Law of Five

by Robin Mahle

  Nick appeared impatient, folding his arms as he waited for more on her theory.

  “It’s the flower. The poem. That’s what gave me the idea.” Katie looked to Agent Myers. “This isn’t about faithfulness, this is about a weed. A weed that spreads its seeds, creating new ones.” She returned her attention to Nick. “I’d like to come with you to the examiner’s office. Please, Nick. I know that we’re not dealing with a single killer.”

  “We have tossed the idea around, in abstract terms,” Agent Myers began. “The logistics of the killer arriving here from Colorado in that time frame and finding Brown, it’s just not plausible. I know you and Ms. Reid have history.” She looked to Katie. “Let her come with us. Hell, it can’t hurt.”

  As the three prepared to leave, Marshall and Detective Gibbons arrived. “Gibbons just got DNA back from Lindsay’s apartment from our lab. There were no hits in the database. We need to get Shalot to give us a sample for cross-reference,” Marshall said.

  “I just got a call from Dr. Napier. She’s got lab results for us too. Let’s get down there. See what we’re dealing with and if we’re going to have to let Shalot go,” Scarborough replied. “Katie’s coming with us.”

  Marshall didn’t object, but his expression turned to that of someone who’d begun to see the writing on the wall. It was in his eyes and Katie could feel it when he acknowledged the idea, nodding reluctantly. She sensed that Marshall thought she was slipping away.

  ***

  “We’re here to see Dr. Napier. Agent Scarborough, FBI.” He again showed the woman at the front desk his badge.

  She pressed a button on her headset. “Dr. Napier, I have Agent Scarborough with the FBI here.” She paused for a moment. “Thank you.” The woman looked at the others and then to Scarborough again. “Go on down; she’s waiting for you.”

  Dr. Napier buzzed them inside. “Welcome. I see you brought some people with you?”

  “Yes,” Nick proceeded. “You remember Detective Gibbons, this is Detective Avery, Katie Reid, also with PD, and this is Agent Myers. She’s been working on a profile of our suspect.”

  “Please, come in.” Dr. Napier walked to one of the autopsy stations and retrieved her tablet. The victim’s body remained under cover of a heavy white sheet.

  Katie had been through this before. She began to recall the moment she saw Sam’s body laid across the cold metal table. She recalled the precise locations of the stab wounds, the contusions on her face and body. Everything came back in such detail, she nearly reeled back as the doctor lowered the sheet that covered Lindsay Brown.

  “I’ve determined the cause of death to be asphyxiation. We found high levels of carbon dioxide in the victim’s blood.” She pointed to Lindsay’s eyes. “Of course, the bloodshot eyes is a telltale sign as well. Finally, we found trace elements of plastic in the lungs. It appears she either tried to pull away at the bag or plastic sheeting that had been placed over her face and inhaled small pieces of it, or there were loose fragments that she’d inhaled.”

  “What about any DNA under her nails, any fibers? Anything that we can use to find out who did this to her?” Katie asked, a little surprised by her own questions. It seemed she’d picked up on a fair bit working in Evidence.

  “I was just about to get to that,” Dr. Napier replied. “First, let me just say that the carving on the victim’s body happened post-mortem. The instrument was dull and had a small blade, like an old pocket knife.”

  “Not nearly the precision of the previous victim in Virginia,” Scarborough interjected. “According to the ME there, she bled to death from the wound and the suspect used an extremely sharp implement. Possibly even a scalpel. I haven’t received confirmation yet on the body in Kentucky, but it appears she had suffered the same, bleeding out from the wound. Both victims were essentially drained of all blood and had been moved later. That at least partially explains the lack of blood on scene.”

  These victims were in stark contrast to that of Lindsay as well, Katie thought. Those women had families and were quite a bit older. Her theory didn’t seem so far out in left field right now.

  The doctor returned to her tablet and began typing, appearing to open up a file. “We did get something back from the lab that you might find of interest. Foreign DNA was found in the victim’s mouth. It appears she may have bitten down on her attacker.”

  Scarborough turned to Avery and Gibbons. “We need to cross reference this sample with what you were able to pull from the scene and get Shalot to submit to that swab test. Dr. Napier, could you please email your results to me and Agent Myers? We need to get back to the station quickly. We have someone in custody and before he’s due to be released, we need to know if these samples match.”

  “Of course.”

  ***

  The CSI lab back at the station was overcrowded with FBI agents, detectives, and the technicians, all working to get the results before the forty-eight-hour mark when they would be forced to release Shalot.

  Katie was leaning more and more on the theory that Edward wasn’t the culprit. It seemed Agent Myers was on her side as well. They would need to convince the others and cross-referencing the DNA from Lindsay’s apartment with the sample from the medical examiner would prove it one way or the other. Shalot had willingly submitted to a swab test, which was another reason to believe he wasn’t Lindsay’s killer.

  Dr. Harris, the man in charge, didn’t like his team being put under such pressure. People under pressure made mistakes. And in his line of work, mistakes meant someone guilty could go free or someone innocent could go to jail; neither scenario worked for him and so he hovered protectively over his team. “I’d prefer if you let us do our work, Agent Scarborough. I can assure you that you will be the first to know when we get our results.”

  Katie approached Marshall, who stood only steps from Agent Scarborough. Both loitered as if it would make a difference. “I’m not going to be of any use here. I’ll head back to my desk and get to work. See you later?”

  Marshall seemed surprised by her sudden departure. “Kate, what’s going on? You wanted to be in on this and now you’re just going to leave?”

  “I just think we’re wasting time in here. Shalot isn’t the guy. We know it. The FBI knows it. So, I can’t just sit here waiting for the labs to come back, telling us what we already know.”

  Marshall held her gaze for a moment, appearing to try to read her intentions. “I know that look in your eyes, Kate. We got half a dozen people that want the same thing as you do. Don’t go off thinking you need to run on some idea all alone. Last I checked, we were partners.”

  “We are. I understand that. I just need to get back to work.”

  She’d been too harsh. It wasn’t intentional, but as she made her way back to her desk, it occurred to her that he might perceive it as such.

  It was the nagging feeling that set her off, as if she and everyone else were missing something. Katie began to wonder why it was that Marc Aguilar contacted her only days before Lindsay Brown turned up dead. It was as if he knew what was coming. The timing couldn’t be coincidental.

  The story was already headlining on every news station. The reporters offered conjecture as to whether or not the authorities were dealing with the Highway Hunter and working to keep it quiet. They would take every advantage to sensationalize the story.

  Aguilar had seen it coming, though. What had he known that she or the authorities hadn’t? Maybe it was time to meet up with her old friend.

  ***

  There he was, Marc Aguilar, Channel 9 News, sitting at the restaurant booth and scrolling through his phone. Katie spotted the perfectly coiffed hair and tanned skin immediately. She respected Marc for what he’d done for her when she felt as though there was no one else in whom to confide. He’d come through for her on occasion since Hendrickson too. They’d become good friends, but he was still a reporter and reporters were always looking for a scoop on a good story.

  He noticed her on approach an
d flashed his bright white smile, which stood out even more against his bronzed cheeks. “Katie.” He greeted her with a peck on the cheek. “It’s been too long. Please, sit down.”

  “Thanks for taking the time to see me, Marc.”

  His expression quickly turned serious. “I understand you know the man they have in custody for the murder of Lindsay Brown?”

  “He’s just a person of interest right now. Nothing more. But yes, I am acquainted with him.” Katie grew suspicious that he had obtained this as of yet undisclosed information.

  Marc took a sip of his iced tea. “I can’t imagine that makes Detective Avery very happy.”

  His inference had not gone unnoticed. “No. Not very happy.”

  “I’ve done some digging into this Edward Shalot’s background,” Marc began. “Don’t look at me like that. You know when I’ve got a feeling about something that I’m not going to just let it go.”

  “The FBI and the San Diego police are looking into Shalot’s background. Marc, this is already a very difficult situation.” Katie had made her point, but she knew it would not deter him. The same as it would not have deterred her.

  “I understand, but I think you might change your mind once you see this.” Marc slid a manila folder across the table.

  Katie flashed her eyes between him and the folder for a moment, then decided to take a look. This wasn’t expected. In fact, her question had as of yet remained unasked.

  Upon opening the file, her lips pursed until they turned white. “Oh my God.” She looked to Marc. “What the hell is this and how did you get it?”

  “It seems your acquaintance might not have been completely honest with you or the authorities.”

  Inside were photographs of Edward Shalot, capturing him hanging around various places of ill repute, mostly from security cameras around the locations. In and of themselves, these were not that disconcerting. What was, however, were the print-outs of several blogs, Facebook, and Twitter posts about him. It seemed he had a reputation for frequenting strip clubs and venues that catered to alternate lifestyles. But as Katie began to read some of the posts, she grew even more troubled.

  Most of the blogs and posts were complaints by women. Some were exotic dancers, some were women who had also frequented what appeared to be something akin to swingers clubs, but all seemed to validate the same thing: that Edward Shalot had posted unauthorized pictures of these women and that when some had confronted him, had found themselves on the receiving end of his rather nasty temper.

  Of course, none of them reported these assaults. At least, according to the posts. They were either too afraid of losing their jobs or of their personal lives being exposed. So, they chose to spread the word about him online. Even going so far as to post pictures of him so people would know what he looked like.

  “First of all,” Katie began, “how did you even know that we had Shalot in custody? His name hasn’t been released to the public. Hell, we haven’t even charged the guy with anything. Secondly, when you called me the other morning, you already knew something about this Highway Hunter, didn’t you? Something more than what the FBI told the media. Why else would you have asked me to talk to Scarborough? How did you get this information, Marc? Look, it’s me. You gotta tell me what you know.”

  The fact that Marc hadn’t been straightforward with her up until now was more than a little upsetting, but she supposed if he had a contact who was feeding him information, that person would fall under a protected source. It didn’t seem to matter that lives could be at stake.

  “Did you know that Shalot had stolen my school records? Had my address, phone numbers, my class schedule; everything that someone would need to keep tabs on me.”

  Marc leaned back in surprise. “Katie, I’m sorry, I had no idea. Look, these posts weren’t exactly hidden. Anyone who knows how to use Google would be able to find them with little effort. Frankly, I’m surprised no one else came across them.”

  “Who are you talking to, Marc? Come on. You didn’t just come across this stuff. You didn’t just call me at five in the morning on a hunch. Who’s your source? Someone who’s trying very hard to convince everyone that Edward Shalot is the Highway Hunter is playing you. And whoever this person is knows far too many details about the investigation. Jesus, Marc, we’re dealing with a killer here.”

  “Katie, I—I can’t…”

  “Are you kidding me? Your source deserves more protection than I do? What the hell, Marc?” Katie banged her knee on the table as she stood up in anger. “Don’t ever ask me for a damn thing again. You hear me?”

  “Wait!” Marc raised his voice, drawing unwanted attention from the other restaurant patrons. “Katie, I’m sorry. Come back and sit down, please.”

  She returned to her seat under protest.

  “He didn’t give me a name, okay? Just called me up at my desk one day last week and said he knew there would be a killing here, a Highway Hunter killing. Didn’t know when or where or who the victim would be. Believe me, if he had told me that, I would’ve gone straight to the police. You know that.

  “So that’s why I called you. For all I knew, the guy just wanted attention and was talking out of his ass. I thought if I could talk to Scarborough or have you talk to him, maybe he could give me something to go by. You know, information that I could test this guy out with. Find out if he was for real or not. Then make the call to the authorities if it panned out.”

  Marc took a drink of his tea, the weight of Katie’s eyes bearing down him. “When Scarborough declined, he didn’t leave me much recourse. The guy called me again and told me to pick up an envelope from some nearby location. Said I would be convinced that the serial killer was here, in San Diego.”

  “For God’s sake, Marc. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “It’s not like I knew Lindsay Brown would turn up dead. Jesus. You think I would have kept that to myself if I did? Give me a little credit. Anyway, you ended up calling me first. I just got this today and I figured you needed to see it. Katie, I didn’t know Shalot was the one in custody until I got this and it wasn’t until just now that you told me about the nature of your relationship with him...”

  “There is no relationship, Marc. Let’s just get that clear.”

  “I didn’t mean…” Marc waved his hand, brushing off the comment. “I meant that I didn’t know you knew him before now.”

  “All right.” The anger that she felt towards Marc was beginning to dissipate. She understood now why he did what he had done. “I’m honestly just shocked by this.” She thumbed through the pictures and blog posts. “Maybe he did kill her.”

  “If something happens – you guys bring charges against him – will you tell me first? I know you’re restricted from saying much, but Katie, the public has a right to know if they have the Highway Hunter, or if he’s still on the loose and there’s someone pretending to be him.”

  “Marc,” Katie began with pleading eyes.

  He held up a preemptive hand. “I’m not going to release anything. But when the time comes, you promise me I’ll get the news first.”

  Marc spotted the waitress coming and immediately closed the file, pushing it towards Katie.

  The waitress placed two glasses of water on their table. “Are you both ready to order?”

  “I need to get back to work, Marc. I’m sorry, but I can’t stay.”

  “Of course. I’ll talk to you later?”

  Katie slid out of the booth and excused herself to the waitress. “I’ll be in touch.”

  ***

  Blue skies had finally emerged as the day progressed. The wind, however, still brought with it a chill. It was either that, or the fact that this new information Katie now held in her hands had turned her blood cold.

  She approached Marshall’s office. His door was closed. Never a good sign. “Knock, knock.” Katie slowly opened the door, unsure of what she would find. The blinds covered his windows and there were no assurances he was actually inside.

 
Upon opening the door further, he appeared, casting his eyes up to her, and what Katie saw in his face frightened her more than what she was about to reveal to him. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

  “Close the door and sit down,” he began. “Where have you been? I checked your cubicle and was just about to call you.”

  Katie slowly sat down in the chair opposite his desk, bracing her weight against its arms. “I was having lunch with Marc Aguilar. Well, we didn’t actually get around to eating. I left after only a few minutes. Will you please tell me what’s going on?”

  “The sample Gibbons took from Shalot matches what the ME found in Lindsay Brown’s mouth. Scarborough and Captain Hearn are going to be speaking to the media in a few hours, bringing official charges against him.”

  The samples matched. How was that possible? There wasn’t much more any of them could do. That type of evidence was almost impossible to refute. Scarborough would remand Shalot. The case would be over, as far as the San Diego Police Department was concerned.

  Everything she had considered was just wiped away. Would the files she now held matter or would they solidify the case against Shalot even further? “Well, Agent Scarborough knows what he’s doing. I guess they got their guy,” Katie said, still skeptical.

  “Not exactly.”

  What was Marshall holding back? He’d wanted this result and should be thrilled that it was over. What was the real reason for his gravitas?

  “There’s been another killing. Scarborough got word shortly after speaking to the medical examiner.”

  “But we’ve got Shalot in custody,” Katie started. “Then there is more than one of them.”