Chapter 4
"I need you to go to the crime scene and look it over. I think this might be a serial killing. The MO matches a serial killer called the Music Box Killer. I hope that this is not the case but since you were a FBI agent and specialized in serial killings I need you on this." Bo explained.
"Ok, I'll go take a look." John said disappointed that he and Natalie wouldn't get to spend any time together later.
"I have to tell Natalie that our date is off for tonight then I will head right over" John said to Bo.
Natalie sat hat her desk waiting for John to come out of Bo's office wondering if at this time tomorrow she would be alone after she told John about Cris. She was so scared she had screwed up any chance of them being happy with her lies. She and John had only been together for 2 months but they were the happiest 2 months of her life. She knew she loved John with all her heart and losing him would rip her heart out.
She hadn't said anything, but she was pretty sure that he knew how she felt. She was going to tell him tonight that she loved him and about Cris. She hoped he would forgive her but she didn't think he would. Natalie was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice John come out of Bo's office and call her name
"Natalie?" John called "Natalie? Are you ok?"
"What?" Natalie said startled "Oh, yes, I'm fine. I was just thinking."
"About what?" John asked.
"You, of course. You ready to go home?" she asked.
"I'm sorry Natalie but there has been a murder at LU and I have to go over to the crime scene." John said.
"What! When? How?" Natalie stammered. "Oh John, and on your birthday too."
"I know these killers have the worst timing don't they. I am not sure when I will be done." John said thinking that he wished she would be at his place waiting for him when he got back. He wanted to ask her to move in with him, but he was nervous and now probably wasn't the best time for that conversation. He had been planing to ask her tonight but tomorrow would have to do.
"I'm gonna head out now to the crime scene. Are you going to be at my place when I get home?" John asked hopefully.
"If you want me there. I need to talk to my mother but I will come over to the hotel when I am done. Roxy is there tonight so I can talk to her till you get back." Natalie said.
"If I didn't want you there I wouldn't have asked." He said. "I'll see you later." He brushed a kiss on her lips, then left the station.
Evangeline's office
"Where is he?" Evangeline thought. "He was supposed to be here 2 hours ago." Picking up the phone to call him Evangeline stabbed the numbers on the phone in her agitation. "Oh great, voice mail again."
She thought annoyed. "He hardly ever answers my calls." She wondered if he was avoiding her but dismissed the idea out of hand. She was perfect, why would he avoid her. After they broke up they had agreed to remain friends. She had done that because she had been hoping that he would miss her and they would get back together. It had worked for Natalie so why wouldn't would work for her.
Just the thought of Natalie put a smile on Evangeline's face. She had talked to Cris at length on the phone and she now knew that Natalie had known for months that Cris was alive and she hadn't told anyone. She didn't care that Cris had told her not too. Everyone would hate Natalie when they found out that Cris was alive and Natalie knew. Evangeline didn't care that Cris had told her he didn't want anyone to know she was gonna tell everyone right after she told John. "Where was he" Evangeline thought again. She called his cell again and this time he picked up.
"Hello?" John said not bothering to look at the caller id.
"John, its Evangeline." She said. "You were supposed to be here 2 hours ago" she pouted.
"I'm sorry Evangeline I got called to a crime scene. I will have to meet you tomorrow," John said. Wondering why he was so annoyed with her John said, "Is 11am tomorrow ok with you?"
"Ok John," Evangeline said disappointed that she didn't get to tell him tonight.
John apologized again and hung up. A few minutes later he arrived at the crime scene and all thought of Evangeline ceased. He talked to the officer in charge and talked to any witnesses he could find before he went to examine the victim. When he got to the victim he rocked back on his heels stunned. The victim Marsha Hunt looked almost exactly like his dead fiancée Caitlyn. He was having a hard time breathing as that night came rushing back to him. He saw Caitlyn on the bed covered in blood her lifeless eyes staring up at the ceiling. He felt the pain when they told him in the hospital room that she was dead.
He shook his head to get rid of the image and different image filled his head. He saw Natalie lying there with the leotard around her neck and that image hurt just as much as the one with Caitlyn. It was then that he realized that if he ever lost Natalie he would go crazy. He wouldn't want to live in this word any more. Officer Collens noticed that John looked like he had seen a ghost. "Lt. McBain? Are you ok?" Collens asked. John shook his head to clear it and replied "yeah I'm fine." Collens nodded and then left the scene. John blocked the images from his mind and continued with his work not even noticing when the other man left.