Tuesday May 4th 2021
I hated going home that night. I felt like a failure. I knew I needed to rest for the sake of my unborn daughter but every fiber of my being worried that someone else was going to die as I rested.
"How are we going to get ahead of this guy?" I asked turning to lay my head on Malcolm's bare chest.
"I wish I knew, baby." He sighed rubbing my back gently in an effort to soothe me.
Sleep rarely came easily for either of us but that night it felt impossible.
I didn't know how long we laid there trying to sleep before exhaustion finally consumed me.
When I woke the next morning Malcolm no longer lay beside me.
I dressed simply in another pair of maternity slacks and a white button up t-shirt before taking the elevator downstairs to find my husband.
I found him sitting at the kitchen counter with a cup of coffee.
"There'd better be more." I said with a smirk.
"For you? Always." He smiled at me.
"Did you sleep at all?" I asked as he poured my coffee.
"A little, yeah. You seemed so peaceful when I woke up I decided to come down here so you could sleep." He nodded.
"Thank you. Baby Bright appreciates it too." I smiled at him.
"We should not be encouraging Baby Bright's caffeine addiction." Malcolm teased moving around the counter to wrap his arms around me.
"Oh, we're not. No, we're encouraging my own caffeine addiction." I sighed leaning back against his chest.
"Any word from Gil?" I asked after a few peaceful moments.
"Nothing new. Dani and JT went to the office building an hour ago but they were still closed." He answered.
"What time is it?"
"Just after nine."
"I'll make a couple omelets and we'll go to the precinct. Run over the evidence and the profile again." I sighed.
"Okay. The sooner we catch this guy the better." Malcolm leaned down and kissed my cheek.
An hour later Malcolm and I walked into the 16th precinct. Gil, Dani, and JT sat around the conference room table.
"Hey." I said announcing our arrival.
"We're so confused about this guy." Dani admitted with a sigh.
"We are too." I nodded.
"The profile speaks to a white male, forty to fifty. Able to maintain a steady job. Likely some kind of delivery job, maybe a courier for the courts, which would have given him access to John Dougal's case as well as put him close enough to hear Carol Blake complain about her son." Malcolm said.
"That's definitely an idea. And if we're right and Rachel Griffin is another victim he would have had access to her file as well." I nodded.
"I'll get a list of all the courier services that are in and out of the New York courthouse." JT said standing up.
"Dr. Bright?" A young uniformed officer said my name from the doorway.
"Yes?" I turned to her.
"Someone's called into 911 claiming to be your serial killer. Says he'll only talk to you." She told us.
"Okay. Send it through. I'll take it in here." I instructed looking briefly at the faces surrounding me.
After what felt like an eternity the phone rang.
I took a deep breath and reached forward to press the 'answer' button.
"This is Dr. Lilian Bright." I said.
"Ah! Dr. Bright. It is so good to finally talk to you." A male voice said.
"With whom do I have the pleasure for speaking with?" I asked careful to keep my voice calm.
"You can call me Michael." He answered.
"Okay Michael. You can call me Lily." I responded.
"Lily." He mused my name.
I could feel Malcolm's protective anger radiating off of him.
I laid my hand on his shoulder to calm him.
"I could not help thinking of you and your husband this morning. How hard I am sure you both are working on finding me before I can kill again." He said.
"We have a team dedicated to finding you." I answered.
"No! I am only talking about you and your husband." He yelled.
"What is it you called to tell us?" I asked maintaining my composure.
"I have gone and done it again. You could never stop me. This is already so much bigger than you or I." He said cackling loudly.
"Where will we find the body?" I asked.
"Your friends have already been here today." He teased.
"This must be our greed victim." I said, slightly goading him.
"So, you have read The Earthly Paradise."
"I am fairly well read." I answered.
"You are showing yourself to be quite prideful." Michael's voice turned dark.
"Perhaps I am." I answered.
"Pride is the worst of the sins." He growled.
"Enjoy your freedom, Michael. While it lasts." I said leaning over to hang up the phone.
"Was that smart?" Dani asked.
"I have no idea, but I am surrounded by the best detectives in the business. It's better it be me than someone who isn't expecting him." I sighed.
"We need to get back to the office building."
Gil and Dani took one car while Malcolm and I took another.
"I thought we discussed being careful." Malcolm sighed as I followed Gil's car.
"We did." I nodded.
"Malcolm, my uncle is an assassin. Mark is a marine, Sophie is... well, Sophie. I handle a gun well myself. Gil. Dani. JT. Aaron. You." I looked at him briefly.
"I know but..."
"Pride is his last sin. He won't go off script for me. Not yet anyway."
We pulled up outside a tall glass building. If I'd guessed just by looking at it I'd say thirty-four floors.
"The building manager says he won't let us in." Gil told me as Malcolm and I walked up to him.
"Is that so?" I sighed.
"Sir! Sir?" I called out to the man standing in front of the glass doors with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Hi there. I'm Dr. Lilian Bright Chief of the FBI's New York Field Office and probably the most powerful person in the entire state. You, sir, are obstructing an ongoing serial killer investigation. I'm here to offer you two options. One: you can unlock the door with my and my team's thanks. Two: you can continue to refuse then I have to have Detective Powell arrest you for obstruction of justice and I'll open the door myself." I explained.
As expected the threat of arrest, as justified as it would have been, swayed the guardian of the democratic secrets to open the door.
Inside Dani and Gil systematically cleared the rooms on each of the floors until we reached the thirteenth floor.
Inside the corner office at the end of the hallway, a woman's nude body lay on desk. The contents of the top of the desk littered the floor.
"Do you recognize her?" Gil asked me as I walked up to the body.
She lay on her back with her arms out to her sides almost like a crucified Jesus. Her jet black hair pulled back so it flowed over the edge of the desk. I zeroed in on her forehead.
"Greed." Malcolm sighed looking at me.
"I do. It's Emma Walker. She was the Mayor of White Plaines and the Democratic candidate for Governor of New York." I answered with a nod towards my husband.
"How long has she been in politics?" Dani asked.
"Uh... ten years? She was a defense attorney before she ran for mayor when she was thirty six." I answered again.
"I can feel you judging, JT." I called out to him as he walked in.
"I'm the Chief of the FBI's New York Field Office. I needed to know who I'd have been working with if she'd won the election."
I turned to glare playfully at him. He chuckled and walked back down the hall as Edrisa walked in.
"Wow. He's not slowing down, is he?" She said shaking her head sadly.
"Not at all. The third in as many days." I sighed looking around the room.
Nothing except the desk seemed amiss.
"Oh wow." Edrisa said.
"What?" I asked turning back to her as she pulled a rolled up hundred dollar bill from the victim's mouth.
"Greed." I nodded looking at Malcolm.
"Get some good pictures of the position of the body so Edrisa can get it off to autopsy. We're still too far behind him." I instructed Dani and a now returned JT.
"Why do you think he gave you the name Michael when you talked to him?" Gil asked when we returned to the precinct.
"The obvious would be that that's his name but I'm not getting that feeling from him. It's likely from Saint Michael the Archangel." I answered then paused with a sigh.
"Saint Michael is known as a guardian of the Catholic Church and Vatican City, as well as the protector of the Jewish people. He's the patron saint of Grocers, Mariners, Paratroopers, Police Officers, Paramedics and Military personnel." I rattled off.
"I think our killer connects with Saint Michael and his guardianship of the Catholic Church and thus vehemently against Seven Deadly Sins and anyone who commits those sins. He believes that these victims are a direct threat to the church because they have perpetrated the sin." I continued with a sigh.
"Do you think he could be a church official?" Dani asked.
"I'm not sure. A member of a congregation, absolutely but it's... I hate saying too early when three people are already dead, but it's too early to connect him to a church. The last thing we want to do is demonize any church without direct proof." I sighed.
"Dr. Bright?" Officer Anderson, a young, fresh faced officer with blond hair said my name causing me to turn to look at him.
"Ms. Blake says she has something to tell you." He informed me cautiously.
"Edrisa's ready in autopsy too." Gil said looking up from his phone.
"I'll sit down with Ms. Blake then we'll go to autopsy." I sighed.
I couldn't help feel pulled in a thousand different directions. Malcolm and I wanted to step back after Vermont for this exact reason. My number one priority needed to be our daughter and her health. Thus my own health.
"I've been told you have something to tell me." I said sitting down across from Carol Blake.
"I've been thinking about what you said. About doing everything you could if it were your child. You were right. I have been hiding things." She told me then paused taking a deep breath.
"I started seeing a man recently. Michael Davis. He never met Phillip but I talked about him. Yes. I complained about the Pica. I didn't think... I..." She trailed off.
"And John?" I asked gently.
"Yes. I broke the gag order. I thought he was harmless. I never thought he could... How could he...?" She looked up and met my eye.
"Sometimes people portray only what they want us to see. We're going to catch him." I promised reaching across the table to touch her hand.
"I want you to sit down with a sketch artist just in case the name he gave was a fake."
She nodded.
I walked out of the room and sighed leaning up against the wall next to the door.
"Hey." Malcolm said gently walking up to take me into his arms.
I laid my head on his chest.
"Reminds me of your dad." I sighed.
"Martin Whitly did have a way of only showing the world what he wanted them to see." Malcolm agreed.
"We need to see what Edrisa found." I looked up at him.
"Your eyes look so far away." I mused.
"I'm sorry, my love." He said focusing on me again.
"Where did you go?" I asked reaching up to run my fingers through his hair.
"Vermont." He admitted.
"You visit there often." I sighed.
"I'm here now." He promised.
"Good. I need you here. We need you here." I reminded him touching my stomach.
It would take much longer than a month for Vermont to stop plaguing him.
He smiled sadly at me then covered my hand with his own. I wanted more than anything for him to be able to feel our daughter move. To feel her react to his voice the way I could.
I reached up to kiss him gently.
"Come on. Let's go catch a killer." I sighed with a small smile.
Malcolm and I made our way down to the morgue where our team waited for us.
"How'd it go with the mom?" Dani asked.
"She admitted to sharing information with a man she was dating. Gave the name Michael Davis. I have her sitting with a sketch artist." I answered.
"Does that rule out the court courier theory?" JT asked.
"No. Not at all." I sighed.
"The courier theory gives us the link to possible forth victim. I'll have Sophie run it down while we focus here." I nodded to him.
"What have you found, Edrisa?" Malcolm asked.
"I can't decide if this guy is insane or brilliant." Edrisa looked up at me.
"Likely a little of both." I admitted.
"What did you find?" Malcolm asked.
"She died slowly. The symbol was carved first as before but she has ligature marks on her wrists and ankles. The killer filled every single orifice with either bills, coins, or both." She explained motioning to a metal tray off to her right full of money.
"It makes sense with a sin like greed. Is that how she died?" I asked.
"Unfortunately, yes. She suffocated. Choked on her own wealth." She nodded.
"Do you have an estimated time of death?" I asked fearful I knew the answer.
"Roughly noon. Just like the others." She told us.
"That's just before he called into 911." Gil looked at me.
I nodded and sighed.
He was taunting us.
Upstairs in the conference room I sat in a chair with my chin rested on my fist staring at the jumbled mess of information we'd collected from our three homicides thus far.
"John Dougal. Phillip Blake. Emma Walker." I muttered mostly to myself moving to run my fingers through my hair.
"Lily?" Gil said my name.
"Yeah." I sighed looking over at him.
In his hand, he held a manilla envelope.
"Okay. Let's see what he's got to say." I reached for the envelope.
Inside, as expected, were another letter and video.
I was disappointed with our conversation this morning, Dr. Bright, but I have figured you out. You wanted to be my final victim but it cannot be. You would have to be sincere in your sin but I have been a fan of yours for so long I know you are not a prideful woman. Also, I could never kill a pregnant woman. Mayor Walker frequently proved herself the opposite of you in every way. Her greed overwhelmed her promises to her people and for that she had to pay.
Yours,
MD
I read his letter aloud. I felt Malcolm's relief but I'd known I'd be protected. Now, we had no idea who he'd target.
"Let's see the video." Gil sighed heavily.
We were all feeling the strain of this case.
I leaned back against my husband as Gil started the video.
MD walked slowly down a dark hallway. I could hear a voice in the distance, likely our victim.
"Oh. This is hopeless." Emma's voice sighed as MD came to a stop outside the office door at the end of the hallway that stood cracked just slightly.
He pushed the door open silently.
Emma Walker stood with her back to him staring out the window. She caught sight of him an instant before he jammed that taser into her neck.
"Pause it a second." I said an idea invading my mind.
"Lily?" Aaron answered.
"Is there a way you can reverse engineer these DVDs and figure out what kind of camera he's using?" I asked.
"Yeah. It's either a hat or some kind of button cam. He's able to do too much with his hands for it to be a hand held cam." He told me.
"That's what I thought too." I nodded.
"Before we get back into this I have some ideas." I announced after hanging up with Aaron.
"Please give me something to do." Dani pleaded almost silently.
"Emma Walker was the Mayor of White Plaines for the last ten years and before that she was a high profile defense attorney. Her sin was greed. So, I'm thinking that either our killer is a native of White Plaines or he or a member of his family was a victim of someone she defended." I explained.
"Politicians upset people all the time." Gil shook his head.
"That's my point though. Why target Emma Walker when there are thousands of other more well known politicians?" I glanced at Malcolm.
"Lily's right. There's a reason he chose Emma Walker." My husband nodded.
"Okay. JT and Dani head up to White Plaines and get us all of Emma's files." Gil nodded at them.
Dani glanced back at me gratefully.
The video started again. Emma Walker lay naked on the desk her wrists and ankles bound to the legs of the desk.
I noticed immediately that her legs were in a different position than we found them in.
MD had what looked like a TV tray next to the desk covered in bills and coins.
Slowly, Emma began to regain consciousness.
"Ms. Walker. Wonderful of you to finally join us." MD said.
"Who are you? What do you want?" She asked.
Fear evident in her eyes.
"We both know, you know what you have done. Your greed is your undoing."
"Why are you doing this?" She asked struggling against her bindings.
"Because you sinned."
Emma screamed out as MD forced the bills and coins into her vaginal area, then her rectum.
I got the feeling our killer took great pleasure from her screams even though I couldn't see him.
He forcefully shoved coins in her ears, her nostrils and finally down her throat.
I watched as she choked on the intrusive objects.
Finally, the video ended.
It had to be a horribly slow and painful way to die.
"So far every kill has been incredibly symbolic. That's not going to stop as we go forward. We need to focus on the next four sins. Hopefully get ahead of him. The sooner the better." I sighed.
"Lieutenant Arroyo? Dr. Bright? I just finished the sketch with Ms. Blake." Detective Warren said from the doorway.
"Let's see what you've got." I said waving her in.
"She describes him as a man, white, between forty-five and fifty with grey hair and piercing blue eyes. Small lips and ears close to his head, partially covered with his hair, and light stubble covering his face, around his mouth and under his chin." She explained showing me an incredibly detailed picture.
"I'll have Aaron run the sketch through facial rec and against the footage we have of the crowds at the crime scenes." I stood up and took it from her gently.
"Aaron. I've got a sketch. I need you to run it." I told him when he answered the phone.
"You've got it. Send it through." He agreed immediately.
Malcolm walked to me and wrapped his arms around me. I laid my head on his chest.
"What do we do now?" Gil asked joining us.
"We find Rachel Griffin. Sloth is our next sin." I sighed.