Hayden stormed into the mortuary and almost knocked over AJ who was waiting for her.

"What the fuck, AJ?" She yelled.
"I know!" He yelled back.

Without saying anything else, they continued side by side through the mortuary. They entered a room and held their breaths for a moment as they took in the sight of three bodies while the forensic pathologist named Baron Corbin looked at them.

"AJ, Hayden," Baron nodded. "I should have known they would send you."
"Who are they?" AJ asked.
"Alexa Bliss, Iyo Sky and Raquel Rodriguez," Baron answered.
"Their tongues are missing, right?" Hayden asked.
"Yes," Baron answered.
"And the letters? Are there any letters on their buttocks?" AJ asked.
"Also, yes," Baron answered.
"What do they say?" Hayden asked.

Baron walked over to a table and picked up three pictures. Hayden and AJ looked at the pictures of the letters carved into the victims skin.

II
III
IV

"He's not spelling shit. He's a sick fuck letting us know how many he's killed," Hayden said.
"Thank you, Baron," AJ said.
"Just doing my job," Baron said.

Hayden and AJ left the mortuary, got into their cars, and drove back to the station. They sat at their big, double desk looking at the three cases in front of them.

"Victims number 2, 3 and 4. They were killed in between the other two," he said.
"They were found together side by side," she said.
"How come he did that? Carmella and Nikkita were both found alone," he said.
"Who found them?" She asked.
"I don't know," he answered. "Just a second."

He clicked his way around on his computer and then shrugged.

"An anonymous tip," he said.
"Who the fuck called it in? There's only one reason someone would call something like that in anonymously. They want to avoid attention," she said.
"It could be someone not trusting cops," he said.
"Or it could be the killer," she said. "We need to figure out where that call came from."
"I'll send a request to our technicians," he said.
"I'll run out for burritos meanwhile," she said.
"My wife says I eat too many burritos," he said.
"Then don't eat yours but I'm not waiting around here for hours without food," she said.
"No tomatoes," he said.

Hayden returned 30 minutes later with two burritos. They ate in silence while waiting to hear something back. Just as she was throwing out her trash, a technician named Xavier Woods came knocking on their door.

"Please, tell me you got something for me," Hayden said.
"Don't I always got your back, Hayden?" Xavier smirked. "The call came from a phone booth. I think he did his research. Normally there's no cameras in that area."
"Normally?" AJ smirked.
"There's a bar on the corner that just put one up three days ago. Guess in what direction it was pointing," Xavier said.
"That's the best fucking news all day," Hayden said. "Send it to us."
"Kofi's currently cleaning up the recording and then you'll have it," Xavier said.

Xavier winked at Hayden and leaned himself up against the door frame.

"If you catch this guy," Xavier said.
"When I catch him," Hayden smirked.
"Alright," Xavier chuckled. "When you catch him, how about a date?"
"You're way out of her league," AJ laughed.
"Coffee," Hayden said. "I don't like dinners and wine."
"Coffee it is," Xavier said.

Xavier smiled widely and walked away. AJ looked over at Hayden and chuckled.

"Are you sure you're ready for a new man in your life?" He asked.
"I broke up with Roman six months ago. It's about time I move on. I can't let the bad memories ruin the rest of my life," she said. "Let's not get into that now. Let's solve this motherfucking case before he kills another woman."

A ding sounded from AJ's computer. Hayden tried leaning forward in her chair to see if she could look at his screen.

"It's the recording," he said.

She got up from her chair and walked around the desk to look at his screen. He clicked play and they both watched a tall man with his long hair up in a bun. He wore dark sunglasses and a dark jacket.

"Kinda looks like your ex," he said.

He expected some witty response back but got nothing. He turned his head to see she was pale as a ghost. She just stood there with her mouth and eyes open. He looked back at the screen.

"It's Roman, isn't it?" He asked.
"Yes," she whispered.

He looked back at her. She was moving back around the desk. She sat down and hung her head for a few seconds. She finally looked up at him with wet eyes.

"I should have known," she said.
"You couldn't possibly know. Yes, the guy was a fucking weirdo but there was no way you could know he would turn out to be a murderer," he said.
"He always said the weirdest things that would creep me out. One time he actually said that if he would ever become a killer, he would do the Roman numerals to fit his name. I didn't think he actually fucking meant it but I should have known, AJ," she said.
"You were too close. Even though you broke up with his sorry ass, you were still too close. You couldn't see what was right in front of you. Neither could I. None of us fucking knew so stop blaming yourself. Focus on taking him down before he kills someone else," he said.

She took out her gun and looked it over before standing up and putting it back in its holster. She nodded and walked towards the door.

"Where are you going?" He asked.
"To find Roman," she answered.
"Wait," he turned to his computer. "Let me get a team ready. Do you know where he might hide out?"

He didn't get an answer to his question which was unusual for her.

"Hayden?" He asked.

He turned around to see she was no longer standing there. He jumped up and ran out of the room to find her.

"Hayden!" He yelled.

He stormed out of the station just in time to see her get into her car and drive away. She didn't even take a police car. She was going as Hayden the ex girlfriend, not the police officer. He couldn't let her go alone.

"Fuck!" He yelled.

He jumped into his own car and drove after her car at a distance. He had no idea what she was planning but he knew she needed backup.