Escalation

Two nights later...Sissy ,Hazel and I drove out to yet another murder site...It was between two high rise apartment buildings...

When we arrived...A number of uniformed police officers were already at the scene...along with photographers and crime scene investigation people...Dr. Hazel Baylor kept constant communication between her staff and our safe house....She used a special FBI encrypted code that was supposed to be hack free...At any rate...Sharon and her people kept a close watch on it...

She and the FBI forensics unit were also at the scene when we got there...

"There's Sharon and Duke over there by the body..."said Sissy...

''When it rains it pours...In four days...this killer has dropped three bodies...and we've gotten nowhere. I know everybody is working as hard as they can...but it's just frustrating.." I said.

Detective Angie Belton was busy examining the body.....

''Same thing guys...Single woman, white, blonde, babydoll,matching bra and panties...cold and with both hands placed over each other..Like she was being fitted for a coffin." she said.

Duke held an umbrella over his partner's head....

"I'm bettin this one is a school teacher...Top, Rico and Jimmy had a doctor...Sirena and Hop had a Lawyer the other night and if this fits the pattern...This one is a school teacher.."said Duke..

His wife, Hazel gave him a soft juicy kiss and kneeled down and looked at the body....

''Manual strangulation....This killer is someone who is at least six feet and pretty strong too..."said Hazel...

'"How long Hazel?" asked Sissy...

"Body temp puts this at ohhhh maybe six or seven hours ago...she's still warm..."said Hazel...

''So the killer is escalating..."I said.

"Oh yes...last time..there was a month in between the first and the second and then two weeks before the last...We are talking about days here..."said Sissy..

Just then, an unmarked squad car drove up...Sissy and I grimaced....

''Damn...everybody was able to work their crime scene free of bother...Except me....Damn!" said Duke..

Lt. Tragg and two uniformed police officers ,both Sergeants walked over to the crime scene...

He looked at the body...

'"Who is the primary?" he asked.

"I am."said Angie Belton...

"And Carlotta and Sirena are the primaries on the other two right?" he asked..

"I see you read the twenties sir." said Duke sarcastically....

He walked over to Duke...

"You know Baylor...You're a good detective...I've never taken that away from you...but you got a lousy attitude and no respect for a superior officer.." he snarled..

 Duke didn't say anything more..but he had a look on his face that looked like potential murder......

This looked like it was going to get pretty bad....Sissy stepped in between them...

"Duke, Go help Angie and Hazel...Go on...It's all good buddy"said Sissy, gently squeezing his hand....

"Sissy ,I want his ass written up for insubordination...And if you don't discipline him I'll-"

"YOU'LL WHAT?" came the voice of Captain Edward Cantrell...

"You'll what Art.??..That man is working his crime scene...How was he insubordinate??......" said Ed Cantrell...

"She's still got you whipped...huh Ed?" said Lt. Tragg...looking at Sissy...Lt. Cantrell's attraction for his prize student was legendary...and well known..

"Once again,I'm going to ignore that and let it go....What are you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be out at sea." asked Lt. Cantrell..

"This is my case...This is the same guy...I was on many years ago...I know how this guy thinks...I can get this guy."said Lt. Tragg.

''I thought you got him before? Isn't your guy dead?" asked Capt. Cantrell...

"We never found the body....but nobody could have survived that fall into the water!" said Lt. Tragg..

''Then this isn't your guy..Allow Detectives Baylor and Belton to work their case Lieutenant..."said Captain Cantrell..

''Sissy, did your guys canvass the areas..?" he asked.

''We did door to doors, we checked ATM ,Street and Traffic cams for a 15 mile radius...Which was how we got the hit on the car used...New Jersey coppers found the car in Camden...bleached down and wiped clean...We checked financials on both young ladies and interviewed all of their friends family members and co-workers...We got nothing...We even hauled in every recently released Sex Offender and then some...All alibied out...We are looking at your old case files with the FBI trying to see if anything was missed.."said Sissy..

"I DID NOT MISS ANYTHING , I WORKED THAT CASE HARD...I WAS THOROUGH."he said.

''Yes you were...I'm not talking about you Lt. Tragg..I meant if we missed anything..My guys. So now we have to try something different ,see if our killer got sloppy.."said Sissy.."What do you suppose we do?" asked Sissy...

"I got nothin....Did you guys talk to any of the relatives and associates of the other victims..My victims?" he asked.

''Carlotta, Tyriq and Jimmy spent the last two days doing just that."said Sissy.

Lt. Tragg held his head down..He calmed down..He had a new found respect for Sissy..Her detectives had done everything he would have done...

''Well.....Well I uh guess you guys have done all you can do...Got any leads on this girl here tonight?"he asked..

"It's a fresh body...Like the others...No identification is on her.."said Sissy...

''Heard enough Tragg? They are doing all they can...Leave em alone."said Captain Cantrell.

II-

 Meanwhile back at our safe house...My wife Carlotta, her partners, Detectives Tyriq Pile and James Barlow were comparing notes with the other two detectives on our team and some plains clothes cops from Special Victims Unit and Vice...

''We've spent the last two days talking and interviewing everybody who knew both girls and looking into their financials and their whole lives and we can't find a connection or a clue."said Carlotta..

"The two girls didn't know each other and didn't have any friends in common.."said Tyriq...

''Hell ,they didn't even live near each other...No way their paths could have crossed."said Jimmy.

''Yeah...but they all worked in Center City...and they all might have shopped at the same place..The same place they are meeting their killer.."said Sirena...

''Let's look at their credit cards and bank cards..and the other three girls as well...Gotta be one place they have in common and maybe the killer has it in common with them too."said Hop...

"It's worth a try...what else have we got to do?"said Carlotta..

"Yeah,Duke and Angie caught another case tonight..The killer is escalating.."said Tyriq....

"It gets worse everytime this killer drops a body."said Jimmy...

"Maybe the killer will get sloppy." said Hop...

"We can only hope." said Sirena.

III-

 Back at our crime scene-

''I found a woman that said a man dressed in all black with long blonde hair dropped this body in the alley about two hours ago and got in a green Volkswagon...a recent model.." said Angie..

"I'll put a team on the ATM cams,Street Cams and Traffic cams....You want to go 15 mile radius Siss?" asked Duke..

''Expand it to twenty....Get some uniforms ,do a door to door...Have em report to Jimmy and Hop."said Sissy...

''I'm calling it a night..They're moving the body....You look like you have it under control Siss, Duke, Angie...If you need any additional manpower...just let me know...I'll get you what you need." he said.

"Thank you Captain."said Sissy as he left.

"You guys have nothing....bupkis...You can't make this case without me...Remember that...You can't make this case without me...I was in this guy's head." he said and got in his car and drove away...

''I sure hope he's wrong." I said.

''He is..Come on guys..Let's call it a night." said Sharon...

IV-

 By the time we got back....Everybody was fast asleep...

Carlotta was asleep....Tyriq and Sirena were next door snoring....Jimmy was in his room fast asleep...and Hop was in his room fast asleep...

Sissy smiled...

"Poor things...they've been working this case around the clock..How dare Lt. Tragg take anything away from their effort..."she said.

"My husband must be really tired anytime he goes to sleep first...I really thought he'd wait up for me tonight...I'm still all wound up."said Angie....

''Well I'm still up " said Eddie C. , Sissy's husband .."There's dinner left for you guys...in the day room." he said and hugged Sissy and gave her a wet sloppy kiss.

Sissy giggled....

"I'm beat..we are turning in."said Duke and Hazel.. "See you guys in the morning.."

I looked at Sharon...

''Well..That leaves me, you, Angie, Sissy and Eddie C." I said.

''Yup...Turn the TV on...I want to see the news..."she said...

We turned the TV on and got the shock of our lives...

''Siss,come here and check this out."said Angie..

"What?" said Sissy...

My mouth dropped...Lt. Tragg was on television addressing a news conference...

"Many of you guys weren't even out of college when I originally worked this case...But this is the same killer that killed three girls years ago...I thought I had killed him...but apparently...he survived and has returned to torment us again."said Lt. Tragg...

''That was one of your first cases wasn't it?" asked a reporter...

''No...but it was the case that defined me...The case that made my bones for me.."he said,.

"You workin these present cases Lieutenant?" asked another reporter..

''No.. there are several other detectives working these three seperate cases...None of these detectives were even on the force back when I handled that case....In fact their lieutenant was just a rookie beat cop at the time..."he laughed..

"Was that during the Clinton Administration or the Truman administartion?" asked another reporter..

Guffaws of laughter broke out...

"Laugh all you want...but the killer contacted me tonight...Taunted me...Laughed at me because I'm not on the case..." he said.

"WHAT?" asked a reporter...

"Yes..called my phone...The voice was disguised..He called me about an hour ago.." he said..

"Do you believe this guy?" I said.

Sissy looked at us gravely....

"This time.....I do." she said.


(DEFINITELY TO BE CONTINUED)