Back to the grindstone today. Off to process some turkeys, then more chickens, then time for my weary bones to get some rest. Maybe write some more too. Giggles.
"What makes you think you're going to be able to catch the killer before he strikes again?"
It had been the one question he'd dreaded hearing for the past three hours, knowing it was only a matter of time before somebody brought it up.
With his eyes dry and burning from the countless spotlights shining into them for far too long, Mike sighed inwardly, hoping that either Conden or Olsen had a fitting answer on the tip of their tongues.
"While we can't control things that are out of our hands, I can assure you that we have a team of highly skilled individuals working the case, their unmatched diligence having already allowed us to make significant headway when it comes to this investigation. Clearly, the police can't be everywhere at the same time, but you will find that we know how to work as a team better than any criminal. Nobody in this town gets away with what this person did and we'll see to it that he gets punished to the fullest extent of the law."
The filibusters from the side of the brass had taken up all afternoon so far, continuing to reiterate a progress Mike wasn't entirely sure he was aware of at the moment. If anything, he and Steve had spent an ungodly amount of time bird-dogging small leads here and there, hoping for a case break that was still far out of his reach.
And perhaps, a small part of him agreed with Forester's criticism of not thinking outside the box when he needed to do so the most.
It was a mistake he was intent on never making again.
With his hands crossed in front of his belly, Mike watched Olsen chime in, bringing up cases from eons ago that somehow proved that SFPD would be able to handle to most heinous crimes thrown in their lap. And while the Lieutenant was the last one to disagree with the outstanding selection of detectives he was proud to call his squad, he couldn't get himself to be certain that they could stop the madman before he would attempt a repeat performance.
In the worst case, the increasing media attention could serve as a launching pad for copycats or possibly even taunt their assailant to strike again for nothing more than the sake of fame.
"Lieutenant Stone, as the leading detective in this case, what can you tell us about your progress and the way you will approach this investigation compared to other cases?"
The question had come from the back corner, an old acquaintance who'd been with Channel 12 news for nearly as long as he'd been with the police force. Their relationship of mutual respect had lasted throughout the years, something very rare, downright impossible to find these days.
"Roger, my partner and I approach this case like we do any other homicide, with the highest degree of urgency and diligence. Yes, we are starting to bring in some good leads and are interviewing witnesses, but this early into the investigation, it is hard to make any sort of prediction on our progress. As you very well know, we do things strictly by the book. I want this man caught as much as anybody else in this town. But I also want to make sure that our case holds up in court, instead of being thrown out due to sloppy work on our end. The information we have received is very confidential at this point, but I assure you that we will release further details as soon as they become available and are safe to publicize."
A collective mumbling followed his speech, along with the sound of notepaper being scribbled on. In the front row, a young woman he didn't know yet had pushed past her colleagues in order to get a closer look, her tabloid-thirsty eyes focusing on Mike.
"Lieutenant Stone, what are you going to do if you fail to catch this killer before he strikes again? Will you display the same amount of confidence when you or your partner have to tell the families of the victims why their loved ones are gone?"
It was a question he didn't have an answer for this evening.