Chapter 6

She didn't go back to the station like she said she was going to.

Instead, she went home.

Her phone was vibrating in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw three missed calls from Fred and multiple messages asking where she was.

How could she possibly go back to work when someone was close to exposing her father for what he had done to his employees? What he had done to her mother.

Daphne was a private person, the only social media platform she had was Facebook, which she only used to find people for work. However, her sister, Thalia used Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and whatever else there was.

Daphne was dreading the thought of people knowing about her life when she was growing up, she knew Thalia wouldn't be that fond of the idea either, or her mother.

She tired to imagine scenarios where Jane Brock couldn't publish the book - the publishers would reuse to, her father suddenly changing his mind (not likely), her mother finding out and getting her attorney's involved. The last one was a possibility.

Or maybe Jane Brock would change her mind and not publish it?

Highly unlikely.

Daphne put her phone on the kitchen table and she went to the living room, plopping onto the couch.

It began ringing again, and she ignored it again.

She knew her father's actions were going to creep up on her at some point, she didn't know when, and she did not expect someone to want to write a book about his life and imprisonment less than a year after it occurred.

Was she going to have to visit him? Possibly. Did she want to?

No.

Thalia was dead set on avoiding visits to the prison which held her father. And Daphne would feel like she's betraying her mother.

She stared at the blank TV, not daring to turn it on.

Her phone pinged with a message before it rang again.

And she ignored it.

'Any luck?' Garrett asked.

'No.' Fred replied.

'Maybe she's still talking to Jane Brock.' Garrett suggested.

'Maybe.' Fred replied, he wasn't sure if he believed it. If Jane had a lot to say then Daphne could be there for a while, but she had only gone to find out if Jane knew who called with an anonymous tip.

Maybe something came up?

No.

She would have called and told him.

'Hey, don't worry Fredster, Daph can handle herself.' Garrett replied. For a man with a booming voice, he was rather reassuring.

'Yeah, I suppose she would.' Fred flashed a nervous smile before he slipped his phone into his pocket.

'Green came back with the autopsy report.' Garrett spoke.

'What did he say?' Fred asked.

'Same as before. It was a cut to the throat that killed him, and the doll was stuffed into him. But he did say the killer might have been in a rush as the doll wasn't hidden inside like Chester.' Garrett spoke.

'He probably was.' Fred agreed, 'No fingerprints or foreign DNA?'

Garrett shook his head, 'Nah.'

Fred sighed as he tiredly ran his hands over his face.

'And the image on the video footage is too blurry to make out a face.'

Fred frowned, 'That's weird. They're usually surprisingly good at getting through the grainy images.'

'And what about this file?' Garrett asked. The file that had been recovered from the crime scene was put in an evidence bag.

Photographs of each page were taken and photocopied for the detectives.

'I don't know. I don't want to think that a killer is going around taking out criminals.' Fred commented.

'A vigilante.' Garrett corrected, 'Not what this city needs.'

Fred shook his head, 'No.'

'I dunno maybe he thinks he's helping?' Garrett suggested.

'By killing people?'

Garrett shrugged, 'Maybe.'

Fred went through his photocopies of the file, other than Erikson being a scum, nothing suspicious stood out.

'I never trusted politics.' Garrett spoke as he looked over the pages from the file.

'Me neither.'

'I'd never trust someone who "promises" change but is really out for their own gain.'

Fred looked over at Garrett. There was something on his face, something that was not Garrett-like – something sad.

Before he could ask if Garrett was ok, the phone rang.

Hoping it was Daphne, Fred quickly took it out of his pocket.

But it was an unknown number. He answered, 'Detective Jones.'

'Hello Detective.' Fred recognised Jennifer's voice.

'What is it?' Fred replied.

'I need to speak with you and detectives Blake and Garrett regarding Erikson.'

'Ok, but Daphne's not here yet.'

'Really, where is she?'

'I don't know.'

'You lied.'

Jane Brock was startled by a voice behind her. She turned and saw an unfamiliar figure standing behind her.

Wearing all black, his face was covered by something and a black hoodie was pulled over his head. He wore gloves, black bottoms, and black boots. Jane thought they were steel-toed boots.

His voice was disguised, he sounded almost robotic.

'Who are you?' She asked.

'Nevermind who I am. You lied.'

'What are you talking about?' Jane replied.

It was nearing the end of the day and she was getting ready to go home. Her bag was on the table and she was putting some papers into her briefcase.

'You said on CBS News that I gave you an anonymous tip, and you told Detective Blake that I spoke to you.'

Jane gulp and her heart stopped, 'You-you're the killer.'

'No. I am simply "doing the job the police won't do".'

Jane suddenly remembered the words she said to Detective Blake earlier.

Was he hiding in her office? Did the detective have links to him?

She didn't know but she was scared shitless right now. She took in a shaky breath.

'You realise that you have lied to the people of this city and you led the detective on a trail that doesn't exist.'

'You can hardly scold me. You're a killer!'

'I'm doing what needs to be done for this city.'

Jane's eyes widened when she caught sight of a knife he was gently pulling out of his pocket.

'Where the hell are you?' Fred muttered. His call going to voicemail once again.

She would never be this long without contacting him, even if the interview had run on longer than expected, she'd at least have dropped him a text.

He and Garrett returned to the police station after Erikson's body was taken from the crime scene.

He was disappointed not to see Daphne's car in the parking lot.

He was about to send a search party out to look for her, when Silverman burst through the office doors, 'Where's Blake?'

'I dunno, she went to the CBS station to speak to Jan-'

'Jane Brock was just stabbed in her office at CBS station!'

Garrett looked at Fred, neither of them believed that Daphne would have stabbed Jane Brock, she had no reason to.

But Fred immediately became more concerned for Daphne. He hoped she had not been in Jane Brock's office when she was stabbed.

'Is it the guy?' Garrett asked.

Fred was ready to head to the CBS station.

'Probably.' Silverman replied, 'It was Brock's colleague who called 911, she said there was nobody else in the office and she didn't see anyone, she just found Jane lying on the floor in a puddle of blood.'

By now the three were running through the police station.

'Is Blake still there?' Silverman asked loudly.

'I don't know!' Fred exclaimed.

Garrett's police car screeched to a stop outside the CBS station.

When he climbed out of the car, Fred looking around the parking lot for Daphne's car, but it was nowhere in sight.

Yes, he was a little bit relieved that she wasn't here.

Fred, Garrett and Silverman, accompanied by several armed officers, stormed into the building making sure it was clear for the paramedics to come in.

They found Jane Brock's office where she was lying on the floor, her colleague at her side.

The paramedics rushed in and began working on her. One of them exclaimed, 'She's still alive!'