aCanvas the area, find out if anyone here saw something, donat talk to the press and find me something to go on!a My stern voice causes them to scatter quickly. Some out of fear of me, others because they would rather be walking in a park than dealing with my ego. I canat blame them. Looking around the park, you can see the satellite poles for news vans. The vultures are here waiting to pick apart the story. Put it everywhere. Sometimes the idea of the people needing to know makes me f.u.c.king sick. I wish I didnat know half of what I did and knowing Chase is exposed to all of this at a young age angers me.

You can only block out so much as a parent before your kid goes to school and some other child with a.s.sholes for parents shows him everything you wanted hidden. Itas wrong. Itas despicable. Itas inevitable. How can you teach right from wrong when you commit rape in a video game for points? Seeing all the families in the park just reminds me how outnumbered we are. One out of five of those girls will be s.e.xually a.s.saulted in their lifetime. No video game, movie or television show will change that, but the reporting goes down. Kids get desensitized to what they see daily. No outrage, more scrutiny of victims and what they did - less chance of a conviction. Itas a cycle that no one can break.

aDetective?a A young man stands in front of me with a cell phone in his extended hand.

aIam sorry to bother you detective, but the tech lab wants to speak with you.a aWhy didnat they call my phone?a aUmm, they did maaam, but you werenat answering.a aSo they called you Officeraa what the h.e.l.l was his name?

aPevy, maaam. My brother works in the lab and asked I come find you.a aRight, well thank you.a Grabbing the phone out of his hand, he steps a few paces back to give me s.p.a.ce. aSteele,a I say into the receiver while my eyes focus on the officer in front of me. His eyes finding the gra.s.s fascinating.

aDetective, this is Logan from the tech lab. I found some interesting things on Kaley Johnsonas laptop. I think you ought to come down here.a aOn my way.a Disconnecting the call I hand the cell phone back to the waiting officer. Patting him on the back I walk away and hear him exhale loudly. Trying not to let him hear me, I stifle a laugh. Even in these situations laughter is always the best medicine. It might be horrible of me, but d.a.m.n I love how the newbies are afraid of anyone in power. Kind of like my grandmother to me. Didnat matter that she had osteoporosis, one swift kick to my shin and she had access to smack me in the head. Good times.

Walking into the technology lab is like walking into another world. Wall to wall monitors, dimmed lights, room temperature at a chilly degree and rows of desks. The constant clicking on keyboards and mice, the mumbling to themselves or one another is what hits my ears first. The movements, rushed, you can feel the tension here. The low hum of the ventilation unit catches my ears as I wonder what my brother would think of all this. He was a technology geek, if it was new he had it. You name the Apple device, he had it, broke it and found a way to fix it again. Me, I wish I could type on my reports on my old typewriter with corrective tape. It was my dadas and it was old as s.h.i.t, but it never got infected. Well it did once, but that was due to the tiny human currently in my care.

aDetective Steele?a Turning around I come face to face with a well dressed, muscled man. His gla.s.ses gently hug his nose as his arms fight against the fabric of his b.u.t.ton-downed shirt. His hand outstretched for me to take.

aYou must be Mr. Pevy.a I shake his hand and am surprised by the firm, yet gentle handshake. My father, for all of his faults, told me that a manas handshake was his bond. It showed his character. Weak or fake handshakes, poor human being. Strong but gentle, like Will and Mr. Levy here, they tend to be good men. Too strong, controlling b.a.s.t.a.r.d. Same goes for hugs. I wish I paid attention to this when I was younger.

aPlease, call me Logan. Iam sorry for having my brother bother you. I know how rookies can be annoying as h.e.l.l when they first start.a aNot a problem. I never had a reason to come down here before.a aMost detectives donat want to come down here. Itas against everything youare trained to look for.a He motions with his hands for us to start walking. I fall in line with him as we weave through the desks of s.p.a.ce aliens. They have to be some kind of aliens to be able to figure out that code or whatever it is.

aI think my training has treated me well.a aOf course, detective, I mean nothing hurtful by it. Itas just this is not what youare used to. Sure, we track bank statements, cell phones and what not, but that doesnat warrant a trip here. What you have, youare gonna need us. Me specifically.a He pushes open his office door and I walk in to what could be a replica of Chaseas bedroom walls. Every shelving unit has some kind of action figure on it, let alone the logos of Batman and Superman hanging on the wall. Behind his desk, a full length autographed poster of Hadley leaning up against a wall, knife behind her back.

aYou a Hadley Moreno fan?a aYou could say that.a aI met her at a convention in Boston about eight months ago. Sheas great.a Sitting in a chair opposite his desk, I smile to myself. Leave it to Hadley to make an amazing impression on someone. Loganas smile was authentic reaching his eyes. That being said, he keeps playing with his hands, and that makes me nervous. What is he hiding from me?

aSo, why am I going to need you on this case?a He leans back in his desk, his smile suddenly gone and his eyes serious.

aKaley left an obvious trail in her search history. Normally kids purge it after every search, but you can tell she was in a hurry. She hadnat run a test on her computer for a long time.a aForgive my ignorance, but what does her testing have to do with her searches?a aKaley ran a test every month to ensure her computer was running at peak performance. Her chat logs, video chats, everything was always purged so things werenat as traceable. Every kid does it, yet the last month she had no care. The computer was sluggish and her search history was available for anyone to see.a aOkay, so what was she searching?a aA hit person.a aMurder for hires? Where the h.e.l.l so you search for that?a aWell her initial searches were through Google, no single human specifically shows up. However, one person recommended a program and explanations on how to access one.a aYou lost me. Someone contacted her to tell her to download a program that could kill someone?a aSort of. She posted on a support forum for abused teens asking for help in getting away from her parents. Someone private messaged her with the name of a program. She was to install it and use the specific code he provided. It gave her access to the Dark Web.a aAnd what is that?a aBasically, an untraceable area of the Internet where you can buy everything from drugs to young children to hiring a hit-person.a aThe government has no way to track any of this?a aWe do and we donat. We have Kaleyas laptop and she saved the pa.s.sword so I can access it until her account is closed.a aWho would close it?a aWhoever gave her access in the first place. This is the most difficult type of crime in the word to track and prove.a aCan you search for someone on there?a aNo, everything is through anonymous names. Money changes hands after itas bounced through a ridiculous number of IP addresses. So far all I have found is that she was in constant contact with a D.B.M. His IP is pretty much hidden.a aWas she hidden?a aOnce she downloaded that program, with that specific access code, it creates a unique and untraceable IP. The whole idea of the Dark Web is to ensure anonymity.a aSo no one from that world could come here and kill her.a aI didnat say that. I just know they couldnat trace her through this. Itas extremely difficult.a aThis makes me even more paranoid about Chase having his own computer.a aMy niece wanted an iPhone. Sheas eight, I gave her one recoded to only allow emergency calls and previously programmed games.a aShe must love you,a I laugh.

aShe said she wanted an iPhone, she didnat say anything about the full use of one.a aLet me know if you find anything else. I promise to answer this time.a aYou know, Hadley is at the convention center this week. If youare a fan of hers, maybe stop by and say hi.a aMaybe I will, thanks.a I shake his hand once more before heading out the door. If I knew half of what he did, my kid would be locked in a panic room, taking cla.s.ses online with tunnels to a park with his friends. h.e.l.l, maybe Iad just build an underground fortress and hide all the kids I know there. My mother never dealt with this s.h.i.t, razors in candy sure. Villains in an untraceable s.p.a.ce where no one can find or catch you, f.u.c.k no.

Walking down into the pit of the precinct with a bottle and two plastic cups I feel the weight of everything bearing down on me. My body finds its way to Victoras office, dropping into chair furthest from the door. Always have to keep my back to a wall. Some things never change. Filling one of the plastic cups to the top, I lean back in the chair.

Drinking the harsh fluid I feel it burn all the way to my stomach. Means Iam still here. I can still feel things. Still havenat touched the Garrison angle in this whole case. I want to, G.o.d do I want to, but thereas not enough to get the captain to loosen his grip. He wonat let anyone go near Irving and his company without ample piles of paper. Iam so tired of this fight.

aCome here to apologize?a Victor stands at the door, his arms folded - defensive. I simply pour him a plastic cup full of liquid fuel. He sits back and takes a sip, his eyes wide when he realizes itas Johnny Walker Blue Label. Smiling, he sits back and slowly sips the scotch. The bottle sits on his desk, half empty from our two lone pours. Last time I had this was with my brother after mom died. We finished the whole bottle. Itas only for special occasions and not of the fun variety.

aWhatas going on Jazz? Youare on edge, your eyes look like h.e.l.l and you pull out the Blue card? What is going on?a He drawls out and I just lean back, put my feet up on the corner of his desk and drink.

aIs it because Frankie wants a bigger family?a My eyes catch his and he nods in understanding. He knows I donat want a repeat of the Chase fiasco as weave called it in the past. He also knows I think about everything from stress to money to college. h.e.l.l, I even plan ahead to Chaseas wedding. I plan everything I can whenever I can. Kids, Frankie and I can plan when to have one - but the resta I have to give up control - again.

aIam just not ready for that and I donat know how to tell her.a aHave you tried aFrankie, Iam just not ready yet.aa aShe pulled the aweare not getting any younger carda.a aYou arenat, but there are always going to be kids in foster care who need a good home.a aMaybe.a aJasmine, you are wonderful with kids. You and Frankie are great parents to Chase. You both know that, so please drop the act and talk to me about whatas really going on.a Okay, how to start the conversation I donat want to have.

aTell me about the body.a Just donat start at all then.

as.e.xual trauma, lots of it. She was bound and gagged, probably for the majority of her time being missing.a aCause of death?a aAsphyxiation.a aWeapon of choice?a aBased on the feathers in her throat, down pillow would be my guess.a aAnything else? DNA?a aNo, but we got a good print from her thigh. Got a hit on the first try.a aWalter Miller.a It was a fact, no question in my voice. I knew he had taken her, the diary told me. The bigger question is why kill Daniel.

aWill was sitting on the house waiting for him to come home.a aDidnat tell me.a aYouare sitting in my office drinking. I doubt you paid attention to your phone.a aRight.a aYouare off your game.a Iam not just off my game, my piece has fallen off the chess board. Iave got nothing to add to that. I just nod and drink. Itas easier. I donat trust my voice.

aCase hits close to home doesnat it?a aJust reminds me of Dennis. The thingsaa I take a big gulp of the liquor and cough a little. One wrong phasing and I know the tears will pour out of my eyes. I donat want to be weak but lack of sleep and this case are causing raw emotions to come to the surface.

aWhat things, Jazz? He was a d.i.c.k and luckily you ditched him before going to college.a aMy brother made him break up with me.a aHenry? Why would he do that?a Gulping down the rest of the scotch, I can hear Henry screaming at me in my head. aSip it. Donat chug!a Taking a few breaths, I focus on my hands. There more entertaining when youare about to bare your soul.

aDennis didnat like who I was. All during high school, and especially our last year together, I was his girlfriend. I wasnat Jasmine Steele, I was Dennis Frankas girlfriend. I was branded with jewelry, keychains, held onto tightly every time we went to one of his frat parties.a Pouring more liquor into my cup, I know Iam well on my way to getting drunk. There are so many emotions swirling and I donat want to feel any of them. Victor just watches me, pity etched on his face. I hate that.

aHe said he accepted me as I was though. Told me that he didnat care about my bis.e.xuality, as long as I was faithful to him. I never cheated on him. Never even thought about it, but our third year of our relationship, things changed. I enjoyed being out, playing on a baseball team. h.e.l.l, I remember hitting the ball further and it irritated him so much. Here was his girlfriend showing him up, living her life and not catering to him. His parents hated me and despised the fact that I didnat bend over backwards for him. I was a freshman in college, trying to find my way in the world and they wanted me to be a wife. I loved him, I did, but I wasnat ready for that. I wasnat ready for everything being a wife entailed.a aIam not understanding why Henry would get involved if these issues were the problem. I know all of this and thatas why heas a d.i.c.k to pretty much everyone who met him.a aI hadnat slept with him.a aJazz, we both were there for the drunk truth or dare. We know your first was some hot a.s.s blonde guy with an accent in your twenties.a He chuckles as he drinks. Itas obvious the alcohol is. .h.i.tting him. Sadly, this conversation is sobering me up.

aI let him have it, Victor. I was terrified he was going to leave. He was getting forceful and I just stopped fighting. It was easier to let your mind wander. Hurt like a b.i.t.c.h, but the bruises would fade with time. He was the first person I ever loved, my self-worth was wrapped up into him ya know?a He nods in response, but the look of pity breaks me. The tears slowly fall, the alcohol helping my defenses fall.

aI wish I had more strength to push him off, continue to scream no, whatever I could. We donat get that ability. No one believes us. Itas what a girlfriend is supposed to do. It depends on what I was wearing and what not. So, I get why Kaley was struggling. I was desperate for help, but I felt responsible for the whole thing. My mother had no idea, but Henry-he knew. He went with me to the doctor. You are willing to do dark things when pushed to that point.a aDoes Frankie know?a aYeah. Itas funny that she was the only one to make the nightmares stop. She helps when I wake up crying, she made me feel human again. Then I go and almost lose her anyway when Henry dies and leaves Chase with me. Everything leads back to the kids huh?a Victor laughs as he grabs the bottle and pours more in his cup. He taps on his phone for a few seconds and then turns his attention back to me. The pity seems to have faded and a slight brightness fills them.

aSee, this is what makes you a good cop. You think of the victims and the perps. You remember what it was like to go through something similar, you have a connection to it all. Yet, you can disconnect when you have to. You can be calculating and cold if itas called for. That makes you who you are. Kids ainat gonna change that.a aNeed to deal with some things first.a aStop obsessing about the connections to Garrison and focus on the little things. If the case is there, itall be there. Donat lose yourself trying to force things, Jazz. If he f.u.c.ks up, he f.u.c.ks up. You canat make it happen.a aI could, but then Iad be sleeping on the couch for the rest of my life. Frankie doesnat like meanies.a aBecause mean people do mean things to innocent people. May I ask what brought this on?a Looking at the door I see Frankie in all her beauty. Smiling wildly, I know I am three sheets beyond the wind. Victor looks no better than I and before I can control it, Iam in a fit of giggles. Looking over at Victor, heas struggling and I know it. Within seconds, heas lost as well. The two of us giggling idiots, while Frankie looks on confused as h.e.l.l.

Itas then that it hits me like a freight train-life can be good. Right now it is.

Chapter Five.

My wall of wonders teases me as Iam not closer to understanding anything. The strings feel pointless, like Iave created a web for creations sake. Pulling out a copy of Johnsonas identification badge and Milleras photo, I hang them on the board. Well, stabbing them with thumbtacks to an already crowded miscellaneous section of my walls. Theyare connected but I donat know how and Iam beginning to lose my edge.

Gulping down my water to swallow some pills helps me keep my hangover at bay. I donat even know if Victor remembers texting Frankie, but Iam glad he did. No way were we driving home. Well, I might have tried, but failed miserably. Sitting here in this room, I know life is good. I want to find the connection. I want to get this off my chest. Yet, in the same breath I donat want to. I just want to walk away.

aYou could you know.a Iad know that voice anywhere. Itas the calm, soothing tone that always made the bad dreams go away. I wondered when my imagination would bring her back, but Iam not dreaming this time. Sleep deprivation must be taking its toll.

aItas that among other things.a Turning around I see my mother in her youthful glory. I want to reach out and touch her, but letas be honest - this isnat real. Iam not dumb and lord knows I am not blind, but this isnat real.

aWhy are you here?a aI donat know. You talked to your grandfather growing up, why would I be any different.a aGrandpa died when I was a kid.a aAnd your imagination allowed you to talk to him. Itas not a bad thing, this is just how you deal with things. What did Frankie tell you? You create scenes in order to understand and decipher the problem.a aNightmares.a aWell you do have those, and you should talk to her about them. This not so much, you are talking to me because you want to, not because Iam here. You could have picked your brother, Belinda, your father or grandmother. Whomever you felt would help you figure this out.a aCrazy, yup Iam nuts.a My motheras body shakes as she erupts with laughter, a sound I have always loved.

aJasmine Marie Steele, you are not crazy. Youare just not like everyone else. Stop being stubborn and just realize your imagination created me so you can figure this out.a aDuring waking hoursaa aYouare stressed and havenat been sleeping. Need I say more?a aPoint taken.a My mother stares at the walls, at my web of disconnect. I can see the displeasure on her face, if she was alive Iam sure shead be scolding me about something. Maybe the color of my string is wrong. Maybe I am missing what is right in front of my face. I truthfully donat know. Iam seeing my mother in living color, so I donat know if I am really a good judge of anything right now.

aYouave done so much work here.a aYeah, but it isnat enough.a Her hand follows the green lines. Then they fall on a picture of Henry, Belinda and Chase. Her fingers tracing the outline like Iave done so many times before.

aYou still blame yourself?a aNo, been there done that. This isnat about guilt.a aVengeance then.a aPartially. Itas also my way of bringing someone to justice. Youare not supposed to make money off your crimes, yet Irving Garrison did and continues to do so.a aSo many people commit crimes every day. People make money off the backs of slaves everywhere. How can you save them all?a aI canat.a aThen let this all go. Itas becoming an addiction for you to deal with this. Its disrupting sleep, bringing up nightmares you left behind months ago. Jasmine, you are beyond obsessed.a aThis is where I tell my mother, who is a figment of my insanity to just back off.a aYou know heall make a mistake, and then you catch him. Until then, live your life.a aI do.a aNo, you donat. You simply exist in the majority of it. You have moments, but mostly you exist.a Those words. .h.i.t me in the chest, hard. They were the exact words I said to her almost every day towards the end of her life. I know people say you become your parents, but this is not something I want to be. I am just doing my job and my own second guessing is going to cause issues. Looking back up to her, Iam once again alone. The image having done itas job of placing seeds of doubt in my already cluttered mind. The vibration of my cell phone pulls my attention.

aSteele.a aIam outside. Weave got another body.a Willas voice cuts through the tension in my soul. Hanging up the phone. I gather my thoughts before heading into the unknown.

Walking up the gra.s.sy knoll Iam brought back to my father talking about Kennedy and political conspiracies. I can just imagine him walking up to the yellow tape and d.a.m.ning authority. He never liked those in power. Unless it was my mother. Then he respected it. Never underestimate a woman who cleans your underwear or cooks your food. I learned that from my mom and Murder She Wrote reruns.

aWhat we got?a I ask as my feet drag me to stand beside Victor near the coroneras van. He looks up at me and for the first time that Iave known him, he looks green. Iave seen it before after a gallon of tequila and a pound of lemons and salt, but this looks different. My head begins to hurt at the prospect of what Iam about to face.

aMale, mid-fifties, Caucasianaa aYouare very down to business today.a I throw at him, hoping heall take the lead and explain why he looks like s.h.i.t.

aYea, well. Thereas not much for me to do here.a aCause of death?a aPretty clear.a Iave always considered Victor to be a well rounded, good looking dark-skinned male. Iad never date him because that would be like dating my brother. Heas part of my other family if you will and right now I see a man with disgust written on his face.

aVicaa aI took an oath when I became a doctor. Didnat matter the position of the graduate from best in cla.s.s to barely doctor, we all took the same oath with the same wording. In essence, we remember that we are treating human beings, not disorders or diseases. We help, not harm.a I watch him fight for his words, slowly pulling them out of his mind one at a time. Itas a bit funny what heas said though. I know firsthand, as long as you pa.s.s the cla.s.ses-youare a doctor. I sat in the emergency room once waiting on x-rays for my foot. Doctor came to me, told me my wrist was sprained and I could go home. He ignored my attempts to prove him wrong and discharged me. I guess regardless of oaths-people inevitably all cause harm.

aEveryone is capableaa aOf being a b.a.s.t.a.r.d, I know that Jazz. But thisa this was a brutalization of a man by someone with medical training.a aOkay, so thereas an evil doc running around killing people. Doesnat mean you need to take it personal. Thereas bad cops, horrible aunts, and donat get me startedaa aThis isnat about you dammit!a He punches the van and his eyes harden at me. Iave never seen him like this before and frankly I never want to again. Either way, right now I want to smack him, but as an adult I wonat. Who am I kidding, as an adult I would punch him easily. As a friend, I will back off.

Turning to the crime scene, I duck under the tape as Victor calls after me. I have no patience for other peopleas c.r.a.p. I know Iam being a b.i.t.c.h right now, but it is what it is. Standing next to Will, his hand frantically writing notes down but I canat read his scribble. His shorthand is worse than Chase trying to do common core math. Neither one makes any bit of sense.

aVictor say anything?a aMale, Caucasian, mid-fifties and cause of death would be pretty clear once I saw the body.a aHeas right.a Will points over to the body and I get my first glimpse of the victim. It looks like a body, kind of. No blood trail leading up to him. Body dump then. No evidence nearby of a struggle, supporting the whole body dump thing. Seeing the body up close makes my stomach turn. Iave seen a lot in my life, but this was something out of Hadleyas movies.

Walter Miller, eyes closed, lays on his back, arms out, palms to the sky. His gla.s.ses perched on his face as if he fell asleep reading. His skin pale. His hands and arms show no defensive wounds. All things Iave seen before. Kneeling down, I look at the damage before me and my coffee decides to make a second appearance.

Swallowing the acid back down, I snap on a pair of latex gloves. I need to see this. Call it morbid curiosity, call it inquisitive, call it whatever the h.e.l.l you want. His shirt was cut down the center, and not like a great eighties cut off. This was done with a set of scissors or something similar, too clean a cut. The cut on the skin looks the same, clean, precise-perfect.

As a kid, you always put your hands into things. If thereas a cake, there are fingers swiping some icing. Mud pies, the garden, in the case of my brother once-dog p.o.o.p. Itas natural that we always put out hands in things. Itas how we learn about texture and make a connection to whatever weare touching. As adults, we know when to stick our hands in something and when not to. Right now, I really donat want to, but the stupid in me wins out and I do.

Nothing. I feel nothing. Pulling my hand out suddenly, I fall on my a.s.s. So much for the not washing jeans movement. Rest a.s.sured my a.s.s is green and not with envy as I release my stomach full of coffee to the lawn beside me.

aAt least you kept it away from the body. Two newbies splashed a bit too close.a Looking up at Will I see him stronger than ever, calm, stomach still full from breakfast. Part of me wants to ask him how thatas possible. Maybe thereas a cla.s.s you can take - aHow Not to Puke at a Crime Scene 101a. Yet, I know why heas okay. Heas seen men blown to pieces, men trying to hold their intestines in while waiting for help. Heas seen worse and I must look like a weak private to him right now.

Snapping my gloves off, I stand up and try to catch my bearings. If I donat think about the fact that my mouth tastes like a.s.s, Iall be okay. Then again, how do I really know what a.s.s taste like? And I succeed in making myself hurl whatever didnat come out of my mouth before. I hear Will chuckling in the background. d.a.m.n him and his Marine genes.

aYou done yet?a Using my sleeve I wipe my mouth, the scrunch up my nose at the actions. Now, Iam gonna smell like bad puke all day. I need a shower and a new cup of coffee. Maybe a latte, I threw it up so the morning coffee calories from this morning donat count. I can rationalize anything I want really.

aJasmine, you done?a aYeah, just thinking.a aThey still count.a aWhat?a aJust because you threw up the majority of it, the stomach was already digesting.a aAnd this is where I say stop reading my mind scary Marine man.a aNo witnesses in the area and no evidence of nibbling.a aSo he hasnat been here long.a aNot according to Victor, no.a aWhy the same park as Kaley?a aThis is a bit more secluded so they didnat want him to be found quickly.a aYet, we did becauseaa aEarly morning jogger. Said she normally doesnat take this path, but wanted to try something different.a aKaley was by the kids area, in the tree dividing the baseball field from the tiny humans.a aMiller left in the wooded area that is rarely traveled.a aYea, but you and I both know we would have found the body eventually. Itas not like heas buried or even folded up and disposed of. The man has no organs inside of him, Iam sure you could have disposed of him a different way. Why leave him here where he will be found at some point?a aComfort.a The word sends chills down my spine. Comfort to me is hanging out on a really nice couch with Frankie and Chase watching a movie. Comfort is an amazing cup of coffee. Comfort is not a place to dump the bodies. h.e.l.l the whole point of killing people is to get away with it. This is not getting away with it. This is taunting the police to see whose ego is bigger.

aChase plays lacrosse here.a The words sound foreign to me. Small, empty, like when I spoke to my brother while he was slowly dying. Nothing had meaning. Grabbing my cell phone I call Frankie.

aHey honey, whatas up?a aI donat want Chase going to any more lacrosse practices. Or games. Or play dates in the park. No more park. Nothing, I donat care.a aOkay,a she draws out slowly. She thinks Iam nuts. Considering I left my bas.e.m.e.nt after seeing my mother who is long dead, I would question it myself. aMind telling me why?a She asks simply.

aMurderer dumping ground.a I flatly reply. I canat add emotion here, otherwise I will be dry heaving for the next couple of hours.

aOkay then. No park for the foreseeable future.a aThank you.a I disconnect the call before letting her ask me anything else. I know her well enough to expect a barrage of questions concerning this case. Anything from who is he to who did it. In other words, everything we all want to know and nothing I can answer. I wonder if I could sing aone of these things is not like the othera and the information would magically appear. Man sometimes I wish I was young and didnat have to deal with killers and their idiocy. Or psychotic behaviora then again, kids in high school are no better. I guess this is the lesser of two evils.

Florescent lights illuminate the small house. The wallpaper reminds me of the disco era when my mother thought my brother wanted to dress in vertical striped pants with bright shirt. He was four, he had an excuse. My father had a matching outfit, he should have known better.

Touching the plastic covered furniture, I can hear my mother yelling at my brother and me to stay out of the living room. A chain dividing us from the Promised Land where G.I. Joe and Care Bears could roam free. A place where holidays are held and a ma.s.sive stereo unit with a record player and 8 track unit reside. I swallow the memory sized lump in my throat.

aYou okay?a aYeah,a I lie. I donat need memories right now. aJust reminds me of my parentas house before they renovated.a Trying to stay light, I feel detached. Like I am following this case, but it feels outside of me. Yet, in the bas.e.m.e.nt, everything connects somehow.

aWeave got people all over the house looking for anything about this case.a aTech already grabbed the laptop and headed back to the nerd cage.a aItas not so bad down there.a aI know nothing about the cave except that is where my brain cells go to die. I donat get it and I donat care to. Point and shoot, remember?a aSounds like a personal problem.a I walk past Will and head down the stairs into the bas.e.m.e.nt. Leave it to movies, novels and other psychology books to insist the bas.e.m.e.nt is the best place to house all the evidence. Between the dampness, dimly lit rooms and the smell, you think a criminal would want to take better care of their evidence.

Debris litters the floor, everything from old books to clipped floor tiles cover as far as the eye can see. This is why criminals like the bas.e.m.e.nt so much. Itas away from prying eyes and people who donat like it. Yet, to them, itas where they can be who they are.

aI hide in the bas.e.m.e.ntaa I mumble to myself. Am I like them? Is that what my nightmares are trying to tell me? Iam no better than those who hide little girls in bas.e.m.e.nts? I punch the wall. Or more accurately, through the wall to William Milleras secret hideaway.

aWill!a He comes down the stairs, skipping every other step. I pull some more sheetrock out of the way and he peers inside. He starts to tap the wall and the sounds change oddly. He places his ear to the wall while I continue to work removing the obstacle.

aWould be faster if you helped me.a He smiles and pushes the wall hard. It clicks and opens.

aOr you could do that. Have I mentioned how your military training makes me look bad?a aNo, but Iall make sure to let them know.a aFunny, really.a I walk around him, my flashlight illuminating the obsession with Kaley Johnson and other young female students.

aHe must have had cameras hidden everywhere.a aThere must be hundreds of photos here, how the h.e.l.l did he not slip up?a aMaybe he didnat act on it.a I turn and see Will standing over a makeshift sink with a few bottles lining the circ.u.mference. Picking one up, no labels but it smells of something hideous. In a split second, I gag and force my stomach to get its contents back.

aWhat the h.e.l.l?a aNo idea, but this makes me wonder if he ever touched any of those girls.a aHe finally took a step into the darker side though. Kaley comes to him with a desperate plea for help.a I think out-loud.

aHe can finally enjoy all his fantasies in her payment.a Will adds as it all seems to fall into place.

aUntil he finds out sheas pregnant.a aDestroys his illusion and he kills her.a aMaking her look like a beautiful doll for us to find.a I dry heave again causing Will to take a step back. His arm points to the stairs and I can tell he wants to get rid of me. Canat blame him, shoes are expensive.

aIall keep the techs working and make sure this gets a thorough once over. Go see if Victor is calm enough to share any findings.a Afraid to open my mouth to say anything, I simply smile, turn and rush out of the bas.e.m.e.nt. I swear I can feel my stomach fighting me with every step. Thatas it, I need military training for my stomach. Leaving my DNA all over the place is really not professional.

I find myself back in Victoras morgue hoping for more information. Anything had to be better than what we found at Milleras house. Beyond just wanting to leave my lunch again, I wanted to hurt this man. If he wasnat already dead I know I would want to put him in gen pop. Pedophiles donat do well in the general population. Even criminals have a code of ethics, children are off limits.

aPenny for your thoughts?a Victor smiles at me from his perch on the wall.

aI think with inflation that might be a bit cheap.a aNah, whateveras going on in that mind of yoursa not worth much.a He smiles, seemingly the earlier confrontation forgotten.

aFeeling better?a I can see his face fall into an unreadable expression. I know heas upset about the situation and you always lash out at the one you love most. Trust me, I wrote a book on that one. He pushes off the wall and saunters over to me.

aI sort of am.a aDrinking?a aOverdosing of sorts.a aOn what?a He holds up his hand with a rather large chocolate bar. Most men would go for drugs, liquor, spending sprees but not Victor. He runs for the candy bars. No wonder he and I get along. One of the worst fights we ever had was over a Whatchamacallit. He wanted it. I got it. Never underestimate a woman with her desire for chocolate.

aI remember a time when you would buy some rather expensive items when you needed to deal with the stress.a aAh yes, well chocolate is cheaper and since the soon to be ex-wife is trying to bleed me drya this is all I could afford.a aAnything I can do?a aNot hold my little outburst against me?a aItas forgotten.a aSo what brings you down to the depths of my own personal h.e.l.l?a I stare blankly at him. I want to answer the obvious, but truthfully why the h.e.l.l would I be here if not to discuss the victim. His eyes search mine for a few seconds, before the synaptic responses in his brain start to connect the dots.

aOh, Walter Miller, right. Yes, no organ man.a aWhoever did this, did us a favor. Less man hours needed to convict him. Less tax dollars at work.a aWell, that is point one. He did have s.e.xual intercourse with Kaley Johnson. No protection was used.a aCan you tell how long ago? She write in her diary she had paid him for helping her deal with her family issue.a aThen it had to be more than once. The evidence was dried and located on his underwear and his genitals.a aWhat about the obvious missing organs?a aBefore we go there, he had a wound on the back of his head. Leads me to believe blunt force trauma is the cause of death.a aConsidering the condition of the body, one would a.s.sume blood loss.a aIf he wasnat already dead, yes that would most likely be the reason. There is something a bit more disturbing. Thereas evidence in the esophagus that Mr. Miller was kept alive.a aWhy?a aI think that would be obvious. He was to be harvested. I found some bone removed and replaced by cheap PVC pipe.a aLet me get this straight, someone killed him, kept him alive just to take his bones and organs.a aYes, the black market has many buyers for this kind of thing.a aOkay, so what kind of person would be buying?a aSomeone who is on the transplant list, someone who is ineligible, parents desperate for their children, any number of people really.a aIneligible people?a aAlcoholics, drugs addicts, those who are too sick or not sick enough. Thereas a lot of paperwork, politics and money involved.a aSo, people will turn to another source, even if the risks are high.a aUsually those who are used or harvested are type O blood. The universal donor. Mr. Miller was type A.a aYou lost me.a aThere are several cases of organ harvesting where the individual is stalked, hunted down for their body parts. In most cases, the victimas medical history is hacked before the abduction. If they are type O, they are missing within a matter of days. Then you promote you have the organs, sell each off at a prime price. Then you dispose of what you canat sell. All of the organs go quickly when theyare from the universal donor.a aBut heas type A?a aWhich means the recipient needs to be type A or AB. If not the organ would fail.a aLeaving the person right back where they started.a aWith a much lighter bank account balance, if they werenat killed by the rejection first.a aTraceable?a aChecking with local hospitals for transplant surgeries would help, but I donat know if it would help you. These hospitals get a good amount of money for the services. You think they would jeopardize all that with a bad reputation?a aIn other words, unless we get lucky, we have nothing. Iall have the captain put the word out to the local hospitals. Maybe something will break.a Victor takes a big bite out of his chocolate bar. I shake my head as he moans in pleasure of the offending candy. I miss bad food. d.a.m.n diets, ignoring carbohydrates, cookies, basically anything that tastes good. Frankie and her healthy dinners.

aStop staring at my chocolate. You are more than capable of buying your own.a aYou have any more?a aNo, did you not hear me about the divorce, ex trying to take me for everything? I can barely afford these two immensely pleasurable treats. So, go upstairs. Talk to the captain and get the h.e.l.l away from my chocolate.a His hand waves in my face, but my eyes can only focus on the chocolate. Like a dog staring at a bone, I force myself to back away. Man how I miss chocolate. Itas one of those things that you donat necessarily think about or want until you see someone else eating it. The power of suggestion is just as bad as being on a diet. Either way it sucks for me.

Chapter Six.

Ever have those moments when you are the b.u.t.t of a very cruel karmic joke? Where you are walking and slip on nothing? Or you think youare at the top of the stairs but youare not. So that last giant step makes you look like a fool. I must be having one of those moments because I keep pushing on this d.a.m.n door and itas not budging.

aNeed some help?a Logan says as I jump away from the door.

aIt must be locked or something.a He smiles as he pulls the door open with ease. He holds it as I enter the domain of uncertainty. Where everything I touch could be a bomb. Okay, maybe not a bomb, but I could delete and entire case file with a flick of my finger across the wrong monitor. It could happen. Trust me. Logan waves his hand and I a.s.sume that means I am supposed to follow him to his office. Looking at the other minions as they stare at screens and click away, I realize my karmic smack down had gone unnoticed.

Following Logan into his office, he closes the door behind me and looks rather intense.