CHAPTER SIX
Alison sat in her car, looking up at the large office building.
Two nights ago, she had sat at the breakfast bar in her kitchen, listening as Derek gave her hope that they might have the evidence needed to finally catch the most elusive killer she had ever chased, and then she had been woken that morning with the news.
Another body had been found, and they had already linked it to the death of Thomas Warren.
Another report with her name on it had been found at the crime scene, along with a separate report from the killer coming to the opposite conclusion from the one she had in her report.
In serial murder cases, the more that could be confirmed, the better it was for the case.
They could now confirm that the double homicide was connected to Alison, but that didn't help her at all.
She had worried that it was the case, and now that they knew for sure, it meant two people had died because of her.
Three people had died in Reno for the same reason.
Alison knew she couldn’t blame herself, and there was still the chance that they would uncover pieces of evidence that would show that both victims were killed for other reasons, but her name was still attached to the case, and it hurt her.
Even if there were other reasons, a killer was still killing people because of her.
There was nothing she could have possibly done to stop it from happening, but logic was not always a friend when emotion got in the way.
She looked down at the main entrance where people were going in and out, and spotted Detective Moore waiting for her. The woman had her arms folded over her chest, and her mouth was drawn tight. The detective looked up and down the street, clearly becoming impatient that Alison was not there yet.
Alison quickly exited the vehicle, and as soon as Detective Moore spotted her, she lightened and stood taller. She lifted a hand in a silent greeting as if Alison might not know where to go if she didn't indicate herself.
"You said there would be more," Moore said in lieu of a greeting.
It only made Alison feel worse.
"I hoped we had more time," Alison said. "Three days between the two deaths." She wanted to ask the detective if they were sure the two murders were connected, but the same reports had been found at both crime scenes. There was little doubt they were by the same hand.
"We reset," Moore told her. "If the killer plans on doing this again, then the clock is reset, and we work this as best we can. We really need you on this if you’re still in."
"I am," Alison admitted, knowing that nothing could drag her away now.
"Okay, let’s go up," Moore said, leading the way into the building.
"Two serial murderers in under a month," Alison vented. "Both of them are connected to me. I’m seeing this case through, but the question is whether you want to partner with me. Death seems to follow me around lately."
"You’re our best shot at finding the killer," Moore admitted as they headed for the stairs. "You're the best at this and have proven that time and time again, and if the killer is targeting you in some way, then you’re the one best placed to know why and how we get to them."
Alison noticed the sign in the main foyer with the name of the not-for-profit charity.
"I think I know the why," Alison admitted as they ascended. "Whoever is killing the ex-inmates and writing the reports wants to show that I’m wrong. They believe that the inmates shouldn’t have been released in the first place and that it was my fault. There’s only one flaw."
"And that is?" Moore asked as she held the door open for Alison.
"As far as we know, the victims are innocent," Alison replied as they stood just inside the main office.
"We've begun looking into Thomas Warren, and there's nothing to indicate that he has returned to his old life.
From the sign in the lobby, this is a nonprofit, which makes this victim the second person doing something positive.
Unless the killer knows something we don't know, then killing them was a mistake if they want to prove that I made mistakes in having them released. "
Alison saw that they were not alone in the office.
There was an older woman, likely in her seventies, who was standing with an officer on the other side of the room, sobbing into a handkerchief.
The doorway to a small office connected to the main office was covered with a large white tarp to block the line of sight.
That was obviously where the body was found.
"Melody Jenkins," Moore said, indicating the older woman talking with the officer. "She’s the boss and the one who found the body this morning. That’s her office, and the body of Jennifer Hayes was found on the desk in there with a knife sticking out of the middle of her chest."
"A knife to the back of the neck and now to the chest," Alison thought out loud.
"Does that mean something?" Moore asked.
"I don't know yet," Alison said. "It could be that the killer is opportunistic. The first victim was a man, and the second was a woman. Thomas was stabbed from behind and above. It’s likely he was on his knees when he was killed. Thomas Warren doesn’t strike me as the sort of man who doesn’t get down on his knees alone in a room with someone unless there’s a reason. "
"Like the killer had information to use against him or a gun?" Moores asked.
Alison nodded. "Yeah, that would do it. The killer enters, threatens him, and tells him to get on his knees. Thomas has been threatened before, more than we probably know. He would have been composed. Perhaps he tried to think his way out of it or thought he could disarm the killer, so he complied. If he thought he was about to die, he wouldn’t have knelt and waited for his death. "
"And Jennifer Hayes?" Moore asked.
"The killer wasn’t worried about them fighting back as much and attacked them from the front.
Perhaps the killer had her kneel before stabbing her, but it wouldn’t make sense to do so once she was on her knees.
I imagine it being quicker. The killer was waiting for her in the office, and they struck quickly and efficiently.
Do we know if the boss is always the first one in the office? "
"Yeah, she mostly is. She likes to go through the agenda for the day and take some time to get things in order before the other staff, seven of them in total, arrive.
She confirmed that Jennifer often worked late and received an email from Jennifer just before ten.
Jennifer would always send the financials through at the end of the day, as well as printing them off and putting them on her desk. "
"Okay, so we know the killer struck sometime after that, but it can't have been much later because Jenifer was about to leave.
The killer waited in the office for her to drop the spreadsheets and then struck.
The knives do pose a question. The killer could have stabbed each victim and taken the knife with them. "
"But they left both in the bodies," Moore confirmed.
"Which means they knew there would be no DNA evidence on the weapons. They were confident it had been cleaned off sufficiently. It also means they left two knives, one at each crime scene. If they are planning more, and we have to assume they are, then they have more knives, or they’re going to source them.
Take a look at that when we get back to the office. "
"Okay," Moore said. "You ready to go in?"
"Lead the way," Alison said.
They made their way over to the white-tarped door, and Detective Moore pushed it aside slightly to look in before pulling it wider to allow Alison to enter.
Alison found exactly what she had imagined would be there. Jennifer Hayes lay face up on the desk, her legs hanging over one side from the knee down, and her head near the other side, except the orientation was wrong.
Alison entered and looked at the door behind before sliding the desk again.
The victim was placed at right angles to them, and Alison was sure the body had been placed.
If the attacker was hiding in the room, the most obvious place was behind the door.
Jennifer entered, turned to see the killer, and was pushed back onto the desk and stabbed.
That would have left the victim with legs pointing to the door.
And it was not only the body that had been moved, but the objects on the desk. They were on the floor, but they weren’t scattered. The items from the desk had been removed by the killer and placed carefully. Perhaps so as not to make a noise.
Alison stepped closer to take a better look.
The knife handle stood straight up from the chest; Jennifer’s blouse was soaked in blood. Her eyes were open, and she stared lifelessly up at the ceiling.
Why did you reposition the body? For us to see it better?
Are you evolving how you do things? Perhaps the body fell from the desk when you stabbed her, and you wanted her to really be seen.
Why is that? Do you want the body seen, or the report?
Do you really believe your two victims were guilty, or do you just hope that?
Alison turned to the detective. "How about the report? Was that on top of the body?"
"No," Moore replied. "They found it at her desk. Your report, side by side with the killers, looks the same as before. Your report is amended with a red pen, and then the killer’s report is beside it."
"I’d like to read the report," Alison said. "Maybe out in the main office somewhere when I’m done here."
"Yeah, I’ll have it for you when you’re ready."
Alison took some time to walk around the desk and the body. She paid particular attention to the fingernails, half-expecting to find something there, but it was another subconscious bias, now that they were waiting for the results to come back from the Katrina Sands autopsy.
Both of the victim's hands were clean, and the red nail polish was the color of blood. Alison stopped walking and looked at the knife in the chest, and then at the woman’s blouse.
There weren’t any other cuts in the fabric.
This wasn’t a crime of passion where she was stabbed over and over.
It was as clean as it could be. One stab to the chest, and it ended the woman’s life.
It’s not about the act of killing, and the killer doesn’t need to punish them for what they might have done. They only need to kill them to draw attention to the real message: my wrong decision.
Alison looked at the face. The woman had her eyes open, and her lips parted slightly, but she looked at peace in her death.
Alison took a step back. Jennifer had been stabbed, then placed on the desk as if it were an altar.
She hadn’t been altered in any way. The killer disregarded the body once the act was complete.
Alison turned and left the small office. The older woman who had been talking with the officer was now gone, and Detective Moore stood over by a desk on the other side of the large room.
"What do we know about the victim?" Alison asked. "I remember her vaguely, but she’s not someone who stuck in my mind as firmly as Thomas. It was a financial crime, right?"
"Yeah, not as troubled a past as Thomas. She had some financial fraud that was brushed under the carpet by one company she worked for, but not the next. She spent three years in prison and—"
"But was released after two, right?" Alison finished, remembering.
"Yeah," Moore said with a sardonic smile. "Ironically, from what Melody told us, Jennifer was doing the bookkeeping for the company. Melody trusted her implicitly and never had a problem with her."
"Look into it," Alison said. "Have someone go over the books and check them out. I want to know if the killer might have seen a crime or if they are killing the victims for no reason other than to get to me."
"Is that what this is?" Moore asked. "Is that the killer’s goal?"
"I don't know," Alison replied, dejectedly. She had a hunch from what she had seen so far that the two victims hadn’t committed any crimes since they were released, which meant that the killer had murdered two innocent people, regardless of what they had done in the past. "They want to get my attention, I know that. "
"Yeah, well, they have it," Moore said, shaking her head.
That annoyed Alison, but she had nothing to say that would make the situation better. She already felt guilty that she was the reason for so many people’s deaths.
"I know," Alison admitted. "This is my fault."
"It’s not your fault," Moore scoffed. "Are we here for a pity party now?"
Alison chuckled nervously in response, a little surprised by the detective’s reaction.
"I’m not blaming you," Moore said. "Goodness knows this is not your fault, and our killer is obviously insane. My only concern is whether they really want to reach you. Does the killer mean to come after you?"
Alison was silent. That was exactly what had happened with Nathan Cross. There was every chance it was happening again, and she would be the killer’s grand finale.