by C. Soto
They got out of the shower and started getting ready for the day. It was Saturday and he wasn’t needed in the office unless they caught a case, so he was taking advantage of the time with Samantha.
They first made their way to her bed, with nothing on but their towels. John was laid on his back and Samantha curled up to his side while she placed her head on his chest. They laid together for a while enjoying the peaceful moment spent while holding on to each other. He reached down and kissed the top of her head, loving their moment with just to the two of them. They were both busy people, so he would appreciate this time spent in the silence with her.
Twenty minutes later, he lightly nudged her, “Are you hungry beautiful?”
“Mmmm.” She replied as she stretched her body, getting ready to stand up.
They both started getting dressed, he looked over, “Hey Babe, you want to head out for breakfast and then we can come back here and have a lazy day?”
She jumped into his arms, surprising him, “Yes, that sounds like a great idea.” Then gave him a quick peck on his cheek, sliding down until her feet touched the ground. “There’s an awesome little breakfast spot right down the road. I love supporting the small family-owned places. Plus, they have the best food.”
“Wherever you want to go, babe.” He swatted her ass as she turned around to go get ready for the day.
While he was waiting on Samantha to get ready he sent Derrick a message to make sure they got back okay last night.
John: Hey, you guys home now? You missed me while you were gone, didn’t you?!?!
Derrick: Who’s this?
Another minute later another text message came through
Derrick: Yea we’re back. Emily is making me apologize and said, ‘that wasn’t funny and of course we missed everyone.’ I didn’t personally … but she is making me say so…
John: It’s okay buddy, I know you missed me. You don’t have to say it out loud. I wanted to make sure you guys were back safely. Samantha and I are heading out for breakfast, want to join?
Derrick: Sure, where at?
John gave Derrick the details and then received a text they will see them there.
As he was waiting he thought, How could Derrick not miss him? He knew he was bored at work without them. However, if he were somewhere for two weeks with Samantha, he’d wouldn’t give Derrick another thought either, so he’ll allow it.
He called out to Samantha, “Hey hon, Derrick and Emily are going to join us for breakfast. Is that okay?” Samantha and he were getting to that serious stage, so he wanted her to get the chance to know his friends better.
Derrick and Emily, well the whole team, were some of his best friends. If they were together, then she would be a part of that dynamic as well. She met them all at the wedding and she got along with everyone. It was a big event, so he was glad for the opportunity for a more relaxed gathering.
He was a little nervous though, as he hoped everyone liked and approved of her. Not that his decision about her would be swayed, but it would suck if his friends didn’t like her. Well not like her as much as he did… Because then there would be a problem. Well unless it was Emily or Tammy… Then he’d be open.
Derrick would kill him for that thought, but hey, he was who he was and thoughts like that would probably always surround him. Which reminded him he should send Tammy and James a text also telling them to meet for breakfast.
He shouted out to Samantha, “I’m also gonna invite James and Tammy so they don’t whine about being left out.”
She yelled back, “Okay, sounds good.”
This time he sent a group text.
John: Hey James and Tammy, everyone’s meeting at 9:00 a.m. for breakfast. Derrick and Emily already said yes, so you must come to welcome them home. Everyone is doing it!
Tammy: Peer pressure for the win. I’m in. Missed you guys, but really I need some greasy food for my stomach. Too much drinking last night. James tried to poison me with alcohol. (hangover emoji) See ya soon.
James: I’m in, see you there. Tammy, you just can’t hang with the big boys. LOL
John and Samantha left for the restaurant about thirty minutes later. They were the first to arrive, but they also were the closest. John looked at the building, it didn’t look like much. A white building with glass windows taking much of the frame. There was a bell attached to the door, letting the employees know someone was walking in.
They walked up to the faded hostess stand with a sign that read please wait to be seated. The booths were brown with some rips in them. It reminded John of the small hole in the wall places. Those were the restaurants that typically surprised him, as they had spectacular food with cheap prices.
Samantha and John were seated by the hostess at a table that would have room for everyone and requested drinks. The paper menus were already on the table that would also serve as their place mat. Within ten minutes everyone arrived. After greeting each other, they settled in and looked over the menu.
The waitress came over when she saw everyone arrived. They placed their orders first before jumping into conversation. Derrick thought to himself, Wow, I thought I’d never see the day John would behave himself. There were no lingering stares following the waitress with his eyes, nothing inappropriate. Hmmm… maybe he was serious about this Samantha of his.
She seemed nice from what he’d witnessed, she had a great personality. Not that he spent a lot of time around her, but he was usually a good judge of character. He hoped John didn’t screw it up. Samantha might be good for him. John was not the typical person to still be seeing the same person months later. Derrick had high hopes for the relationship and was silently cheering his friend on. It would be nice to all meet up like they did this morning and have breakfast together.
Not that he thought of John as the third wheel, but it would be nice to see his friend happy with someone. To have a person that is meaningful in his life and that he would settle down for.
The ladies were all seated near each other, which the guys were fine with because they knew how the breakfast would go, them huddled around looking at pictures, ohhhing and ahhhing over them.
Emily took tons of pictures on their honeymoon. Derrick was happy that she was happy. He didn’t really care about having to capture every moment. It was her thing, and if it brought a smile to her face, he would pose whenever she asked.
John looked over at Derrick and he looked like he was well rested and had a relaxed vibe about him. He was happy for his friend. Married life looked good on him.
John gave a sly look to Derrick, “Well fuck, glad you’re back! We were tired of having to catch all the bad guys while you laid on the beach sipping margaritas all day.”
Derrick smirked at him, “That’s not your problem, you’re upset that you couldn’t copy my reports at the end of the case, that’s it, isn’t? Would Tammy and James not share their notes with you in class?” They laughed, knowing there was a bit of truth in that statement.
While waiting on breakfast, the ladies looked at Emily’s pictures and talked amongst themselves. James and John filled Derrick in on the case he missed. After hearing the details, Derrick wasn’t that upset about missing it, it didn’t sound like anything too exciting.
He was glad he and Emily had the time off to get away and relax in each other’s company. It did him good to get away from the everyday drama of catching a killer and worrying about a victim, to be able to catch his breath. The last few years he’d been nonstop, not really taking many of his vacation days. It was hard to feel good about taking time away when there was another killer right around the corner. He also didn’t like to leave the team short a member. Which on this getaway for his and Emily’s honeymoon he internalized, if they needed someone for the case, they could always bring someone in to help, as the bureau has done many times.
The waitress came with everyone’s breakfast and conversations halted for a little bit while everyone dug in. John speaking to Samantha, “Wow babe, this is rea
lly good. I could see this place being one of my favs.”
“I know, I come here a lot, probably way more than I should really. It's so close to home though and beats cooking after a long school day, and if I still have papers to grade or do lesson plans.”
“Yea I understand that. Being on the road a lot we do take-out way too much unfortunately. Thankfully, we can hit up restaurants and I can still have a healthy meal instead of drive thru. I need to watch my figure. Helps too when the hotels have a gym or a town that has my gym and is 24 hours.”
As he slid his arm around her, “I have to make sure I keep my body in top condition for you.” He gave her a wink.
“Yea, I’m very appreciative of you doing so too.” She reached up and gave him a peck on his cheek.
Tammy rolled her eyes, “Samantha please do not encourage him.”
She responded to Tammy by laughing. She was getting along well with the ladies. She thought, What a great group of people John hung out with. She knew they all worked together obviously, but that doesn’t mean people that work together hang out outside of work.
She enjoyed each of their personalities and how they fed off each other. One could tell from seeing the group’s interaction, how close they were. Emily was as sweet as could be. She had a glow coming from her of being a newly married woman and the happiness shining from her. Samantha really took to her and her warm personality.
As they were finishing up, Emily asked Samantha and Tammy if they wanted to go shopping. Tammy declined as she was still a bit hungover and wanted to go take a nap. Samantha accepted the offer and let John down gently from their afternoon of laziness. She wanted to take the opportunity to hang out with Emily and get to know her even better.
Samantha and Emily then loaded in Emily’s car and went downtown to the shopping district for a girls’ day of fun. Samantha looked towards Emily, “Thank you so much for the invite. It’s been a while since I’ve taken the day to go shopping and have a true girls’ day.”
“Yea, no problem. There aren’t any cases yet, and with just getting back I am going to take advantage of the peace and enjoy hanging out since I have a feeling that will change soon.”
Emily and Samantha had a fun morning of shopping and they clicked with each other. Samantha thought she could see a great friendship forming with the two of them. Which would be nice as Samantha didn’t really have many girlfriends that she hung out with closely.
She was curious how Emily’s gift worked, but she didn’t want to be rude and ask her. She figured somewhere down the road she’d ask once they were closer. She wondered, Would it be rude if I asked her for a reading? She was fascinated by the whole thing. She was dying to know if John was the right man for her? She thought, Would that put Emily in a weird position to ask her if she saw me and John working out? Emily is John’s friend, and I did just meet her. She may not want to tell me if she sees John leaving me or vice versa.
She took Emily with her to one of the teacher’s shops so she could get some supplies on a project she was going to have the kids work on over the summer if they were interested. She would post a video on her teacher’s website showing them how to complete the project. They had a fun time looking at all the crafts and coming up with creative things she could do with her students in the fall when school resumed. Afterwards, they went to a little bistro for some sandwiches and soup. Samantha told her about teaching and the funny stories with some of her students.
Emily sat with a smile on her face, as she loved hearing all the stories of the kids. Emily couldn’t wait for her and Derrick to expand their family with children and experience those moments with their own kids. She loved children and was hoping for her own in the next year or two.
She wondered, Will my child will have a gift like mine or something similar? She knew if they did, she’d guide them through it and make it easier on them than what she had growing up. She would never want her child to feel like an outcast in their own home, because they were born with an ability that not many had. She would want her child to feel proud of it.
After lunch, Emily dropped Samantha off and they spoke about making plans again soon. Hoping to double date or do a girls’ day again.
Emily drove away with a smile, knowing she would be seeing Samantha for a long time to come. She honestly tried not to pry into people’s future without their permission, however, Samantha’s energy was attacking her senses begging her to see what the future held for her. She didn’t say anything as Samantha didn’t directly ask her and she didn’t feel it was her place to impart one’s future if they didn’t want to know.
Not that there was much to tell in the images she had saw before she put a block up from the assault of images. She didn’t want to feel like she was spying on her new friend. So as soon as the images started coming, she blocked them out. However, the little she did see, made her smile.
Chapter 6
The team got the call about 3:00 p.m. that Saturday afternoon. A couple was found dead in their residence. Once the team arrived at the scene, they each put on protective gear before entering the premises. The Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) team was already there, and the Medical Examiner (ME) would be arriving shortly.
As Emily walked in the house she felt the waves of anger, hurt, and pain from the energy the couple left behind, calling out to her, seeking justice for their deaths. Emily had a responsibility to help solve the case and ensure their spirits could rest easy. Since she had been consulting with the FBI and now able to go to locations and see the murder scene, it developed her skills and made them grow even stronger. Now she could connect further with the victims, finding leads to their killer sooner.
She was still squeamish seeing the aftermath, but slowly it got better with each scene that she went to. She didn’t know if that should be considered a good thing, to become numb by death. However, she owed it to the victims since she had this gift to help find their killers as soon as she could, so she went to every scene she could.
The team walked in through the corridor of the house, they took in the layout, and looked around for where the horror began. The house had an open layout, which gave the appearance of being bigger than it was. The back of the house had huge bay windows where you could see the pond they had in the backyard.
They continued, taking everything in. It wasn’t long before they found the scene of the crime. The husband and wife’s bedroom.
The husband was left restrained to a chair and his throat slashed open. They could see the projectile of where the blood splattered on the walls. The chair was facing the bed, where the wife laid. John could only imagine what the husband witnessed in his final moments.
These were the scenes that would keep him up at night trying to solve the case quicker, replaying every detail over and over. The killer made a presentation out of the wife’s body, which John found interesting. This would help him gain insight to the killer’s mind. She was laid out, fully clothed on a clean bare mattress. The bedding was nowhere in sight and no blood was soaked in the mattress. The mattress had to of had some type of protective covering on it to stay clean. Not seeing the bedding or protective covering anywhere in sight, John concluded the killer took it with him.
The wife's body was cleaned up. Not an ounce of blood on her. He could see on her leg what appeared to be a slash mark. The killer put her in a 50’s swing dress, the top of it was all black and at the waist it started to pleat and then the black bled to pink, where then the black started to become butterflies and her hair and makeup done to resemble the era in time. She had medium colored brown hair. The length went down to her chin. The killer put a pink hair band in her hair.
Looking at the pictures in their room, he suspected the killer might have cut her hair. He would ask CSI if there was evidence in the bathroom of someone having their hair cut. If so, he knew it would be found. That team was the best around. They would take everything back to the forensic lab and test it.
John also noticed that their wedding ba
nds were no longer on their fingers, he could see the faded lines of where they once sat. John assumed, the killer took them as a trophy.
The CSI team had taken pictures of the bodies before the ME arrived, so the team would have photographic evidence of how their bodies were found.
Dr. Hutton, the ME, arrived shortly after them. The team had worked with him in the past, so they were acquainted with each other already. As the doctor walked in he greeted them. “Hey Everyone, I see were starting the night early today. Wish we were meeting again under better circumstances.”
He first walked up to the wife and started examining her body. He shook his head, “They had their whole lives ahead of them, what a shame. In the last few months, I’ve had bodies at the morgue that were remarkably similar to this young lady. If it is the same killer, they seem to be escalating their timeline.”
Catching John's attention, “How many bodies do you think are linked to this killer?”
The doctor standing up from the body to think, “Well, the two from earlier this month. Also, if my memory serves me right, I’ve seen others with this killer's signature, I’m sure. I’ll look in my files when I get back to the morgue and let you know.”
“Yes, please do, we will need to review each of those files.”
James chimed in, "These must be the killings the news was reporting about last night."
A Tampa Homicide Detective responded, "Yes, it's pretty gruesome. I know her dress is hiding the real trauma to her body, if it's anything like the two other victims the Doc just talked about."
James noticed the slash mark on her leg. He could only imagine what the rest of her body would hold in injuries.
Emily stood back towards the corner in the room, not wanting to be in the way, looking on as everyone speculated this couple's demise. She felt the lingering energy prickling against her skin. She stood feeling it, trying to learn all she could, hoping a clue could be found. It was a mixture of the husband's rage not being able to protect his wife. The wife's terror and the pain from the mutilation of her body. She felt the killer’s excitement and pride of him capturing his prey. The sickness and evil attached to his soul. She knew the spirits would come to her dreams telling her what she needed to learn from this case.
