Syd Parker - The Killing Ground

Rebecca wanted to object, but she couldn’t. Jordan was right. In one last attempt to show her independence, she rolled her eyes. “Take me back to the precinct. Let’s see if there is anything on the video that can identify this guy.”

Rick and Matt were watching the video by the time they walked into the bullpen surrounded by boxes of donuts and coffee.

“Anything yet?” Jordan passed the box around then grabbed a donut for herself. She had eaten more donuts in the past three months than in her whole life.

Rick pushed a couple of buttons and paused it on a woman walking across from the Institute. He advanced it several more scenes and stopped again. “That’s him.”

The footage was grainy, but Rebecca could see him in the dim lights of the jewelry store. His head was turned and he was obviously watching her. “Roll it forward slowly. I want to see if we can make out his face.”

Rick advanced it frame by frame with no luck. He had a dark hat pulled low over his face, and the collar of his coat pulled up over the lower half of his face. The description was dead on though. Tall and lanky, and from what they had witnessed on the previous victims, he was incredibly strong.

They watched in horror as each frame played out the scene they had just left. He caught up to her and when he grabbed her, she whipped around and swiped at his face. His hand flew to his cheek, and in the same breath, he stepped back on his right foot and dropped his right shoulder. His fist flew into her face with such force that they wouldn’t be surprised if there were shattered bones beneath the bruising.

“Roll it back.”

Rick stopped and rewound the tape slowly.

“There.” Jordan pointed at the screen. They watched her swipe at his face again and then saw her reel backwards from the crushing blow. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she felt a slight nagging, but couldn’t place it. Something in that few seconds bothered her. “Again.”

Rick obliged again, and they watched it a third time in slow motion.

“What do you see?” Rebecca stepped closer to the TV.

Jordan shook her head. “I’m not sure.” She pointed at the paused video. “Here. See this. That’s a boxer’s move. The drop in the shoulder. I’ve seen it before. I just can’t remember where.”

Matt shrugged. “Probably on TV. We watch fights all the time.”

Jordan nodded. He was right. They got together all the time at Frank’s. “Yeah, you’re probably right.” She looked over her shoulder at Rick. “I’m sorry, you can start it up again.”

Rick started the playback again. In slow motion, they watched him wrestle her to the ground, slit her throat and sexually assault her. The last few minutes of the attack were almost too much, but they forced themselves to watch. They watched as he brutally ripped the last vestiges of her clothing away and stole from her the very life that she had nurtured and died protecting.

They couldn’t ignore the change in his demeanor as he wrapped the fetus in a small cloth and tucked it inside his coat. He was gentle, where only moments before he had brutally taken a life. He turned, and on the way out of the alley, pulled his hat down lower and pulled his coat tightly around his prize.

“God.” Rebecca breathed quietly. “It’s almost eerie to watch. Julien was dead on with his take on the murders. This man is exacting revenge on women, but the babies are precious. Who is this guy? What happened to mess him up this way?”

Jordan tapped her temple. “Guy’s a fucking nut job, but you won’t know it to look at him. I feel like we are back to square one.”

Rick nodded. “Every lead has turned into a dead end.”

Matt snapped his fingers. “The Dawsons. He had a rap sheet, and wifey lost her chance to get a kid when Stein got fired. That chick is one brick shy of a load. What’s to say she didn’t orchestrate the whole thing?”

“No, timing’s off.” Rick pointed at the first victim. “He started killing before Stein was canned. It can’t be him.”

“Why not?’ Jordan met Matt’s eyes. “I think I’m following you. She works there and sees couple after couple come in and get pregnant, and she’s still barren. That would make a woman who wanted kids pretty upset. She gets her husband to start killing the women. In some sick, twisted way, she feels she has leveled the playing field. She can’t have a baby, why should they?”

“Nah.” Rick shook his head. “It’s no good. When she makes the deal with Stein, there should have been a break in the killings.”

“Not necessarily.” Rebecca pulled her picture off the whiteboard. “Even with the deal, as long as she doesn’t get pregnant, she is still not getting her way. I agree. It makes perfect sense. I’d say it’s time we bring them in for questioning.”

“Rebecca and I will take the Mrs. You guys take him. I don’t want her anywhere near a guy who could blow at the drop of a hat.”

“I can handle myself.” Rebecca rolled her eyes, but she felt the heat rise in her cheeks. She wasn’t used to someone caring about her like Jordan did or returning the feelings. It was still new and made her feel totally protected. “I made it to thirty-one alive, you know.”

“Just stay close, alright.” Jordan pulled Rebecca’s coat off the chair and held it out for her. “I think we should drop in unannounced. Perhaps a little surprise will give us an edge over Ruth Dawson and right now, we need every advantage we can get.”

Jordan watched Ruth Dawson’s face as they approached, looking for any sign of guilt. If she was surprised to see them, she didn’t show it. She schooled her features into a look of thinly veiled tolerance. “Detective Foxx. What a pleasure to see you again. And Agent Gray. Where are the other two guys?”

Bingo. Rebecca thought quickly. She was right on about Ruth Dawson. She was just the type that would be interested in two good-looking guys in uniform. Guys who weren’t her husband, and she hadn’t been abused by. Perhaps they would be able to get her to open up and maybe confess. “Ruth, we have a couple more questions about Dr. Stein. We wondered if you would be kind enough to come down to the station.”

Ruth swallowed audibly. “I don’t…don’t think that’s a good idea. Dr. Mercer is out, and I can’t leave the office unattended.”

“We can wait until she comes back.”

“She won’t be back for several days.” Ruth answered defensively. “She’s going to a conference in New York.”

“Can you call her? Let her know you’re going to be gone for a while?” Rebecca studied Ruth’s features. She really was unremarkable. Plain, the fade into the wall type. She did not like the attention that the two women were paying her.

“I don’t think so. Before she left, she had a personal appointment.” Her eyes flicked nervously between the two women. “It’s really impossible for me to leave the office.”

“Where’s her appointment?” Jordan leaned over the desk, her gaze boring into Ruth’s eyes. “This is important enough to interrupt.”

Fear flashed in her eyes. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Dr. Mercer doesn’t like to be bothered.”

Jordan leaned over further, invading her space. “Let me try to be perfectly clear, Mrs. Dawson. It’s imperative that you cooperate. I’d hate to slap cuffs on you for impeding an investigation.”

She shook slightly. “I…I don’t know where she is.”

Rebecca decided to add to her fear. “Don’t lie to us, Mrs. Dawson. Lying to a federal agent is a felony. It comes with jail time. You don’t look like the prison type.” She didn’t add that if she was the one that had orchestrated the murders, she would be facing life behind bars, if not the death penalty. “If you have knowledge of Dr. Mercer’s whereabouts, I suggest you divulge them.”