You know why, she told herself. Or rather, maybe it was the Tumor speaking up again. Because this secret tumor of yours is eating you alive in more ways than one. Whether or not you want to admit it, you know you need to tell Peter. You have to tell Peter, Paige, Jack, Director Anderson…everyone. And you cant very well do that while youre in Baltimore, hunting a killer, now can you?

Rachel?

Jacks voice brought her out of her thoughts. She snapped to attention and said, Yeah?

The robot lady said turn up here! Didnt you hear?

Shit. Sorry.

She had not heard, as shed been too lost in her own thoughts. She sped up a bit to cut off the car beside her and slid into the exit lane. She was aware of Jack giving her a concerned look, but she didnt acknowledge it. She waited for one of his get your shit together comments but, for the second time shed been expecting it, he remained quiet. And when the GPS voice told her to take a left at the fork as she came to the end of the ramp, she did so without missing a beat.

Rachel? Jack said, his voice low and rather sudden.

What?

Dont bullshit me. Whats wrong with you? Whats going on?

Are you really going to pull this with me again? Right now?

Yeah. Youre zoning out…youre not really here most of the time. And where the hell did you take off to for a few hours yesterday?

She was surprised how easily she came out with the truth. Even as she said it, she realized she was telling this truth to make up for the much larger truth she was keeping from him.

I went to see Alex Lynch.

He stared at her blankly for a moment, perhaps waiting for her to say, just kidding. When it was clear she wasnt about to say any such thing, he said: You did what?

She shrugged as if it were no big deal, keeping her eyes on the road. There were things about this case that reminded me of him and I couldnt get away from it. He kept popping up in my mind and…I dont know. I figured it might help me personally and with this case.

Rachel, thats…thats nuts. I mean, what the hell were you thinking?

I just explained what I was thinking.

Please tell me you did not reveal details of a case to a serial killer.

Nothing major, no.

He went quiet again and though she was not looking at him, she could sense his disapproval. My God, Rachel. How could you…I mean, you know that anything he might have told you was likely bullshit, right?

Right. But it…it sort of cleared a few things up. This hurt to admit, and she wanted nothing more than for Jack to drop it. He didnt, though.