Hello again, everyone. C: After a few one-shots, I wanted to start another fanfic. So, here's the first chapter. I'm sorry this chapter is so boring, but I like describing & establishing the case before going on. I promise the next chapters will be better; I have some great action planned for this! Anyways, I would love it if you would review & tell me what you think; I appreciate all of them. Thanks, & enjoy!
Chapter One - Recognition
Mal Fallon sat at his desk in the police bullpen, idly rotating between sipping coffee and filling out paperwork for the current case they were on. It was beginning to get out of hand- both the paperwork, and the case. He heard footsteps approaching his desk, and glanced up to meet the eyes of his partner, Natara Williams. She looked a little tense, like she had bad news; she also held a manila folder, packed full with papers.
"Hey," Mal said, setting down his pen. "Is everything okay?"
Natara pursed her lips, not wanting to be the carrier of more bad news. Especially for this particular case; it was getting really bad.
"Don't tell me," Mal muttered with a groan. "Another one?"
"The fifth one this week," she replied grimly.
"Black rose?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
Natara just nodded in response, biting her lower lip. She opened the folder she was holding, taking out a few pictures and extending them to Mal.
He took them, dreading what he'd see. He glanced over the pictures of the crime scene, showing a bloodied body of a young girl, no older than 20. Like the other three victims so far, the same object was placed in her tattered hand: a single black rose.
"Victim?" he asked, handing the pictures back to Natara.
"Sophie Chandler," she said, reading off the victim's stats. "She was 18, and a senior at West Heights High school. Dark brown hair, brown eyes, 5'8. She was last seen by her mother, Audrey Chandler, at about 8:31 pm. Sophie drove back to the school to retrieve a textbook she forgot, and never came home. Her body was found behind the school, shoved behind the dumpsters. The janitor found her while taking out the trash around 9:57 pm. She had multiple stab wounds, and the killer must have hit a major artery- there was an ungodly amount of blood."
"Oh, God," he muttered, leaning back in his chair. "All high school students, from the same high school. Who the hell does that stuff? This is getting way out of hand, Nat; we need to get this guy."
"I know," Natara said, leaning her hands against his desk and sighing. "But every single time, he has somehow gotten away, leaving very little evidence behind."
"Is there some other connection between the five victims, other than the fact that they're all female high school-ers?"
Natara pulled out three more papers, scanning their physical stats.
"Well, the first victim, Allison Dardyn, was about the same height as Sophie, but she had blonde hair and sea-green eyes. She was a senior, as well. The second, Evelyn Willows, was nothing like the other Allison or Sophie; she was 5'2, auburn hair, blue eyes, and a freshman. Gianna Mueller, the third, was a little like Evelyn- 5'4, strawberry-blonde hair, and light blue eyes- but Gianna was a sophomore."
"They all have lighter-colored hair so far," Mal observed, taking the photos Natara handed him. He set them down on his desk, examining them.
"The first four do, yes," Natara said, shuffling around some papers. "But the one before Sophie... doesn't make sense to me. She's completely different from the others: Ruby Ness was a sophomore, and 5'9, which is tall for a 16-year-old. She had black hair, and it was cut shoulder-length; the others had long hair. She had gray eyes, too, which is fairly uncommon, and wore glasses."
Mal sat taking this information in, trying to lace a connection- even the smallest one- between the five girls.
"It's obviously not physical," Mal concluded after a few moments of thought. "I don't think we can really draw any more conclusions as of yet. Can we get to the crime scene?"
Half an hour later, Mal and Natara arrived at West Heights High. They drove around the school to the back parking lot, where staff and janitors parked. They got out and immediately saw the all-too-familiar yellow crime scene tape surrounding the vicinity of the dumpsters. Several squad cars were parked around the lot, and one of the officers, who looked younger, was talking to who Mal presumed to be the janitor.
Mal walked up to another officer, who was writing something on a clipboard. Natara followed closely behind, keeping pace with Mal's long strides. The officer looked up as they approached and greeted them.
"You are Detective Fallon and Special Agent Williams, I assume?" questioned the officer, setting his clipboard on the hood of his police car.
"That's us," Mal said, extending his hand towards the officer, shaking his hand.
"Pleased to meet you," Natara added politely, extending her hand as well.
"Great to meet you both," the officer replied. "I am Officer Mortenson, and over there," he said, indicating the officer talking to the janitor, "Is my assistant, Officer Bowden."
"May we speak with the janitor?" Natara asked, motioning towards the taped-off area.
"Of course, follow me." They nodded, and walked towards the crime scene. The officer lead, relaying the information they were informed of earlier.
"Bowden," Officer Mortenson called as they approached, "This is Detective Mal Fallon and Special Agent Natara Williams of the FBI. They would like to speak to Janitor Morrison. "
"Sorry if we're disturbing you," Mal added, eyeing the clipboard in Officer Bowden's hands.
"It's not a problem," assured Officer Bowden. "I'm almost finished." He glanced up and his gaze drifted to Natara. She looked vaguely familiar.
"I'm sorry," Bowden said, turning to Natara and looking almost sheepish, "But do I know you from some where? You look kind of familiar..."
Natara was momentarily startled by the slight recognition, but recovered quickly. "I, um, I'm not sure..."
"Sorry to ask, but did you attend Briarwood High?"