The Lady Killer

by Paizley Stone

  Ralph shrugged and bit his lip. “That I can’t tell you, but there is one big difference about our freezer girl; psycho boy built a shrine to her. Go in and take a look.”

  When Laura entered the freezer, she saw the body hanging with the dog beneath it. On the back wall was a shelf with candles, artificial flowers and a framed picture of a woman, who looked somewhat like the victim or at least a sister. There were also six frozen roses, placed one on top of the other. She turned around and called Ralph back in. “Did you see these?”

  “Yes, like worship or something.”

  “There are six of them. Is there any way to tell how long each one has been here? I’m thinking this top rose looks to be in pretty good condition, compared to the rose on the bottom of the pile. What if he has been returning and placing a rose on her altar every month?”

  Ralph looked impressed. “Interesting observation, I’ll have CSU check on that theory. You always think differently than almost any other detective I know.”

  She looked at the picture sadly. “Why kill someone you loved enough to build an altar to?”

  “There’s a fine line between love and hate, as the old saying goes.”

  She nodded in agreement. “Maybe this guy was jilted by his first victim, and that set him off on a string of revenge murders. Thanks, Ralph, let me know if you find anything else on this one.” She couldn’t stop staring at the altar. “He left her alone in here to freeze to death, while in extreme pain. What could she possibly have done to make him hate her that much?”

  “Whatever it was, it looks like he’s still very angry.”

  “Well, so am I! This has to stop! Ralph, I want pictures and then everything bagged except the walls and floor!”

  Laura left the walk-in with determination in her stride. This psycho wasn’t going to get the best of her. She thought about the suffering these poor women must have gone through, and an empathic shiver ran through her body. Looking around, she found her two partners. “Okay, guys, enough is enough! We are going to hit this one hard. We have a fresh start in daylight. Burns, I want you to run down everything you can on the current victim, Julia White. Call the Captain, and fill him in on what we have found. Ask him not to release any news about finding the freezer victim, because I want to devise some kind of trap. Then have him set up a hidden surveillance team on this building for the next few nights. Maybe we can flush this guy out.”

  Roy gave them a wave as he was leaving. “I’ll get going on that. Also, I want to check connections to this building or the realtor. See you guys back at the office.”

  She turned her attention to Dan. “Murphy, what’s the name of the freezer victim?”

  “Tamara Hastings.”

  “I have a theory that this first victim set off a chain reaction. If we can find out why she’s here, we can crack this case wide open!”

  Dan was excited to see something happening. “Got it! What do we do first?”

  “Get your trusty pad out and take notes.”

  “Ready when you are.”

  “What date was she reported missing?”

  “September eleventh.”

  “Okay, today is the ninth of April, so we have a couple of days before the anniversary of her disappearance. I asked to have surveillance set up on this building and no mention of the second body in the news, in order to set up a trap. He built an altar to her, and I think he has placed a rose on it for every month she has been there. There are six roses, and this will make the seventh body we have found, other than hers. He has an anniversary coming up in two days. I think that after he delivers each rose, he starts looking for his next victim. If he thinks we haven’t found her body, he may still try to deliver the next rose, and we will have a shot at catching him.”

  Dan looked at her with respect in his eyes. “Wow, you do think outside the box. I like that theory. So, what’s next?”

  “Who reported her missing?”

  “Her roommate, Sandy Smith.”

  Laura was intrigued by that point. “This is the first one who hasn’t lived alone. We’re going to interview Sandy next. Can we track her down?”

  “Yeah, I called her already. She’s home and expecting us.”

  “You’re good, Murphy! I guess you’re starting to anticipate my moves.”

  He looked worried. “You don’t feel threatened by that, do you? I mean, you are the boss and everything. I don’t want you to feel like I’m trying to do your job.”

  “I look at this job as a team effort. Whatever it takes to lock up the bad guys, is what we do. The fact that you took the initiative to set up an interview, shows me that you are thinking like part of the team. What I don’t want you to do is get a hunch, and then follow it up on your own. That could get you killed.”

  Dan smiled, hoping that her concern meant that she was starting to feel a little bit romantic about him. “I’ll run everything by you first, promise. Does that mean that you would miss me if I was gone?”

  “No, it means I don’t want extra paper work!”

  Laura smiled to herself as they walked to the car. Dan had a playful sensuality about him that she wasn’t sure how to take. She wondered if he was that way with all women, or was Roy’s suspicion correct? It didn’t really matter, because she wasn’t going to act on it. First of all, he was just too young. Second, she didn’t get involved with fellow officers.

  Sandy Smith’s apartment was very plain and ordinary. She invited them in and already had coffee made. The news of Tamara’s death hit her hard, even though she had been expecting the worst after all this time. Laura always got an insight from watching someone when she told them the bad news. It wasn’t just the tears or facial expressions; it was also the body language. “Sandy, what happened the day Tamara went missing?”

  “She went to work as usual, came home and then went out to walk Annabelle.”

  “Annabelle?”

  Sandy smiled, as if recalling someone fondly. “Yes, her dog. She loved that dog more than anything else in the entire world. She fussed over it like a baby and bought her only the most expensive food. Just before she disappeared, she spent a whole days worth of tips on a pink, rhinestone collar. The last thing she said to me was how they were going to the doggie park to show off Annabelle’s new collar. I never saw either of them again.”

  Laura saw a tear rolling down Sandy’s face and gently patted her hand. “When did you call the police?”

  “A few hours later, when they didn’t come back. Tamara never kept Annabelle out after dark. She was afraid that the dog would get cold. The police told me they wouldn’t do anything until she had been gone for at least twenty-four hours, but I insisted that they make out a report. The officer said that they couldn’t send someone out that soon, but she would take a report over the phone. Finally, after several calls, they sent someone out two days later.”

  Laura hated the present inefficient laws and rules about missing women. “So, let me get this straight. She went missing on what date?”

  “September eleventh.”

  “So, the actual report was filed on the thirteenth?”

  “Correct, I made them date everything back to the eleventh and coordinate it with my first phone call. I watch a lot of those police shows on TV. I know it’s critical to keep times and dates accurate.”

  Laura smiled to herself about Sandy’s determination. “You did the right thing for your friend. How long had Tamara been your roommate?”

  “Only for about six months before she disappeared, but we had become very close during that time.”

  “Can you think of anyone who might want to harm her, or anyone she was afraid of?”

  Sandy’s eyes got really big, and she sounded excited. “Yes, she had just gotten out of an abusive relationship when she moved here!”

  “Did she ever mention his name, or where she was from?”

  “No, she was terrified though. She wouldn’t even give me any references to check. She said she didn’t want anyone from her pa
st to know where she was. To make up for it, she gave me six months rent up front and then still paid me monthly. The six months up front was what she called her security blanket.”

  Laura was frustrated. “Did she tell you anything about this guy?”

  “No, she said she didn’t want to talk about it ever again. All she said was that it was an abusive relationship. She was afraid of being tracked down, because her ex was a cop. That’s what made me so paranoid when she just disappeared like that.”

  “Do you still have her things?”

  “Yes, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do, because her six month advance recently ran out. I left her room just the way it was, hoping that she would come back. You’re welcome to take a look, if it will help.”

  “Thanks, we will. Did you get all of that written down, Murphy?”

  “Yep, got it all.”

  They went into Tamara’s room and looked around. It was very sparse and impersonal. There was a pink dog’s bed on the floor, with the name Annabelle printed on it. The closet had a few simple clothes, and the bathroom had only bare necessities like soap and shampoo.

  Dan frowned. “Hey, did you notice there aren’t any girly things in here?”

  Laura laughed at him. “Girly things, Murphy, another leftover from your last girlfriend?”

  “No, I’m serious. No makeup, perfume or curling iron. No fancy lingerie hung in the shower. There’s a brush and a hair dryer, but a guy would have that. If I walked into this bathroom and you asked me if it belonged to a guy or girl, I would pick guy, but we know she was a woman. I mean look, I have three sisters, and I’ve had girlfriends that I lived with. I know a woman’s bathroom when I see it.”

  “You’re right, and yet that picture in the freezer was like a glamour shot, or something, with fancy hair and makeup. Maybe the picture on the altar is of someone else and not our victim. I don’t remember any makeup on the body, and after seven months in a freezer, her hair wouldn’t have looked that great anyway. I need to see Ralph about this. Also, I am wondering about his connection to terrorists with the choice of that date. After all, he is terrorizing women.”

  They went back out to the living room to talk to Sandy, and Laura was curious. “Did Tamara wear much makeup? I didn’t see any in the bathroom.”

  “No, Detective Peterson, not a bit. She was very plain and lived a simple life.”

  “Where did she work?”

  “A little restaurant downtown. I don’t know the name, but I know that they paid her cash under the table, if you know what I mean. She always dealt in cash, because she said no paper trail meant no one could find her. While you were in her room, I remembered one more thing about the ex.”

  Laura looked excited and was hoping for a new lead. “What was it?”

  “She said that they were invited to a party where everyone was in charge of something, and Tamara had to bring ice. The ex put it over on her side of the car and told her to sit on it, so it would stay cold until they got to the party. She said that was the last straw. The next day, she packed up everything she could fit in her car and left while her ex was at work. Then she sold the car right away and took the bus everywhere, so it couldn’t be traced back to her.”

  Peterson and Murphy exchanged knowing glances, thanked Sandy and left the apartment. They got in the car and headed back to the precinct. When they got there, they brought Burns up to speed on what they had found out about Tamara.

  Roy had been busy himself. He had found out that Julia White owned a fashion boutique in the downtown area, and that the suit found under her body had come from her own store. She also lived alone. He had been there, saw no sign of struggle, but had CSU going over it looking for clues. “So, is it possible Julia had lunch where Tamara worked and they knew each other? Maybe that’s why he put their bodies in the same building.”

  “I like that scenario, Burns. The problem is that Murphy and I don’t have a name for the restaurant. Tamara probably didn’t tell Sandy, because she didn’t want to get them in trouble for paying her cash. Did Julia have any employees?”

  “Yes, one older woman named Liz. She opened the shop this morning, and I was the lucky guy who had to tell her she was out of a job. She was very upset about Julia, and praised her as a warm, wonderful person to work for.”

  “Did you get a phone number for her, so we can contact her again?”

  Roy gave her one of his looks. “Duh, of course!”

  “See if you can find out where Julia ate lunch, or if Liz ever heard her talk about Tamara. Maybe you can canvas some of the lunch places in the area, to see if they had a waitress by that name. Also, find out if Julia had anyone that she didn’t get along with.”

  “I’ll get right on that. You know, the suit under the body is another piece of evidence that ties to the victim in some way, just like the pentagram ties to Sheila Lawson.”

  “Great observation, Roy, and so does the dog to our first victim. I wonder if we went back and looked, we would find a link to the other items and the victims.”

  “It might be worth our time to check. Not that the suit or pentagram really tells us anything about the killer, just the victims.”

  “Yes, but remember my motto, we can leave no stone unturned!”

  Dan answered the phone and then looked at Laura. “Hey, Peterson, we just got a call from Dr. Foote. He wants to see you down at the lab.”

  “Thanks, Murphy; tell him I’m on my way down.”

  Getting a call to come see Ralph, usually meant something new had been found. They had caught a break finding these bodies early enough in the day to actually be able to contact people and get some work done. It was hard when they found a body at two in the morning. That meant hours where they lost sleep and didn’t get much done, other than waking distraught family members.

  Ralph was looking through a microscope when she walked in. She stood and watched him for a moment. He appeared so meticulous, as he stared at that little something under inspection and only looked away to make notes. He was more diligent than any other ME she had ever worked with. His dad had been murdered when he was seventeen years old. That one incident had shaped Ralph’s life. It was the reason he was there today, making sure to help solve every crime he could.

  He looked up when he heard her coming close. “Ah, the loveliest detective on the force, I’m glad you’re here.”

  “Did you just miss me, or do you have some news?”

  “I always miss you. But alas, my wife would be suspicious if I called you for no reason.”

  She just smiled at him. “Have you told her about my anti-man campaign?”

  “Yes, but she thinks that you told me that, just to cover up your secret desires.”

  “You always make me laugh, and I need that right now.”

  “Don’t let it get to you, kid. When they start to get to you, you lose your objectivity. Never come at it from the emotional side. Always keep logic in the foreground.”

  “Okay, Spock, what do you have for me?”

  “Your first victim, Tamara, was tasered. She’s the only one who has been.”

  “I found out from her roommate that she had recently escaped from an abusive relationship with a cop. If it was her ex and she saw him, a taser was probably the only way he could have immobilized her, so he could abduct her. The other victims might not have known that there was anything to fear, so it was easy to get them in a compromising situation. Tamara knew that this man was capable of violence and would have run, if she could.”

  Laura glanced over to the next table and saw a Yale padlock sitting there. Her stomach did a flip-flop. “Ralph, what is that padlock doing there?”

  He looked over in her direction. “Oh, that’s just the one they cut from the freezer. They dusted it for prints, but it was clean.”

  “Where are the contents of Sheila Lawson’s purse?”

  “Over there on the middle evidence shelf in one of those boxes, why?”

  Excitedly, she ran over to the shelves
and found the box she was looking for. She took the keys out, walked over to the padlock and opened it with the key on Sheila’s ring.

  “I’ll be damned! How did you figure that one out? I never would have put those two things together.”

  “Ralph, my gut tells me so much. I’ve had that Yale key on my brain for days. When I saw that lock, I just about jumped out of my skin. I’d been thinking door lock, not padlock.”

  “But how in the hell could they be connected? Sheila Lawson is from his seventh murder, and Tamara was his first. Then there’s Julia White, who is number eight.”

  “I’m not sure. Don’t tell your wife, but I could kiss you right now for calling me down here before that padlock got put away into evidence.”

  “Your secret is safe with me, love.”

  Her mind was racing as she rode up in the elevator, which she was cursing for being so slow. When the doors finally opened, she saw that both of her partners were at their desks, so she called them into the break room for coffee and a powwow.

  Dan was hoping for a new lead of some kind. “From the look on your face that must have been really good news from Dr. Foote.”

  “It was an interesting visit, Murphy, get out your pad. I want you guys to get your coffee, put on your thinking caps and sit down. There are two new things we have to work on. First is that Tamara was tasered, and she’s the only one so far. Second, and by far the biggest as far as I’m concerned, is that the Yale key on Sheila Lawson’s ring opened the padlock taken off of the freezer where Tamara’s body was found.”

  Both men sat back in their chairs and just stared at each other in disbelief. Then they turned back toward Laura. “Are you guys in shock or what?”

  Dan’s head was a little dizzy. “I don’t know about Burns, but I don’t even know where to start thinking about this one. None of our scenes have been connected with each other before.”

  “Man, I’m with you, Murf! Okay, Peterson, you had time to think on your way up in the elevator. What’s your take? Let’s brainstorm this.”