Page 30 of For Mercy

Morgan nodded encouragingly, her mind racing to connect the dots."Can you tell me exactly what you saw when you entered the room?"

Gary took a shaky breath, his eyes unfocused as he relived the scene."I was walking home from my night shift at the warehouse.It was so quiet, you know?Then I heard her screams.God, I've never heard anything like that before."

He paused, swallowing hard.Morgan waited patiently, giving him space to collect his thoughts.

"I thought someone was being attacked," Gary continued, his voice trembling."So I ran to the door.It was unlocked.When I got inside, she was...she was like a wild animal.Throwing things, knocking stuff over.I tried to calm her down, but it was like she couldn't even see me."

Morgan nodded, her mind racing.The scene Gary described matched what they'd found inside, but it still didn't explain how Michelle Knox had died.

"Mr.Gary," Morgan said gently, "this is very important.Did you see anyone else nearby?Anyone at all?"

Gary shook his head emphatically."No, ma'am.I was alone.Just me and her."

Morgan studied his face intently, searching for any hint of deception or uncertainty.But all she saw was genuine shock and distress.Gary's hands were still shaking, his eyes wide and haunted.He looked like a man who had stumbled into something far beyond his understanding.

As she observed him, Morgan felt a growing certainty that Gary was nothing more than an unfortunate bystander.His reaction was too raw, too visceral to be an act.Still, she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was missing from this picture.

"Thank you, Mr.Gary," she said softly."You've been very helpful.We'll have someone take you home soon."

Morgan turned away from Gary, her brow furrowed in concentration.She walked back towards the crime scene, her eyes drawn to the darkened building looming before her.The flashing lights of police cruisers cast eerie, pulsing shadows across its facade.

"Something's not adding up," she muttered to herself, her voice barely audible above the low hum of activity around her.

Derik appeared at her side, his face grim."What are you thinking?"

Morgan shook her head, frustration evident in her tense posture."If Michelle had a way out, just like Hawthorne...why didn't she make it?What was different this time?”She turned to face her partner, her eyes intense."The killer is escalating, Derik.They're choosing themes, creating scenarios.But what's the common thread?"

Derik ran a hand through his hair, equally perplexed."Maybe it's not about the victims themselves, but what they represent?"

Morgan nodded slowly, her mind racing."A courtroom for a judge, a hospital for..."She trailed off, realizing they didn't yet know Michelle Knox's occupation.

"We need to dig into Michelle's background," she said decisively."Find out everything we can about her.There has to be a connection we're missing."

As they spoke, Morgan's gaze drifted back to the building.The staged hospital room inside seemed to mock her, a twisted puzzle box waiting to be solved.She could almost feel the killer's presence, lingering like a shadow just beyond her reach.

"One thing's for certain," she said, her voice low and determined."They aren't finished yet.This is just the beginning of whatever sick game they're playing."

Derik nodded grimly."So what's our next move?"

Morgan took a deep breath, steeling herself."We work the scene, gather every scrap of evidence we can.Then we start connecting the dots.Hawthorne, Knox, the staging, the methods – there has to be a pattern.We just need to find it."

As she spoke, Morgan couldn't shake the feeling that they were running out of time.Somewhere out there, the killer was already planning their next performance.And she was determined to stop them before another innocent life was lost to this twisted spectacle.

CHAPTER TWELVE

The city skyline loomed ahead, a jagged silhouette against the first pale streaks of dawn.Morgan gripped the steering wheel tighter as she maneuvered through the empty streets, her eyes burning with exhaustion.Beside her, Derik stifled a yawn.

"You okay to do this?"he asked, concern lacing his voice.

Morgan nodded curtly."We need answers.Sleep can wait."

As they pulled into the coroner's office parking lot, Morgan's mind raced.Two murders, both staged in bizarre settings.What was the connection?What was the killer trying to prove?

She pushed open the car door, wincing as her ankle twinged.The break had mostly healed, but reminders of that night in the woods with her father still lingered.Morgan shoved the memory aside.Focus on the case, she told herself sternly.

"Let's go," she said to Derik, leading the way into the building.

The familiar antiseptic smell hit them as soon as they entered, making Morgan's stomach churn.Or maybe that was just the lack of sleep and coffee.Dr.Emerson, the chief medical examiner, greeted them with bloodshot eyes and rumpled scrubs.

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