by Paris Morgan
“Are you friends with Elisa?”
“Yeah, but you certainly aren’t, so what do you want?” Heather asked rudely.
“She’s dead.” I dropped the words into the hostile air, knowing it was the only way to get their attention.
“Whatever. That’s your film crew right behind you, isn’t it?” She barely glanced at the two cops standing behind me. “Ignore her, Betsy. We’re being punked,” Heather huffed, turning her seat away from us.
I pulled out the temporary badge I'd been given only hours before. “The FBI begs to differ, Heather.”
“Oh, my God! It’s true?” Betsy started to wail.
“Yes. Can we have a seat? We have a few questions for you.”
Eyes wide, Heather turned back toward us. “I haven’t seen anything on her social stuff.”
“No, Heather, and you won’t. She’s dead, so she can’t post on social media to update you.” I couldn’t believe that she was missing the point completely. “We need to know where she was planning to go for her birthday this last weekend. Did she tell you who was going with her?”
“No, and we didn’t know we were supposed to meet her anywhere. She wanted to know why we weren’t there. She’d called us, drunk, saying it was going to be a horrible birthday because of us, and that we shouldn’t prank people on special occasions,” Betsy answered between sobs.
“Look, we didn’t kill her, and we certainly wouldn’t send her to some beach getaway for her birthday. I talked to her before she got drunk. I think and she mentioned something about it being a surprise from us. We didn’t try to surprise her.” Heather shrugged and went back to staring out the window.
“She kept saying something about all these plans, I guess waiting for us to slip up and tell her what we were doing. I thought someone else was surprising her, and I didn’t want to ruin it for her.” Betsy was taking deep breaths in a vain attempt to calm down.
Agent Watson stepped forward, placing a business card in front of each girl. “If you ladies think of anything else that might help us find her killer, please call.”
“Wait, she was murdered?”
We finally had Heather’s attention.
“Yes. The FBI doesn’t normally get involved with informing friends of their peers’ deaths when it’s only a car accident,” I added with sarcasm.
“Who would kill her?” Betsy covered her mouth in horror.
“Are we in danger?” Heather looked at the three of us for an answer.
Gritting my teeth, because she was getting on my nerves, I tried to answer politely. “Do you have a birthday this month?”
“What the hell does that have to do with anything?” she asked, offended.
“The killer is only going after women with the birth sign of Aries.”
“Oh, well then, both Betsy and I are safe. I was born in December, and her birthday is in August, so we should be okay.”
“Yes, Heather, I think you’re going to be just fine. Thank you both for your help.” I got up to leave, knowing that even if they knew anything, they were too self-absorbed to realize it.
The three of us left quickly, and I let out a relieved laugh when we were inside the safety of the car.
“I was ready to strangle that girl myself. Please tell me I wasn’t alone in the feeling?”
“How can someone not even care that their friend is dead?” Ryan agreed, pitying the dead woman in her choice of friends.
“Heather cared a lot more than she let on. I thought she was really stupid at first, but I think it’s just an act. Either way, I think we got all the information we could, and now we know the victims probably didn’t tell anyone about where they were going on their special birthday getaway.”
“I’m going to have to let the two of you drive up to Seaside. Agent Perez needs me to run point on something that’s come up here. I’ll take you to my building and put in the address. I’ll let her know that you’re on the way.” Agent Watson looked apologetic.
“We can handle it. Nothing like a murder to take you to new places or go on a road trip.”
“I’m sure you’ll be fine, but I just hate that we’re treating you like this.”
“It won’t be the first time. If this keeps up, we may be going all over the country, but we’ll manage. I’m just thankful that we didn’t have to rent a car.” Ryan got out of the back and walked around to the driver’s side.
“It’s a company car, so I have no problems loaning it out.” Agent Watson grinned. “I don’t have to pay for the insurance when it comes back with bullet holes.”
“Does that happen frequently?” I asked, shocked.
“No, but it has happened before. You never know what kind of situation you’ll find yourself in.” He patted the top of the car. “I’ll let her know to expect you in about two hours.”
“Thanks.”
Neither one of us saw the truck pull out from the groups of traffic and follow us to the state highway.
Chapter 5
Leslie
Agent Perez had a small group of locals that she had asked to come in for questioning. The interrogation room was small, and there was a group watching outside, so we joined them.
“So, you didn’t hear or see anything unusual next door last night?”
“No, ma’am. I went to work like I normally do, and came home at about six thirty or seven. My TV faces the other side, and I was busy watching the basketball game. Went to bed around ten thirty because they went into overtime, and I had to see how it ended.”
“Can anyone verify that you were home last night?” Agent Perez pressed.
“Nope. It was just me and the dogs.”
“What do you do for a living?”
“I’m a trucker for the Spring Mill. It’s a day job, and I’m home most nights by five, but sometimes I work over.”
“Do you work there or run it since your last name is Spring too?”
“It’s owned by my extended family. Mama’s daddy owned it until he died, and then they split the company between all the boys. They gave Mama a nice check, and she bought the farm where I live now.”
“Where’s your mama these days?”
I might have been out in the hall, but I was picturing a Psycho story, where he had his dead mother propped up in a chair to keep him company.
“Well, ma’am, she’s been buried about five years now over in Oak Cemetery. It’s not the same, but life goes on, doesn’t it?” He grinned up at Agent Perez.
“So you live alone out there?”
“Yes, I told you that already. Look, I’m real sorry about this girl going missing, but I didn’t have anything to do with it. Now, you asked all of us neighbors to come in to help you, but if you’re going to start questioning my moral character, then I’m going to need a lawyer or I’m going to leave,” he threatened.
“Mr. Spring, you’re free to go whenever, and you’ve been very helpful. We didn’t mean to question your character. Sometimes if you ask questions from a different direction, you can find that you remembered more information.” Agent Perez tried to pacify him.
“Uh-huh. That’s what the cops always say, and then the innocent guy goes to jail for a crime he didn’t commit. I’ve seen the TV shows. I think I’ll just head back over to work. I can still make it to Templeton and back before quitting time.”
“Just one more question for you. Do you have a brother named John?”
“Yeah, what’s it to you?” Mr. Spring stood by the door, ready to leave.
“We were just wondering when the last time you saw him was?”
“At Christmas, I reckon. He travels a lot, but he comes home for the holidays if he can. He lives up in Seattle, or that area somewhere. I’m not one to go gallivanting off to gracious knows where when home is right here.”
“Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Spring. If we have any more questions, I’m sure that Sheriff Turner knows how to get a hold of you.” She held the door open for him.
“Sure does,” Mr
. Spring grumbled as he walked out of the room with his head down, everyone’s eyes following him to the front door.
“Can you bring in Mr. and Mrs. Roads, please?” Agent Perez asked a man I was assuming was Sheriff Turner.
Bored with the questioning of the locals, I wandered out to see how a small-town police force worked. There were several sets of people crowded onto a few chairs that had been setup in a makeshift waiting room, and they all stared as I made my way outside. It was too crowded in the small space to think clearly.
I noticed that people were hovering around the building next door, so I decided to see what was going on.
The command quarters had taken over most of city hall, and people in polos with the FBI embroidered on them were bent over computers and maps. I had to show my temporary ID to the man guarding the door, but once he verified it, I was able to walk in and look at some of the maps.
They had marked a few areas that were heavily forested, which seemed like a prime spot to hide bodies or to be used to hunt the women. No one seemed to mind me looking around.
A list was sitting next to the map of all the landowners in the county, and wouldn’t you know it. Urban Energy was listed as the owner of the land where the women had been discovered. Excited, I scanned the rest of the properties, but nothing else was listed.
“Um, excuse me.” I tapped the closest person at a computer. “Can you tell me why you’re only looking at properties here in this county?”
“Maybe, but who are you?” The agent questioned, since I had nothing on with the FBI logo.
“I’m the detective from Texas that they brought in to help with the case. We’ve dealt with similar killers the past two months.”
“Oh, I heard Agent Perez mention that yesterday. She told us to run those in the county. We could expand the search, but it would take longer.”
“I don’t think you need to expand it to all properties, but could you do a run that just lists properties owned by Urban Energy? They seem to be the link to the killers somehow, and I’m going to bet that we’ll find the next burial ground on a property they own,” I advised.
The female agent turned back to the computer. “That won’t take nearly as long as pulling all the records for several counties and verifying if they’re forested or wooded areas. When I get it done, who should I take it to?”
“Uh, Detective Boxe. I can cross-check with maps and see where I think the killer is going to go next. It might not work, but it’s worth a try.” I didn’t want to stand around while I waited, so I walked over to look at the autopsy photos of the women who had been discovered.
Two of the pictures had names underneath them, but the other three were Jane Does two, four, and five. I just hoped that we could give their families some type of closure.
***
Agent Perez came over after the interviews and joined me, looking at the board.
“There are already more, aren’t there?” she asked without looking at me.
“Yes. He takes one every day. We may not know who they are yet, but that won’t stop him from killing them,” I acknowledged.
“Do you think he’s one of the people I just finished interviewing?”
“I only saw the one, but he could be. Is there any connection to Urban Energy?”
“The corporation? None that I’ve come across so far. Why?”
“They’ve had something to do with the past two killers. Not directly, but they seem to have their hands in everything. It’s something to check into and see where it leads. I have a feeling the one pulling the strings is going to change things up on us, but it doesn’t hurt to check out all the possible scenarios.”
I pointed to the maps laid out everywhere. “I had your agent there widen the search, but only looking for properties that were owned by Urban Energy. It’s a long shot, but if we find your missing girl before he hunts her, it’ll be worth it. Does she have an Aries birthday?”
Agent Perez grimaced. “Yes, in two days. He must take them early to terrify them. Then, when it’s time to hunt them, he chooses the one whose birthday it is. We got the ID on the fifth woman while I was in there questioning the neighbors. Her name is Tasha Logan. Her birthday was last week, and there isn’t a missing person filed on her yet.”
“Where did she live?”
“San Francisco this time, instead of L.A. He’s not playing out of just one field, he’s using this to spread us thin.” Agent Perez frowned. “We need you both to work with the profiler and see if we can come up with something to help narrow down who we’re looking for. This killer, but ultimately this Zodiac Master who’s controlling a bunch of killers.”
“I’ll find Ryan and we’ll get with your profiler.”
“Thank you. I hate when we’re just waiting for the killer to make the next move. It’s hard knowing these are someone’s daughters or sisters, but when it’s a hometown girl, that makes things so much worse.”
“Yep, I understand. I do think he’s someone that has local access, because taking this last girl was just to taunt us.”
Ryan walked in with the sheriff just then. “They uncovered another set of bodies, but they’re three counties over.”
“Who found them?” Agent Perez came to attention immediately.
“A father and son camping expedition. They literally stumbled over one of the graves because it was so fresh.” Sheriff Turner rubbed his face wearily. “We’ll stay here and let you guys do your thing, but they have to be connected.”
“Thank you for your help, Sheriff. If we get an ID on the missing woman, I’ll notify you personally.” She looked at me and Ryan. “Ready to see the crime scene? Maybe you can shed some light on what’s going on in this killer’s head.”
“We’d be glad to,” I answered for the both of us.
***
Since it was still daylight when we got there, we were able to get a good look at the graves. They weren’t what held my interest, though, as the crime scene teams started the process of removing the bodies.
“Ryan, look at these carvings. He takes time to mark the tree with just a knife. I think he might do wood carvings as a hobby, because they’re very detailed. He didn’t just sling it up there, he took pride in making sure they matched. Almost like he put a stencil up there before creating his art.” I traced the pattern with my finger.
“He might be doing this to fulfill a quota, but he’s enjoying showing his work off. Unlike the previous killers, he’s very experienced with this type of killing. We need to check the records for missing women over the last twenty years, because he’s an artist, and these are just his latest works.”
“Very good, Detective Boxe. I knew you had potential. I agree with your assessment. This property belongs to a corporation, but it’s not Urban Energy. It’s a real estate group that bought the property for investment purposes, and they use it on occasions such as weekend retreats,” Agent Perez advised as she snuck up behind us.
“I’m going to head back so we can meet with the profiler and get a list of missing persons. If we can narrow down the dates these kinds of disturbances started, we might be able to figure out who’s doing it now. We’ll look at any bodies that have been uncovered as well. I’m going to have it extended to statewide. I don’t think our killer has stayed this close to home and not gotten caught.”
As she walked away to give everyone their orders, I whispered to Ryan, “She’s either really good at her job, or has a sixth sense for when we’re about to find something. She scares me.”
He burst out laughing, causing those around us to frown. For the first time in a week, he seemed to come out of his depressed mood, and I wasn’t about to complain.
“What’s so funny?”
“You’re scared of an FBI agent. I honestly didn’t think there was anything that could get under your skin. You always seem so confident, and yet a seasoned field agent is the one that gives you nightmares. It’s hilarious.” Ryan kept chuckling to himself as we walked toward the vehicles par
ked at the edge of the wooded area.
“Not scared, just cautious,” I whispered at him.
***
Chapter 6
Leslie
I was exhausted after hours of going over the details, trying to pin down something that would help to focus on a specific person. The town of Seaside had been overrun with tourists, and there weren’t any hotel or motel vacancies within an hour’s drive. Agent Perez was sending us to San Francisco to check out Tasha Logan the next morning, so we opted to drive back and spend the night away from all the chaos.
I fell asleep as Ryan was driving back to our hotel in L.A., even though it was in the opposite direction from our destination the next day.
Ryan cursing brought me awake with a start.
“What’s wrong?” I mumbled, glancing in the mirrors as I sat up.
“Someone’s following us.” Ryan kept watching the one lane winding road.
“How long?” I asked, trying to gauge how far behind us the headlights were.
“About twenty minutes. I would just assume it was another car, but they never quite catch up to us. Other cars have passed them, but they’ve stayed exactly the same distance behind us, trying to stay out of sight.”
“Did you call anyone?”
Ryan shook his head. “There’s no signal out here. I’m pulling over in the next town whether we need gas or not.”
Awake and alert, I watched for the next sign that announced a town. Five miles.
We slowed down as we entered the city limits. Ryan quickly found a place to pull off facing the road and turned out the lights. It was a few minutes before a large produce truck lumbered past us. A full load of vegetables didn’t seem that suspicious, and nothing else passed as we waited.
“Well, was that it, or did they turn off somewhere?” I wondered out loud.
“I think that was it, and it makes more sense than someone following us. If the truck is loaded down, then it wouldn’t be going very fast and it would fall back during the hills, never quite catching up.”
