From: cybill@pacbell.net   
      
   XXXXXXXXXX   
   CHAPTER 6   
   XXXXXXXXXX   
      
   HOME OF BRAD CRANE &   
   CHRISTINA FULLER   
   KENT, CT   
   MAY 28, 1997   
   WEDNESDAY - 11:00 AM   
      
   Mulder stood behind me, shifting his weight from one leg to   
   another. It was the only sign of his discomfort over what had   
   happened minutes earlier in the car. I knew I'd hurt his feelings   
   this morning when I'd brushed him aside.  I just couldn't face him   
   yet. I needed time to sort out my own behavior.   
      
   I knocked hard on the whitewashed door. The car ride over was   
   uneventful; if you started from the time after I'd literally jumped   
   him with no warning.   
      
   "Dana! Oh, thank God, you're here!" Brad opened the door in a   
   rush and embraced me. I'd only met the man once before, but that   
   was under better circumstances. I returned his hug. He pulled back   
   and I saw that there were large, dark circles under his eyes.  His   
   hair was a tangle of curls, and he looked exhausted. My heart went   
   out to the guy; he had just lost his fiance. I couldn't imagine what   
   I'd look like if I lost Mulder. I shook the thoughts from head.   
      
   "Brad, this is my partner, Fox Mulder."   
      
   Mulder reached out to shake Brad's hand. "I'm very sorry for your   
   loss." Mulder said as he released the grip he had on Brad's hand.   
      
   "Thank you. Come in, have a seat." We entered the living room   
   and sat on the love seat across from the chair Brad sat in. The room   
   was cozy. There was an impressive, brick fireplace along one wall   
   with bookshelves from floor to ceiling. Christina always did love   
   to read, I remembered fondly.   
      
   "How are you holding up, Brad?" I asked him solemnly.   
      
   He looked at me as if he was about to break down any second. "It's   
   so hard, Dana. Chris was, she was my entire world." He sniffed   
   and wiped his eyes, trying to keep his emotions in check.   
      
   "I know, Brad. She truly was an amazing woman. We will find the   
   person responsible for this. I promise you," I stated with all the   
   conviction I had within me. It would be a promise I was going to   
   keep.   
      
   Mulder looked around the room and settled on a picture of   
   Christina. He got up and stood next to the mantle looking at the   
   picture with great interest. I had forgotten that the only pictures   
   he'd seen of her were the crime scene photographs. The picture   
   showed her happy and full of life, a stark contrast to what was   
   shown of her last moments here on earth.   
      
   "Brad, did Christina have any enemies?" he asked without turning   
   from the mantle. He took his time going over each photograph   
   displayed. There were so many of her and Brad, hugging, kissing,   
   and smiling. They looked to be the perfect couple.   
      
   "Not that I know of. Everyone loved Chris." He put his hands over   
   his face and his elbow on his knees.   
      
   "Did anything out of the ordinary happen within the past few   
   weeks or months that could be helpful to our investigation? It   
   could be anything," Mulder continued as he checked out the   
   bindings of the many books they had on their shelves.   
      
   I believed he was trying to get a feel for who they were and what   
   they were interested in.   
      
   "Yes, actually. There are a couple things I wanted to run by you,   
   Dana." He pointed to me as he answered Mulder's question. He got   
   up and went over to the small writing desk that held their mail and   
   other miscellaneous items. "She had received a couple calls about a   
   month ago. At the time we didn't think anything of it."   
      
   "What type of calls?" I asked, my interest piqued.   
      
   "A man. We didn't know who it was, and according to the Caller   
   ID, they were coming from the hospital. She picked them up   
   thinking it was a patient going into labor. She was on call   
   constantly."   
      
   I nodded in understanding.   
      
   "But these calls disturbed Chris a little. She told me it was   
   nothing, just a crush."   
      
   "What did the caller say to her?" Mulder asked as he settled beside   
   me on the love seat again.   
      
   "According to her, the caller complimented her on how pretty she   
   was and said that he'd fallen in love with her. It was the same type   
   of call both times." He sighed and leaned against the desk. "I   
   should have paid more attention. We'd both been so busy at work   
   and I was up for a promotion. She should have told me it was more   
   serious than a couple calls."   
      
   "What do you mean, Brad? What would make you think it was   
   more serious? Maybe she didn't know it was more serious." I   
   turned to Mulder to see what he'd thought so far. His face was a   
   complete blank. He was in profiling mode. He'd heard what was   
   happening but was making his own leaps and strides.  I could see it   
   in his eyes.   
      
   "Well, I was going through the desk here to find our address   
   book," he said, taking a deep breath. "I found these letters.   
   Apparently this guy had more on his mind than a little crush and   
   shy-boy phone calls. God, it's my fault, I should have been there. I   
   was her fiance! I was supposed to protect her!" he said as be broke   
   down and began to sob again. He couldn't control his grief any   
   longer. He handed the letters to me.   
      
   I skimmed one and passed it to Mulder, going through them   
   quickly.  I stopped on the last one.   
      
   Mulder commented, "These look like pretty standard love letters,   
   Scully. All hearts and flowers. A love poem, a quote from one of   
   Shakespeare's Sonnets."   
      
   I nodded as I reviewed the most recent letter. "Mulder, look at this   
   one. It's dated the day before her murder."   
      
   **Christina,   
      
   The wait is over.   
      
   Our time has come.   
      
   I want you.   
      
   You will be mine.   
      
   Don't try to fight it.   
      
   We are meant for each other.   
      
   Soon.   
      
   It was signed with a heart, nothing else.   
      
   "Jesus, Mulder," I gasped.   
      
   He shook his head sadly.   
      
   "I'm going to go make some coffee," Brad said abruptly. I had seen   
   how our reading the last note affected him. The poor man was in   
   shambles.   
      
   "Scully, Brad had nothing to do with this. We don't need to ask   
   him any questions. We have his testimony of his whereabouts the   
   night of her murder, from the New Milford police. I don't think   
   they missed anything," he added quietly.   
      
   I nodded in agreement.  Mulder and I swapped notes and quickly   
   reviewed them. The rest of them were run-of-the-mill. It was the   
   last one that was disturbing. Mulder went out to the car and   
   grabbed an evidence bag to hold the letters.   
      
   For the next hour, Mulder and I sipped coffee and let Brad talk of   
   fonder times with Christina and how they had plan to wed in the   
   spring. We again promised Brad that we would bring her killer to   
   justice. He thanked us and we took our leave.   
      
   As we walked to the car, I tossed Mulder the keys. He caught them   
   in midair.   
      
   "Well, at least we have a small lead," I said with a sigh as I   
   entered the passenger side.   
      
   "We know that a male who either works or has regular access to   
   the hospital sent her those letters," he confirmed.   
      
   "I want to have these couriered to the D.C. lab for fingerprinting.   
   Maybe we'll catch a break."   
      
   He nodded and moved the car out into traffic.  "Where to now,   
   partner?" Mulder queried as he made the turn towards the highway.   
      
   I looked down at the clock.  It was already 6:20 PM.   
      
   "The B&B," I stated very matter of fact.   
      
   "Really?" He grinned.   
      
      
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