Chapter 7
The detectives all gathered back at the precinct, it was getting late in the day, about the time that everyday people went home. Now, instead of getting ready to leave, they were trying to piece together everything that had just developed in their case. Doctor Huang strode into the bullpen, having received a call from the Captain.
"So what have you got? Captain Cragen said that there'd been a big development," the FBI agent said.
"I'll say there was a big development. It seems that you were right, there are two of them," Munch spoke up before quickly explaining what the Doctor had missed up to this point.
"Today's victim, Michelle Doyle, was able to speak to us. She claims that when she returned home from her day, she was attacked by someone. For most of the attack, she was in and out of consciousness, by her own recollection, but when it was over, she said she very clearly heard two sets of feet leave her bedroom," Fin took over when Munch was done. The elder detective had a voicemail on his desk phone and quickly went to listen to it.
"Anything to corroborate her story?" Huang wondered.
"DNA, of the male variety only, on the pants that were on the floor. Underneath said pants was another taunt," Elliot drew the agent's attention to the board where a photo of the note had been tacked up.
"So the taunt has escalated. Her attacker knew that the pants would be looked at and in turn the taunt would be found. The bigger question would be - does he know that his partner left DNA at the scene?" Huang wondered.
"You think he was getting off watching his partner assault Michelle?" Olivia asked.
"I do. No other DNA was found at the crime scenes. Our main attacker makes sure to wear a condom, which means either he's in the system, or he knows about how DNA can be used against him. His second may not be in the system and so it may not matter but it would cause major issues between them if the first man did not realize what the second was doing. That's the danger of bringing a second to the scene," he said.
"We can't go to the press with this. The senior member of the group will just kill his accomplice and disappear," Elliot shook his head.
"Agreed. They are difficult to catch as it is," Huang nodded.
"So Karen left me a message. Turns out that Mark's souvenir baseball wooden bat from the Mets game is missing. I'm running the idea past Melinda to see if it could have been the murder weapon used on Susan. I'm also contacting the hospital to see if our perps used it to hit Michelle or if something else was used," Munch said.
"Those things aren't as hard as real baseball bats but how would it not have splintered when it fractured Susan's skull?" Fin wondered.
"No idea but apparently that is the only thing that jumps out at them as missing. If it isn't the weapon then our attackers brought their own and took it back with them. No weapon was found at Michelle's place either," Olivia frowned.
"Christina Lawrence's attacker brought the weapon so maybe the souvenir bat was just that a souvenir," Captain Cragen suggested.
"Could be. It would fit the profile. The bat would be a record of their conquests and something to remember them by. Was Christina missing anything?" Huang wondered.
"She said she was missing her necklace but we all figured that maybe the homeless guy took it. No one ever found it," Munch said.
"So we need to confirm that Michelle is missing something; then we'll know it's part of the pattern. What has forensics said?" Huang asked.
"Nothing yet. We'll keep giving them the "hurry it up" call," Fin said.
"There has to be something else we can do. I hate sitting on my hands," Elliot frowned.
"I think it's time to make a press release. Captain Cragen, our suspects seem to like your face. Care to give them a little something?" The FBI agent chuckled.
To Be Continued…