A/N: Standard Disclaimers Apply

Chapter Twelve: Dinner with the Titans

I locked myself in the workroom and spread the complete files in front of me. Kenedy's file was on top. She, too, had the features of the other victims: ligatures, strangulation, costuming, burn marks on her pubic bones. I had enough victims here to start profiling the killer. The murderer was most likely male. He has some kind of power issue with Raven. The ligatures, the costume, and even the rapes indicate this. Why her? Recognizing the issues was one thing, predicting the killer's trigger was another thing entirely. He could go days, months, years, without killing, and then we'll have another rash of slayings.

I read MacDonald's notes, and she was a step ahead of me. Her people were already looking for earlier costume killings. Nothing in the Jump City Metro. I heard the phone ring from the common room, again. Channel Seventeen, Channel Four, and Channel Fifty-two were all running with the "Raven Slayer" story, not to mention the Jump City Star and the Haney County Eagle. I almost agreed with Gar that we needed a press agent now. Since Maggie Hollis broke the story about Kenedy, it didn't take the press long to learn about the other killings.

I put my favorite magnifying glass down and rubbed my eyes. I had been staring at these files for six hours.

"Dick?" Kory called from the other side of the door. "Victor wants me to inform you that dinner is now ready. Please, do not make us send Raven in there to teleport you out."

I laughed. "Okay, Kory. I'm coming."

I got up and joined the others at the table. Vic's spread was, as always, impressive. He went all out this time: roast chicken, potatoes, carrots, fresh salad, and yeah, he even remembered a Szechwan tofu stir-fry for Gar.

"What's the occasion?" I asked.

Vic grinned and waived his hand, "I was bored."

I had a forkful of meat that I was about to put in my mouth. I put it back on the plate. "I guess I have been shutting you guys out again, haven't I?"

"No," Raven said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Not a bit."

Gar took a large spoonful of his dinner and stuffed it in his mouth, "Mmyah, We're kinna ushed do id now."

Vic just missed giving Gar a short forehand slap to the back of his head, but the changeling timed his duck expertly.

Raven glanced over to Kory, leaned over to me, and whispered in a deadly serious tone, "And if you don't catch this idiot soon, I can't guarantee your friend-who-is-a-girl's safety. I love Koriand'r like a sister, but she's constantly hovering around me! I've been out of balance for the past two days!"

I couldn't help but laugh.

"Well, I ran into Johnny Rancid last night, and promised that I'd pay him another visit tonight. Anyone want to tag along?"

It was unanimous.

"So when do we leave?"

"Nightfall," I said.

I finished my supper and washed my plate in the sink. Kory was, once again, Rae's shadow, and Vic and Gar spent the last couple of hours of daylight playing on the Gamestation. I got up and walked toward across the common room.

"Where are you going?" Raven asked.

"I left my mask back in my workroom."

I walked back in and picked up my mask from the table. Then I stopped dead in my tracks. My magnifying glass was resting on a picture of Tolberson's skull. I just saw something I hadn't noticed before. There was a small burn spot inside the eye socket. I scooped the autopsy report and scanned it. The ME missed that. I grabbed the pictures of the others and each one had a similar feature. And once again, the examiner failed to spot it. There were also burn marks on the edges of eyes, but because these girls all favored heavy kohl eye make up, I'm sure the ME missed it on first glance. I grabbed my high power magnifier. The bones around Kenedey's eye sockets were almost bleached white. As if that one spot had been boiled.

"Oh my god," I breathed.

This new discovery sealed it. Everything started falling into place.

Raven appeared at my door. "Richard, we're ready to go. Richard?"

I looked up. My eyes were wide and my mouth dropped open. Raven arched an eyebrow and pulled her hood back. She took three steps into my room.

"Richard, are you all right?" she asked, her voice full of concern.

"Rae, I know who the killer is!"

A/N: Have you figured it out, dear reader? Who is the Raven Slayer?