Page 40 of Investigate Away
“Even amount of raven trinkets purchased as well, but this time we’ve added rose gold.”
“Obsessive-compulsive disorder.”
“We established the unsub suffered from that.”
She nodded. “This one has a thing for numbers. I’m thinking six is important. So is three, which goes into six, twice.”
“It also could be twelve, because he stopped killing at twelve.”
“Exactly,” she said. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the two raven trinkets. “These were on my bed.”
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Jag said.
“I wish I were. I can’t find the other one, and frankly, I don’t think he, or she, left that one behind. What do you think that means?”
“That our Trinket Killer has already started another cycle of killing,” Jag said. “We just don’t have a body yet.”
8
The only time Jag went to the mainland these days was for mandatory work meetings or when his family made him. He stood on the bow of the ferry and stared at the Seattle skyline. He used to love living in the city. All the people and the fast pace of city life.
He didn’t miss it one single bit.
The closer the ferry dock came into sight, the faster his heart beat.
If his theory was correct, the Trinket Killer hadn’t started with Renee.
But who?
And where?
And how they hell did they miss it?
He made his way down from the observation deck to where he’d parked his Harley. Flipping up the kickstand, he revved the engine, following the line of cars off the ferry and onto the main road. He headed toward downtown and his old precinct. He hadn’t set foot in that building in almost a year. When he’d walked out, he didn’t think he had a career left. Forced into a two-month leave, he had a lot of time to think about his life and what he really wanted to do, and being a cop was all he’d ever known.
Thank God for Ajax.
Pulling into the parking lot of the 87th Precinct of the Seattle Police Department, he reminded himself that when he took the job, he’d made a promise to Stephanie while visiting her grave that he’d follow every lead.
Only, he hadn’t had a lead in months.
And now he had more than he knew what to do with, and none of them made any sense.
He pushed open the door, and his ears were assaulted with confrontational communication at its best. Nothing like his nice little quiet station sitting next to the library in city hall. He nodded to the desk sergeant who buzzed him past the front desk.
“Morning’s waiting for you in the conference room,” the sergeant said. “Do you remember where it is? Or should I get you an escort?”
“I’m sure I can find it.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets. He noticed a lot of familiar faces and a few new ones as well. A lot could change in a year.
And a lot stayed the same.
He tapped his knuckles on the glass door.
Albert waved him in. “How’s it going?”
“I’ve been worse.”
“You’ve looked better,” Albert said, giving him his best bro cop hug. “Thanks for coming to me.”
