Chapter 3
Alright, guys, I'm sorry! I got focused on my other story, In My Own Little Corner, and school has been a little hectic, and sundry things have come up this past week. Some notes: A SAFE kit is the official name for the rape kit, a boulangerie is French for a bakery, and Thanatos has a conversation in which he speaks French, the first line is "This is (name) speaking", the next thing that he yells into the phone is "Do not refill that order!". Oh and all the clues are given for the criminal's plan in this chapter. If you get the message, DO NOT SPOIL IT in the review and comments section, please! Thanks again for reading this story, and please comment and/or review please! It really does make my day good... Peace, guys!
Sergeant Gabriel stood in front of the group at the whiteboard. "Alright, our first victim was 19-year-old Henrietta Hudson, killed December 21, 2004." He pointed to a picture of the girl with red hair, freckles, braces, and big round glasses up on the whiteboard. "She was found stuffed in the oven at her job with a slash wound that went from throat down to her navel. From the SAFE kit, it was determined that there were no signs of sexual assault, nor any other signs of sexual relation. In essence–a virgin."
"Her financial records show that she held a steady job at a boulangerie–a bakery–on the corner of Carter and Imperial. I went out to the store–Boulanger's Boulangerie–and talked to the manager and owner, a Mason Boulanger. He said that Henrietta was one of his best workers," Detective Daniels said from her desk, making eye contact with Morgan.
"There were no gangs owning up to the murder, but the way she was killed doesn't lead to any crew. This feels more personal. She had no siblings and her parents were in Portland, OR at the time of the murder," Sanchez spoke, still eyeing the ever greening Reid.
"The statement that was painted on the trays in the bakery was: When the god of Time takes his final breath. Cronus was the Greek god of Time, one of the Titans. He was overthrown by his son, Zeus, who ushered in the Age of Olympia," blurted out Reid, quieting the whole room. "Does we know who was the last person to see her?" asked Reid.
"A friend by the name of Alysia Olivier Parmper," said Detective Tao, as he searched through the papers on his desk, searching for a photo, to hand Reid.
"We confirmed her alibi, effectively eliminating anyone immediately around her with motive, means, or opportunity to want to kill this girl," Flynn said as he handed Morgan the file in his hand.
"So what about the next victim?" Morgan asked. He knew they were going to be there a long time, so he might as well hurry things up.
"Hank Dales, an 80-year-old part-time undertaker and prospector that died of asphyxiation," Provenza said, getting up from his chair, pointing the picture of an old man with balding, white hair. "He was found on December 21, 2005. But the thing is, he was found in one of the crematories, nude with an "X" carved post-mortem in his chest, at his family's funeral home, Dales Funeral Home & Crematory, run by his younger sister, Penelope Shipher. He had no children and he was a widower."
"Looks like you in few years!" screamed out Sanchez teasingly.
"Enough, Julio!" Provenza yelled. "Now the line that was found in a canister stuffed in his throat read: A mighty conqueror will ask "Et tu?"."
"Act III, scene I, line 77 in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar," Reid spit out, causing everyone to look back at the man. Morgan simply smiled at his Pretty Boy.
"Ok, so we've got a literature lover doubling as a killer. This is why I don't do book clubs," mumbled Provenza as he sat down.
"Our next victim was 24-year-old," Brenda said taking command of the operation, "was prominent botanist who, Desiree Mountcastle, had been poisoned with potassium chloride laced in her nicotine patch." She pointed to a picture of a young woman with a curly black hair, a stud in her nose and matching studs in her ears, wearing a weak smile as if she was camera shy on the cover of Botanical Journal. "She was in the hospital for almost all of last year when her then fiancé's lover allegedly cut her in a psychotic break across the chest, although he vehemently denied attacking her. The attack resulted with a severe laceration that nicked several of her internal organs, including her heart and left lung. She died while we were interviewing her on the death of her ex-fiancé, and it turned out that she was just the innocent bystander of his boyfriend's negligent homicide. She was unaware of his infidelity at the time, since she was in the hospital, and he played the ever-faithful fiancé while she was there. She took the news rather hard."
"She was found with a clip-cut message stapled to the inside of her coat reading: Creation of the new dawn will be complete," Detective Tao read aloud from his computer.
"It's like he's daring us to find him," Flynn said flatly.
"Well, with the addition of Agatha Reeds, we're up to 4 bodies. But this one didn't have a note on her," Detective Daniels said with a sense of desperation in her voice.
"Uh, I wouldn't be so sure, Daniels," Tao said aloud, causing everyone in the department to turn and stare at him. "I was going through her computer and found this word file. It's definitely a note:
Her two children are a year apart.
The botanist was killed on her birthday.
The mums were for my mother. She did so love her birthdays.
This was the beginning of the end for me.
I don't think it's too hard now."
Reid got up and started walking to the whiteboard. He started looking at the pictures and the names, moving his head from side to side.
"Of course, chrysanthemums are a representation of November!" exclaimed Reid.
"And the botanist was killed on her 24th birthday," declared Morgan as he walked up the aisle behind Sanchez to the board, taking a spot beside his lover. "Something happened on a November 24th, but we don't have the year."
"Of course, they were killed a year apart!" exclaimed Brenda as she came up to the other side of Reid, nearest the door, staring at the board. "Hudson was 19 and Dales was 80! 1980! How could we not have gotten this?"
"Alright, Tao, I would like you to search the entirety of the LAPD's crimes database to see what, if anything happened on November 24th, 1980. It's possible that our killer is in the system, as either the victim or a relative of a victim. Detectives Sanchez and Daniels, I'd like for you two to help him, please. Thank you. Detective Flynn, I'd like for you to give Lieutenant Provenza here a hand at understand the line that we found with Mrs. Reeds. "A new dawn" has to be created, look for potential target location that someone would want to "create" anew. Thank you. Sergeant Gabriel, I would like to go find Mr. Reeds and her two children. It's still pretty early in the day," Brenda said, seeing her watch said 11:30 in the morning, "I figure the children are still at school."
"Uh, Ms. Johnson?" called out Morgan.
"It's Brenda."
"Alright, Brenda, do you have a habit of ordering people around like this?"
"Well, we're tryin' to catch a psychopath, so I'm splitting the team up so they can do the job they do best. So, yeah. Why what's the problem?" Brenda Leigh responded.
"Ma'am, we have an analyst that could search through all of your records in a matter of seconds. You shouldn't have to have three people looking through hundreds of lines of information," Morgan offered, trying not to offend.
"Well, by all means! If it means that I can get my confession and close this case even quicker, by all means, call your analyst and have Tao, Sanchez, and Daniels at your disposal. Now, if you don't mind, I have to go and tell two children that their mother was found dead. Thank you. Sergeant," Brenda said to Morgan and Reid as she motioned for Gabriel to come with her.
"She's a lot like Hotch, don't you think?" Reid said walking to Morgan.
"No, I think she's worse," Morgan said as he flipped open his phone to call Garcia.
…
"Mr. Thanatos," Derek said as he walked into the living room of the mansion, "there is someone at the door to see you. He says his name is Christopher Sullers. Should I permit him?"
"Yes, allow him," Thanatos called from his chaise lounge in the living room. He sat up to greet his guest. "Christopher, my boy! How are you? It's been how long since I last saw you?" He stood to meet his 2nd cousin, wrapping his immensely muscular arms around the pencil thin man that was standing before him. Although he was his cousin, Christopher was about 10 years younger than Thanatos.
"Would either of you like a drink?" Derek asked as a courtesy.
"Yes, Simon. For me, a Falero*. Christopher, anything for you?" offered Thanatos.
"No thanks, cousin. I'm trying to quit drinking," Christopher said with a chuckle.
"Mr. Thanatos, I'm not a drinker, how do I make a…Falero?" Derek said, hoping he had called the drink correctly.
"It's really simple, Simon. In a shaker, combine the following: four blackberries, 3/4 oz. of syrup of each, squeeze the juice out of a freshly cut lime, and take 2 oz. Marie Framboise. Shake hard, and strain over ice into a highball glass, topping it off with seltzer and put a blackberry and a raspberry in the drink. Understand, Simon?" Thanatos explained how to make the drink.
"Certainly, sir. I'll have it out in a few minutes," Derek said as he left the room, muttering the instructions he had just received.
…
"You have him call you Thanatos? Really, Théo? Don't you think that's a bit too much?" Christopher asked.
"Chris, I've been dealing in the undertaking business for nearly 50 years now, what else would you call me?"
"You've also been running the French section of town for nearly 40 years, too. But that wouldn't have anything to do with it, now would it?" Chris said with a smile.
*ring, ring*
"Excuse me a moment, Chris," Théo said as he picked up the house phone. "Il s'agit de Theodore A. S. Charpentiers parlant. … … … Oui. … … … … Non! Ne remplissez pas cette ordonnance! … … … Bon. Merci."
"Business?" Chris asked, as if he didn't know the answer.
"Oui, some idiot was trying to refill an order that I had place several weeks ago. I told the supplier that it was a one-time order that was not to be refilled. Needless to say, the man I left in charge forgot that it was a singular order. Honestly, if I'm going to have people screw-up, I might have to start working again..." Théo said as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
At that moment, Derek walked back in with the drink on a tray with a teapot and some teacups. "I brought you some tea for your guest if he would like some," Derek said as he placed the tray down.
"Thank you, Mr. Simon, that was thoughtful," Christopher said with a smile.
"That will be all, Simon. I will call for you when we are ready for lunch. You are dismissed."
"Yes, sir, Mr. Thanatos," Derek said as he bowed and turned to leave the room.
The drink, Falero, is a real drink. Here's the website for the drink with a pic: newyork.
grubstreet
.com/2011/05/kaleidoscope_#photo=7x00087