Disclaimer: If you've seen them on the show, they belong to Dick Wolf, not me.
I know this idea is kind of unconventional, but allow me a bit of leeway. It's from Captain Cragen's point of view. The idea came from this weird dream I had and I wrote the last chapter first.
Anna Jameson, age 9. June 1961
Stephanie Reed, age 8. September 1961
Ellen DeGrees, age 8. December 1961
Sarah Baker, age 9. February 1962
Melanie Anderson, age 10. July 1962
Marta Brown, age 7. October 1962
Leafing through the scrapbook they'd created of the victims – the known victims – is like taking a journey to the past. All the girls are young, blonde, and beautiful. The pictures were taken at school and the girls are all smiling widely, their hair in braids, wearing old-fashioned dresses.
I flip ahead a few years. There are more victims here.
Erica Johnson, age 7. May 1988
Shauna Levine, age 8. October 1988
Dana Carlisle, age 10. February 1989
Stephanie Lewin, age 7. June 1989
Amanda Stevenson, age 9. November 1989
Mia DiAngelo, age 8. March 1990
The attacks continue. All the way from 1961 to today, several a year. He must be getting old by now – in 1961, he was in his twenties. We've spent years trying to catch this guy, but our search has been futile, and eventually it's been pushed to the back burner. We investigate for a few days after each attack, add to the file, and move on. This guy must be in his seventies now, and my squad is just waiting for him to die.
I disagree, and so every new attack, we dutifully investigate and store away for future reference. Someday, he's going to screw up and we'll be savvy enough to get him when he does. I'm going to catch the perp if it's the last thing I do.
Every little girl, raped and murdered. They're from different boroughs but they are almost identical – small, blonde, cute, described by their parents as friendly and outgoing.
Jessica Grayson, age 9. April 2000
Marianne DeMarco, age 10. September 2000
Jennifer Marsh, age 7. January 2001
Dannika Lawrence, age 8. April 2001
Sydney Green, age 7. October 2001
Brynn Mandel, age 8. March 2002
I hear a knock on my office door and put away the scrapbook. I glance at it every so often even when we're not working the case. They remind me why I chose this job to begin with.
Olivia stands in the doorway. "Captain, we just got a call from the 2-7. TEO's back."
We've christened the killer TEO for "the elusive one." John's idea, obviously.
I sigh. "Who's the vic this time?"
"Seven-year-old girl named Daniela Richards. From Queen's."
"You and Elliot go interview the parents. Tell John and Fin to canvass the neighborhood, see if anyone saw anything suspicious."
She nods. As she shuts the door, I take the scrapbook out again.
Madeleine Brodky, age 8. April 2009
Taryn McClearly, age 7. July 2009
Annabelle Grossi, age 10. September 2009
Gracelyn Sherwood, age 8. December 2009
Everleigh Golden, age 9. March 2010
And now one more:
Daniela Richards, age 7. May 2010
There's one more victim from the very beginning. One that came before Anna Jameson, before he'd gotten comfortable, brilliant, and elusive. I know it was him but I still don't include this little girl in the scrapbook. I know he killed her, but my squad doesn't. I hold this one close to heart and she's the reason why I decided to become a detective to begin with.
I'll never tell.
Do you like it so far? Do you want to know who this particular victim is and why she's so important to Cragen? Review for chapter two!
