12 #2
“Vampire?” Cisco asked, looking alarmed. “Don’t tell me we’re starting that shit again?”
Cisco had every reason to be worried. His husband, Luca Pennington, had his own run in with vampires several years ago.
“No, I’m not talking about an actual vampire.
Have you ever met someone who sucks your positive vibes and happy mood right out of you and then they leave you feeling exhausted and overwhelmed from dealing with them? ”
Cisco nodded.
“That’s an energy vampire.” Cope paused. “Hearing Sarah and Christie’s stories makes me think Crawford isn’t after their happy energy, but something much darker. I’m thinking he takes the wrongs people claim have been committed against them and takes matters into his own hands.”
“Like a vigilante?” Cisco asked. “Damn, that’s the last thing we need.”
Cope shook his head. “No, a vigilante tries to right a wrong. Crawford takes the ill will these people have and feeds on it, takes it on as his own, so that when he takes revenge, he gets a release from it. Probably something along the lines of…” Cope paused, he sure as hell didn’t want to finish his thought.
“Achieving orgasm?” Jude asked.
“Right,” Cope agreed. “But worse than that is his anonymity. No one would ever suspect him as being the killer, blame would fall on relatives or coworkers, which is exactly is what’s happening with Sarah today.”
“Worse still,” Ten began, “is the fact that this man appeared to be in his early sixties. Just how long has he been honing his skills and getting away with murder?”
Cisco’s eyes widened. “Riordan, thank you for bringing Sarah to see us this morning. Can you take her to the police station and have her make a statement about her meeting with Crawford?”
“Sure thing.” Riordan got out of his seat.
“Also make sure you turn over the video footage from the museum. I want to know how the killer got into the building and was able to steal an artifact and use it to commit murder.”
“You got it.”
“Am I going to be arrested, Chief Jackson?” Sarah had begun to cry again.
“Not at the moment,” Cisco said. “That could change if the video from last night shows you were the one who killed Miss Walsh, or if you aided or abetted the killer.”
With a slight nod, Sarah followed Riordan out of the reading room.
“Something tells me she’s going to be on the unemployment line this afternoon,” Jude said.
“Why?” Cope asked. “Thinking you deserved a promotion over someone else isn’t a crime. Neither is wanting a rival out of the way so that you will be the one promoted. You can’t tell me you wouldn’t feel angry or jealous of Ronan if he were promoted over you.”
Jude grimaced. “Maybe you’re right, but I sure as hell wouldn’t harpoon him.”
Ronan opened his mouth looking as if he had a wiseass comment to add, but said nothing.
“What do you want us to do, Cisco?” Jude asked. “We have an interview related to the Strickland investigation this afternoon, but we’re free this morning.”
“Look into Crawford. I agree with Tennyson about this man having been at this for quite some time. I’m also betting that Jonas Crawford isn’t his real name.”
“It’s not,” Cope agreed. “I’m free this afternoon too if you want me to come with you on that interview?”
Jude nodded. “Let’s do that. In the meantime, we’ll be in the conference room working on Crawford.”
“Why in the conference room? You’ve got an office upstairs.”
“Fitz is up there working with West Strickland and we don’t want to get in his way,” Ronan said.
“Out of sight, out of mind,” Jude added.
“You two don’t actually think I’m going to let the recommendation of this one man, who doesn’t know the caliber of your work, make me shut down cold case, do you?”
“It’s not you we’re worried about, Cisco.” Ronan ran a hand through his dirty-blonde hair. “The mayor and city council have to approve the budget. We’re more worried about them.”
“Guys, if the mayor and his flunkies don’t approve the cold case budget, we go to the media and ask the governor to step in.
We’ll get people to protest city hall, carrying signs and shouting clever slogans.
The media will eat this shit up, especially when they start interviewing the families of murder victims whose cases you solved.
” Cisco eyed his detectives as he spoke.
“Trust me, you’re not going anywhere. Don’t let that Poindexter and his calculator scare you.
We’ve got bigger fish to fry including a demented psychic who might be killing people.
Call me if you need anything.” Cisco left the room.
“We will,” Jude muttered.
“Let me know when you two want to leave for that interview.” Cope was exhausted already.
“We’ll grab lunch and head out to Lexington to speak with this woman. We’ll fill you in on the road.” Jude headed for the door. Ronan was right behind him.
“Thanks.” Cope watched the detectives leave the room. “I have a very bad feeling about Crawford and his history. I’m guessing there are a lot of bodies in his wake.”
Ten nodded. “Which is why he tried so hard to block us when we met him.”
“It’s also why he wants the death spell.”
“What do you mean?” Ten asked, looking scared.
“You said it earlier that Crawford’s in his sixties. He’s getting older and isn’t as strong physically as he once was. Killing people is hard work, but if he had the death spell, he could wield it from his living room or his car or shop. No one would ever be the wiser.”
“We’ve got to stop this guy before he strikes again.”
“Time is of the essence.” Cope planned to spend the rest of the morning working with Jude and Ronan on Crawford. This man was a menace to their community and was most likely a serial killer. Cope couldn’t allow his reign of terror to continue.
Jonas Crawford wanted to get his hands on the Deveraux death spell, but that would happen over Cope’s dead body, even if that meant wielding the spell himself.