Chapter Two
Jerusha "Jeri" Church was the graveyard supervisor for the Dallas CSI unit. She was on the phone with the lab director after the discovery of the FTD killer's latest victim. Angie and Iris stopped by her office after returning to the lab. Jerusha looked up and motioned to them to come take a seat as she concluded the call.
"Any breaks, ladies?" Jerusha queried in a weary-sounding voice.
"Not yet. Dr. Chambers should be getting underway with the latest victim's autopsy some time this morning. We don't have a name yet. She was like all the others, Jeri." Angie rubbed at her tired eyes.
"I'm going to check in again with Missing Persons to see if she matches a description." Iris said, jotting down notes that were pertinent to the young woman's physical appearance.
"Does Max have any ideas?" Jeri wondered.
"Not really. The previous victims have no trace evidence to speak of. No hairs or fibers. The bodies were all clean as if washed after death. The method of suffocation or strangulation is consistent, throttling using hands or using a choke hold with the arm wrapped around the neck, as well as holding a probable gloved hand over the mouth and nose. No fingerprints found on any victim or in any of the vehicles. This guy's taking no chances on any outstanding physical evidence. Each victim had been raped but no semen was retrieved from the rape kit, meaning this clown uses a condom, and traces of spermicide were present." Angie surmised as Iris shook her head in agreement.
"This is only making the mayor more antsy and the trickle down is getting to us quicker and quicker." Jerusha grumbled.
"He's betting bolder though with his letters. We've gotten no breaks there either. No fingerprints, uses self-sealing envelopes so no DNA, and the letters are text-printed not handwritten. Each victim has a different flower name. What's his goal? I'm concerned he's going to escalate with the frequency of his victims." Iris added behind Angie's observations.
"Okay, fresh eyes, ladies. May that break come our way sooner than later!" Jeri exclaimed with a tired smile.
Two hours later, Iris's cell phone rang as she was going over evidence in the Trace room with Angie. "Iris King. Oh, morning, Renee. You have a possible match to the victim. Go ahead." Iris began writing furiously on a pad of paper. She gave a nod to Angie as she did so.
"We got a name for number six?" Angie asked.
"Yup. Her name is Rosa Jimenez and just nineteen years old. She never made it home after working at an Albertson's on Sunday night. Her car was left in the parking lot. Her parents reported her missing Monday morning. Max is going to have them brought to the morgue to identify her before the autopsy is performed. I have to wonder if the Albertson's parking lot had video surveillance." Iris's eyes glistened, knowing how this was going to be a tragic day for the parents if that was their daughter lying on a cold metal table.
"Iris, check it out. I've gotta leave so I can pick up the kids from the sitter." Angie grinned; her husband, Daniel, worked nights too, yet Angie always picked up their two children.
"Will do! I'm making something Tex-Mex later today, so did you want me to drop something off before work tonight?" Iris smiled, as Angie was her closest friend at work and she loved visiting the Saxons.
"Like you have to ask twice, just show up anytime after seven o'clock, 'cause you know Chandler and Savanna will be wanting to see their Aunt Iris!" Angie replied as she headed out.
Iris carefully rebagged all the evidence they'd been working on and went to wait for the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Jimenez, sending Max a text message of her intentions. He texted her back to say that was fine and when were they going to have a real date even if it was just to eat out. Angie's comments surfaced again in Iris's mind, but she remained firm in her resolve. She valued Max's friendship and didn't desire more than that. It wasn't her wish to cause him pain and she hoped it wouldn't cause strain on what they shared as friends.
Later that evening she was greeted by the high-pitched squeals of her adopted niece and nephew, Savanna and Chandler, when she stopped by with the Tex-Mex dinner she had promised at the Saxon home. She played with the kids while Angie got the meal ready, Daniel nearly panting in anticipation; Iris's cooking was near-legend at the lab and she loved making meals for her co-workers. Angie fondly watched her kids playing with Iris, wishing that her friend had her own family.