The doctor examined the bones once more, looking at the skull especially. Kyle was a very strange case who would want to kill a child, especially in a brutal way. Luckily they had a simulator in the office, the artistic one of the workgroup ran it with all the information they knew. The perpetrator fought with Kyle a bit before killing him. With running the simulator the perpetrator was at least five feet but had so much strength. It couldn't have been a fellow student, elementary kids don't have the strength of a grown man. What would make sense was a bodybuilder, a boxer, a wrestler, or something of the sort but no one in the city fit that description. No person that had any connection to Kyle anyway, didn't recognize his photo and his parents verified no connection. Was it possibly money? Then why kill the child instead of kidnapping. At least there were no signs of sexual assault, that was the only thing that brought the doctor any relief. rubbed her temples in frustration, "all right Camilla, let's look at the other bodies to help cool off." There just seems to be no motive, no suspect, nothing that made sense.
The other bodies weren't any better, but with the simulator, it was determined that the perpetrator could be at least 6'7. No one in the city matched that description either. Unless she thought for a moment and felt a twist in her gut, it had to be impossible right? "There is someone in this city who has a lot of height and is going after certain officers, these can't be random. They aren't civilians that have become victims, not yet at least." At least she knew they were all one killer, they had a distinct pattern of brutality and strength. These attacks looked angry, possibly revenge? Her eyes widened "they" she processed for a moment "they are casting revenge. Or rather avenging someone."
Rushing to the records room she used the Lieutenant's ID card to unlock the door. Using a pen flashlight rather than turning on the lights helps bring less attention to her. "There we go, Camp Blood John Doe" she hid the file under her jacket before leaving the records room and rushing back to her department. "This is just all too familiar," she splayed the record over her work desk. Studying almost every detail she could.
"Stanley Brown, Kevin Carter, David Brinkley, and Ron Gavigan. All involved in the shooting and now all dead on my table." She sighed and read over the case once again, Twelve went to that camp and only seven came out alive, physically alive at least. The officers in the case weren't released publicly, so to gain these targets they must've been there but undetected. That's the only way it made sense in her brain, who else was personally connected to the case that would've known? And why wait for almost nine years. "Johnathan committed suicide not long after and Elizabeth is in the mental hospital. This means Aaron is all that's left. I get in more trouble warning him but if they found out I had any idea of this I'd be in deeper shit." She started to dial his number and waited for the rings.
"Camilla? What the fuck it's two in the morning." The man grumbled into the phone, she glanced at the clock. It was in fact 2:15 am and she didn't need coffee yet.
"Do you trust me?" She was quick, she needed him to move as fast as possible.
"What? Of course, I trust ya we've been workin' together for two decades. You had my daughter." Aaron yawned and stretched in his bed. She really hated him over-explaining himself.
"Get out of that house, take your daughter and dog and go. Trust me, okay I'll explain everything once you are safe." Her heart started to race, she couldn't bear to see her best friend on her table.
"What are you talking about?" He stood up and started to dress.
"There is someone after you, I haven't figured out who yet but you're the last one to pick off." He heard movement behind him and turned around, she heard the gasp "Aaron? Hey Aaron!" All she could hear was rapid movement on the phone.
"Camilla you won't believe me at all! I-it's him!" He panted into the phone loading his gun. She looked at her phone confused.
"Who Aaron, who's him?" She stood up at her desk, scared herself. Gunshots were heard and there was a struggle.
"The camp blood-" he was cut off by the sound of noise and then soft gurgles as blood pooled his mouth. She slowly put the phone down, tears falling from her eyes.
I should've called him earlier, she thought as she called 911, heading to his house herself. She braced herself for what she was going to have to see, and hopefully, that maniac didn't touch his daughter.
The officers handed her the sniffling ten-year-old, "since this is very personal we decided to call someone from the city over. You just take care of your kid, we got this from here."
"She's technically not my kid" she corrected as she buckled the child in.
"You are on the birth certificate." He retorted, heading back into the house.
"Would you like some eggs, Sarah?" The child shook her head at the doctor, barely poking her toast. She sighed and sat down across from the child, Sarah, and took the girl's hand in hers. "I should've called earlier, maybe you could've gotten out faster and Aaron would be with us now. This is my fault."
"Last time I checked you weren't seven feet tall and smelled rotten!" Camilla jumped at the outburst, she didn't want to get mad though, the girl just lost her father. It begged the question though.
"So, you saw who did it? Did he try to hurt you?" Sarah shook her head and wiped her face.
"He just looked at me, patted my head, and left. I didn't really see dad's body, only his legs. The man smelled rotten." She balled up her fists and pouted, just like her father.
"I'm glad he spared you, I don't know what I'd do." The doctor pets the girl's hand in comfort.
"Why am I not with grandma?" She huffed and looked away.
"Well, even though your father and I were never together and I agreed to birth you for him, I'm still on your birth certificate and have some form of responsibility over you." She softly smiled "you can still call me Camilla, whatever you're comfortable with. You'll be living here until further notice."
Sarah's eyes started to water, the doctor spoke once more "hey look, I'll find whoever killed our Aaron. I'll promise you that if you ever miss your dad just look in the mirror. You two are twins. Like father like daughter-" her eyes widened. File that away for later.
"Why did you stop talking Camilla?" The girl straightened her back in her seat.
"Oh, nothing. I just remembered I left the coffee pot on. I'll be right back" she stood and went to the boiling coffee pot. After turning off the stove, she grabbed her pen and notepad writing John Doe has family, and they are pissed. Putting it down she looked back at the little girl. Even though she didn't raise her, she was ambivalent, she had her eureka moment yet her daughter was processing a gruesome death. This could solve the murders and get those people in prison so they could rot, but Sarah needed her here too.
"You have a lot of nerve coming to my place of work, we've been cleared by the FBI" Mireya locked the door looking back at the doctor "since there is no police left." grabbed candy from the desk's bowl and settled. File in her hand, she popped the candy in her mouth and thought very carefully. This was way out of her job description; in fact, this isn't legal to any of her knowledge. Mireya made her way to her desk and sat down on the plush chair. She straightened her pens and adjusted the family picture on her desk, the silence started to grow and ring in her ears. "You gonna start talking or we going to sit here twiddling our thumbs?"
"I am not a detective, I'm just a forensic anthropologist. I study the bones, I have little to no interest in right and wrong. I just have a question for you , and this isn't about the case right now. Do you remember the John Doe they caught at Camp Crystal Lake almost a decade ago?" She slowly nods, "you were on his file for possible accomplice but it doesn't seem right. Like how would you two have even met it makes no sense. What did you know about the case?"
"Shit if I know. That was so long ago, I was more worried about my pregnancy and being a single mother." The other woman focused on the family photo, the boy could easily be fourteen. She even grabbed the frame and took a closer look. "All I can remember is a friend of mine throwing me under the bus and that somehow link-"
"How old is your kid?" She pointed to the photo "he looks older than the story you're telling."
"Oh Miracle?" She grabbed the picture frame "we took this a few months ago, he's eight and has a huge head" chuckling she handed the photo back. "Got that height from his daddy. That cute face too." She smiled proudly at the photo.
"Nonsense I see he has your eye shape and zygomas, yes you are heavily scarred but bones do not lie." Mireya tilted her head "cheekbones, he has your cheekbones" she then gave a soft thanks to the doctor. "I have a daughter too, she's ten. Just turned ten this past June. She has her father's mandible, frontal, and nasal bone. Uh, his jawline, forehead, and nose." She corrected herself. "Um, where is his father?"
"Somewhere in Ireland, we met through a gaming server and had a one-night stand. With my fertility issues, it seemed impossible but it does just take one time" Mireya almost wishes that story was true. After eight years of telling the same lie, it would come naturally to her, was she lying, or did she believe it at this point? "Then he left, abandoned his gaming account, and changed his number. Never saw him again." She looked at the doctor and shrugged "doesn't matter, I raised Miracle myself."
"Why is he named Miracle?"
"Because the pregnancy was extremely difficult, I almost lost him two times. The doc said it was probably his huge size and my small body wouldn't handle it too well. He came out big, 10lbs 11oz and I birthed him naturally. I pushed all of that out of me." Laughing she continues "my mom had to rush home and get the two-month clothes and diapers. So much we had to return because there was no way he was going to fit it."
"Do you have a photo of his father?" A head shake in response. "Is this his father?" She pulled out a recreation of Jason's face when he was alive. Mireya stared at the drawing for a long time, absorbing the features. Oh, Jay, I almost forgot how you looked, she thought to herself. It was a slow head shake no. "Why did you hesitate?"
"Because it's been almost ten years and there is a slight resemblance but I think it's because he was a redhead and white." She shrugs "and y'know, white people kinda look the same, just different hair and eye colors."
"I can neither confirm nor deny that."
"You know it's true" they share a laugh. Now it's time for the doctor to hit with the hard questions.
"Have you told Miracle who his father was? Is he aware that his father basically abandoned him? How would he feel knowing his dad didn't love him?" Mireya's face twisted bingo, gotcha. She smiled
"I know his father, the short time I knew him I knew he would love that boy with all his heart and take care of him. How dare you say something like that about him?" She stood at her desk gripping the edge tightly.
"Why so defensive? You talk about him like he's dead. He's alive and well right? In Ireland? I mean Ireland is small it would probably take you a week to find him." She countered crossing her arms. Mireya bit her lip oh she's good, but I'm not slipping up determined she calculated her answer.
"That would be a waste of time and resources. Imagine after eight years a one-night stand who says she can't get pregnant shows up with a kid saying 'by the way this is yours.' I know he'd be glad but Miracle has grown up enough without a father. And I knew his father would have rather been there from the beginning than getting it all dropped onto his lap." She grins and leans over the table "that's your answer. Now leave my office."
