SPOV
I left the conference room and took a bathroom break. Since Rangeman is mostly a male workforce the bathroom's are mostly for males. Ella uses her apartment and I used Ranger's apartment when I worked here. I was too tired to go all the way upstairs and really lazy so I knocked really loud a couple of times then entered with my eyes covered. No one inside perfect. I took care of business then went to the break room. All of the men were grabbing drinks and snacks. Ranger had a big plate of oranges peeled and nuts on a large plate with bottles of water and juice under his arm. I had a feeling it was for me.
"You're dehydrated and you need a boost in energy. Vitamin C and protein will help you."
"The things you know boggle my mind." Freaking pregnancy savant. Ranger kissed my forehead and walked me back into the room.
After ten minutes we continued with the rest of the meeting. Some of the men had coffee but the top of their cups were covered so I couldn't smell it. I'm betting that was an order from Ranger. I noticed my bodyguards the past few days didn't wear cologne or use a strong soap. And not one person ever had coffee around me. Ranger even switched to green tea every morning. I looked at Tank and noticed he was using the gift I gave him a few hours ago. I winked at him and gave him a big smile. It made me feel good he liked it.
We reviewed the last notes on the second victim and read the detectives ruled it an accident not murder at first.
"Woody third woman." Ranger said.
"Cristina Fox. Went by Crystal Fox, an escort for Masquerade Escort Services. Lived in Brooklyn, New York. Reported missing one month later by her landlord. Masquerade Escort Services didn't report her missing due to a high turn over rate of their employees. Twenty-six years old, police investigated and discovered the day she was taken by the post mark on her mail. They also found her on camera earlier in the day she went missing at a coffee shop she frequented.
According to clients and staff she never mixed business with pleasure. She worked her way up from $600 a night to $1500 but would never provided any sexual services. Clients liked her because she was well versed, beautiful and knew when to speak but felt she was frigid when they would offer her more money for more of her. Her boss called her professional, timely and well versed for the social parties on politics and economics. She had a degree in Psychology from USC.
According to her fiances, her career was paying off her student loans due to her hardship from growing up in the foster care system. Her parents abandoned her at age 13 at a firehouse in South Carolina and then ended up in prison later on drug charges. She received a partial scholarship for college but it still added up. Masquerade Services stated to police they frown on girls giving out anything extra to their clients other then attending functions. But Vice has evidence of the company taking a cut of profits under the table from the girls. Her daily rate was $1500 and she was used several times a week by different clients for parties.
"$1500 a day for no sex? Where was that career option from my guidance counselor?" The whole table started laughing and Ranger looked amused.
Ranger whispered to me "Babe we've discussed you don't want to diversify in that way before. Remember?" He gave my hand a little squeeze under the table. Yeah I did remember. It was the first time I had asked Ranger for work. He gave me odd jobs that turned into a disaster. His Porsche Boxster was even destroyed by a garbage truck. It was not a great time for me.
"Proceed." I must be more tired then I thought. I stuffed my face with some more oranges.
"Police investigated and Crystal never claimed to have any problems with clients. No enemies and she kept to herself while looking for a job in her chosen field. However without a higher degree her options were limited. It seems she was in the process of applying to graduate schools. She was found four months later in the woods. Hair changed, makeup, blue contact lenses, high heels and in a tight dress. She was identified by her fingerprints. Medical examiner's cause of death stated hypothermia. Case was ruled suspicious then became cold. No marks, toxicology was clean."
I looked at her picture. She was stunning, long brown hair, brown eyes, looked eastern European. Large chest, heart shaped ass and was my height. She also had a tattoo on her lower back, angel wings. She fought so hard to make her life better and ended up dead. I felt my heart hurt for her.
"The killer kept her longer then the rest, five months. The killer never kills any of the women in a way that would directly point to murder. He likes to leave them almost perfect too to be found. Three victim's in his first year."
"Observations" Ranger said. Woody spoke up.
"Ohio then New York. He must have a place somewhere that he can abduct them then keep them. They were all well fed, clean but he must have a trigger that sets him off to get rid of them. He doesn't want a lot of press so they die under mysterious circumstances. The more gruesome a death the more attention to his movements. He doesn't want to be caught like other killers. My theory is he transports them by car to his safe location. It wouldn't be in a busy area and has a well paying job that allows him to travel occasionally but not long enough that he couldn't take care of his prisoner."
I got up out of my seat and started walking on my side of the room back and forth eating my almonds out of my hand.
"I saw this thing once on TV a year ago. I think it was a documentary, it could have been a Lifetime Movie... Anyway, serial killer's in the seventies chose Volkswagen's to drive. I think it was the Beetle. Some government agency started to profile cars criminals would most likely purchase. I remember the show talking about how disorganized killer's like to purchase a minivan, while planners tend towards a sedan that looks similar to a Police cruiser's colors. Blue and white.
Colors of the cars we purchase are suppose to tell a lot about your personality. Black for instance" I look right at Ranger for this, "means ambition. Green is conservative, white organized, red creative, blue responsible, silver means your happier in your life. However if the criminal is anything like me they buy whatever is cheap that runs. It's not an exact science but it is based on personality and your financial status." I ate another almond from my hand while still pacing.
"Almonds...you know the smell of almonds means you could be drinking poison...wait that was the Lifetime Movie! The car thing was definitely the documentary. So my theory is based on Woody's observation that the killer could be driving a sedan that is white or blue." Ranger wrote it on the board.
Tank spoke up. "Steph's right. I just looked it up on my computer about the almonds and the car psychology." I gave Tank a big smile."You know a lot of unusual things."
"I know. It's scary in my head." I shrugged "I buy a car so often it comes into my mind sometimes. I specifically don't buy Volkswagen's for that reason. I find too many dead bodies as it is, I don't want to be accused of causing them to die based on science. And the almond thing was because I like cookies a lot. I thought Grandma Bella was trying to poison me once because she baked cookies that smelled like almonds but didn't have any pieces in them. I made Morelli eat a few before I'd touch them." Woody and Cal gave me a big smile. Ranger was giving me his thinking about smiling face.
Woody spoke up "Well aren't you just the shake and the bake." Hmm shake and bake chicken. I could go for a Cluck in the Bucket sandwich now. Damn. I sat down and ate more oranges.
"Fourth Woman Bones."
"Jacquelyn Bridges, 34, Vermont resident. She was a factory worker at a maple syrup company. She lived alone but was engaged to Jerald Bridges who was in Africa working as a Doctor for several months. The factory was closed for two weeks due to poor weather and Jacquelyn didn't return to work afterwards. After three days she was reported missing by her best friend that also works with her. Jacquelyn was found two miles from the factory under a tree five months later. Same method of operation however she didn't need the hair dye. Her hair and eyes are naturally brown and blue already."
She looked the most similar to me except she was a lot shorter and more Italian.
"Cause of death was stated as an unknown toxin. Her fiance returned back for a further evaluation of her body and sent her to his colleagues for examination. She was suspected of dying from a snake venom administered by a needle under her toe nail."
I shivered. I had a flash back of letting those snakes loose in my apartment from Abruzzi.
"The fiance made a big deal to the local police about foul play and got in touch with the Fed's. A month later they started linking the cases to realize it was the same killer. Individually the women didn't raise any flags but together they created a pattern."
"Agent Rex Walker took the case with his partner Royce McWilliams. Due to the lack of resources and budget cuts they worked the case alone until the sixth victim then they received reinforcements. New Jersey is the only state to put together a task force at this point. My theory is if NJ police are involved in the apprehension it will boost donors for his reelection campaign. The Fed's call this killer The Blue Eyed Slayer."
I rolled my eyes. "How original. I see they hired the bright one's on this case."
"Fifth Woman Tank."
"Winifred Grey, 36, divorced, no children, from Miami, Florida. She was a blogger for different publications, owned a cat and lived in a second floor walk up. Landlord discovered a smell coming from the apartment that lead him to investigate. It was a mixture of the cat's litter box that hadn't been changed for two weeks and food molding. Landlord stated her leaving her cat and disappearing was unlike her. The owner took the cat and called police. Winifred was found on the beach two months later, 20 miles from her home. Same method."
Winifred has some Latin features with brown hair that was shorter then mine but it was still curled. Her eyes were green originally and she was a knock out. A lot prettier then me. She was in amazing shape that showed she spent a lot of time in a gym. "Cause of death was poison. Antifreeze."
"She drank that one willingly I bet." Everyone turned to me again.
"She had no marks on her body, he didn't force it down her throat. In "The Sixth Sense," they all looked at me confused. "It's a movie, seriously does no one in here watch TV or Netflix?" I sighed.
"Anyway a character died that way. She said it tasted funny but she was still able to drink it. When your held captive you drink and eat when you can so you survive. You don't think about poison unless you have been poisoned before, then you get a little paranoid about tastes. She probably drank it willingly because day after day the food was normal. She didn't think he would kill her that way." I was paranoid myself about tastes now. I still don't look at mash potatoes the same way. I mostly only eat where no one knows me or where I know the owners to make sure I don't get poisoned again. I have never been so sick in my life and embarrassed. Ranger's Porsche smelled like little hot dogs and puke. I had to clean his gun with a vegetable brush to get rid of the smell.
"Sixth Woman Slick."
"Renee Griffin, 24, a speech therapist. Owned her own business, single, owned her own home in Tampa, Florida. She was taken three weeks after the last victim but wasn't discovered until a neighbor noticed the mail pilled up. She alerted the police. No sign of struggle. Victim was reported missing five days later and found two months later near a local college in the woods. Same method of operation."
She was heavier then me by a good twenty five pounds but had naturally curly hair and brown eyes. She didn't fit the mold of the other women. Her after picture looked the least like me out of all of them. I found that strange so far.
"Cause of death was fluid in her lungs. It was fresh water not salt, possibly caused from drowning. She doesn't fit the mold of the other victims. She was the last woman killed in the second year."
Ranger spoke next. "Seventh woman Maggie Austin, 30 from Pennsylvania. She was an art restorer and consultant. She worked from home and would loan herself out to numerous states for work. Single, owned a penthouse in an upscale building with security but it was assumed she was taken on her way home while walking. Reported missing after 48 hours when she didn't show up for her job the next day. She was found seven months later in an open field. Cause of death drug overdose from sleeping pills. Same method of operation from the killer."
"This woman was taller then me with black hair and blue eyes. He would have had to bleach her hair first then color it. It would take a lot of time. Her hair is perfectly colored. He changes their looks early on, not before killing them. Look. No streaks or fading. Even the first victim had her color perfect. He has colored his hair before or knows how. It looks professional. If it was an at home kit the colors don't always come out how you want unless you bleach the hair first then color it. Otherwise the color just mixes with your natural hair color. All the victims match perfectly in hair color in their after pictures. Did the Fed's narrow down the brand and color? And what is the brand of makeup?"
"Report doesn't say." That's something I need to look into. "I have a call into a contact at the agency to get anything not given to us tonight. We will have it by lunch tomorrow to review."
"Babe do you want to review the last woman?" I nodded.
"Violet Bishop, 36, lived in Princeton, NJ. Divorced, husband ran off with the nanny to Spain to start a new life. Joint custody agreement. Violet had a daughter Emily age ten. For six months straight her husband has had his daughter then switches with Violet to raise her the remaining six months of the year. Her ex husband reported her missing when he couldn't get a hold of her to return his daughter to her. He tried to call for one week then he called the police. Bills were automatically paid online and she didn't have a job but owned a large interest in a... alternate lifestyle club.
She was also a member of that club according to her bank records. Violet started going to this club when she was married to her husband and then went alone after her divorce according to her ex husband. Violet has someone manage the property for her and only takes profits. She purchased shares in the business after her divorce settlement. She married into her money. Before she was married she worked as a flight attendant. The police are unable to talk to the manager of the business called The Leather Riding Crop, due to confidentiality that the club gives every member.
The task force is currently working on her cause of death and a warrant for her records at the club but... she looks like a Stepford wife. In my opinion not someone I'd expect to see involved in that type of scene."
Cal spoke up "What is that saying... "a good girl in the street and a freak in the bed". You can never tell with people." He gave me a wink and I turned bright red. I can't believe I agreed to review the last victim. This was not my area of expertise.
Violet had bottle blond hair and a cheerleader look with blue eyes. I could imagine her with an apron baking cookies.
"She was reported missing three weeks after the last victim was found and her body was discovered one week ago. She was a large donor to the Governor's campaign in the past. They could have been friends which would also fuel his need for a task force." I got up and looked at the board. Something felt like it was missing. I started walking in circles around everyone sitting at the table while drinking my orange juice.
"What are you doing little girl?"
"I think better when I move. If the mall was open my juices would be flowing more. Just ignore me." I heard the men discussing the case around the table but I felt something was off, it was annoying me. Just as Ranger was wrapping up the discussion I took a dry erase marker to the opposite side board and started writing the dates and times for each victim for each year.
"Ranger. The Fed's missed someone." Everyone turned to look at me.
"Explain."
"I think Cal or Woody said it before. Three victim's a year is the pattern, he has three a year until this year. He only has two as of right now. It's December, January is just a few weeks away. He needs time to plan to find someone new and then he always keeps her for a least one month most likely much longer. The time line doesn't fit. They missed someone."
Manny spoke up "You could be the last victim. He could be looking to take you and keep you. The other women could have been his test run for you."
"I don't get that feeling. This has to do with me, I believe that. But I don't think I'm his target until after January. I have a strong feeling that I can't explain. And something else I can't put my finger on... I need to mull it over." I went back to reviewing Ranger's board.
"Anyone else have anything to add before we end?" No one commented. "This will be our war room to review and discuss this case. The items in here do not leave. Tomorrow I will have copies of the killer's profile for all of you to keep a look out for while you are guarding Steph based on our observations. Anything suspicious must be reported immediately to myself or Tank." Ranger dismissed the group but I kept looking at the board.
"Let's go to bed Babe. You can work on it tomorrow your dead on your feet." I was really tired. I was leaning against the wall and it was way past my bed time. Ranger picked me up despite my weak protests that I could walk and put me into bed.
I was mumbling sleepily "I need a night shirt. If a fire breaks out and someone comes in to rescue me, I don't want to be saved naked. I'll never hear the end of it." Ranger just chuckled and put me to bed in only my panties.
"I prefer you naked in our bed. I will save you from the fire and dress you. Go to sleep Babe." He kissed my lips and spooned me from behind. I was out like a light.
The next morning Ranger and I were enjoying our breakfast together. I had a weird craving for hot oatmeal with cinnamon and raisins. I have never had that craving before and Ella was happy to provide it.
"What's your plan today Babe?"
"I have to meet with Anderson and Douglas to pick up my new credit cards and checks then sign some papers in twenty minutes. I heard you had Joe Juniak fast track then approve my license to become a Private Investigator for New Jersey. Douglas said Juniak accepted my history as a bounty hunter as my experience waiving the other requirements to qualify me. Thank you." I gave him a deep kiss then heard my personal phone ringing.
"Yo."
"Hey baby girl some Fed's stopped by looking for you with Morelli. They wanted to question you regarding an investigation and I told them you weren't home. They left me a card then said you had to come in today or they would start looking for you themselves."
Grandma gave me the information from his business card and I wrote it down to call later. I warned her not to let any strangers in and be on guard. I was happy she was going to have an alarm system to protect her but I have to face Morelli today. Crap. Ranger read my body language and raised his eyebrow.
"Fed's are looking for me regarding the case and want me to come in. They stopped by Grandma's looking for me. Said I come in willingly or they would hunt me down."
"Call them now and I will go with you. I want to ask some questions." I called Rex Walsh and had a brief conversation to meet before lunch in an interrogation room at the Trenton PD to take my statement.
I rolled my eyes."He seemed like a real winner on the phone."
Ranger kissed me goodbye and I agreed to pick him up 20 minutes before our meeting. I didn't warn them Ranger was coming, I thought that would be a fun surprise since he sounded like a jerk on the phone. I'm sure Morelli would want to talk to me afterwards too. Damn. I'm nervous.
I didn't feel great in my outfit so I went to go change into something to make me feel more confident. I put on my black over the knee boots again with dark blue jeans, a purple v neck shirt with a black biker jacket. I found a pair of sunglasses and kept my hair down and styled. I also needed an extra swipe of mascara for courage today. I grabbed my black purse from the boutique in Greece then ran for the elevator.
Woody was waiting for me at the car with a big smile. "Howdy cow girl. I hear ya have an appointment with Anderson." I liked that he was talking to me today unlike my other bodyguards. I felt more comfortable around him after our interaction last night in the meeting. We had a good flow back and forth of ideas. The only other time I've meet him was when he dropped off a car to me and Ranger but he just gave the Rangeman signature nod then left.
"Where are you from?"
"Texas Miss Plum."
"Please call me Steph. Is your name Woody because of a body part? Or something else?"
"In my early Army days I built a raft with wood and vines. The name stayed but everyone assumes it's sexual. Ladies liked it so I kept it." That made me smile. We fell into a comfortable conversation and laughed about funny southern sayings he sometimes used but didn't notice. I apprenticed that he carried on a conversation with me. We arrived at the office only a minute late.
"Hi Douglas what's new?" We did a little chit chat and he talked about his week with me. He was a really nice guy.
Douglas had me review each document then sign all of my papers for my will and my documents for Black Enterprises and Bombshell Investigations. Then he gave me all of my cards for both accounts and my licenses for Bombshell Investigations. I could finally start seeing clients now.
"Seriously you guys are amazing. You helped me make more decisions in one day then I have my entire life. Thank you."
"It's what you pay us for. Anderson wanted to talk to you about investments today but his daughter is sick. He had to watch her till his mother in law arrived. He wanted me to give you this portfolio. Look everything over, feel free to discuss this with Ranger if you like then Anderson will call you in a week or so to discuss concerns and options." Our meeting took us to just about thirty minutes before I had to be at the Trenton PD. Luckily we were right down the street from Rangeman. Woody and I hung out in the garage chatting till Ranger arrived. Woody ran back up to the control room to wait for me to finish my meeting.
Ranger drove us over in the Porsche Turbo. "It's best to listen and not give too much information until you feel out your interrogator. Use this opportunity to do an interrogation in reverse. Use what you learned in Greece. Read him first. Let them think they are leading but you control the angle and direction.
Look at their methods and body language to pick up weaknesses. My guess is they will do good cop bad cop at some point. Watch your own body language as well. Remain impassive and don't let them anger you. When you lose your cool you lose control of the discussion.
If they offer you food or drinks you always take the waste with you. You never want to leave any traces of DNA or fingerprints if you can help it in front of cops. It's best you touch very little, maybe only the chair and keep your arms crossed or on your lap. You seem nervous, don't be. I don't think they see you as a suspect but this is a live practice for you to interrogate someone without the kidnapping." Ranger gave me a big smile and I rolled my eyes.
"I only kidnapped Ward and he deserved it."
"He did. I'll be with you the whole time. Morelli will be there too I bet. Keep your cool, use eye contact when you speak. Looking down or away makes you look like your hiding something. Only give information they directly ask then reverse it on them. If you struggle I will intervene but this will let me see what you absorbed in Greece and help me work with you in the coming months.
Your alibi for Miami is tight so don't worry if they ask you questions or look for proof. They will find it. Are you talking to Morelli after?"
"I think so. I doubt he will let me go without talking. I just want it somewhere private so it isn't a big show in front of everyone."
"I'll be near by regardless of the location." Ranger parked right near the front door.
"Proud of you Babe." He gave me a light kiss with a little tongue that ended too soon for my liking, then came around to open my door. I liked when Ranger was proud of me it warmed my heart.
"You know this isn't a parking spot right? Your going to get towed."
Ranger gave me a megawatt smile. "Babe." That Babe meant no one would dare move his car.
"Figures, if that was my car I'd get towed within 10 minutes with new damage."
I took a deep breath at the front door and pushed my shoulders back. Ranger slid his hand to my lower back guiding me down the hall to the interrogation room.