The Curse Of Eden
Chapter 15- Psychological Rivalry

"Yesterday's scene can't be taken lightly Woods." Chief Leone West frowned. "Two victims made people talk captain and that's not good."

"I know chief, the team and I were doing all we can to catch that bastard but each time he proves that he's always a mile ahead. None of us imagined a double strike. " Adam argued with frustration mirroring his chief's. "That's not my problem Woods!" Leone snapped. "It has already been three months now since the beginning of this case and as far as I'm concerned, we've gotten nowhere!" Adam sighed. "Yes chief, we'll-"

"You'll be getting outside help captain." The forty nine year old African-American cut him off as he got up to his full six feet height.

"What?" Adam gaped out in confusion as he watched his chief walk towards the door.

"Word got out to the FBI and they're afraid it might turn into a matter of national security. But since it's still out of their jurisdiction, we've agreed to be sent a criminal investigative analyst from their side. She'll help with the case and be their inside informer."

"But we already have Collette helping out in that area." Adam debated.

"With all due respect to your wife detective but she's been out of the woods for a year now and it didn't end on a good note. Keep in mind that she's not an official member." Leone argues the facts as he stood up and walk towards the door. Opening it, he called on for a doctor Martin to come inside.

Adam got up from his seat as a tall proud woman made an entrance.

Her professional attire of a black pencil skirt, topped with a red chiffon blouse that collared up to her neck in a pair of gentle ribbons tied into a bow that matched her red lipstick and black heels to complete the look. Her strawberry blonde hair was tied back in a neat ponytail. Her straight locks ending mid back in soft curls at the tips.

She held a black briefcase and had a white doctor's coat hanging off her arm as she stepped forward towards Adam.

"Nice to meet you detective." She extended her hand. "I'm doctor Ruby Martin and I'll be helping you with the psychological aspect of that hard case of yours." She displayed a faint, playful smirk at the end that disappeared just as quickly as it

came.

"Yes of course, we'll be cracking the case easily with your confidence." Adam replied back with sarcasm that mirrored the therapist, shaking her hand in return.

Ruby smiled with a raised eyebrow at Adam's reply.

"Be nice detective." Leone broke in. "Keep in mind that she'll have access on that kid Tyler Poland's interrogation as well."

"If that's the case then Collette joins as well. Two better than one right?" Adam spoke in a rush he himself didn't understand.

"Sure, why not." Leone sighed as he got back to his leather chair.

"I don't mind working with a partner." Ruby chriped in. Adam offered her a side glance before looking back at his chief.

"Now," Leone started again, "I believe you have a lot to discuss about the case before you go meet up with Poland. I have a lot of work to do in preparation for the press conference so go back to your business now." "Sure." Adam voiced before leaving the room with doctor Martin tagging along, her heels clicking against the tiled floor.

"I see that you don't trust people easily detective." She spoke as they walked towards the elevator.

"This job tends to make you a lot more suspicious around people than you want to be." He answered plainly as he pushed the button.

"I can help you with that." She answered, her red lips spreading from side to side just as the elevator dinged and the doors opened wide.

The two stepped inside and Adam pressed for the second floor.

"I'm good thank you very much." He replied in disinterest.

"Admitting the problem is the first step to healing it detective, and you've already got that part checked." She pestered, her voice pitching a degree higher.

Adam turned, looking at her straight in the eyes. "Doctor Martin, you're here for a reason and that is to assess E's behavior and help us catch him and not nag me about my trust issues. So focus on only that."

"Part of my doctor's oath is to help someone in need when I see one. And you look like someone in need of serious help." She argued with a shrug.

Adam turned back to look at the doors once the elevator stopped.

"Then go work your mojo on someone else. I'm fine." He said as he walked out the elevator, not minding that he left the doctor behind. The clicking of her heels assured him that she was following. "But detective, you're-" Her argument was cut with a gasp as she suddenly tripped over her feet.

Adam quickly turned around, allowing her to fall into him, preventing her collapse on the ground.

"Looks like this job gave you quicker reflexes detective." Doctor Martin said in a low tone, still crumbled between Adam's arms.

"Adam?" A familiar voice called, making Adam push the psychiatrist away from his body and turn to look at a confused looking Collette. Ken, Elliot, Alex and Avery were all standing a step behind her. "Baby girl, what are you doing here?" He asked as he marched with wife steps towards her.

"I'm on the team remember. We," she gestured towards the team, "thought it might be useful to lay out our facts all in front of us. It helps us see what might be missed." Collette explained, her eyebrows still furrowed. She turned her gaze towards the woman walking towards them.

Adam noticed her gaze behind me and jumped to introducing the women.

"Ah, Collette, this is criminal profiler and psychologist doctor Ruby Martin. The FBI assigned her to help with the case."

"Doctor Martin, this is Collette Woods, my wife and our initial profiler on the case. You'll be working side by side." Adam stood by his wife's side, placing an arm around her shoulders.

The doctor's smile widened. "It's truly an honour to be working alongside the one and only Collette Woods."

"You know me?" Collette asked.

"Of course, everyone's talking about you back at FBI. I had a hard time keeping up to image you left behind." Ruby let out a humorless laugh.

"You're the one they replaced me with?"

"Yeah, it didn't take them long though. I was thankfully there to help." Her smug smile tied Collette's stomach into a knot.

"Sure...." Collette mumbled under her breath in annoyance.

She knew it was he choice to leave and that it was their right to replace someone else, yet the mere thought of being easily replaced didn't sit well with her.

"Boss." Ken called, breaking the tension. "Tyler Polard is ready in the black room."

Ken thought it would be a great idea to get them back on track before things fire up. Everyone could feel the tensed Aura Collette was emitting.

His plan worked perfectly when Adam turned around, looked at Collette and extended his hand.

"You said you wanted to witness it right?" He asked softly.

Collette looked at him then on his hand for a second before taking it with a nod.

Her emotions were still a scrambled mix inside her. She knew it was not the time to dwell on them yet she couldn't help the lump in her throat.

She didn't like anyone seeing her as a failure. A person who couldn't handle her emotions and based on them decided to leave her job.

And to top it all, her replacement tops her in the look's department and was in her husband's arms a minute ago.

A part of her was always very insecure about how she was in Adam's eyes. A part of her thought that she was good enough. Wasn't beautiful enough. Wasn't smart enough. And most definitely wasn't normal enough. And in contrast to her short, petite form, curly hair and plain features, the doctor was stunning.

She walked tall, towering proudly over Collette. Her hair neatly held together, not a single rogue strand in sight, and her sharp features made every guy in the room turn his head.

Her insecurities double folded but she swallowed them quietly as she walked with Adam towards the interrogation room or what they call, the black room.

Adam opened a door where a large window showed the insides of another adjacent room where Tyler Poland was being kept.

Elliot and Kristen sat by the dashboard that nested an array of buttons, switches and a microphone.

The rest of the team entered the room along with the doctor while Adam and Ken made their way to Tyler.

Tyler sat on the chair, his arms extending in front of him in cuffs. He was sweating like an olympian just out of game and his leg never stopped bounding against the floor. The door opened, making him look up with a sucked breath.

Adam sat on the chain at the opposite side of the table while Ken chose to remain standing by the wall.

Adam opened the folder he had in hand and spoke, his eyes not leaving it.

"Typer Poland. A twenty two year old, studying at NYC, am I right?"

"Y-yes sir." Tyler stuttered. "I swear I didn't do anything. I swear. I just took the keys and placed the note. I swear I didn't do anything else!" He suddenly burst out. Adam angrily slammed his hand on the table.

"I wasn't done talking." He spoke in a low, sinister tone.

Tyler's lips were immediately sealed and his eyes turned from Adam to Ken then back to Adam again before nodding vigorously.

Adam thought that the best way to deal with him was to scare the boy out of his bones. Tyler was obviously afraid as it is and more fear will easily crack the already cracked kid.

"You're originally from Oklahoma but moved here for your studies." Adam continued, his tone normalizing. "And you live in the dorms?"

Tyler remained quite, not know if that was a question he should answer or just a recitation of facts and he should keep quite and listen.

Adam looked up at him. "Oh mock me boy. Verify the facts to this old guy." Adam taunted as he pointed at himself while Tyler felt like he was about to loose control over his bladder any moment now.

Adam was acting psychopathic with a change of demeanor every five minutes and it worked well on Tyler.

Adam closed the folder and held his hands together, extending them on the table in front of him.

"Why did you kill all those men Poland? Adam asked balantly.

Tyler was quickly taken aback and was almost immediately set into defense mood.

"I swear, I have nothing to do with any killings. I swear I never killed anyone." His widened eyes moved from Adam to Ken, pleading innocence.

"You know you're already over legal age so killing will either get you sentenced to death, or worse.." Adam held out for a second before continuing, "a life long sentence. You'll be spending the rest of your life rotting in jail."

"I hear inmates aren't very nice to young boys." Ken added in.

Tyler's eyes widened to greater extents and his face paled.

"I'm telling you," he cried out, "I didn't kill anyone I swear!"

Adam got out the note that was left for Collette during the fair.

"Then how do you explain this?" Adam's voice got louder and was laced with anger as he threw the paper in front of the youngster.

"Oh God.." Tyler prayed, his voice cracking and eyes tearing up.

"I swear I have nothing to do with the killings at the fair." He cried out. "Someone called me the night before and told me that he'll pay me for running him an errand. And it was simple. I was to take your car keys and place this note that I wrote in your car and that's it. It was my idea to place it on the sleeping girl's lap thinking it will be easier to replace this way."

Adam gazed back at his partner who stared back at him.

"This means that E knew that we'll be there beforehand."

Ken moved forward and took a seat beside Adam. He opened the folder and took out a blank piece of paper.

"Explain to me in full detail what that person looked like." Ken ordered as he readied himself to draw out the description.

"That's the thing though," Tyler spoke. "I never saw the guy. I don't even know what he sounds like."

The two detectives looked at him with scrunched up faces.

"He was using a voice changing app while he gave me the instructions. He even payed me by placing a money envelope in front of my room door with my name on it. I never met the guy."

Adam and Ken shared looks once again. Ken let go of the pen while Adam sighed. And they both had a headache blooming at their temples.

"But maybe tracing his number can help." Tyler suddenly said making the two men look at him.

"He asked me to delete his number from my phone once the call was over but I wrote it on a piece of paper and kept it with me in case he didn't pay me. I wanted to be able to get a hold of him again." "It could just be a burner phone. There's no guarantee about that." Ken directed his words to Adam.

"It's not." Tyler replied confidently causing the detectives to look at him. "I checked."