by Levi Fuller
He hated the fact that his department hadn't managed to find anything to turn that tide. He couldn't fathom why so many people seemed to be murdered in Kanawha County. Almost none of them lived here. If there'd been a link between the victims, any link, it could have been explained as the work of a serial killer. But there was nothing. None of the usual connectors of age, race or gender and no forensic tells either. Frustration bubbled in his chest and he firmly pushed it away. He wouldn't give up, just as Violet hadn't, spending her days buried in reports of death from the Freezer. He looked at the clock again. The hands had barely moved. Tonight he'd gathered his courage. When she arrived with coffee and a desire to speak of anything other than death that shrouded all their work, he would ask her to dinner.
Sighing, he turned back to the tiny scrap of black fabric under the microscope, trying to keep his thoughts away from Violet. He brought the scrap into focus. The fabric was a tight weave and had been found attached to a snapped twig. It wasn't part of anything the victim had been wearing, but it was also far enough away from the site of the body to be completely unrelated. Still, it was one of the few actual leads any of his teams had found.
****
I shut the file containing the statements from all the friends and family the VCB had interviewed after Jane Luton had been identified. A small flicker of relief makes a crack in the blanket of annoyance that has shrouded my every thought in the 24 hours since Jane Luton's body had been found. She had been a friend of Violet Turner's. I scold myself again. It’s mistakes like that that get people like me caught. I hadn't been able to take the months I normally would to watching my mark, nor looked into her history.
Stupid.
I look back at the folder and feel a small smile curl my lips. None of the girls at the bar had even noticed Jane stopping to talk to anyone in particular, all too drunk and involved in their own life to keep track of their friend. There were a few men that had been described as overly interested, pushy and suspicious. My smile broadened. Their psyches were following the same predictable pattern. Girl goes missing, everyone naturally assumes the perp was a man, influenced as they are by pop culture and a desire to do something useful, anything.
I glance up as a shadow passes outside my door. Violet had her nose stuck in a file, three more under her arm.
Everyone except the detectives.
They had jumped to no conclusions, waiting on forensic leads, psychology reports from family members and, most importantly, my profile for the sort of person they may be looking for.
But still, nothing excused sloppiness. I need to pick my next mark soon, so that I have lots of time to plan before the increasing pressure in my mind is too painful and persistent to ignore.
****
Across the hall from Alma's office was Jason's. He watched Violet walk past, completely unaware of where she was, her grey eyes flicking back and forth across a page she was reading. He smiled at the purple labels on the folders she carried. He tapped the fat folder beside him, all the things he'd dug up about Jane Luton, all the things her grieving parents had disclosed. His ego still smarted from his encounter with Dhillan nine days ago, but if she was still spending most of her time in the Freezer, he'd be able to get some vengeance, where no one would interrupt them.
****
Violet gave Mark a curt nod as she moved past his office door on the way to her own cubicle. He nodded back, opened his mouth then sighed, shaking his head. It had been more than a week since they'd found Jane's body, David was still a mess. No one knew anything. No one had any answers. She knew Mark wanted to bring her in but they couldn't risk the case being thrown out of court if it ever came to a conviction. She hated it but she wouldn't do anything to jeopardize justice for Jane.
I wouldn't be so god damn irritated if I was making any headway with any of these other cases, she thought, tossing the four files she'd brought up from the Freezer on to her desk.
What did you expect? That they would have magically gained more leads in the drawers?
Violet shook her head. There had to be something. Her thoughts flittered to Dhillan as she caught sight of the clock. She'd been visiting daily. A thank you for his help with Jason, for his commitment to Jane's case and because, if she was totally honest, his steady, strong presence was the best part of her day.
She tugged on her braid, passing a hand over the cold case files as she remembered Dhillan voicing his frustration that Kanawha County seemed to be the go-to spot for killers passing through or as a dumping ground for their kills.
He was right. It made no sense. They had to be missing something.
Sitting down, she pulled the file she had been reading towards her, determined to keep looking, at least until it was time to go and visit Dhillan.
6
Violet trotted down the concrete steps to the Freezer, her frustration at her lack of new insights into the case files she carried melting with every step. Soon she'd be talking with Dhillan. She wasn't sure yet if it was because they had agreed not to speak of work related matters, or if it was just because of who he was, kind, undemanding, warm, but something about the past nine days had made this routine one she didn't want to miss.
Violet slowed her feet as she reached the basement floor, walking along the rows of filing cabinets, looking for the matching number tags to her files. She would pack these away, then grab two mugs of coffee from the staff kitchen and go to the forensics side of the building.
I wonder if there are still any of those chocolate cookies Rose brought in?
“Just as expected.”
Violet jumped and spun on her heel, eyes raking the relative gloom for the speaker.
Jason pushed off from one of the cabinets and leered at her. “You're still so predictable. Not much of a detective either. You walked right past me.”
Violet narrowed her eyes then turned her back, acting braver than she felt.
Just ignore him. Put the files back and leave.
She felt her pulse quicken as he shadowed her steps. “I have a simple choice for you and I wanted to be able to ask when no one would interrupt us.” She heard Jason rustle some papers and draw breath. “Do you want to hear what Jane's parents had to say when I spoke with them? Or you could offer me some distraction instead.”
Violet felt her blood run cold and suppressed a shiver. She had been fairly certain that he wasn't foolish enough to try anything physical but this, she had not anticipated. She spotted the right cabinet and yanked the draw open.
He clicked his tongue as she continued to ignore him, then began reading from the file in his hands anyway.
“Janey got lost in the woods once when she was five. She had nightmares all the time after that.”
Violet crammed the files into the draw with more force than necessary.
“Of course, you already know that, seeing as you were with her.” Violet counted to ten, clearly hearing the pleasure in his voice and wanting to show him no reaction. “Shall I carry on? Or are you ready to take the second option?”
She met his eyes, managing to hold a cold, flat glare, then moved to elbow past him. He grabbed her elbow and shoved her back, using his full height to his advantage and pushing her into a space so she was squashed between two cabinets on either side, the wall behind her and his own body blocking the way out.
“I haven't gotten to the best part yet,” he said, eyes hard and angry. “A kiss or a tale?”
Violet stared back, stunned that he had just used physical force against her. Was his ego really so important that he'd risk his job over it?
“Janey always said how she wouldn't have made it without her friend's hand to hold,” he quoted when she made no move to answer.
Violet's mind kicked back into gear as his words opened old memories and salted the fresh wounds.
“Enough, Jason,” she bit out. “Whatever sick, make-yourself-feel-better thing you have going on here, it's over. Move.”
Jason me
t her gaze, eyes still promising pain. “No. Still undecided?” He cocked his head to the side, letting his gaze slide over her body. “What a pity you weren't there to hold her hand this time.”
“Shut up Jason.”
“Did you know she was pregnant?”
“Shut up!”
“Do you have nightmares about the forest, too, or was it only poor 'Janey'?”
Violet's fist connected with his nose in a satisfying crunch.
Jason clutched his bleeding nose and staggered back. “Bitch!”
Violet aimed a kick at his gut, anger, frustration and loss roiling through her blood.
Jason went down, grunting in pain and Violet stepped in, her face a mask of fury as she raised her foot again.
“Violet!” Two voices sounded from the stairs, both lined with shock.
Violet barely heard them, bring her foot around again as Jason curled into a ball.
Then two massive arms closed around her and pulled her away, turning her so that the bastard who had used her friend’s death to get back at her wasn't in her line of sight any more.
“Easy, Violet, shh,” Dhillan's deep voice rumbled against her back.
“Crazy bitch just attacked me!”
She tensed at Jason's lie, but felt the fight leave her, the pain he'd caused swallowing her anger.
She sagged and felt Dhillan's restraining embrace turn into a comforting one, his voice vibrating against her ear as she turned in his arms to bury her face in his chest. “Detective Decleor, I wouldn't just take his word on that.”
“I wasn't planning on it, Dr. Chais.” Mark's voice sounded frayed.
“But—”
“I'll take your statements separately,” Mark said, interrupting Jason's whine. “You first, Dr.Reid.”
Taking Jason's upper arm in a firm grip, Mark led the way up the stairs.
Violet kept her face in Dhillan's broad chest as their footsteps receded.
“What happened?”
Violet looked up, and, suddenly aware of how close they were, pushed away. Dhillan's arms fell back to his sides as her intent became clear.
He watched her in silence as the tears ran down her cheeks and she stared at the bloodied smudge on the concrete floor.
“I think he wanted to get back at me, because of last time, with you.”
Dhillan nodded and look her over, as if to try and ascertain her well-being.
Violet shook her head, realizing what he had assumed. “He chose to use words. They've always been his weapon of choice.”
Dhillan followed her fingers as they waved to a case file, lying dumped on the floor by some end cabinets, the papers half-falling out of it. Violet watched him move to scoop it up, watched his eyes widen, then narrow as he read the name on the folder.
She nodded once as he turned to look at her, his eyes filled with disbelief that anyone would stoop so low, even Jason.
“Motherf--er.”
Violet found the corner of her mouth tilting up as Dhillan swore softly, the first time she had ever heard him use a profanity of any kind.
“You'll get no argument from me.”
“Will you be okay?” Dhillan asked after a pause.
Violet met his eyes and resisted the urge to close the distance between them, to feel the shelter his strong arms created. Instead, she managed a tight nod, turning her eyes to her shoes.
She heard Dhillan sigh, a sound conveying both longing and frustration.
“The worst part is he didn't lie.”
Dhillan frowned.
“Everything he said was true. I should have been there, Dhillan. I shouldn't have left her. I—”
She stopped as his big hand tilted her chin up. “None of this is your fault, Violet,” he said, waving the folder briefly. “This is the work of someone evil and twisted. Someone we will catch.”
Violet nodded into his palm, tears stinging her eyes again. “She must have been so scared. It was her worst fear.”
Dhillan pulled her into another embrace, his words tickling her hair. “She isn't scared any more. We'll bring her justice. You'll see.”
As he held her own voice echoed back in her mind.
It was her worst fear.
She tensed, something hovered on the edge of her thoughts, the tip of her tongue. She felt the tenuous thread, sure that if she could grasp it she would finally see what they'd all been missing, some vital point.
“Sorry. I shouldn't have just—” Dhillan said, dropping his arms and stepping back.
“Shh.” She held up a finger.
The moment popped and the feeling vanished.
“Damnit,” Violet sighed, then chuckled as Dhillan's eyebrows mashed together in confusion. “I thought I had something but it's gone now.”
Dhillan half smiled, the relief on his face evident. Violet felt herself begin to blush and moved away.
“I guess I had better go and wait my turn to hand in a statement.”
He nodded, his liquid night ponytail swishing against his back. “Do you want back up?”
Violet's lips lifted in a half smile. “Sure. Thanks.”
As they left the gloom of the Freezer, Violet racked her mind. There had been something, a connection. Did it have to do with Jason's side of the investigations? She decided that once whatever shit storm was coming because of tonight had passed, she would start looking into the psychological reports of friends and family linked to the cold case files she'd been working on.
7
“Are you kidding me? You actually believe that piece of sh—?”
“Detective Turner, stop your cussing and sit down!”
Violet turned wide eyes on Mark as his voice boomed out, harsh and unyielding, a tone she had never heard directed at her before. Violet sat automatically, still unsteady and wishing Mark had let Dhillan into the room.
“But—”
“No.” Mark heaved a heavy sigh, looking her square in the face. “I need you to shut up and listen, Violet.”
Violet mashed her lips together in a tight line. She owed Mark a lot. Hearing him out wasn't too much to ask.
Mark appraised her then nodded once. “Off the record? No, I don't believe a damn word Dr Reid told us. I think he is an ass and has it out for you.” He shook his head. “But none of that matters.”
“But—”
“God damn it! You broke his nose, Violet. You may well have fractured a couple of ribs, too.”
“He—”
“Yes, I heard you the first time. I have your statement. If that were it, it would just be a ‘he said, she said’ situation and I could have gotten you off light.”
Violet bit her tongue, knowing Mark was hating this, too.
“His injuries, and your lack thereof, what Dr Chais and I witnessed as we came into the Freezer, leave me no other choice.” Mark met her eyes, his own hardening. “You are suspended, Detective Turner, for a period of three weeks, pending any prosecution Dr Reid wishes to pursue. Your security clearance is revoked. Please hand over your security card, gun and badge.”
Violet stood, her limbs stiff. “So that f... he gets off Scot-free?”
“He has been reprimanded.”
“A slap on the wrist? That man used my friend's murder to try and—” Violet snapped her mouth shut. She knew she was getting dangerously close to taking out her frustration on Mark again.
It's not his fault. He is right, his hands are tied.
She handed over the things he had asked for, slamming them on the table with all the rage boiling in her blood.
“I am sorry, Violet. If I—”
“Save it Mark. I can't hear any of that now. Just do me one favor. Catch the son of a bitch who took my friend from me.”
Violet strode out of the room and marched down the corridor, ignoring Dhillan as he called after her, her anger at the injustice just barely contained. He was the last person she wanted to lash out at, so she kept silent, f
or his sake as much as hers.
“Stay here, Dr Chais.”
Dhillan turned from watching Violet storm away to look at Detective Decleor. The interrogation rooms were all sound-proofed, so while he had not been able to hear what passed between the two of them, he was confident that a gross injustice had just occurred.
Mark frowned up at him. “I can see it in your eyes, Dr Chais, and I don't need to hear it from you, too. All I need is your honest statement of what you saw when we entered the Freezer.”
Dhillan looked away, down the now empty corridor. “You suspended her?”
“I had no choice.”
Dhillan felt his hands ball into fists, but he nodded, containing his anger. He turned and entered the room, preparing to give his statement and wishing he knew how to help Violet.
****
I look up again, wondering what happened. Earlier, Mark had frog-marched Jason past my office, Jason pinching his bloodied nose and wincing. I shake my head again and turn back to my computer screen. I wonder if Violet would realize that men like Jason don't have boundaries for their cruelty. Would she be able to kill him if it came to it?
Stop it, I scold myself. It had already been more than a week since my last hunt. I needed to pick a target soon or I ran the risk of the need surpassing my careful methods that had allowed me to kill undetected for nearly fifteen years.
