~"DETECTIVE MCCAIN?"
Jaycen swiveled his chair to find Dispatcher Tony Henderson standing in the doorway, hand on the knob. Being a rookie, his face had yet to be hardened by the job.
"There’s a Detective Kyle Miller in the lobby from the 18th Precinct of the Columbus PD. He asked to speak with Detective Johnson, who’s not here. I know you weren’t the detective handling the case…but…well, I thought—"
"What are you stammering about, Henderson? If there’s someone here wanting to speak with Johnson, send him back."
"Are you sure? I mean…you don’t even know what it pertains to."
Jaycen’s patience slipped. "Send him back, for chrissake, Henderson. I know most of Johnson’s cases. Besides, I’m sure Al will be back any minute."
Al Johnson had been his partner for three years. There wasn’t much they didn’t share when it came to the job. The only case he hadn’t helped with…ah, hell!
"Detective McCain?" A short, balding man walked into his office, extending his hand. "I’m here about a case. I was hoping to see Detective Johnson."
"I imagine so." His gaze held compassion, and Jaycen hated being pitied. "You’ve guessed the case I’m referring to, I take it."
"You know something about my late wife’s case?"
"I think we have a similar one." He scratched the morning stubble on his cheek. The man’s five o’clock shadow indicated he might have been putting in some long hours. "A package sent via the mail containing an ear and a typed message."
Bile crawled up the back of Jaycen’s throat. "What did it say?"
"Ding Dong! The Wicked Witch is dead. Wake up—sleepy head, rub your eyes and get out of bed."
"It appears we have a fan of The Wizard of Oz."
"Excuse me?"
"The message in the box containing my wife’s hand said: Ding Dong! Your wife is dead. Which old Wife? The Wicked Wife! Certainly, you know the song, Detective."
He nodded, his balding pate gleaming in the fluorescent lighting. "Why change the lyrics on your message to wife and not refer to your wife, excuse my reference, as a witch as well?"
Jaycen leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms behind his head and stared at the ceiling. He had no idea. But then again, what fucked up person would kill someone and refer to a munchkin song?
He glanced back at the detective. "Maybe that’s something we can ask him."
Detective Miller seemed unfazed by Jaycen’s sarcasm. "I want to compare evidence in the cases. This piece of shit isn’t leaving us much to go on, other than he uses FoodSaver brand vacuum sealer bags, which can be purchased at any Wal-Mart."
"You have a body?" Jaycen thought of his own wife’s body, never found. All they had to suggest her death was her hand, preserved in an airtight bag, and the note stating as much.
He shook his head. "Just the ear...and her tongue, Detective."
Jaycen drew in a deep breath, feeling the signs of an oncoming panic attack sucking him into the blackness. Grasping his bottle of water from his desk, he took a long pull. He couldn’t let it affect his job, nor could he allow anyone to see his weakness and pull him from the force. The job was all he had. His doctor thought maybe he should see a psychiatrist. He didn’t need a fucking shrink...all he needed was time.
His heart-beat slowing, he asked, "Anything proving they belonged to the vic? Something distinctive?"
"The bar piercing the tongue Mr. Perez, that’s the boyfriend, recognized, though not unique. The ear, however, held several rings clear up the lobe, matching all those of his girlfriend’s. Standard DNA tests can prove the identity, but you know how backed up the labs can be. Could take a few months before we get results."
Jaycen thought of Kelly Jo’s own DNA tests. It wasn’t on the list of high priorities since they had no suspect when the Bureau of Criminal Investigations, BCI, lab had hundreds of backlogged cases that did. Fingerprints could have proven her identity as well, but they had nothing to compare them to. Kelly Jo had never been printed. Besides, Jaycen already knew without a doubt who that hand belonged to. No question about it. "The last time he saw her?"
"She disappeared over the weekend. Supposedly went out dancing on Saturday night. Never came home. Seems the two have been having problems as of late, but he knew she wouldn’t just up and leave. She had a two-year-old son. Perez said there was no way she’d leave him behind. So on Monday he reported her as missing when she still hadn’t come home or called. Tuesday the box arrived in the mail."
"The postmark?"
"Columbus. How about on the box you received?"
"Toledo."
"Sounds like we might be looking for the same perp, though maybe not exclusive to one area."
Jaycen nodded. "Possibly."
"Your wife? Any idea what she was doing the night she disappeared?"
He shook his head. "We had an argument, and she left. No amount of research done on the case turned up her whereabouts. She just disappeared." He gritted his teeth and rubbed his aching jaw. "It was the last time I saw her. Any idea where this…"
"Anita Campbell," Miller supplied. "No, her boyfriend had no more information other than the fact she went clubbing. Do you know how many clubs there are in Columbus and the surrounding area?"
"I could only guess."
"We have some of our officers, and those of neighboring precincts, combing the bars. So far, nothing has turned up. No one saw Ms. Campbell that night. For the most part, we’re concentrating on the darker or Goth-style clubs."
Jaycen’s brow furrowed. "Why?"
"Ms. Campbell’s boyfriend said she was into Gothic styles and bondage. Wore lots of dark clothes, fishnet, leather, dog collars, dyed her hair black, black polish. That kind of thing. How about your wife?"
"Meaning?"
"She dress in black clothes…wear dark makeup?"
Jaycen ran a hand through his hair, mussing it further. "I can’t frickin’ believe this."
"Believe what?" Johnson walked into the office, extending his hand to Detective Miller. "Henderson told me you’re here to see me about a case."
Detective Miller quickly caught Johnson up. "So you see I’m trying to establish any patterns. I thought if Detective McCain’s wife was possibly—"
"Please. It’s Jaycen." He turned to Johnson. "Kyle was trying to ascertain if my wife was Goth."
"Kelly Jo?" Johnson smiled and took a seat next to the Columbus detective. "I’d say no. Was she into something you weren’t aware of, Jay?"
Images of Kelly Jo came to mind. She had begun wearing darker makeup and more provocative clothes after Alexis passed away, but that had been nothing more than a fashion change or a way to gain his attention. "Why would Kelly be getting into kid games? She was thirty years old, for crying out loud."
Miller nodded, rubbing his right temple with an index finger. "Could be nothing and not a tie-in at all. But if we could narrow down the types of clubs this guy frequents—"
"How do you know he frequents clubs? I’m not even aware that’s what my wife was up to when she disappeared." Jaycen’s ire rose. "And I certainly don’t appreciate the implication that my wife had been out partying."
"True," Miller agreed. "And I apologize."
"Can you even say for sure that this Campbell disappeared from a night club? Hell, for all we know, she could’ve been walking down the street when she vanished."
"What we have is the boyfriend’s testimony stating Ms. Campbell told him she was going clubbing."
"Did he say where she normally went?"
"Yes, and no one saw her there that night."
Jaycen tapped the desk with his forefinger. "Then you have no proof she disappeared from a club. What about a vehicle?"
"Apparently, she left on foot. We checked the area taxis. None of them had a call from her that night or in the immediate area where she lived. We questioned several neighbors and a few saw her walking, but no one saw her getting into a car. Perez said she was prone to hitchhiking."
"Then someone had to have picked her up. Columbus is a busy city…someone had to have witnessed it."
"So far, no one has come forth." He shrugged. "She didn’t just disappear into thin air, but we haven’t found anyone who saw her get into a vehicle. What about your wife?"
"Her car was found at the Spring Meadows Shopping Center, near Toledo. The only thing we can assume is either she was forcibly taken or she met someone and rode with them from that point."
"Prints?"
"None, other than hers and mine."
"Were you ever a suspect?"
Jaycen smiled, knowing full well the first person a detective looked at in a homicide investigation was the spouse. "I suppose I sent myself her hand?"
Miller’s brow rose. "Could have."
"Well, I didn’t." He grumbled. "Besides, I had an alibi for the night. I was pretty livid when she walked out. I called Al and we went out for a few beers. I was piss drunk by the time Al dropped me off at home."
Kyle looked at Al, who confirmed with a brief nod. "So where does that leave your investigation? Any suspects?"
Al cleared his throat. "We don’t have a whole lot to go on. Kelly Jo disappeared and we have no evidence of foul play, except for the box sent to Jay’s home containing her hand and note. The box, letter, and bag bore no latent; we found no foreign fibers, no DNA other than that of the victim. Blood typing matched the victim, but we’re still waiting on the DNA results. We have no body, no crime scene. What about you, Kyle?"
He shifted in his seat. "Apparently, no more than you. That’s why I’m here. I was hoping you could help shed light on my case."
"You mentioned the bags this guy is using. You think we can get anywhere with that?" Johnson asked.
Kyle chuckled. "Not likely. As I said, you can get a roll of that stuff just about anywhere. FoodSaver is a popular brand, but nothing distinctive. We tried getting a usable print off the bag with ninhydrin, but we didn’t get anything there either. The box, tape, notepaper—all latent free. The note is off a standard HP inkjet printer, again sold at lots of Wal-Marts. Either this guy is one of us or he’s watching way too much CSI. Our best bet is stopping this before it happens again."
What a ridiculous notion, Jaycen thought. As if they hadn’t been trying to catch this son of a bitch since Kelly Jo disappeared. "And how do we do that if we have no idea who this guy is or where he’s operating from?"
The Columbus detective shrugged. "We have more man-power and a better evidence team than you guys have access to here. I’ll make sure we share all the evidence we get on this case. I do hope you’ll do the same."
"Of course," Johnson agreed. "We’d definitely welcome any light you could shed on our case. And if we do find something, we’ll contact you."
Kyle glanced at the clock. "I should be heading back. You guys want to catch some lunch before I hit the road? Some place quick. I’d like to hit Columbus before rush hour."
Jaycen’s stomach growled at the mention of food. He glanced at the round white and black clock on the wall. Twelve-fifteen. He hadn’t eaten anything since his McDonald’s on the way into work. "Sounds good to me. You can follow Al and I, then we can get you back on the highway heading south."
***
Just his luck. The only restaurant in town that didn’t have a waiting line for lunch had to be Sara’s. Jaycen leaned back and scanned the room, hoping like hell she had the day off. After the way he had treated her, he wouldn’t be surprised if she dumped his entree in his lap.
The hostess seated them toward the back and rattled off the day’s specials. Jaycen paid her little attention as he gave the menu a cursory glance.
"Jay?" Al cleared his throat. "What do you think?"
Jaycen glanced up from his menu. "I’m sorry."
"I was saying there isn’t much to go on where these cases are concerned." Fortunately, Al didn’t comment on his inattention. "Unless we can find concrete evidence, this guy is going to strike again. I fed the information on the case through VICAP a few months ago and nothing turned up. I suspect these two cases are unique to each other. You think he started with Kelly Jo?"
"As far as the killing…possibly," Jaycen said. "His MO is pretty distinctive. But I’d bet he didn’t start with Kelly’s murder, due to the nature of the crime. Chances are he’s been brought up on sexual charges before. We should check the sexual predators and offenders in the Toledo and Columbus areas since nothing turned up in Henry County. See if anyone was recently paroled. Someone who might have odd fetishes."
Miller’s brow crinkled. "Fetishes?"
"He’s cutting off body parts of his victims and sending them to their loved ones. That doesn’t tell you he’s getting off on what he’s doing?" Damn, he didn’t even want to think of what this sick piece of shit did to Kelly Jo. Or the fact he hadn’t been there for her. He had relived the scenario in his head too many times to count. "He’s a sadist and that didn’t start over night. He gets off on inflicting pain."
"Sounds like someone I know." Sara drew their attention, the gentle curl of her lips raising her cheeks. "What can I get for you, guys? The sweet and sour shrimp is especially good today."
Jaycen stifled a groan. Running a hand through his hair, he sat back. "Hello, Sara."
"Jaycen." She barely acknowledged him as she turned to Al and Kyle, her smile widening. He supposed he deserved that. "What will it be?"
Moments later, orders taken, Sara sauntered away from the table. Damn if she didn’t have a way of making him feel like a heel. Didn’t she get it? His life ended with Kelly Jo’s, and Sara’s self-appointment as savior wasn’t going to work.
Al whistled his approval.
Jaycen grumbled. "Knock it off, Al. She’s too damn young for you."
"Mighty touchy today, Jay, don’t you think?" Al leaned back in his chair studying Jaycen. The fluorescent lights made his premature gray hair whiter in appearance. "I may be getting old, but I’m not dead."
"At forty-five, you’re far from old." Jaycen grinned. "You just look it."
"And I supposed she’d be more suited to your age?"
The smile shed his face. "She’s not my type."
Kyle laughed. "With a face and a body like that…she’s every man’s type. You blind, Jaycen?"
"Come on Al, she’s Kelly Jo’s cousin."
Al sat forward, crossing his arms on the Formica. "I’m sorry, Jay. That was insensitive."
"I’m sorry, too. I’m a bit off center with Kelly’s case being brought up again. Not that it isn’t ever far from my mind. I should’ve known better than to come here. Sara’s just another reminder."
"We’ll do everything we can to catch this guy. You know that, Jay."
"We already have been, Al. And unfortunately, it isn’t good enough. The man’s a phantom. He’s leaving us no clues. And unless we find something, Kyle has just shone us that Kelly Jo wasn’t his last and I don’t think Anita will be either. We need to find some workable clues and fast."
"I hate to bring it up again" —Kyle cleared his throat— "but maybe we should look at his choice of victims thus far. See if we can find any similarities between your wife and Anita Campbell. If we can figure out why them, maybe we can get some clue who his next victim might be."
Al nodded. "Makes sense. If you can get a feel on this Campbell woman, we’ll compare Kelly Jo’s characteristics. And I think we need to examine Kelly Jo more closely." He looked at Jaycen; concern edged his gray gaze. "Not before Alexis’ death, Jay…but after. You have to admit, Kelly changed. You and I both know it."
Sara returned to the table and set each of their plates in front of them. Pasting a false smile on her face, she asked, "Will there be anything else?"
Damn if his presence wasn’t upsetting her scale as well. He could read it in her expression. Maybe he ought to take her offer of help. After all, what other options did he have?
"Can we talk, Sara?" Jaycen asked.
"Now? I believe I’m working." She spun on her heel to leave. He supposed he deserved that after he’d spurned her desire to help.
Jaycen stood and caught her elbow. Surely they were putting on quite the display. But he needed this…for the case. If anyone knew who Kelly Jo was before her death, it would be Sara.
She shook off his grip. "Leave me alone, Jaycen. You made it quite clear the other night you didn’t want my help. So if you’ll excuse me—"
"It’s about Kelly Jo. I need to ask you some questions. What time do you get off work?"
Her lips turned down. "Three-thirty."
"Great, I’ll pick you up."
"What was that all about?" Al asked as Jaycen returned to his seat and Sara disappeared into the kitchen.
"You said we need to find out who Kelly Jo had become before she died." He shrugged. "No one knew her better than Sara. Maybe she can shed some light on what Kelly Jo had been up to."
"Are you sure that’s all that little exchange was about?"
"And just what the hell is that supposed to mean, Al? She’s my wife’s cousin. That’s it," Jaycen grumbled, shoving a bite of pork into his mouth. The last thing he needed was his partner questioning his motives. Although Sara was an extremely attractive woman, she was off-limits.
Will Sara help Jaycen? Will they turn up information about his wife that was better off left a secret? Stay tuned for Chapter 3 coming in December!
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