Ten dead women, no real leads, and a mysterious serial killer on the loose in New Delphi. The case had been open for nearly a month now and Izzy was beginning to wonder if it would ever be solved. She sincerely hoped so, and soon, because the killer wasn't done. He, and Izzy was only assuming it was a he based on the little evidence she had, had promised to kill thirteen women and he only had three to go. The tenth victim, twenty one year old Michelle Farmer, had been found two days ago, her mutilated corpse lying in an ally way behind the office building where she'd worked. She'd fit the profile to a tee, not that Izzy had really been surprised by that. Still, there was something that was bugging her about Michelle more than the other victims, though she couldn't seem to figure out what. All of the victims had been female, in their early to mid twenties, with dark hair, green eyes, and pale skin. They were all of average hight and in relatively good physical shape. And they had all been virgins prior to their deaths, before their killer raped them. And yet, there was something that set Michelle Farmer apart, some little thing that made her different. But Izzy couldn't see it and it was driving her insane, as she was certain her theory about Michelle was the key to solving the case.
At that moment, however, Izzy was seated at the counter of the Pit, nursing a mug of Duncan's best brew. She often came here to think, finding the atmosphere of the bar strangely conducive to formulating hypotheses. But it was not thinking that had drawn her to the Pit this time, it was escape. She needed a little time away from the case to hopefully gain a new perspective, though even that was proving difficult given the constant annoyance of her friends, who had joined her for a little time out on the town.
"This was a great idea Izzy." LeShawna said, grinning. "We haven't had a night like this in a long time." In truth, the 'night' LeShawna spoke of was actually still late afternoon, but Izzy didn't feel like arguing the point.
"Yeah, that's great." Izzy muttered, barely concealing her anger.
"Don't sound so angry Red." Duncan said from the bar. "You need to relax and have a good time. You're too young to be worrying so much."
"Shut up Duncan." Gwen said. "Izzy's in the middle of a big case right now and she needs to focus on that, not take advice from you."
You have no idea, Izzy thought, though she gave Gwen a grateful smile.
"If she needs to focus so much why is she here then?" Duncan asked, ignoring Gwen's outburst. "Shouldn't she be at home or something?"
"I'm here because your bar is where I do my best thinking, you fucking asshole." Izzy muttered, glaring at Duncan.
Duncan gave her a surprised look, but said nothing, seeming to sense how serious she was. He nodded and turned his attention back to his work, though Izzy could sense that she had offended him in some strange way.
"I think Duncan's right." LeShawna said then. "I think you just need to relax."
"I can't relax." Izzy said, her tone sullen.
"Why not?" LeShawna demanded, as though the very idea of not being able to relax was a sin to her.
"It's this case I'm working." Izzy answered. "Ten women have already been killed and the killer has promised to kill three more before this is done. I have a duty to make sure that doesn't happen, but I can't seem to find a single fucking thing that links the victims, other than the profile that was established for the killer."
"What about Geoff and D.J.?" Gwen asked. "Don't they have any leads?"
"No." Izzy replied. "No one does and if we don't find something soon, this guy is gonna make good on his promise."
"Well, that sounds like a pretty big deal, if you ask me." a familiar voice said from across the bar, drawing Izzy's attention.
"Trent, you're back!" Gwen exclaimed, her excitement plain for them all to see. She darted across the bar and gave the speaker a big hug.
Trent McKenzie was a local musician who often played shows at the Pit. He was also Gwen's boyfriend and had been on tour in support of his newest album for the last two months. He had obviously just gotten back to town, as there was no other explanation for Gwen's surprise.
"How was your tour?" Gwen asked, before kissing Trent on the lips.
"It was good." Trent replied. "Had some pretty good crowds, but I missed you like crazy."
"I missed you too." Gwen said, before kissing him again.
Izzy noticed how Duncan reacted to this, though she kept her mouth shut. It was no secret that Duncan had feelings for Gwen, but it was a bit of a sore subject and Izzy wasn't interested in starting any fights. Still she wondered why Duncan continued to let Trent play here if they disliked each other so much. She guessed it had something to do with Gwen, but she wasn't sure and it wasn't really her place to ask. Besides, she had more important things to worry about.
"So, you're working a new case huh?" Trent asked, glancing at Izzy.
She nodded, though she did not elaborate. Trent, like LeShawna, was not one of her usual contacts and had only assisted her on one previous case, so she was a little leery of discussing things with him. But she supposed if she could confide in LeShawna, she could confide in Trent as well.
"Yeah, and it's driving me insane." she said. "I've never worked a case like this one before and I didn't realize that serial killers were so hard to find."
"What makes you think you're dealing with a serial killer?" Trent asked.
"The fact that there have been ten victims who all share similar traits." Izzy answered. "Serial killers tend to have specific reasons for killing and as such, they tend to have specific groups of people from which the choose their victims."
"I guess that makes sense." Trent said, nodding. "And it certainly fits with the history of New Delphi, that's for sure."
Izzy nodded in agreement. New Delphi was known for its history of serial killers and Izzy had already examined the possibility that the man she was after was one of the previous killers who had terrorized the city. But none of the thirty six previous known serial killers matched the profile of this one, at least not enough for Izzy to seriously consider them. Besides, of those thirty six, twenty were already in prison, ten were dead, five had moved on to new hunting grounds, and one was an enigma which no one had yet been able to figure out.
"Is there any possibility the man you're after is one of the previous killers?" Trent asked.
"No." Izzy replied. "I have examined all the variables and none of them match the profile."
Trent nodded, seemingly disappointed, and turned towards the bar. "Well, I hope you you get your man." he said, before ordering a drink.
So do I, Izzy thought. And soon. This city has been hit by too many serial killers already.
At that moment he phone rang and she quickly answered it, hoping it was Martin with some good news. Unfortunately, it was the opposite and she rose to her feet feeling even more annoyed than she had earlier.
"Who was that?" Gwen asked, her tone questioning.
"Geoff." Izzy said. "There's been another murder."
With that she left, leaving the others in a state of stunned disbelief as she made her way to the location Martin had given her.
A short time later Izzy arrived outside an abandoned house on the outskirts of downtown. Detectives Martin and Harris were already on the scene, as were Officers Wells and Anderson. Izzy noticed how uncomfortable they all looked and approached the scene with some trepidation.
The sight that greeted her made her stomach clench, as it was even more horrifying than the previous murders had been. The victim was obviously female, which Izzy had known would be the case, but she was so badly mutilated that it was hard to tell at first. The woman's eyes were still open, their once brilliant green dulled by her death. Her throat had been slashed, as had her belly, and she showed signs of a severe beating. A splintered piece of her right femur protruded from the flesh of her right leg and her left arm lay at an awkward angle, as though her killer had dislocated her shoulder before killing her. The woman's intestines spilled from the wound in her abdomen and the putrid stench of partially digested food clung to her corpse, attracting a multitude of flies, which buzzed around her like tiny, scavenging guardians. And most horrifying of all was the ragged gash that had once been the woman's vagina, now torn to shreds by forced and violent penetration.
Izzy had to fight back the urge to scream and vomit, not wanting to falter in front of the detectives. She swallowed hard and turned her attention to Martin, who seemed to be the one who was handling the situation the best.
"It appears our killer has upped his game." she said, not quite able to hide the disgust in her tone. "The MO is the same, but more violent than the previous victims."
"An acute observation, Miss Sharpe." Noah said, stepping out from behind his van as he spoke. "The violence with which this poor young woman was killed would suggest that she was someone our killer knew, perhaps an ex-lover of some kind."
"I agree." Izzy said. "Have you determined her identity?"
"Yes." Noah answered. "Though I shall let detective Martin be the one to tell you."
Izzy nodded and turned once again to Martin, who now looked slightly less comfortable than he had a moment earlier. She gazed at him intently, as if hoping her look would compel him to speak, which he finally did after taking a moment to collect himself.
"Her name is Danielle Dobbs." Martin said. "We found her purse in the back yard of the house, with this guy going through it." He gestured at a thin, scruffy looking man who was standing silently beside Officer Anderson's police cruiser.
Izzy recognized the man immediately, though she couldn't understand what he was doing in this part of the city. "Hello Zeke." she said. "How are you this evening?"
The man looked at her with hollow eyes and muttered something indiscernible, before shouting, "I didn't kill her. It wasn't me."
"I know it wasn't you Zeke." Izzy said, her tone calm. "Did you witness the crime though?"
Zeke nodded and Izzy sighed. Great, she thought. Our first witness and he's a raving lunatic who wanders the streets. Fucking perfect.
"You know this guy?" Officer Anderson asked then, drawing Izzy's attention.
"I do." Izzy answered. "His name is Ezekiel Almos and he is not our killer. A homeless transient with some slight mental issues yes, but he is not a killer."
"How can you be sure?" Officer Wells asked, her tone skeptical.
"Because Zeke is too scatterbrained to carry out a murder this methodical." Izzy answered. "If you don't believe me, check his records when you get back to the station. His only crimes are minor violations of trespassing, petty theft, and public intoxication."
"She's right." Harris said. "I've dealt with him before and he's not violent."
"Why didn't you say that sooner?" Martin demanded.
"Because I didn't think it was relevant and we have more important things to deal with at the moment." Harris answered.
Martin looked like he wanted to keep arguing, but Izzy beat him to the punch. "Harris is right." she said. "We need to focus on the murder, not the past criminal history of a homeless man. You said you found Miss Dobbs' purse behind the house, correct?"
"Yes." Martin answered. "Though I'm not sure what it was doing back there. No one has lived in this house for years."
"It is possible Miss Dobbs was squatting here." Izzy said. "Though a more likely explanation would be that she was attempting to seek refuge from her attacker."
"That does seem likely." Harris agreed. "How do we know for sure though?"
"We ask our witness." Izzy replied, glancing at the detectives before turning her attention back to Zeke. "Tell us what you saw Zeke."
Zeke nodded and began speaking, his voice hoarse and scratchy. "I was just wandering, minding my own business, you know, when I saw the woman come running down the street." he said. "There was a man chasing her, a big man, at least six foot from what I could see. Anyway, the woman ran into the yard there and the man followed. I heard banging on the back door o' that house an' then she screamed. There were sounds of a struggle an' then she come running back out to the street with her guts hanging out. I wanted to help, but the man came again and took her from behind. She struggled a bit, but he was too strong an' before I knew it he'd slashed her throat an' left her for dead."
"Did you get a look at the man's face?" Izzy asked.
"No ma'am." Zeke answered. "He was in shadow most o' the time. He didn't speak neither, just raped and murdered that poor woman an' then disappeared."
"Why were you going through her purse when we showed up?" Wells asked.
"I thought maybe I could find some money." Zeke answered. "But I didn't find none. I think maybe her killer took it, eh."
"Okay. Is there anything else you have to tell us?" Martin asked.
"Only that I checked on her before I went to look through her stuff, but she was already dead." Zeke answered, hanging his head.
"Alright, well, you're free to go Mr. Almos." Harris said. "Thank you for your help."
Zeke nodded and shuffled off, leaving Izzy and the detectives to comb over his statements. It certainly seemed like he was telling the truth, but Izzy could tell that not all of her companions were convinced. Still, it would do them no good now to argue about it and Izzy was keen to get back to the case so they could catch this guy before he struck again.
"Well, that was helpful." she said, trying to sound cheerful.
"I guess." Martin muttered. "Let's get back to the station. We have a lot of work to do and not much time to do it."
Izzy nodded. Yeah, she thought as they headed out. There are now only two more victims left before this guy reaches his promised quota and what happens then if we don't solve this in time?
Once they were back at the station, Izzy made her way to the morgue, where the bodies of the victims were being held until the case was solved. She wasn't really sure what drew her to the morgue, but she made her way there all the same. She stopped in the doorway a moment before entering, her mind still racing as she once again tried to find the connection.
As she entered the morgue she noticed that Danielle Dobbs' corpse had not yet arrived. For a moment she was gripped by panic, before realizing that Danielle's body was likely still at the scene of her murder, which was still being processed by Noah and his people. Relief washed over her then and she turned her attention to the bodies that were present. Because this was an ongoing investigation, the NDPD had gotten permission from each victim's family to hold the bodies until the case was solved, which Izzy found extremely helpful. There was some connection between these women and Izzy was certain that the only way to find it was to have the bodies present in case there was something on, or in, them that would lead her to the connection.
Perhaps that was what had drawn her to the morgue now, her desire to find what connected these women. With that in mind she moved to the rows of cold chambers that lined the back wall of the morgue. Cautiously she opened chamber thirteen, which housed the body of the first victim, twenty year old Jenna Azalius. Jenna lay cold and motionless upon the tray that fit into her chamber, her eyes closed and her naked body covered by a white sheet. Izzy took a moment to marvel at Noah's expertly done preservation before moving to examine Jenna's corpse. The wounds she bore were quite similar to those that had killed Michelle Farmer and Danielle Dobbs, though it appeared that her killer hadn't butchered her quite so viciously.
What does it mean though? Izzy thought. Is he purposefully getting more vicious with each victim to send us a message or is there another reason for this discrepancy?
The only way to answer that question of course was to examine the other victims as well. Sighing, Izzy moved to chamber fourteen, which housed the body of twenty two year old Allison Greiger, the second victim. She slid Allison's chamber open as well, noting once she had that Allison's wounds were almost perfectly identical to Jenna's.
So his escalation didn't begin immediately, she thought. As I suspected. Well, let's see when it did begin then.
She moved to chamber fifteen, which house the body of twenty three year old Crystal Jones, the third victim and then repeated the process for victims four through nine. Crystal's wounds showed very little difference from Allison and Jenna's, but victims four and five, Cate Dollings and Melissa Redford, showed signs of having been more severely beaten. Victims six and seven, Janelle Thomas and Talia Towner, showed even greater signs of increased violence and victims eight and nine, Wendy Willston and Sarah Groves, showed still greater signs of increased violence on the part of their killer. Which led Izzy to only one conclusion, victim ten, Michelle Farmer would show signs of the greatest amount of violence perpetrated by the killer prior to the murder of Danielle Dobbs.
Izzy was about to open chamber twenty two to examine Michelle's corpse, when the sound of doors opening drew her attention. She spun, immediately defensive, to find Noah entering with the body of Danielle Dobbs.
"What the hell are you doing in here, Miss Sharpe?" Noah asked, his voice rising with each word. His glare was penetrating and for a moment Izzy was unable to speak.
"I...I'm simply conducting a test to confirm my theory." she said, after a moments silence.
"This morgue is restricted." Noah snapped, ignoring her reasoning. "No one is allowed in here without my express permission and even then you'd need a security card. So how did you get in here, Miss Sharpe?"
"The door was open." Izzy answered, quickly regaining her composure. "Maybe you left it open when you left."
"Impossible." Noah said. "I always check to make sure this room is secured."
"Well, apparently you didn't this time." Izzy said. "Cuz that door was open when I got here. So, unless the dead are walking in your morgue, it seems to me you fucked up."
Noah looked like he wanted to keep arguing, but his expression suddenly changed to one of panic, as though he had just realized something horrible. He quickly glanced around the room, his movements jerky and panicked, as though he was searching for something that was missing. But his demeanor quickly calmed once he realized that the only chambers open were those that contained the bodies of the victims in Izzy's case and that nothing else seemed to be out of place.
"It would seem you are correct, Miss Sharpe." he said, his tone grudging. "Apparently I did forget to lock the door this time."
Izzy smiled, but chose not rub it in. "Well, we all make mistakes." she said. "Now, will you let me finish my examination?"
"I suppose." Noah answered. "What are you looking for, anyway?"
"A connection between these victims." Izzy answered.
"There could be any number of things that tie these women together." Noah said. "What makes you think you're going to find it here?"
"Nothing really." Izzy answered. "It's just a hunch. I did notice something interesting though as I examined each corpse."
"Which is?" Noah asked, his tone suggesting that he didn't believe her.
"The viciousness with which our killer butchered each of these women seems to have increased with each victim." Izzy answered. "In other words, victim one, Jenna Azalius shows the least amount of damage from the attack that killed her and victim eleven, Danielle Dobbs, shows the most."
Noah glanced at her and then at each of the victims, taking a moment to study each one before moving on to the next. "It would appear you are correct, Miss Sharpe." he said. "I did not notice that myself. What do you think it means?"
"I'm not sure." Izzy answered. "It could mean that our killer started out with victims he did not know and has now moved to victims who have a personal connection to him in some way. Or he could simply be getting more elaborate in his methods, in an attempt to throw us off. Either way, I'm going to find out."
With that she turned and walked out of the morgue, leaving Noah to his work, the finality of her statement leaving no doubt as to her intentions.
Izzy arrived back at the main precinct a short time later to find the detectives hard at work. None of them greeted her as she entered the room, but she took that as a good sign. By ignoring her they were remaining focused on the task at hand and Izzy couldn't have been happier. She was getting tiered of this case dragging on and any sign that it was nearing its end was a good thing.
"You learn anything from the corpses?" Anderson asked then, breaking the silence.
"Not really." Izzy admitted. "Well, there is one thing, but it's not much."
"Well, what is it?" Martin asked. "What did you learn?"
"It seems our killer is getting more vicious with each killing." Izzy answered.
"Yeah, we could see that for ourselves." Officer Wells said, her tone sarcastic.
Izzy shot her a dark look before speaking again. "Yes, but do you understand what that means?" she asked.
Wells did not respond, but her silence was as good as anything she could have said. Izzy grinned and glanced at the others, but they seemed to be just as lost as Wells was. Realizing that they weren't going to catch on she sighed and gave them the same explanation she had given Noah.
"So, which one do you think it is?" Harris asked, once Izzy was done explaining.
"I'm not sure." Izzy answered. "Both explanations make sense, but if I had to choose I'd go with the first theory that the later victims have some sort of personal connection to out killer."
"That's good, because I think I may have found a way to turn that plausible theory into a working one." Anderson said.
The others all looked at him, surprise plain on all their faces. Anderson grinned, taken aback by their reactions and motioned to the files strewn about his desk. "See here." he said. "I found something about Danielle Dobbs that I think is important."
"Well, tell us son." Martin said, his gaze passing over Anderson in a quick, impressed glance that he quickly tried to hide.
"Danielle was in treatment for past abuse." Anderson said. "She was seeing a therapist who was apparently helping her deal with a previous attack in which she was sexually abused."
"How did you find this?" Izzy asked, curious.
"I dug into her financial records and discovered that she'd made several payments to a Doctor Chang who is employed at a place called Complete Counseling Services."
"I know that place." Izzy said. "CCS is a non-profit organization that specializes in helping victims of abuse."
"But if they're non-profit, why was Danielle paying this Doctor Chang?" Harris asked.
"CCS is non-profit, but the people it employs are not." Izzy answered. "Most of the people who work there are contractors whom CCS hires on a temporary basis. However, Doctor Chang is one of the founders of the organization, so the fact that she's receiving payments from clients is a bit disturbing."
It was clear that the others were curious to know how Izzy knew so much about CCS, but none of them asked. Instead, Anderson moved to reveal the rest of his discovery.
"Danielle wasn't the only one of our victims who was a client of CCS." he said. "Several of the others were as well."
"Who?" Izzy asked, now very intrigued by this lead.
"Michelle Farmer, Melissa Redford, Talia Towner, and Sarah Groves." Anderson answered. "They all came to CCS within the last two years."
Izzy nodded, a new theory forming in her mind. The fact that five of the eleven victims had been clients of CCS fit with her theory of the killer's motivations, but not with her theory about why he was getting more vicious and violent. Still, the picture was getting clearer and Izzy could now see an end in sight for this case.
"Were they all seeing Doctor Chang?" she asked then.
"Yes." Anderson answered. "They all met with the good doctor once a week."
"Why is that significant?" Wells asked, confused.
"Because we now have our way in." Izzy answered. "Doctor Chang could provide us with a possible suspect, or she could even be one herself. Either way, we finally have a way to get some answers to this fucking mystery."
"What about the remaining victims?" Harris asked. "There's still two more women out there who are in danger."
"Check the CCS patient list." Izzy said. "See if there's anyone else at that place who fit the profile of our killer's victims."
"There's two." Anderson said. "I already checked. There names are Taryn Sills and Ashlee Cooper. They both fit the profile perfectly."
"Okay, then we have our orders." Izzy said, glancing around the room. "Find Taryn and Ashlee and question Doctor Chang."
Martin nodded and followed her out, Harris, Wells, and Anderson bringing up the rear. Izzy wasn't sure if they'd be able to get Doctor Chang to cooperate, but they had to try. Time was short and if they failed now two more women would die and that was something Izzy could not allow.
A short time later Izzy and the detectives arrived at the headquarters of Complete Counseling Services. They were greeted by a young female receptionist, who regarded them with a hint of suspicion before speaking.
"Welcome to Complete Counseling Services." the woman said. "How may we assist you?"
"We're here to speak with Doctor Chang." Martin answered, flashing his badge as he spoke. "We have some questions for her regarding the recent string of homicides that have hit this city."
"I'm sorry, but Doctor Chang isn't in today." the receptionist said. "If you'd like, I can pass along your message and have her call you back tomorrow."
"She's lying." Izzy said, her gaze traveling from the receptionist to Martin as she spoke.
"I am not." the receptionist squealed, honestly offended.
"If that's true, why is there a car parked in the spot reserved for Doctor Chang?" Izzy asked.
The receptionist paled and Izzy grinned. "That's...uh...my car." the receptionist stammered. "I swear to you, Doctor Chang isn't here."
"That's enough Amelia." a sharp voice said from across the room. "Stop lying to the detectives or I'll fire you."
The receptionist fell silent and Izzy and the detectives turned to find a stern, serious looking woman staring at them. She was dressed in dark pants, a black sweater, and a white lab coat and her features suggested she was of Chinese origin.
"Doctor Chang, I presume?" Izzy asked, inclining her head in greeting.
"I am." the woman replied. "Doctor Lucille Chang at your service. How may I help you?"
"We have some questions for you regarding some patients of yours." Martin said. "May we ask you for your assistance?"
"Certainly." Doctor Chang replied. "Though doctor-patient confidentiality may prevent me from being as helpful as you may like."
"We understand." Martin said. "Is there somewhere more private we can talk?"
"Come to my office." Doctor Chang said, motioning for them to follow her. "And I do apologize for Amelia's actions. She's my niece and I'm afraid she's rather protective of me."
Martin assured her no harm had been done, but Izzy was more interested in Doctor Chang's reasoning. Why would Amelia be protective of the good doctor? Did Chang have something to hide? Or was there some other reason she was just missing? Ultimately she decided it wasn't important and turned her attention back to the case.
"So, what can I help you with?" Doctor Chang asked, once they were settle in her office.
"We're investigating a string of murders committed by a serial killer and we were wondering if you could shed some light on that." Martin said.
"Why do you think I would know anything about that?" Doctor Chang asked.
"Because five of the victims were patients of yours." Harris answered, speaking for the first time since they'd arrived at CCS.
"My God." Doctor Chang said, horrified. "Who were the victims?"
"Danielle Dobbs, Michelle Farmer, Melissa Redford, Talia Towner, and Sarah Groves." Izzy answered, watching Doctor Chang closely for any reaction.
"Oh God..." Doctor Chang whispered, obviously distraught. "They were some of my best patients. They were all making such good progress, especially Danielle and Michelle." She sat back, shaking her head, the horror of the situation settling over her.
"May we ask why they were receiving treatment from you?" Harris asked.
"They were all victims of sexual abuse." Doctor Chang answered, after a moment of silence. "That's what we do here at CCS. We help victims of abuse. I specialize in helping victims of sexual abuse and rape."
"And are there other doctors on staff here?" Izzy asked.
"Yes, there are two others, as well as several nurses." Doctor Chang answered. "Many of our patients come here in pretty bad shape and we give them a place to recover. The nurses primarily take care of the patients after hours."
"The patients live here?" Martin asked, genuinely surprised.
"Most of them do, for a time." Doctor Chang answered. "The physical, emotional, and psychological damage many of them have suffered often needs prolonged treatment and we offer them a chance to recover in a place where they can feel safe."
"It makes sense." Izzy said, rolling her eyes at the dumbfounded looks on Martin and Harris' faces. "Keeping the patients here, where they're safe, is better than sending them somewhere else where their abusers could get to them again."
"Exactly." Doctor Chang said. "Our goal here is to give our patients back the lives they have lost to their abusers."
"A noble cause, to be sure." Harris said, his tone sympathetic.
"Were Danielle, Michelle, Melissa, Talia, and Sarah still living here?" Martin asked, abruptly changing the tone of the discussion.
"Not anymore." Doctor Chang answered. "They all did, for a time, but it's been six months since any of them were tenants here."
"And yet they were still in treatment?" Martin asked.
"Yes." Doctor Chang answered. "Many of my patients continue to see me for up to two years after they leave the facility."
Martin nodded, seeming to understand, and then asked his next question. "CCS is a non-profit organization, is it not?" he asked.
"Yes, but I'm afraid I don't see what that has to do with this." Doctor Chang answered.
"We have evidence that you were receiving payments from Danielle Dobbs." Martin said. "So tell me, if your organization is a non-profit, why was one of your patients paying you?"
"Are you suggesting that I am somehow behind these murders?" Doctor Chang asked, her tone suddenly stiff and cold.
"No. I am simply curious to know why the founder of a non-profit is being payed by one of her patients." Martin said. "I mean, that doesn't strike you as a little odd?"
"Danielle chose to pay me, after she had left her initial treatment." Doctor Chang answered. "I did not ask her to and certainly did not harm her in any way."
"Can you think of anyone who may have?" Izzy asked, trying to smooth over Martin's poorly executed ploy.
"No one comes to mind immediately." Doctor Chang replied. "Though if you'd like a list of the people with whom Danielle had contact I can provide you with one, as well as a list of all CCS employees, in case you wish to look into them as well."
"That would be greatly appreciated, thanks." Izzy said, smiling.
Doctor Chang did not return the gesture, making it clear that she was done being questioned. "Is there anything else?" she asked. "Or can I get back to work?"
"There is one other thing you can help us with, actually." Izzy said.
"And that would be?" Doctor Chang asked, her tone cold.
"We have reason to believe that two of your other patients may be targets of our serial killer." Izzy answered. "Taryn Sills and Ashlee Cooper. Are they still here?"
"No." Doctor Chang answered. "Why do you think they're in danger?"
"They fit the profile of our serial killer's victims." Izzy answered. "Do you know where they might be found?"
"Ashlee lives in an apartment downtown." Doctor Chang answered. "I'm afraid I don't know where Taryn lives though."
"I'm sure we can find her." Izzy said. "Thank you for your help."
Doctor Chang simply nodded and handed Izzy the information on the CCS employees and Danielle's contacts. Izzy took them with a smile and turned to leave, Martin and Harris falling in behind her. She shot Martin a dirty look as they made their way out, but made no comment on his near blunder, choosing instead to focus on the faint glimmer of hope Doctor Chang had given them that would hopefully lead them to their killer.
Sometime early the next morning, after spending several hours combing through the information Doctor Chang had given them, Izzy returned home, exhausted and starving. The information had yielded precious little in the way of leads and Izzy was just as frustrated as she had been that morning. She had gained new insight into the mind of this killer and new information on the case, but she was still no closer to solving it. It was extremely frustrating to know that there was a killer out there whom she could stop if she could just find him. Adding to her stress was the fact that no one had yet to locate Taryn Sills or Ashlee Cooper. Ashlee's apartment had been found, but she wasn't home, and Izzy was beginning to wonder if it was already too late.
"No, don't think like that." she told herself sternly. "That sort of thinking only leads to despair and that's something you don't need."
Sighing she made her way to the kitchen, pausing when she heard the sound of pleasureful moaning coming from Gwen's room. Great, she thought. Gwen and Trent are in there fucking, while I sit out here and stress out. God, I wish Owen was here.
But Owen wasn't there. He was out of town at some baking convention or something and Izzy was left with no way to relieve her stress. For a moment she considered doing it herself, before deciding it wasn't worth it. But after a few minutes of playing aimlessly with some peanuts she decided a little stress relief wouldn't hurt. With that, she slid her right hand into her pants and inserted her middle finger into her vagina. Slowly she moved it in and out, in and out, simulating the act of sex, and for a moment it seemed to be working. But then the case reentered her mind and she lost all sense of pleasure and bliss.
"DAMN IT ALL!" she screamed, slamming her left fist into the table, the sound drawing silence from Gwen's room.
Seconds later Gwen came stumbling into the kitchen, covered only by her blanket. Trent followed a moment later, dressed in his boxers and a tank-top. They both stared at Izzy for a moment, before Gwen moved to comfort her.
"What's wrong Iz?" she asked, her tone calm and sympathetic.
"It's this fucking case I'm working." Izzy said, trying her best to stay calm. "It's stressing me out and I can't seem to find any answers. Plus, Owen's not here to help me relieve some of that fucking stress."
"Is that why we walked in on you with your hand in your pants?" Trent asked, grinning.
"Trent, shut up." Gwen snapped. "Now is not the time for jokes."
"Sorry." Trent said. "Just trying to lighten the mood."
"Yeah, well, the mood doesn't need any fucking lightening, okay?" Gwen snapped, before turning her attention back to Izzy. "Is this about the murder Geoff called you about earlier?"
"Yes." Izzy answered. "The eleventh victim. Her name was Danielle Dobbs. Her murder led us to some new clues, but they proved to be just as confusing as everything else."
"What kind of clues?" Gwen asked, genuinely curious.
"None that were useful." Izzy muttered. "Except we learned that not all of these victims are technically virgins. Some of them have been raped before, which led us to a counseling service that specializes in the treatment of abuse victims, but that didn't yield much either, except for the names of two potential victims."
"Well, that's something, isn't it?" Gwen said, trying to stay positive.
"Yeah, except no one knows where these two women are." Izzy said. "And I'm beginning to wonder if it's already too late."
"You can't do that to yourself Iz." Gwen said. "You just have to stay positive and keep trying. Eventually you'll catch this guy. You always do."
Izzy nodded, appreciating Gwen's words. It was true. She had never failed before, so why should this time be any different? But even as she thought it she knew the answer. This time could be different because the killer she was after was smart and didn't leave behind anything to connect himself to the crimes. Still, Gwen was right. She couldn't give up, not now, not when there were still two more women out there whose lives were in danger.
Just as she'd resolved herself though, her phone rang, making her jump. She quickly answered it, hoping the news was good.
"Izzy, it's Geoff." Martin's voice said from the other end of the line. "We've found Taryn Sills, but you're not gonna like it."
Izzy felt her insides go cold and bit back the shout of rage that wanted to explode from within her. "Where?" was all she asked, before heading out to assist once more.
Izzy arrived at the location Martin had given her a short time later, finding to her horror that he had been right. Taryn Sills lay cold and lifeless on the pavement, her pale green eyes still open, blank and staring. She had only been dead for an hour or two and Izzy could tell she had died trying to find help. All the signs were there and Izzy only needed a brief glimpse to know this was the work of the serial killer. It seemed he had taken more care with Taryn however, as her corpse was not as badly mutilated as Danielle Dobbs' had been. Her throat had been slashed and there were at least three stab wounds to her abdomen, but other that that the killer hadn't cut her up all that much.
It made Izzy feel sick to see Taryn like this. She knew in her heart that if she had just found the killer sooner this could have been prevented. And as that truth hit her she turned away from Taryn's corpse, tears stinging her eyes, before vomiting all over the sidewalk.
"Whoa, you okay Izzy?" Martin said, grabbing her by the shoulder to hold her steady.
"No." she gasped. "I'm not fucking okay. And you shouldn't be either."
Martin gave her a strange look, as though he was silently asking if she really thought he was okay with this, before leading her to a bench so she could rest.
"We failed Martin." she muttered, once she was seated. "We had a chance to find Taryn before it was too late and we failed."
"I know." he said, his tone sympathetic. "But all hope is not lost. We still have a chance to save Ashlee Cooper."
"If we can find her." Izzy muttered, her tone sullen. "She wasn't home when we checked earlier and it may already be too late."
"Hey, don't think like that." Martin said. "Just because we haven't found her yet doesn't mean she's dead. She could have left town or she could be hiding out somewhere we have yet to find. You can't just assume the worst, it's not healthy."
"When did you become a shrink?" Izzy asked, her tone incredulous.
Martin just smiled and turned his attention back to the crime scene, leaving Izzy to her thoughts. He was right, she knew. It wasn't good to always just assume the worst, but given the life she had lived it was hard for Izzy not to do it. The circumstances made it nearly impossible not to assume the worst. Ashlee was nowhere to be found and there was a serial killer on the loose, for whom she was the optimal target. And yet Izzy knew there was still a chance that Ashlee was still alive. Taryn's murder proved that. For if the killer had been preoccupied with killing Taryn, then perhaps Ashlee had had the time to escape. It was a long-shot, but Izzy would take whatever hope she could get.
It was then that she noticed a young woman watching the crime scene from just outside the barrier the cops had set up. The woman had short, dark hair, green eyes, and strikingly pale skin and she seemed to be overly interested in Taryn's murder. She also looked somehow familiar, as though Izzy had seen her somewhere before and just couldn't quite place where. And then, in a sudden rush of realization, Izzy understood who the woman was and why she was there.
Quickly glancing at the detectives, she rose and approached the woman, hoping her hunch was correct. "Miss, can someone help you with something?" asked, once she was earshot of the woman, who gave a startled squeak and turned to leave.
"Wait, I just want to help." Izzy called, her voice making the woman stop.
"Who are you?" the woman asked, her voice small and terrified.
"My name is Izzy Sharpe and I'm an investigative consultant with the NDPD." Izzy said. "What is your name?"
"My name is Ashlee Cooper." the woman answered. "And the victim you're investigating is my friend, Taryn Sills."
"I know." Izzy said, with a solemn nod. "That's why I'm here."
"You...you know?" Ashlee asked, shocked.
"Yes." Izzy answered. "I know all about you and Taryn and all the others. I've been investigating this killer for quite some time."
"Then you have to help me." Ashlee said, her tone suddenly pleading. "Please, I'll do anything, just don't let him find me."
"I promise." Izzy said. "Now, let's get you somewhere safe and you can tell me everything you know about this killer."
Ashlee nodded and Izzy led her over to the detectives, who were too busy talking to Noah to notice them. Izzy was grateful for this, as she was certain Martin and Harris wouldn't approve of her bringing a civilian into an active crime scene. Unfortunately, Noah spotted them and called out.
"Whose your friend, Miss Sharpe?" he asked, his abrupt change of subject drawing the detectives attention towards Izzy and Ashlee as well.
"What the hell Izzy?" Martin said. "You know civilians aren't allowed in an active crime scene. So what, exactly, do you think you're doing?"
"This is Ashlee Cooper." Izzy said, ignoring Martin's anger. "She was standing outside the barrier and thought I'd help her. I assume that's alright with you, seeing as how she's the probable thirteenth victim of the asshole we're trying to catch."
Martin's eyes went wide at Izzy's explanation and for a moment no one spoke. And then Harris broke the silence, his tone barely concealing his surprise.
"Well shit, why didn't you say so?" he asked. "We have to get her out of here."
"What do you think I'm trying to do?" Izzy snapped.
"Uh...yeah...right, I see that now." Harris said, his tone one of embarrassment.
Izzy rolled her eyes and turned to leave. "Come on." she said. "Let's get her out of here, before the killer figures out where she is."
Harris nodded and he and Martin followed her, leaving Noah to finish his work, all of them noticing Ashlee's sorrowful look as was led away from Taryn's corpse.
A short time later they arrived at the station house, finding Officers Wells and Anderson hard at work despite the early hour. Izzy led Ashlee to an interrogation room, which Martin had decided would be the safest place to keep her. Martin went to fill in Captain Hatchet, while Harris went to fetch some coffee for Ashlee.
Despite being surrounded by cops Ashlee still seemed nervous and Izzy could sense that she was uncomfortable being here. "Don't worry." she whispered, her tone soothing. "You're safe here. None of these people will hurt you, nor will they let anyone else do the same."
Ashlee nodded, seemingly convinced, though Izzy could tell that Ashlee wouldn't be truly calm until the killer had been caught. Izzy could understand that though. Ashlee was the final target, the last of the thirteen victims the killer had promised. To know that she was the last must have been a tremendous weight on Ashlee's shoulders and Izzy could perfectly understand why that was terrifying. She had experienced similar feelings herself, many years earlier, and knew better than anyone that Ashlee would never stop being afraid until this was over.
Izzy was just about to share this with Ashlee when Harris returned with the coffee, followed by Martin, Wells, Anderson, and Captain Hatchet. Harris handed the coffee to Ashlee, smiling as he did so.
"Thank you." she said, returning his smile.
"You're welcome." Harris said, moving to stand behind Izzy's chair.
"Ashlee, I hate to do this now, but we need to ask you a few questions." Izzy said, once everyone was settled. "Is that alright?"
Ashlee nodded and then asked, "What kind of questions?"
"Things like, how did you know Taryn Sills?" Martin asked, trying to sound gentle.
"I met Taryn in therapy." Ashlee said. "We were both raped when we were younger and we were getting treatment from the same doctor."
"Doctor Chang, at Complete Counseling Services, correct?" Martin asked.
"Yes, that's right." Ashlee said, surprised that he knew that.
"We spoke with the good doctor yesterday." Martin said, in response to her unasked question. "Did you know any of the other patients at CCS?"
"A few." Ashlee answered. "Some of them were my friends, like Taryn was."
"Did you know these five?" Wells asked, placing photos of Danielle Dobbs, Michelle Farmer, Melissa Redford, Talia Towner, and Sarah Groves on the table.
"Yes." Ashlee answered. "They were all patients at CCS and they were my friends as well. We were part of the same therapy group." She swallowed then, obviously fighting the urge to cry. It was extremely painful to watch her struggle with the loss of her friends, but Izzy knew this had to be done. It was the only way to get answers and hopefully find the killer.
"And do you know these women?" Wells pressed, placing photos of Jenna Azalius, Allison Greiger, Crystal Jones, Cate Dollings, Janelle Thomas, and Wendy Williston on the table.
"Yes." Ashlee answered, surprising everyone. "They were all victims of rape as well, but they were too afraid to come forward and seek treatment. They were part of a group Michelle and Melissa started."
"Fucking hell." Captain Hatchet breathed, the horror in his tone echoed in the silence from the others.
"They were all victims of previous sexual abuse?" Anderson asked, shocked.
"So it would seem." Izzy whispered, her tone full of horror and rage.
"Do you have any idea who the killer might be?" Martin asked, breaking the tension in the room, his question directed at Ashlee.
"I might." Ashlee replied. "There was a guy at CCS who always creeped me out. It could be him, though I'm not positive."
"It's not this guy, is it?" Anderson asked, holding up a photo of a tall, barrel chested man with a shaved head and a sparse, poorly groomed beard.
"That's him." Ashlee said, suppressing a shudder.
"Who is he?" Izzy asked, glancing at Anderson.
"His name is Tony Grant." Anderson replied. "He used to be an orderly at CCS, but he was fired recently after several patients reported him for inappropriate conduct. One of the first people to report him was Danielle Dobbs and it appears Talia Towner and Sarah Groves also reported him."
"That's not surprising." Izzy said. "It explains why they were targets."
"Yeah, and this explains everything else." Anderson said. "Tony Grant has a criminal record that includes prior arrests for abuse. He got a job at CCS in an effort to clean up his image, but it would seem he was unable to let go of his past impulses."
"And now he's using those impulses to rape and murder." Izzy said, disgusted.
"Well, that gives us our orders then." Captain Hatchet said. "We must find and arrest Tony Grant at all costs. The only question now is how."
An hour or so later Izzy and the detectives set up shop outside Ashlee's apartment complex with a plan to catch Tony Grant. Izzy didn't much care for the plan however, as it involved using Ashlee as bait. The plan had been Captain Hatchet's idea and Ashlee had agreed to it before Izzy'd had a chance to stop her. It was a horrible plan, but there wasn't much Izzy could do about it now. Ashlee had agreed to it and Izzy wasn't in the mood to challenge Hatchet on this one.
So here they were, Izzy, Ashlee, Martin, and Harris crammed into an unmarked black van parked across the street from Ashlee's apartment complex. Wells and Anderson were stationed in another vehicle around the corner and Captain Hatchet waited with several more officers just two blocks down the street. The plan was to send Ashlee in, with the hope that Grant would be waiting for her. But Izzy had pointed out one glaring weakness in the plan; what if Grant wasn't there or didn't show up? It was a possibility the others were ignoring, along with the fact that Grant wanted to rape and murder Ashlee and they were essentially giving him the chance to do just that. The detectives had dismissed these fears however, stating that the plan was foolproof. Even Ashlee had been convinced at first, going so far as to say she knew Grant would be waiting for her. But now that the plan was about to be put into action Ashlee seemed to be regretting her decision.
"Ashlee, is something wrong?" Izzy asked, glancing at the terrified girl. She could tell something was wrong, but she wanted to hear Ashlee say it so she could put an end to this folly.
"No, I'm fine." Ashlee lied, not meeting Izzy's gaze.
"No, you're not." Izzy said. "I can tell. Are you having second thoughts?"
Ashlee considered for a moment before answering. "Yes." she said. "I am. But we don't have another choice."
"Yes we do." Izzy said. "You don't have to do this. We can find another way."
"Actually we can't." Martin said. "Captain Hatchet just gave the signal to go, so there's no pulling out now. Don't worry Ashlee, we'll be right out here and we'll be in contact with you at all times if you need help."
Ashlee nodded and Martin slid open the door of the van to let her out. Izzy wanted to protest, but sensed it was futile. Instead she gave Ashlee a nod and a reassuring pat on the shoulder before sending the other woman on her way. Her insides squirmed as Ashlee made her way towards the building, but there was nothing she could do. All that could be done now was the waiting and the hoping that something didn't go horribly wrong.
Several minutes later they heard the sound of Ashlee opening the door to her apartment, followed by a sharp intake of breath, that made Izzy's heart skip a beat.
"Ashlee?" she asked, speaking into the com. "What it it? Are you hurt?"
"No, I'm fine." Ashlee replied, her voice barely a whisper over the line. "I just noticed one of my plants is-oh God!" The line went dead and then they heard a scream, followed by a gunshot that sent Izzy into a panic.
"Ashlee?" she screamed. "ASHLEE! Are you are alright? What's going on?"
"It's him." Martin said, his voice strained. "It's Grant, it has to be."
"I'm going in then." Izzy said, bolting for the door.
"We need to wait for the signal from Hatchet." Martin protested, but Izzy ignored him and ran towards the building.
"Izzy wait!" Martin cried, but she did not stop and a second later Martin and Harris followed her, the others leaving their positions as well.
They burst into Ashlee's apartment moments later to find Tony Grant standing in the middle of the living room, his hulking frame towering over Ashlee. Ashlee lay on the floor, blood seeping from a gunshot wound to her abdomen, her face deathly pale.
"Drop the weapon!" Martin shouted, aiming his gun at Grant, who seemed to ignore him.
And then, before any of them could react, Grant spun and fired, the bullet missing Martin by half an inch. Martin and Harris returned fire, hitting Grant twice before he went down. Izzy ran to Ashlee's side as the detectives moved to restrain Grant, who was groaning in pain.
Izzy ignored him however and cradled Ashlee in her arms. The other woman was trembling, from fear or pain or both and Izzy did all she could to calm her, knowing that any additional strain could prove fatal.
"Did...did you catch him?" Ashlee asked, her voice a painful gasp.
"Yes, thanks to you." Izzy answered. "You did good Ashlee."
"Thanks..." Ashlee said, her voice trailing off as she went limp in Izzy's arms. Izzy stared at her a moment before laying Ashlee gently on the floor, tears running down her cheeks, washing away all the pain and guilt she felt.
Sometime later Izzy met up with the detectives, Gwen, and Trent at the Pit. They greeted her with a solemn, but triumphant cheer and Duncan offered her a drink, which she took gladly. It had been an exhausting few days and Izzy was ready for a nice long nap, but before she could sleep she needed to regain her strength and answer a few questions.
"How's Ashlee?" Martin asked, once Izzy was settled.
"Good." Izzy answered. "She's resting comfortably at the moment, though it'll be a few weeks before she's up and moving around again."
"That's good to here." Anderson said, with a smile.
Izzy nodded, agreeing completely. Ashlee had nearly died, but the paramedics had arrived in time to save her. It had taken hours of surgery and a blood transfusion to do the job, but it had been successful, thanks in part to Izzy, who had donated blood after discovering she was a match for Ashlee's type.
"I guess that means Grant didn't fulfill his promise, huh?" Trent said.
"Yeah, he came up one short of his baker's dozen." Izzy said. "Too bad for him the other twelve murders are more than enough to put him away for life."
"Good riddance, I say." Duncan said. "This city could do with a few less serial killers."
"On that we can all agree." Izzy said. "Now pass me other drink so I can finally go get some sleep."
Duncan nodded and passed her another shot, grinning as he did so. Izzy ignored the gesture and downed the shot without complaint, all the while thinking about the life she had helped save and the ones she would hopefully save in the days and weeks to come.
End.
A/N: And that's episode 4 of the Consultant series. As usual, Total Drama is not mine. It is the property of its creators and Teletoon, Inc. Let me start off by saying that yes, I realize this was a rather dark and disturbing story. This was intentional and that is why it is rated M. I will clarify however that I do not, under any circumstances advocate this sort of violence in real life. This is purely a work of fiction and should be viewed as such. Also, the bit about the victims being virgins is open to debate. I tend to think of virgins as people who have yet to engage in consensual sex, but you could make the case that rape takes a persons virginity, I guess. I don't think that counts though, as rape is a crime and a horrible atrocity. Also, the title refers to the number of victims Grant planned to kill, not the ones he actually killed Finally, what did you think of the way I introduced Trent and Zeke? That's all for now, so cheers. KT.