Water splashed across the table just barely missing Ray's Medianoche but hitting him on his chest. Snatching up napkins and dabbing at his shirt as well as handing some to Dexter.
"Sorry about that, but that was gross," commented Ray talking about the water that had spewed from Dexter's mouth.
Dexter nodded while wiping the water from his face.
"It's fine just caught me off guard. Why are you asking about the Bay Harbor Butcher any ways?"
"I was doing some research last night and came across the Bay Harbor Butcher in a few articles, which stated he was a very dedicated killer. His MO was to kill bad people? Also it said his identity was James Doakes a detective from your precinct, that's got to be something wild right? You see the guy every day, make small talk and not even realize the guy could have been one parking ticket away from killing someone else."
"Actually he and I didn't get along that well, Doakes was a loose cannon but the Bay Harbor Butcher only went after killers, arsonists, rapists, the worse people alive. According to the investigation most of the killers had been arrested but technicalities got them off."
"Loose cannon? How come you noticed and no one else did?" Ray inquired continuing to eat his medianoche.
"I always sense there was something off about him, like he was hiding in plain sight. I never concealed my doubts about that but no one believed me."
"You are one of the best lab techs in the country and they didn't believe you?"
"It was Sergeant Doakes, he was a popular guy people liked him."
"They like you."
Not replying but taking a bite of his medianoche Dexter nodded and shrugged it off. Copying him Ray also took a bite of his own food.
"Media's already taken wind on this new case," Ray started pulling a paper out from under the table, "Dirty Cop Slain" read the headline, "You positive it was Doakes who was the killer?"
This guy was either good or really lucky bringing up Dexter's old kills like that, as well as linking the old kills with these new ones. He was started to inch too close to home and Dexter knew he had to escape this topic.
"The Bay Harbor Butcher always made sure the killers were killers, no chance of a mistake so if we didn't find Doakes' body in the wreckage of a building with tools and body parts that had the same cuts to them and the butcher was still alive he wouldn't have killed supposedly dirty cops."
After a few more tense moments of silence Ray crumpled up his wrapper and rose from the table snatching his water bottle. Once he was done chewing he finished up.
"Maybe they were dirty cops, did you do your research? I'm going to be heading out of the day, tell your sister that I will be back tomorrow. I have some ideas bouncing around my head that if I don't get down on paper might just bounce away. See you later Dexter," and he left. After finishing his own meal Dexter went back upstairs to his lab opening the door to reveal Deb sitting in his chair, Ray's book 'Iced' in her hands and she flipped through it.
"I bet your office chair is a lot more comfortable then mine," stated Dexter plainly enough Deb didn't bother to look up just raised him the bird before closing the book.
"I did an internet search on dirty cops and a lot were gang related anti-cop sites but one thing that kept being mentioned was Iced so I thought to look through it and on page one sixty I noticed that the main guy was moving in on a pair of beat cops who were supplying protection for cash and some ice. Ice in the book refers to cocaine and I thought that might match up but there were just too many different things. It's not like Ray could have known about Brooks and Burns being in that alley all the time, he just got here."
Deb had actually don't exactly what Dexter's search engine was doing while he was gone and he half expected to see just that on the screen but instead it was just the normal screen saver of him and Harrison at Harrison's one year birthday. Getting up Deb set the book on the desk just in case he wanted to flip through it and went to her office, a bit stiffly. Sitting down Dexter typed in his password and brought up the search engine. There were a lot of things mentioning Iced but one caught his eye, an excerpt from Burned. Clicking the link he brought it up and read it.
"Hank Thomas sat in his car watching his Lieutenants' house for the third night in a row. After the big bust last year he had become the name on the force and two people didn't like it. Him and his lieutenant Kyle Brandson who thought it would just cause the media to really watch them and one small screw up would bring it all crashing down. Hank thought it was more then that, that he didn't want the media focusing on him and Hank was going to find out why. Last time he had gone by the books, this time he was going to follow his gut because, his eyes wandered to the front seat where a few photos were laid out, he was going for the top of the dirty cops." Scrolling down he saw one last bit, "This is just a rough draft if you want Hank to become a vigilant cop or stay by the books go to my official web site and vote."
He knew that he promised Deb that there would be no more unauthorized stalking of prey but following Ray around a bit wouldn't cause any harm, especially since it was lunch and he already ate. Closing everything he made sure the DNA was still processing before taking off his lab coat and heading to Deb's office.
"Hey Deb I was wondering if you have contact information for Ray Reed? He wanted to know if I could talk to him about life at Homicide and I thought dropping by on lunch would be a good way to get to know him."
"Where are you really going?"
"I promised you Deb, no unauthorized things," he said not wanting to say anything tha personal with her door open, "I damaged your trust in me, I will not do that again."
"Fine here's where he's staying and his number but no one else can know it otherwise he'd have fans over there all day and night and we'd waste manpower trying to keep him safe."
"Thanks Deb," he said quickly before heading out. Scanning the parking lot of Ray's place when he arrived he was glad to see that the make and model that Ray drove was not around at all. Making his way to the door he made sure no one was around before picking the lock and making his way inside. Slipping on gloves he moved pass the living room and kitchen into the back bedroom looking for any evidence at all that painted Ray as the Dirty Cop Killer. Scanning the room his eyes fell on a white board with a few pictures taped onto it. At the top was Matthew's with a giant red x across it. Below that was Burns and Brooks, also crossed out and below that it got interesting, head shots of Maria LaGuerta, Joey Quinn and James Doakes, Doakes had a line connecting him to LaGuerta and the words BHB? below it. His eyes fell onto the last pair of pictures that made his blood run cold. Harry and Debra Morgan, next to Harry was the words deceased dirty cop. Deb simply had a question mark next to her but the idea that she was even up there at all made the world turn red.
"You have the evidence here Dex," came the voice on Harry who picked up Deb's picture shaking his head, "He killed Matthews, the two beat cops and is now going after everyone you care for."
"I care for Deb, the others are innocent people."
"Not according to him Dex, LaGuerta has some skeletons in her closet and you know about how Quinn is but you cannot let him go after Deb."
"You're up there too dad," Dexter pointed out to have his adoptive father shake his head.
"This is personal, you have to kill him before he kills her. You waited too long with Trinity and look what happened there."
"I have to take this to Deb," he said fishing out his phone and taking pictures of the set up, "I cannot lose her to anyone especially the darkness, especially this monster."
Finishing up he turned to hear the sound of keys in the lock, slipping into the closet Dexter willed his heart rate to slow. Through a crack in the door he saw Ray enter the bedroom and set something onto the desk top. Moving to his bed he reached under it and pulled out a briefcase. From within that he removed the coil of wire he used to strangle all of the cops, checking the length he returned it and added a new coil to the mix as well. Yawning he stretched and stood right in front of the closet looking at his board.
"If there was only a way to prove that Doakes wasn't the Bay Harbor Butcher then LaGuerta would work closer with me and I can get into her files and see if she's worth it," he explained to himself before sitting down and taking out a typewriter, turning the wheel he settled in and continued to type. Closing his eyes Dexter needed to decide if he was going to stay in here all day or do something. Taking his phone out he turned off the sound and contemplated texting Deb. Deciding to take him now he would at least catch him off guard and knock him out before he gets a chance to do anything. Searching around he finds a thin shirt and wraps it around his face, making sure that his features were hidden but he could still see. Quietly sliding open the closet doors he launched out and wrapped his arms around Ray's neck. Scratching at him at a feeble attempt to be freed Ray slowed down before stopping all together.
"Shouldn't have said no to your body guards coming along," whispered Dexter as he removed the shirt and went down to his cars, his kill room equipment still inside it, not wanting to bring it in and explain everything to Deb. A while later he had Ray naked and wrapped down to his bed, him sitting in the corner trying to figure out what to do next, going as far as saving a draft of a message to Deb explaining that Ray was the DCK and that he had subdued him and needed her here.
"This is different, you're not just killing a monster you're protecting her." stated Harry who had sat down in the corner with Iced in his hands.
Quickly getting up, agreeing with him, Dexter picked up a small knife and cut the line in Ray's cheek waking him up. At first he struggled against the plastic but blinked a few times a looked around, wildly before seeing Dexter and smiling.
"I read everything on the Bay Harbor Butcher Dexter, I know his MO and either you're being ironic or you're him and not Doakes."
"Yes that's the stupid name the media gave me," stated Dexter as he moved around so that he could see Ray's eyes, they didn't show fear nor anger really it was unreadable. That didn't matter, "Why did you kill them?"
"Because they were dirty cops, because they were monsters. I know that the Bay Harbor Butcher only kills monsters, but that would make you a hypocrite because that's what I do, I kill monsters." Snatching Deb's picture off the way he shoved it in Ray's face.
"What did she ever do?" he snapped.
"Nothing but her father was a dirty cop I didn't know if the apple fell that far from the tree. Apparently not since you're actually a dirty cop yourself."
"Harry Morgan isn't my biological father."
"He raised you though, like mine tried before a monster killed him. Promise me one thing Dexter, if you kill me then you have to kill the worse monster in the room, the monster with way more kills under his belt then I, you."
Dexter moved to his side and took out a knife raising it above Ray's chest, now he was getting excited since it looked like Dexter wasn't going to be deterred.
"Hey shit head do you think I can just vanish like that. Your sister knows that I'm supposed to be in tomorrow, what is she going to do when I'm not there, unless she's so stupid she wont." but he was cut off as Dexter slammed the knife down into the plastic right next to his arm.
"Do not talk about Deb like that, she is a great cop." he yelled at him to which he tried to nod.
"Of course and she'll check into me and discover that I'm gone, she'll see my typewriter and see I'm half way through an idea. You can try to finish it but people will notice then where will you be?"
"I don't know."
"I promise I wont kill Debra, she seems like a really honest cop and that's who I look for. Just let me go and we'll be all square okay?"
Instead of answering Dexter rose and began putting all his stuff away making sure there was no trace evidence of him anywhere in the room.
"You don't have to do that I did invite you over remember?"
"No?"
"Okay well I did, so please cut me free now."
"I have to head back to work, I left the knife by your right hand, just free yourself. I'll see you tomorrow then," and he left, sitting in his car he looked up at the room and wondered if he was making the right choice. "You're not alone anymore Dex, you can go to your sister. She has seen behind the mask and came to terms with what you are."
"What happened to never ever letting Deb know?"
"I was wrong about you, saying that you could never be normal and I was wrong about her not being able to accept you. Tell her about Ray being the DCK and see where she wants to go from there."
"He's right though, he's just like me"
"Until he messes up and kills an innocent." said Harry
"I shouldn't have tried killing Travis like that I should have known that Deb could have come back to check on the scene."
From above he could see the blinds close shut, Ray had gotten out but hadn't reported him because there was no rush of sirens or anything. Looking at his phone there wasn't an alerted message from Deb or anyone else. Waiting a while longer to see if they were going to surprise him Dexter pulled out and drove off, not seeing Ray peeking through the blinds a smile on his face. Now he was wearing a towel around his waist but that's not what he was happy about, turning to the mirror he ran his fingers down his cheek and across the cut.
"This was another main MO of BHB, showing LaGuerta this will definitely get her to reopen the case, now to come up with a white lie to keep her off my back that he would go after me." Looking into the mirror he contemplated what he was going to do next especially because he now knew who the real Bay Harbor Butcher was. Things just got a lot more interesting.