Free RAINEY DAYS by R. E. Bradshaw Page A

screaming through the mansion.
    Mackie waved goodbye, shouting, “No doubt about that… Call me when you get parked tonight.”
    She waved goodbye, then picked up Freddie, who had come out to greet her and was purring, rubbing against her legs.
    “I sure hope you didn’t leave me any presents in there, I don’t think I can take any more surprises today,” Rainey said, hugging the big cat to her chest.
    She looked around the property from her tree top vantage point. From here, she could see out onto the lake and far down the approaching road. The property was truly out-of-the-way. She could not see another soul. It was the perfect place for her to heal. Now if she could just get on with it. Just as she turned to unlock the door, Freddie sprang from her arms.
    Freddie was the kind of cat that did what he wanted when he wanted, and only then. Evidently, he did not want to go in the house. Rainey found him one day hanging out behind the office. He could have only been six weeks old, at the most. He was solid black with wild hair shooting in all directions. He had a tail, but it was so twisted and curled, it looked like a nub. His tail never grew out, and the nub was currently flicking back and forth, while he stood on the railing of the deck. His fir had flattened out into a sleek black coat and he grew so large, he looked like a miniature panther, with a nub tail, of course. His wide gold eyes were staring across the parking lot, his chest rumbling in a low growl. Rainey believed Freddie thought he was a dog, or at least a tiger.
    “Whatever it is, leave it outside,” Rainey said, running her hand along his back.
    Freddie jumped down and hurried down the steps, beginning the long slow stalk toward his prey, as soon as his feet hit the ground. Rainey scanned the edge of the woods holding his focus. She could not see what he was after, but she hoped he would not catch it. His prizes for her tended to be messy. Rainey looked back down at him and smiled, turning toward the door anticipating happily, a much-needed long soak in a hot tub.
     

CHAPTER SEVEN
     
    Contrary to popular belief, substantiated by the entertainment industry, profiling does not somehow magically identify the offender the police are looking for. It does indicate, however, the kind of person most likely to have committed a crime with the unique characteristics involved in the case. The Bureau stopped using the terms “psychological profile” or “criminal personality profile” long ago. The analysis of the type of person, who may be the perpetrator, could be a vital tool to law enforcement, but was a small part of the services offered by Rainey’s old unit.
    The Behavioral Analysis Unit or BAU is a component of the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime, located at Quantico, Virginia. The BAU assists local law enforcement agencies all over the country, providing criminal investigative analysis, by reviewing the case using methods developed from years of studying criminal behavior. Through this research, a process in which to study crimes developed. The criminal act itself is evaluated, along with a comprehensive look at the specifics of the crime scene. Complete background information on the victim is analyzed and the police reports are scoured for information. The Medical Examiners report is evaluated as well. The information is hashed out and a profile with this type of criminal offender’s characteristics is developed. The BAU is not finished with the process until suggestions are made to the investigators, as to how to proceed in the subsequent search for the offender. It was akin to making a medical diagnosis and including a treatment plan. Rainey’s current treatment plan for Katie’s stalker was to go back through the evidence again, while she waited in the parking lot of the Literacy Center.
    Rainey arrived at Katie’s school, before the parents again, and watched as Mrs. Wilson led her little troops, in a line, out of the