He shut the door and buckled his seatbelt.
“That’s fine with me. I get Fiona to myself. Hey, you owe me one,” he said playfully, pointing to his tanned cheek, huge grin lighting up his face.
Ah, it was the deal I made in calculus class. I promised to kiss his cheek and he seemed amused by my apparent struggles on how to proceed with the unexpected request. Embarrassed, I was lucky it was still dark outside and he had closed the door, as I was blushing more with every second that passed.
Two scenarios sifted through my mind. If I refused his request, it would put a damper on the mood in the car and increase the awkwardness on the way to the cave. If I went through with it, well, I’d have to go through with it, and it seemed like the act of doing it would be rather humiliating in a peculiar way.
With flutters in my stomach, I leaned over to his presented cheek, my lips connected, landing a brief, innocent kiss. Upon the union of my lips to his cheek, I breathed in a stronger, more concentrated version of his scent and I froze for a second. Twisting the key, I ignited the engine, looking straight ahead at the road, feeling ill at ease for my inelegance.
“Let’s go!” I said, for a lack of something better to say.
“Thank you for keeping the deal, Fiona. You have very soft lips, my face enjoyed it, and I will never wash it off,” he said teasingly in a velvet voice.
I had thought about what Maddie had said and knew it would hurt me far too much not to have Wolfe in my life. I figured I could keep things playful between us without crossing the line for now until I figured things out.
After a quick car ride filled with a lively and more serious discussion of the potential of a serial killer in Godley Grove, I pulled the car in the parking area next to the cave. Seeming like a bad case of déjàvu, we were next to a crime scene van. We hopped out of the car and sprinted over to Detective Chase at the entrance of the cave.
“Glad you guys could make it,” the detective said, looking at Wolfe and me with a curious mask.
“We’re glad to be here! Lauren and Willow haven’t responded to my text yet, so I assume they’re sleeping. Maddie’s probably headed to soccer by now,” I said as I viewed the time on my cell phone. “She was unable to miss practice this morning; she’s got a game Friday night.”
Detective Chase, wearing his black crime scene investigator jacket, nodded as if he understood. I couldn’t wait to have my own jacket like that one day.
“Not a problem. Alright, shall we?” he held up the barrier tape, barely able to raise it above Wolfe’s head.
We entered the dark main corridor of the cave, and he passed us both an industrial flashlight. Water droplets passed from the stalactites on the ceiling, making random puddles on the ground and the musty aroma grew more intense as we progressed into the corridor, the limestone slush sounding gritty underneath our feet.
Newborn sunlight streamed through the holes in the ceiling of the Open Council Room. It was darker in the room than it had been before when I was there during midday at full sunlight. The room at dawn was even more beautiful, tranquil. Listening to the waterfall, I stalled as I stared at the spot when we had embraced. I tried to capture and relive the moment while pretending to survey the room for evidence as we trekked towards the tunnel.
“Here we go, Wolfe, go first,” he directed sternly, holding his flashlight stream down the tunnel for Wolfe as he climbed inside and crawled though.
I could hear distant voices belonging to the crime scene investigators down in Dracul’s Den. I was next to enter, and after struggling to climb inside, I clumsily followed the irregularly worn bottoms of Wolfe’s gray Vans as he traversed through, trying to keep a grip on my flashlight as I moved forward.
As I crawled half way through the tunnel before the bend, the static light beam behind me turned erratic as Detective Chase climbed in behind me. A slight tinge of panic stirred my senses as the alabaster walls closed in on me, the air turning stuffy. With Wolfe in front and Detective Chase behind, the tunnel constricted as I wiggled my way through on my elbows and knees.
A surge of adrenaline blasted through my veins, forcing my breathing to become rapid, and my head to grow fuzzy. I gasped for air as Wolfe reached the end and climbed onto the steep steps. It was as if a gust of air whooshed in at me, allowing me to breathe deeply, calming my secret panic attack.
I climbed out of the tunnel with haste and jumped down the steep steps leading into Dracul’s Den. Detective Chase was right behind me and pointed to the section of the room already cleared by the crime lab. Wolfe and I took our places, surveying the room in what appeared to be a déjàvu experience.
The crime scene investigators once again had the room well lit with generated lights and portable lanterns. The cryptic graffiti on the bumpy, limestone walls and half-burned black candles in makeshift sconces hadn’t changed since the Jody James murder. There appeared to be far more blood on the altar than in the Jody James’ case.
“Stay right there, folks. This one isn’t going to take as much time since there’s no body. We’ve already searched every nook and cranny of the cave. The body isn’t here, it’s been moved,” Detective Chase reported a little breathless.
“Is there a murder weapon?” I wondered, camera flashes firing in all directions from around the cave as the investigators diligently recorded the scene.
“None found. We assume the murderer was a tad more careful this time. However, there were letters spelled in blood on the altar.” he muttered, pointing towards the limestone altar in the center of the room.
“What letters?” I inquired abruptly, surveying the dark blood stains on the altar.
“SVA,” Detective Chase answered.
“What does that stand for?” Wolfe added.
“Not sure but it could be for the Southern Vampire Alliance.”
“Would they be so obvious like that?” I asked hastily.
“How do you know this is a murder, and they weren’t just drinking each other’s blood with permission?” Wolfe inquired. “Isn’t that one of their tenets that Dimitri wrote?”
“Well, we have done more research on that practice, and it is rare. If they do, there isn’t any waste. They drink it from the veins directly. This much blood would definitely mean the death of the victim. I’ve seen other murders with far less blood at the scene,” he lamented, pointing towards the altar.
From my vantage point, I could see a rough outline of a body in the taupe-colored limestone on the stage of the altar, surrounded by blood-soaked limestone. I elbowed Wolfe gently in the abdomen, pointing towards the altar.
“Are we certain it is human blood? Remember when Damien admitted to killing a deer on the altar? It could be an animal,” Wolfe asked, shrugging a shoulder.
“Human, type AB-. A rare blood type, actually.”
My eyes shot at Wolfe with a concerned expression. Thinking of the evidence we would be able to collect, I remembered I had left my forensic kit in my car. I imagined having to crawl back through the tunnel and through the dark corridor by myself. Cringing mentally, I grew angry with myself for such a clumsy oversight.
“I forgot my kit! I’m so irresponsible!” I said in regret, jetting my eyes to the ceiling as I lowered my shoulders.
“Fiona, you are anything but irresponsible. Is it in your car? I will go get it, not a problem,” he said tenderly, extending a cupped palm.
“Yeah, I always keep one in my trunk,” I whined with regret, dropping my keys into his hand.
“Be right back,” he whispered into my ear before taking off with his flashlight towards the marble tunnel.
Detective Chase walked towards me, a smirk spread across his round face.
“I see what is going on, Fiona. I’m giving you a stern warning. Keep this training lab professional. You, in less than five years, will be seeking your first job in a forensic lab. You don’t want to set up bad habits of dating colleagues. Make this a very hard lesson learned and stay away from any unethical behavior. Keep working r
elationships honorable.”
I was embarrassed, humiliated. I dropped my eyes to the wet limestone of the ground so he couldn’t read the expression on my face, knowing it would spill my thoughts. Was I that transparent? I felt like such an amateur, even though I was an amateur, I always tried to be just as smart, just as professional, just as mature as the ones in the real job that I aspired to have. This proved I was still a child, not ready for the adult world—the real world.
I couldn’t form the words I wanted to use to defend myself so I mumbled, “Uh…um—”
“Don’t get me wrong, Fiona. It happens more than you think, and we deal with it all the time at the station. Feelings form during stressful situations. Sometimes, these feelings aren’t even real, they’re not true, but they get you through the day when you’re working on a case without sleep, without eating, without any love or affection from your family. I just want you to realize you should ignore the feelings you may have. Remember you are involved in a case, and lives are on the line. We need your brilliant mind here, not in the clouds.”
I nodded, feeling more than ashamed of the feelings I had no control of, and didn’t mind having because they made me feel whole.
“Got it. I understand completely. You have my word,” I said.
“We’ll be done in a few, and you can have a look around, take a blood sample from the altar, whatever you’d like for your investigation.”
After a few minutes of silence, Wolfe returned with the kit, and I did my best to look at him as a partner instead of a crush. After the crime scene investigators had cleared the scene, Detective Chase stayed with us while we took blood samples from the altar. I pulled out my camera and photographed the bloodstains in every possible angle, including the bloody letters SVA. We searched the Dracul’s Den in a standard grid protocol and didn’t find any new evidence for the crime.
We crawled back through the white marble tunnel and into the main area.
After searching the area and the other rooms on the main floor of the cave, we marched outside with Detective Chase. The sun was rising, and the weather was calm, nice.
“Well, I suppose your team will search for the body and weapon now,” I said dryly, my eyes adjusting to the sunlight.
“That’s the plan. We already have teams at Silver Springs Lake and the Seven Points River. We’ve pulled in some assistance from the Silver Springs Police, who happen to be dealing with their own serial killer at the moment, by the way.”
“There’s a serial killer in Silver Springs? Is it also vampire stabbings?” I asked.
“First, we don’t know if the Jody James murder or this murder is even related to the vampire cult, Fiona. Second, the answer is no, the Silver Springs murders are strangulations. The killer leaves a dead bird at each crime scene, a memento from the previous victim in the chain and a clue about the next victim. It’s got everybody working 24/7 over there, so we are lucky to have any help from them right now.”
“Gosh, that’s insane. I hope this isn’t a serial killer in Godley Grove, Detective,” I mused grimly.
“It’s not. This crime seems extremely staged to me,” Wolfe interjected, his voice rose from a whisper to a normal pitch. “Doesn’t feel right.”
“Let’s hope you are right. I’d rather have a copycat than a serial killer,” Detective Chase said bluntly.
I scanned the front of the cave to see two police officers speaking to an older Hispanic man. Once they were finished, they walked towards Detective Chase.
“Can we speak to you for a moment?” the large, blonde officer said assertively, darting his eyes towards Wolfe and me.
“Go ahead; these are members of my team-in-training from the high school. You’re clear to speak,” he ordered.
The officer examined us before reluctantly deciding to continue, “Mr. Rodriguez, the Hispanic man we were just speaking to, stated there were two men here at the cave a few hours ago, arguing about something before they both left on foot, opposite directions.”
“Two men, huh? Did he give a description?” he inquired formally, his leather bound notepad in hand.
“Well, he said one looked like an average Caucasian man, maybe mid-thirties and the other looked like, well, he said he looked like Satan,” the officer hesitated with a shrug.
A much smaller, dark-haired officer standing with him gave a simultaneous shrug of his shoulders with a contrite smirk.
“Satan? No other descriptions? Just Satan?” the detective inquired.
“He said he had horns, red hair, a bunch of tattoos, and might have even had a tail, but he wasn’t sure. English was not his first language, and my partner had to translate some of what he said,” the blonde officer reported.
The smaller, dark-haired officer stepped up towards us to join the conversation.
“That’s all we could get out of him. He was reluctant to speak with us in the first place. He said he’s seen Satan going into the cave before, so he assumed the cave is a portal to the underworld or something,” the smaller officer added candidly.
Detective Chase’s shoulder CB radio beeped followed by an intense bout of static. He grabbed it, moved a dial, and pushed the button on the side.
“Radio to Unit 218, copy,” a feminine voice on the radio sounded, followed by a short beep and static.
“218, Arles Cave, go ahead,” he said into the speaker.
“218, Please respond to 203 Nikale Street,” the operator sounded.
“218, 10-4,” he responded, eyebrows pulled towards the center of his forehead in uncertainty as he gazed into my eyes.
“Be advised that we’ve received a citizen complaint of a potentially threatening caller.”
“Copy, en route, clear and direct,” Detective Chase buckled the radio back onto his shoulder harness.
The news hit me at an instant, and I looked at Wolfe with my eyes widened in fear.
“That’s my address!” I said, my voice was brittle.
Wolfe’s expression turned sullen.
“That’s why they’re sending me there, Fiona,” he huffed, gesturing towards the parking area. “They know I’m associated with your family, and she knows I am at the cave with you.”
Wolfe and I scrambled to my car; jumped in, buckled our seatbelts and I quickly ignited the engine. I looked in my rearview mirror for Agent Bronson, and then remembered I had left the house without him. Since I left my mother a note I’d be with Detective Chase, she knew I was safe.
After allowing the detective to exit the parking area, we followed closely behind his car, tailing him to my house. Wolfe looked at me with an anxious expression.
“What do you think is going on, Fiona? Gerald Smith?”
“The operator said it was a threatening call. That is concerning.”
I pulled my car next to the curb in front of my house as Detective Chase pulled into the driveway behind Agent Bronson’s Lincoln. A marked police car pulled up next to the curb behind me, shutting their lights off as two uniformed officers exited the car and sprinted towards the front door. We filed into the house to find a frantic Janice, trembling on the couch. My parents, in their robes, were standing in front of her, listening intently to the story of what had happened. My dad turned to Detective Chase and patted him on the back of the shoulder.
“Hello, Detective, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get ready for the day. Janice received a call from an unknown caller. She didn’t realize all she needed to do was step outside to notify the agents on duty watching our house. I apologize; she called 9-1-1 and started a frenzy on accident,” he reported with a cavernous voice.
The detective smiled, shaking his head, and waving his hand in a gesture of no big deal.
“Mr. Frost, not a worry in the least. The police like to stay abreast of what is happening on all fronts. I’m glad I’m here with these officers while they take her statement. Have a good day, sir,” he said, shaking my father’s hand.
“You too, Detective. Let’s go, Emma,” my father said to my m
other, who rushed in behind him and disappeared around the corner towards their bedroom suite.
I marched over to Janice, taking a seat on the couch next to her, grabbing her hand and rubbing the back of it gently.
“You alright?” I traced circles with my index finger on the back of her hand as I stared into her worried eyes through her thin, wireframe glasses.
“Oh dear, I’m fine. Just a bit disturbed from the strange caller. It was the same thing. A weird, transformed voice, breathing, and then he spoke. He said the words two plus two, four—and then hung up. I just don’t think it’s a wrong number since it happened again, and I said Frost Residence multiple times!” she shrieked, cheeks blushing.
“He said two plus two equals four and hung up?”
“No, he didn’t say equals,” she said in an unwavering tone.
I glanced at Wolfe, studying his facial expression. He was the best at profiling in our club; he could make sense of it.
He whispered loudly, “Maybe that’s the answer. Equals.”
“But what equals what?” I inquired.
“Did you ever figure out what this guy meant from the last call she got?” Wolfe asked.
“No, can’t figure it out. Last I knew, Lauren was working on it but wasn’t having any luck, something about puppies, taking so many away, how many left or something like that. She said it makes no numerical sense, so she’s at an impasse. I figured if she couldn’t figure out a riddle, none of us could, so maybe it doesn’t mean anything. To be honest, I think we both thought it was likely a wrong number so we didn’t take it very serious.”
“I think it might be intentional, Fiona. And if the caller wants us to know that something equals something, well, Janice better answer the phone if it rings,” Wolfe said.
16 INSIDE JOB
After the police had left the house, my parents laid into me about leaving without an escort. My mother’s point was I drove by myself, prior to being with Wolfe or Detective Chase. I apologized to my parents for being foolish and vowed never to leave the house again by myself without an agent with me until Gerald Smith was back in prison.
Fiona Frost: Order of the Black Moon Page 17