Dark design, p.6
Dark Design, page 6
She went back to the table, pulled her chair next to Erin’s, and gently took her hand. “Again, this isn’t on you, Erin,” she said gently. “This is on the psychopath who is doing this. We need to use our talents, our experience, and our God-given ability to understand this guy so we can stop him. You have to remember that we’re the good guys. We’re on the side of the angels. This killer is spurred on by something dark. By the devil himself.” She searched Erin’s face, trying to interpret her expression, but she was attempting to be stoic. However, her breathing was too fast, and she was blinking more than normal. Signs of stress. “If it’s too much, I’ll understand and so will Nick. You can stay here, chill out, and head home whenever you’re ready. Remember, the state police can’t force you to talk to them. You’re not charged with any crime. This is voluntary.”
“There are top-notch people working this case,” Nick said, concern written on his face.
Even as she and Nick tried to reassure her, Kaely was convinced that Erin wouldn’t leave. She would stay and fight. That’s who she was. Still, Kaely couldn’t help but be concerned about the wounds in her friend’s soul. They were deep. And now this. “Listen to me,” she said. “If he hadn’t used your book, he would have picked someone else’s.”
Erin took a big, shuddering breath. It was at that moment that Kaely’s expectation was confirmed. Erin had no plans to run from this.
“Let’s go over those photos again,” Erin said, her voice shaking slightly. “I need to see them. I can’t let this twisted piece of humanity beat me down. He’s got to be stopped.”
Nick got up and picked up the file that he’d shoved the pictures into after Erin’s initial reaction to them. Then he sat down and opened it again.
As he did that, a part of Kaely wished she’d never contacted Erin about the murders. But if the killings had made it into the media before Kaely had a chance to break the news to Erin, it would have blindsided her, and that was something Kaely couldn’t allow. Besides, if she hadn’t called her, the police would have. And that would have been worse. Kaely felt compelled to keep Erin safe. She took a deep breath as Erin pulled the photos out again. She laid them side by side.
“The killer abducted a woman from a parking lot late at night,” Nick said gently. “He took her to a lake, cut her throat, tied a concrete block around her ankles, then tossed her into the water with only the top of her head showing.”
“How would he have known how deep the water was?” Erin asked.
“That wouldn’t have been hard. The spot where she was found was near a dock. He could have measured it. Even jumped in himself to see how deep it was, just like the killer in your book. Although the police interviewed all kinds of people who frequented the lake, no one reported seeing him.”
“Sure,” Erin said. “Why would they? He was careful.” She stared at Nick for a moment before saying, “Was this an area of the lake where swimming was allowed?”
He shook his head. “No, there’s a roped-off area on the other side of the lake for swimming. Fishing was allowed, though.”
“How long had she been in the water when they found her?”
“The medical examiner determined that death occurred approximately ten hours before a park employee discovered the body. That means she went in the water around nine at night.”
“Where did this occur?”
“At Lunga Park, in Quantico,” Nick said. “It’s only open to active and retired members of the military and their families. There’s no real reason to suspect any of the members, although they haven’t been ruled out. Investigators are also checking out workers connected with the park, although, again, there doesn’t seem to be anyone involved with the other murders. Some fencing that surrounds the park was under repair. Someone could have come in through there. It wouldn’t have been difficult.”
“I don’t feel like this guy used this lake because it was convenient,” Erin said. “This was planned down to the last detail.”
“So, you think he knew about the repairs ahead of time? Used this lake because he could access it without being caught?”
“I do,” Erin said. “Is the park closed at night?”
“Yeah. It closes at eight o’clock and opens at six in the morning.”
“He could have put the body there to throw off the police and the FBI. With the fence making the park accessible, maybe he thinks investigators will believe he’s not connected to the park.”
“That’s true,” Nick said. “Like I said, they’re working that angle as well.”
Kaely noticed Erin’s fingers tremble as she studied the pictures. “Who was she?” she asked finally.
Nick hesitated a moment before saying, “A waitress at a small coffee shop not far from here. Sophie Rogers. Single. Her only immediate family were her mother and her sister.”
Erin didn’t respond. Nick had just made the victim a real person, but that couldn’t be helped. She and Nick both knew that Erin would ask.
“So, all the victims have been female,” Erin said. Kaely knew her brain was working, going over everything. “He hates women. Sees them only as the means to an end.” She looked up from the pictures. “Similarities between the victims?”
“All single.” Nick frowned. “None of them had two living parents. The first victim lost her parents a few years ago in a house fire. The second victim had a father but no mother. I realize that’s not so odd in today’s society, but the analysts at the BAU are looking that over to see if it’s part of the UNSUB’s signature. Even though he’s copying murders from novels, they believe, and so do I, that his own proclivities have to be bleeding through somehow. But frankly, in my opinion, the family connection appears to be coincidence.” He pointed at the picture of Sophie lying on the ground after she was taken from the water. “You can’t tell it by looking since her hair is wet, but all the victims were blonde.”
“That could be important,” Erin said slowly.
Kaely looked at her closely. “You seem hesitant. Why?”
Erin sighed. “I have no idea,” she said. “You know that feeling? The one where you sense something is right in front of your eyes but you can’t see it?”
Kaely nodded. “You feel that way?”
“Yeah, but I can’t explain it. I wish I could.” She pulled the photo of the poem closer and stared at it for a moment. “This one’s different,” she said.
“What do you mean?” Nick asked.
Erin looked up at him. “All the other poems are written about killing the victim. But this one says her life will lie in tatters. How can someone’s life lie in tatters if they’re dead?”
Kaely frowned. She didn’t want to discourage her friend, but she felt she might be reaching. “Maybe he just needed something to rhyme with matters?”
“Maybe.”
Erin didn’t sound convinced.
Deciding that Erin had been through enough for one night, Kaely gathered up the pictures and put them back in the folder. “Look, let’s take a break from this for a while.” She clasped her hands in front of her. “This killer is different. Unusual. But the analysts at the BAU are the best. And they have us. We’ll find him.”
“We will,” Nick said, smiling at Erin. “I have no doubt.”
“I hope you’re right,” Erin said. “The one thing I’m sure of is that this guy isn’t finished. Someone else is going to die if he isn’t stopped.”
Ten
Adrian was on the way home after a long day of handling complaints by neighbors fighting with neighbors, as well as trying to find missing dogs, cats, and even a pig. He’d sent two officers to Grady’s General Store to scare the heck out of two kids who’d tried to steal candy. His mind kept drifting back to several months ago when a serial killer was operating in Sanctuary. Working with Erin Delaney and her friend Kaely Quinn had made him feel like an actual police chief. He’d moved to Sanctuary to get away from all the death and destruction he’d had to deal with in Chicago, so why was he so irritated with his job right now? His life was good. For the most part, Sanctuary lived up to its name. He really was happy here. But after helping to catch a serial killer, he now felt rather useless. An odd call from the FBI also had him worried and was probably the reason he was thinking so much about the past. He’d considered contacting Erin to let her know about it, but after sharing the contents of the call with his administrative assistant, Lisa Parrish, he’d changed his mind. Lisa felt that telling Erin about the call might make it harder for her to do what she needed to do now. Lisa was usually right, so he decided to keep quiet—for now.
He sighed loudly. “Stop it,” he said to himself. Jake looked at him as if he were being chastised. Adrian reached over and patted his head. “I’m not talking to you. You’re a good boy. I guess I’m the one who needs to straighten up, huh?” He took a deep breath. “You weren’t happy in Chicago, Adrian,” he mumbled. “You’re not going to start complaining about Sanctuary. This is where you want to be. This is what you want to do.”
As if he’d lost the ability to control his thoughts, his mind drifted to Erin. Her wide green eyes, her short blonde hair, and her incredible smile were burned into his mind. Was he missing the excitement of doing real police work, or was he just missing her? He couldn’t answer that question. Not yet, anyway. Maybe someday. The truth was, Erin wasn’t interested in him that way. She’d never given him any indication that they were more than friends.
He realized suddenly that his hands were gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles were white. He took a quick breath and loosened his hold.
Jake barked suddenly, and it made him jump. He looked over at his furry friend. “You okay?” he asked. “What’s wrong?”
Jake barked again and looked out the window. They were passing Erin’s cabin. “Sorry, boy. She’s not there. Neither is Chester.”
Jake pulled against the strap that kept him secure in the passenger seat.
“No,” Adrian said sharply. “They’re not home. Settle down.”
Jake didn’t listen, just kept barking loudly and squirming in his seat.
“Do you need to go outside?” Adrian asked. He’d taken him out before they left the station. He shouldn’t need to go so soon again, but Adrian pulled over in front of Erin’s place. Better to be safe than sorry.
He started to get out of the Jeep so he could take care of Jake when he noticed something unusual. Before she left, Erin had told him that she’d programmed some of the lights in her house to come on at six o’clock in the evening while she was gone, but the cabin was dark. He’d have to call her and let her know.
Suddenly, lights came on. He looked at his dashboard. It was eleven minutes after nine, a strange time to set a timer. He put the truck in gear and pulled into the driveway. Telling Jake to stay, he got out, grabbed his flashlight, and walked up to the house. He shone the light through the windows. Then he circled around the cabin, looking into each one, making certain everything was secure. Nothing seemed out of place.
When he was finished, he went back to the Jeep, planning to put Jake on his leash and give him a chance to do his business. But when he opened the door, Jake was sound asleep.
Adrian shook his head, got into the driver’s seat, and headed home. He wanted to chalk Jake’s behavior up to something else—maybe he saw a squirrel or some other animal, and it set him off? But his dog had started barking when they were near Erin’s cabin. Had he seen something that Adrian hadn’t? He tried to dismiss his concerns, but a soft voice inside him seemed to be whispering something different.
“You’re just bored,” he said, admonishing himself. Still, the timing of the lights seemed odd. He’d call Erin tomorrow and ask her about it. The anticipation of hearing her voice cheered him more than it should have.
As he drove home, he tried to push thoughts of her out of his mind. But they weren’t easily vanquished.
The waitress brought Noah another cup of coffee. He thanked her and took a sip, hoping they’d made a fresh pot. His first cup had been closer to sludge than actual coffee. Unfortunately, this wasn’t any better. Might even be worse. Tonight, he wasn’t worried that the caffeine would make it hard to sleep. He was exhausted. He loved working for the BAU, but this recent rash of murders was keeping his team working late, trying to understand a serial killer who couldn’t be understood. He was different. Copying murders from books wasn’t a signature. Unless he had a beef with authors, but usually someone like that wouldn’t buy books in the first place. Or they’d just leave bad reviews. Using their books to kill? It had certainly been done, but not like this. It wasn’t just the method. He was writing poems that included the books’ titles. He was detailed, organized, precise—and very angry. And he wasn’t leaving any evidence. What they had now wasn’t enough for the police and the FBI to go on. Although law enforcement had tried to keep the killings under wraps, it wouldn’t be long before the media picked up the story. Then things would get much more difficult. The public could be helpful, but most of the time, panic set in, and law enforcement was overwhelmed with tips that only wasted time and resources.
He really just wanted to go home, but when he’d gotten a call from Lee Johnson, a guy who’d recently joined the men’s group at church, he had to respond. He’d volunteered to mentor Lee. Well, actually, Lee had attached himself to Noah’s side. He was the one who’d asked Noah for help. It wasn’t that Noah didn’t want to mentor him. He did. Noah was just concerned that he wouldn’t be able to give him all the time he might need. But a commitment was a commitment. So, here he was at an all-night pancake house in downtown Dumfries, Virginia, instead of nestled in his comfy bed, sleeping next to Kaely.
Kaely’s friend, Erin Delaney, was staying with them, but he was pretty sure he wouldn’t be home in time tonight to meet her. Not that he could talk to her about the case anyway. The FBI was strict about things like that. Kaely had arranged for Nick Skinner to come by and clue her in. After he deputized her, she’d be able to officially help with the case. It would be easier for him to discuss things after that, but he still needed to be careful. The FBI realized it wasn’t her fault that a killer had copied his last murder from her book, but they had to be absolutely certain she wasn’t involved or that she didn’t have knowledge that could help find this UNSUB. Sometimes people knew things they didn’t realize were connected to a case. He’d seen that happen many times. There was some reason the UNSUB had picked her novel. Investigators needed to find out what it was.
“Here you go.”
The waitress put two plates in front of him. Pancakes and a side of bacon. He’d missed dinner with Kaely. Baked spaghetti. One of his favorites. He suddenly realized how hungry he was. The pancakes smelled amazing.
“I’ll get your butter and syrup,” she said.
“Thank you,” he said with a smile. “Maple please.”
She’d just left when Lee walked in the door. Noah waved at him, and he headed toward the booth. Lee was the kind of man most people wouldn’t notice. Everything about him was plain. Brown hair, brown eyes, medium build. He mostly wore jeans and T-shirts. But nothing too colorful. It was like he was there . . . but not there.
“Thanks for meeting with me,” Lee said as he sat down.
“You’re welcome. I told you to call if you needed to talk.”
“You look tired,” Lee said.
“Right now, I’m just hungry. Want anything?”
Lee hesitated, and Noah felt like an idiot. Lee worked for a lawn-care company and lived in a small apartment not far from the church. Noah had been inside his place. It was bleak. The paint on the walls was peeling, and Lee had been sleeping on an old mattress on the floor. Noah and Kaely gave him a new bed frame and mattress, telling him it was a bed they weren’t using. It was true, but not completely accurate. They’d purchased it just for him. Kaely also sent him new sheets and a couple of blankets they had. Their pastor gave him odd jobs whenever he had something, which helped some. Lee utilized their food program, so at least he wouldn’t go hungry. Didn’t mean he had money to spend in a restaurant.
“My treat,” Noah said, quickly. “I’ve got one of those two-for-one coupons. If you don’t eat something, it will go to waste.”
He really did have a coupon in his billfold, although he suspected it was expired. However, he wasn’t certain, so again, it wasn’t a lie. He wondered if he was playing a little fast and loose with the truth, but in his heart, he was certain God understood.
Lee smiled. “You sure?”
“I am.” He waved to the waitress who came over and took Lee’s order. He asked for the same meal Noah had. Noah wanted to warn him about the coffee, but before he could, Lee ordered orange juice. Good call. “Could you bring me a glass of orange juice too?” he asked the waitress. She nodded, made a note on her pad, and then walked away.
“The coffee is awful,” he told Lee. “Wish I’d ordered orange juice from the beginning.”
Lee smiled. “I can’t drink coffee this late. It would keep me up all night.”
Noah sighed. “When we’re working a case that takes up so much of my time, no amount of caffeine affects my sleep. Takes a while to build up that kind of resistance, though. I don’t recommend it.”
The smile slipped from Lee’s face. “I’m sorry. You should have told me you were too busy to meet me. The waitress hasn’t turned in my order yet. We can cancel it.”
Noah felt guilty again. Why had he said that?
“Don’t worry about it,” he said with a smile. “If I went home now, I probably couldn’t sleep anyway.” Now that statement was the truth. He’d lie in bed and worry about hurting Lee’s feelings. Staying here was the only way to keep his conscience clear. Besides, being completely honest about it, the concentrated coffee sludge really had given him a bit of a rush. Probably not the healthiest way to get his second wind, but it was what it was.
“If you’re certain,” Lee said. “My apartment building is being fumigated. They sprayed this morning so I can’t go back until tomorrow morning. We worked today, and I stayed after we were done so I could clean the mowers. I didn’t realize it was this late. I shouldn’t have called you. I’m sorry.”
