Chapter 43

They spent most of the day Friday at the shooting range. Brian gave her a hard time. But inwardly he was pleased. Apparently marksmanship was one of Evan Fosters hobbies, the two of them spent time at it.

Not that it made Brian feel any better.

At Quantico Dean filled him On Brandon "He grew up in a little town call Pensacola about two hours from here. was raised by his mother and his paternal grandfather."

"No father?"

"Some boy in the next town but the grandfather beat him up when his 16 year old daughter turned up pregnant.The boy took off and Brandon never knew him.Leslie had a second child when Brandon was 12 but no one knows who that father is.The second baby was born with severe mental and physical disabilities. Her name was Christi and she disappeared when she was 16 months old."

"What?"

"Vanished." he snapped his fingers." Into thin air."

"What about the mother? has anyone talked to her?"

"She committed suicide 6 months after Christie disappeared.When Brandon was 14.The grandpa was dead by then, so Brandon went into foster care. He actually did OK. He got a scholarship and went to college.

"Damn." Brian ran his fingers through his hair."I need to go up there and talk to people who knew him.He might have come that way on his way here."

Dean scowled at him."  I have 5 agents already doing that.active agents, you know the one with shield who actually earn a paycheck. Your job is here remember?"

"I am not doing shit here"

"You are getting Sarra's part of it."

"What part? What the hell else is she supposed to give us? she screwed up Brandon's part for Amy Chaney Now he wants to make her pay. That is all there is."

"Well Brian. Dean said standing up."You better hope you are wrong about that because we will not figure him out until he wants us too."

But at the hotel Brian felt bad to push Sarra into talking. Making her relived from talking was like taking her through a tour of hell.

He didn't want to witness those chills again, or see the terror and guilt that filled her eyes.

He didn't want to think what more there is.

Sarra was in the bathroom. He waited twenty mins before he knocked.a little worried.

"Come in." she said and Brian was taken back. she sounded perfectly fine.

"Sarra?"

"It is OK come in."

He opened the door .Sarra was sitting on a chair by the vanity A doll lay on her lap her notebook open  and a pencil over her ear. A black light was plugged in at the sink, cored stretched on the floor.

"Do you mind shutting the door please?" she asked." This is the only room without windows. It has to be dark enough."

Brian closed the door. A beautiful woman, a half naked doll and a black light all in one hotel bathroom. There was a film idea but he wasn't sure how it would play out.

He stepped behind her."what are you doing?"

"Looking for damage. Sometimes chips or repairs or even hairline fractures aren't visible to the naked eye But they show up in a black light."

"Oh" well that was a brilliant response." What if you find something?"

"That depends." Sarra said she removed the mini vest and pink blouse adding them to a small stack of clothes."It is weird with toys and dolls if they were a play thing a condition wouldn't matter much. Fashion dolls are different image is everything."

"No kidding." He didn't care But sarra loved this stuff. He bent closer watching her fingers glide over the doll, smelling strawberry, raspberry shit some sort of berry shampoo. it wasn't pulled back the thick layers draped over her cheek as she looked down. Funny the black light did the same as it does to the dolls, it made her scar stand out.

"So what does that mean for Mrs chadborne?" Brian asked

"Money. If these dolls turn out. Lots of it." She set the Doll down and one article of clothing at a time searched the seams and surfaces with the black light."The only thing I am worried about is this blouse," She said more to herself than to Brian.

"What do you mean?

"I don't think its a part of the original outfit." She shook her head." I am going to talk to someone who knows vintage or dolls better. Maybe even Chris he is a jerk but he knows his dolls."

Brian eyed the mini doll clothes and his neck prickled. Probably nothing but it was one of those thoughts"Her husband didn't recognize the blouse.

"sweetie. he asked "where are the first two dolls the one you already looked at?'

"I sent them back to fosters when I finished them. Evan has them locked up there in the safe. Why?"

"Just wondering, he said looking at his watch four thirty he still had time to make it to Foster's of he hurried.

Even though it was probably nothing.