Title: The Twelve Days of Christmas.
Author: Dana-Maru1
Summary: The team investigate a series of murders in the twelve days till Christmas...
Disclaimer: Sue, Jack and anyone else you may recognize are not mine. But thanks Pax for letting us borrow them from time to time...
Sue had tossed and turned all night, unable to get the image of that dead woman out of her mind. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see her, making it difficult to get to sleep. And she knew she'd have to look at the crime scene photos, which didn't help her situation. She lay awake trying not to think about it when Levi pawed at her arm to let her know that the alarm clock was going off and she got wearily out of bed.
"Boy you don't look so good." Lucy said when Sue entered the kitchen.
"Thanks!" Sue pretended to be offended, "I couldn't sleep."
"Case or Jack?"
"Case. I kept thinking about the victim Jack and I found, saw her when I closed my eyes."
"You'll get used to it." Lucy told her sympathetically.
Sue shrugged and poured a mug of strong coffee in an attempt to wake up a little. The caffeine helped and she was almost her perky self again when they closed the door to their apartment on the way to the bullpen. They barely had time to settle at their desks when Jack stood in front of the whiteboard to give the team a full update of the weekend's events.
"Our latest victim, Sharlene Macadam was, as you know, found yesterday by Sue and I. She was a 21-year -old prostitute. Her death was estimated to be around 11pm on Saturday night and her purse was completely empty besides her driver's license, indicating that she was mugged. Her earrings were even torn from her ears, but she still had five gold rings on her right hand." He paused to let the information sink in before continuing.
"The victim found on Saturday morning was Breanna Henry, a 23-year-old photographer. Her purse was also empty when she was discovered; though her Polaroid camera was beside her. As well as two photos that were taken just before she was killed. One is of a row of robins but the other has a lot more significance. The killer didn't stick around long enough to remove this piece of evidence that shows half his face."
Jack handed the picture to Tara who promptly set about scanning it into her computer, hoping to find the killer's identity. He gave the forensic reports to Myles and D and left the bullpen with Sue and Bobby to find out anything they could from friends and family of the victims. They came up with nothing useful from Breanna's family and friends. They couldn't even find any friends of Sharlene and her family hadn't spoken to her since she ran away from home at the age of fifteen. So they headed back to the bullpen just before 11am.
"I found a match for that photo." Tara stated as soon as Jack, Bobby and Sue were back in the bullpen.
"Kevin Marshall; forty-five years old was arrested on the 14th of December twelve years ago when he admitted to murdering his own wife. He wasn't in employment and his last know address was a hostel on 10th and E Streets." Lucy followed on.
"Myles and D will you go check if anyone at the hostel has seen him recently? Tara, what about family - any addresses on them?" Jack asked
"His father was killed in a car accident in 1965 when Marshall was six years old. His mother died fifteen years ago. She did leave her house to Marshall in the will though there's no evidence of anyone living there since Marshall was arrested. No phone records or bills since 1992. His only daughter was fifteen when she witnessed her mother's murder and committed suicide the day Marshall was sentenced."
"Thanks Tara, Sue and I will see if we can get a warrant to check out the house. Lucy did you come up with anything connecting the victims yet?"
"The only thing I can find connecting the victims is that all five of them shopped at Macy's while the half-price sale was on. Though, apparently, no two of the victims were there at the same time or even on the same day..."