any time Dane was stuck. He didn't mind discussing general details of cases with his father, because he felt a sense of camaraderie with him. They were both in law enforcement. Dane didn't believe he violated his oath by leaning on his father's vast experience from time to time. He was about to need him again.

Dane stood in front of the silver elevator doors. He looked his appearance up and down, with a skeptical eye. Had he chosen the right suit to present himself in front of the Attorney General and his Associate Deputy Director? He wanted to look serious about his job. Did he accomplish that with this suit? Yes. He decided he did. He thought the Eagle cufflinks were the icing on the cake. They were large and stood out whenever he moved his arms. Yes. He was appropriate for this day. Now, if he could only find that one magic thread. "Please don't let me fail these women," he whispered into the air, as he stepped into the elevator.

Dane quickly stepped off of the elevator. He retrieved a cart and began loading carefully marked boxes of files onto it. Once he had gathered everything he needed, he headed for the third floor, main conference room. It was ten minutes to eight. Dane had five hours to figure out what he missed and set up for the meeting. Anxiety gripped him. He walked so fast he was almost jogging down the hallway. Momentarily, he lost control of his cart, causing it to bump the wall; toppling some if it's contents to the floor. "Damn," Dane swore under his breath, " I don't have time for this!"

"Here, let me help you," a woman's voice offered. Dane looked up to see a tall redhead wearing an employee badge over her Burgundy, draped, mock neck, midi sheath dress. The badge read, BAU Special Agent, Sarai Panjuttha. Immediately, Dane noticed her height. She was very tall for a woman, standing at least five feet ten inches. She was slender; almost too thin. Her smile was warm; genuine. She was definitely in a class above his Wednesday pick- me-ups. This woman exuded grace. She was elegant; poised; stunning.

"Thank you," he answered, irritated at himself for the mishap. He began to apologize but she interrupted him. "Don't worry," she waved a dismissive hand, "we've all been guilty of rushing a bit, I'm sure." Her easy manner put Dane at ease. "I was lost in thought," he sheepishly admitted. "I was prepping for an afternoon review." ("One I don't feel a bit ready for," he finished quietly in his head.) 

"Are these sorted by Tuesday or by Thursday," the woman asked. Dane stared at her blankly for a moment. His face drained it's color. How could he have missed it? He had been so preoccupied with connecting these women;  somehow, in some way; he had missed the most obvious connection of all! They had ALL been taken on a Tuesday or a Thursday! There was the connection he had spent weeks searching for. Elation burst out of him. "You're beautiful," he burst with joy; kissing the woman on the cheek. "You did it," he explained. "You found my missing connection! Thank you so so much!" Exuberance lifted Dane as he finished reloading the cart. "May I call you," he yelled down the hall behind him.