Dr. Ross is a young psychologist with a side-job doing paranormal investigations in Austin, Texas. Word got to the Houston Police Dept. that her work with the APD in cases helped them, & now Dr. Ross is on a case in Houston. The investigation in Houston turned out to be a bit different than what the paranormal investigator is used to!

…Houston Police Department; Houston, Texas; USA. Present day…

Detective Escalante opened the door to Colonel Henry Jackson’s office after Col. Jackson gave out a, ‘Yeah!’ The head of Houston’s police force was seated behind his large, practical desk. His computer was obviously up and running and the police colonel had folders, files, and other paperwork strewn all in front of him, but there was one sheet of paper that Jackson was reading intently as Det. Escalante took a seat opposite of Colonel Jackson.

“Is there a new development with the case, Colonel,” Escalante asked with his brow deepened; wondering what the sixty-year-old man was reading with such interest!

Col. Jackson gave a mild grunt—more to himself than to Det. Escalante. “You had psychology when you went to college, right, Mike?”

Not understanding where the conversation was going, Michael played along. “Adolescent to Social Deviance among Pillars of Society-types…”

The detective was about to make a suggestion until Col. Jackson continued. "There's a bit more, Mike...besides all the hard work you and your team have been doing, my office has other sources that suggest our suspect, here, might be doing all this stealing just to gain access to money for something much bigger! Like I said, Mike: recognition and power..."

Detective Escalante's eyes widened with surprise. "So, you're saying that these burglaries might be just a means to an end? That our suspect is using the stolen money for a larger, more ambitious plan?"

Colonel Jackson nodded gravely. "That's what our sources indicate. It's crucial that we dig deeper into this motive and uncover any potential connections or patterns."

Detective Escalante leaned forward, his mind racing with possibilities. "If that's the case, we should consider reaching out to other law enforcement agencies and sharing this information. It's possible that this suspect's activities extend beyond our jurisdiction."

The colonel smiled approvingly. "Good thinking, Mike… You know, it’s kind of funny when you say, Extend beyond our jurisdiction.’ Sometimes, a department’s attitude and approach can be considered a jurisdiction, of sorts, Michael…”

The older man was obviously setting Escalante up for something!

“Because this suspect is a growing threat, and partially because—like so many other districts throughout the US, post-pandemic—our department is being stretched thin with an explosion of crime, HPD is going to contract a bit of help…Not just on this case, Micheal, but throughout our department, and throughout Texas, even…”

The colonel held up his police-issued smartphone and brought up a muted video of a young woman giving a streamed interview on one of the biggest social media sites. He handed the phone over to Michael so he could look on while the colonel continued to set up his plans for their case. “This is Vera Ross. Doctor Ross, Michael…her specialty is in criminals’ escalatory behavior and projecting where they’ll go and do —”

“—Colonel; the id in this video says she’s some kind of paranormal investigator!” Detective Escalante raised an eyebrow in disbelief as he glanced at the video on the phone.

Colonel Jackson chuckled and shrugged. "Emphasizing the Investigator part for our purposes, Detective. I know it sounds unconventional, but hear me out, Mike. Dr. Ross has this unique perspective on criminal behavior, and her expertise in escalatory patterns could be valuable in helping us understand our suspect's motives and next moves. Trust me, Michael, I’ve seen her in action after one of the detectives over at Austin suggested her to me! Remember that unexpected trip I had to take a couple of months back and I couldn’t tell anyone about it? I was with APD’s brass; going over her stats and streamed videos of the cases she’d been on in Austin."

The detective hesitated for a moment, contemplating the idea. "Well, if it helps us crack this case and protect the city, I'm willing to give it a shot," he finally conceded, handing the phone back to the colonel.

“Great! She’s over at Lazybrook—she wanted to get a head start so she can get her equipment all set up and, well, I guess get some kind of Feel for the neighborhood and the residents out there.” A shrug from Col. Jackson.