Poppy,Have You Changed Your Mind?

Chapter One -- Poppy, have you changed your mind?

"You look too young to be a Criminal Psychologist." Agent Wright said and Dr. Poppy Ellis looked at him, with a frown.

"Excuse me? What do you mean?" She asked, despite being used to comments like this, but she had learned to make them as uncomfortable as they made her.

"You know, you look like you are eighteen, not twenty -- you know what I'm talking about." He stammered and she tilted her head, looking at him "No, I don't know what you are talking about."

"Take a walk, Wright." Poppy heard and turned to see a woman and a man walk to her. 

"I am Kate Patel, the Supervisory Special Agent and this is Ryan Reed, the Special Agent in Charge." The woman said and Poppy nodded at them with a smile "I am Dr. Poppy Ellis."

"We have heard so much about you, Dr. Ellis, which is why we believe you will be the best for the job." Ryan Reed told her and she nodded "My reputation precedes me, I'm afraid. I am honored to have been brought into the case. Would you like to brief me on everything we know?" She asked and Ryan Reed nodded, and handed her a file, she opened it and stared at the face of a man, the face of a killer.

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Dr. Poppy Ellis grew up in a lovely home, she had three older brothers, she was the only daughter, the only girl in their midst and they showered her with all the love she could ever need. She was loved by her parents, her father was a retired Professor, and her mother was a Dentist, she had the wonderful suburban life, she lived the American dream.

As she stared at the profile of the man who had murdered forty six people, she wondered where everything went wrong for her. Except nothing went wrong for her, she lived a wonderful life, she had experienced nothing traumatic, her family loved her and her fiance worshiped the ground she walked on. Then, why was she a Criminal Psychologist? Why was she about to psychoanalyze a serial killer? These were questions she could never find an answer to.

"Markovic Beau Pierce, thirty-three years old, murdered forty six people in a very short time frame." Agent Patel said and Poppy went through the file, she skimmed through and she exhaled. She was twenty-eight years old, and had been a professional Criminal Psychologist for the past five years, which didn't justify the fact that she was brought in for a high-profile case.

"We need you to profile Mr. Pierce, his behavioral analysis, risk assessment, and we hope through a series of interviews, we should reach a fountain of truth." Agent Reed smiled and she frowned at him, that was such a weird way to speak, but she nodded "Of course, Agent, I am familiar with my job."

"There will be a physical separation through a glass partition, he will be in chains, and alone on the side of the room, so will you. Pierce is a very quiet person, so the least we can do is encourage the illusion of privacy. There are CCTV cameras that will record every move, every sway of the wrist, everything will be recorded, there is constant audio-visual recording. The glass partition separating you and Pierce is unbreakable, so you will be safe, he is chained, hands and feet, in a connected chain." Kate Patel said and Poppy listened.

"Our eyes and ears will be on you at all time, and when you need to be let out, just get up and we will get you out immediately. You will be safe, Dr. Ellis." She repeated and Poppy smiled "Of course, Agent Patel."

Poppy should be frightened, she was about to interview a Serial Killer after all, but she was not, she was calm, she was always calm and she prided herself on her ability to be calm and collected in times like this. Her phone rang and she stared at it, it was her fiance, he was not supposed to call her when she was working, she frowned, and looked at the Agents "Can you give me a few minutes?"

"Of course." Kate Patel nodded and Poppy excused herself, she walked around the site, trying to find a place to pick the call, she needed her privacy, and when she found somewhere she called him back "Hi, David."

"Poppy, have you changed your mind?" He asked, and she frowned "Changed my mind?" 

"About this insanity you are about to get yourself into, you can change your mind. I am sure they will understand if you get cold feet about interviewing a serial killer." He laughed and she rolled her eyes.

"No, I have not changed my mind and I will not. Goodbye, David, I'll talk to you on my way home." She ended the call before he could respond. 

Poppy met David when she was sixteen and they had been together ever since, they were seen as a very cute couple, 'Poppy and David', and now, they were getting married in six months. She loved him deeply, but he was quite annoying sometimes, but she knew he only mean well, and was trying to look out for her, which was necessary, she was self sufficient.

Exhaling, Poppy glanced at the floor and she frowned when she saw a flower, a Poppy flower, and she smiled, it was strange that she was seeing a Poppy flower right before she was about to pick apart the mind of a killer. Perhaps, that should have been enough sign for her to pack her bags and leave, but she was quite optimistic, she picked up the poppy flower and inserted into her hair, it was a good sign, a wonderful omen, or so, she thought.

Perhaps, she should have realized that there were no gardens nearby, no way for a Poppy flower to have randomly laid there, it had to have been put there, methodically, but she was optimistic, and smiled, walked back in, and got ready.