Chapter three
Rabbit holes…
Feeling better in a pair of trousers, Julianne closed the door to the driver side of the car. Charlie let her go home to get changed; on the other hand, she wasn't that comfortable with Elizabeth being on the team. Yes she could use the help, but the fear of her sister being better; she didn't want to lose her spot. Even if Elizabeth wasn't going to be around longer than the year, she felt nervous about the whole thing.
"You know, I feel a lot better now," Elizabeth standing beside Julianne in the elevator, "You know, I could always not be here."
Julianne snapped out of it, "What," her attention was back to the conversation, "no. No it's fine," her tone dropped not sure what to expect.
Elizabeth exhaled, "Well, I have asked more than once," she felt the elevator come to a stop, she pulled the door open, her eyes to Lloyd sitting at a desk looking over something in his hands.
Lloyd kept looking to the napkin, he played it over his hands looking to the handwriting, a number, he felt like his eyes trying to work out who the number was meant for. He didn't know what was making him obsessed with a piece of tissue, the black ink, the neat written letters. He listened to the elevator as it made it rattling noises.
He turned his face slowly to see the two women standing in the lift, "Feeling better?" he placed the napkin back into his pocket swiftly, Lloyd's eyes from Julianne, she seemed to rush to her desk sitting down.
Elizabeth smiled with a salute, "Better, understatement," she let out a yawn throwing an empty coffee cup into the trash, her eyes going to Julianne, she picked her sister's cup up sipping, "so, you're here alone?"
"Yes," Lloyd kept focused on Elizabeth, he kept wondering. For a moment he kept switching his gaze from one sister to the other.
Julianne not paying attention reached a hand out to Elizabeth for her coffee, "Charlie left a note," she waved, "He's taken the other to a location," her eyes slowly to Lloyd, "Ray's picking up a new laptop for you." She pushed the note back on the desk, took the coffee cup from her sister. Her eyes slowly eyes meeting with Lloyd. "What are you doing here?"
Elizabeth leant against the front of Julianne's desk, her eyes focused on Lloyd, her hand playing into the pocket of her faded blue jeans, her purple and blue plaid shirt open with a white vest underneath it, for a second having a staring contest with Lloyd.
Lloyd crossed one leg over the other, studying over Elizabeth, "I am holding up the fort until you two got here." He smirked in a manner to show his superiority to Elizabeth.
"Really," Elizabeth nodded, "well, you tell yourself that. Little man," she pushed herself off the desk walking to the window taking a look to the parking lot. "So what have you got on Vasile?"
Julianne felt her throat tighten, "He's," she inhaled, "there was another victim." Quickly turning, she felt the desk jolt forward as Lloyd had rushed over, Elizabeth quickly behind her.
Lloyd turned the laptop to face him; he wanted to know more before Elizabeth did. "This man is a genius," he paused for effect, "Well, not quiet me, but he's making these deaths," he inhaled, "He's a executioner…" He now walked over to the photo on the wall.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "Really," her tone calm, Julianne kept bouncing her attention from her sister to Lloyd.
"Really, you two don't have to," exhaling, she watched as Elizabeth walked over to the photo. She didn't want to be in the middle, one thing Julianne hated was a confrontation, plus she wasn't in the mood to be middle person.
Lloyd laughed at Elizabeth, "See, you may think you're a smart girl, but you must understand I have an IQ of two hundred and ten, child prodigy, I don't think you can match me." He kept his tone smooth, his eyes fixed on the dark shade of blue of Elizabeth's.
"See, the prodigy, is the potential to greatness, not really great if you're having an argument with a person younger than yourself." Her arms folded over her chest, "also, the fact I happen to know a lot on Italian culture," her hand flicking her long hair back keeping a safe distance from Lloyd.
Lloyd couldn't help but pick up on this, he took a careful step forward, he observed Elizabeth taking a step back, "So, you think I argue?" He moved forward once more. He took the fact Elizabeth was picking up on this, but she stepped aside from him.
"I think you're a wise ass, that needs to rub the fact he has a brain," Elizabeth's tone dark, her hand out her pocket, "but really, you're just desperate to be noticed." Turning quickly she saw the elevator opening again with Ray holding a box.
Ray kept looking from Elizabeth to Lloyd, "I hope he isn't bothering you." His rough tone aimed mainly to warn Lloyd, he was standing still, it was like he'd been slapped. "I got your laptop." Ray's tone dropped watching Elizabeth carefully.
"Thank you," Elizabeth took the box, placing it onto a desk, her eyes slowly looking around to meet Lloyd's again, they narrowed lightly before looking back to the box.
Lloyd exhaled feeling a rush; it was something about having that feeling, knowing that he was inches away from a full conflict. He didn't know why, but part of him kept watching Julianne, did she watch, or ignore. In Lloyd's mind he kept thinking about how Elizabeth acted. "Lloyd," Ray snapped, Lloyd focused, he didn't know how long he'd been in his own head, "You've gotten anything on what this guy is doing?"
"Well, we know that he's killed again," Lloyd coming back to the moment, "right now, I can't see a pattern, the prison said that he wrote in a notebook, it's being brought here," he exhaled rocking on the balls of his feet, "until then I am in the dark." He felt useless, he hated the feeling, but he wanted more than ever to prove his use to the team. Slowly his attention going back to Elizabeth, she'd taken the laptop out setting it up. Something about her sparked his curiously.
Julianne kept glanced over to the other desk, "Have you found anything yet?" Her voice soft, it was only the two girls in the office. The Team had gone on another lead, which is what happened, she'd get the leads; the team will follow them up.
"Well, I know that when inside last year, he spent a whole two months in solitary." Elizabeth turned from her laptop, "Ew, shanked another inmate…" her eyes looking over the report.
The feeling of tension in the room, Julianne brushed her hands over her forehead, "These people," her voice a low whisper, "It's like, it's taking over the world."
Elizabeth got up from her desk, walking over to Julianne, her hands brushing over her sister's shoulders, "Yes, there is a lot of shit in the world," Her voice smooth, "but there is still a lot of good too," her chin rested on the top of Julianne's head. "You know what you need?"
"What do I need?" Julianne moved on the chair, turning to face her, she watched Elizabeth holding a hand out. Watching her sister's eyes, looking to the extended hand.
Elizabeth smiled bright, "Dance party." Her voice calmly, her eyes looking down into Julianne.
"Dance party…"
"Is there an echo, yes a dance party!" Elizabeth grabbed Julianne's hand pulling her to her feet, "you need to shake the stress away, it'll give you premature wrinkles." For a few seconds Julianne felt hesitant.
Looking into Elizabeth's eyes, Julianne exhaled, "Now isn't a good time, while he's out there, he could kill again, we'll need to find him…"
Elizabeth placed a finger on Julianne's lips, "shh, right now, we've got nothing," she glanced around, "Plus the notebooks here, Lloyd will work magic." She nodded, "so," she reached over looking to her laptop, clicking a few buttons as the song, Katy Perry's Last Friday night (T.G.I.F) started to play. Elizabeth started to dance around the office.
"Lizzie," Julianne watched her sister moving around the desk, "I don't think this is a good idea…"
"Which makes it a perfect thing to do…" Elizabeth grabbed Julianne's hands, she moved her sister to the music, her eyes focused. "Come on, you need to let loose once in a while."
Julianne finally giving in, she started to dance around with Elizabeth, both of them losing themselves to the beat of the song that was filling the office with a comfortable feeling, it was right, there wasn't much they could do. "See can you feel the worry melt away…?" Elizabeth swirled, her long hair flaring out as the song changed to Ke$ha Cannibal, her body started to move more the beat.
Julianne getting into the song, she started to relax, with the office only being herself and Elizabeth, she felt at ease, her arms lifted while taking Elizabeth's hand spinning, both girls laughing.
"So, a song that brings the idea of cannibalism to be a acceptable social norm…" Lloyd spoke up, he'd been watching them dance, finally speaking up. Julianne's reaction was stopping, her body going rigid out of not liking the idea of being seen as human.
Elizabeth turned on the balls of her feet looking to Lloyd, "It's just a song." Her tone dry while straightening herself out, "But thanks for busting the party," she reached over her desk throwing a notebook at him, "you wanted this." Her eyes kept focused.
"Thank you," Lloyd kept looking from Julianne to Elizabeth, who'd now turned off the music, her eyes going wide, "Another victim," her hands touching the keyboard, "A woman…" her voice dropped, "Why?"
Lloyd still holding the notebook rushed to Elizabeth, his eyes focused on the scene, for a few seconds was still. His hand brushed against her should, for a spilt second her seat rolled away from him fast. "Don't touch me!" her voice snapped so fast, Lloyd didn't know what hit him, but he kept watching her face.
"I didn't," Lloyd looked as Charlie walked into office looking from Elizabeth to Lloyd, quickly attention to Julianne who looked as surprised as Lloyd was. "I didn't do anything…" Lloyd held his hands up in defence.
Charlie kept looking to Elizabeth got to her feet, "There was another person." Her eyes going away from everyone, "I have a theory," for a second she shifted from one foot to the other, mostly she wanted to get passed the awkwardness.
Erica kept looking from Lloyd to Elizabeth, "so what is this theory?" for a second she could feel something in the air, her hand playing into her hair for a second.
"Well it was the first victim," Elizabeth found everyone looking at her, "Charles Frankston…" she placed a piece of paper up on the glass wall, "Then second being Benjamin Carlos…" for a second she kept still.
"Yes, I don't get it," Shea was sat on a chair now looking over the photos, Julianne getting up quickly.
For a second she understood, "Oh Gosh," Julianne now looking to the third victim, "It's not random." She quickly stood next to Elizabeth, "Mia Gillian, she was…" she now glanced to Elizabeth, turning to Charlie.
"The Victims, they're all members of the Jury that locked him away for life." Elizabeth turned to Charlie also, "so, we just need to figure out the pattern, that should be his next location."
Lloyd kept flicking through pages; he didn't know what he was looking for while focusing on the loops of gs and ys. "What are you hiding Marco?" He spoke to himself; he was staring at an entrance, a hand placing a cup down. Lloyd's eyes snapped up to meet with the soft brown eyes of Julianne, "Oh, you scared me."
"Sorry," Julianne spoke quickly while taking a step back, "It looked like you need it." Her eyes going to the coffee cup she'd placed down, her eyes moved to the other desk where Elizabeth was doing research into the court case. "Find anything helpful?"
Lloyd kept focused on the page, "The guy is really smart, or he's just writing random jumble to keep us busy." He laughed, "Which is a smart plan." He now flicked through the pages trying to find something.
"Oh," Julianne kept still behind Lloyd, her eyes going to the elevator, for a few seconds hoping the others would return, "Do you need any help?" her hand kept playing with her scarf trying to keep herself calm.
Lloyd glanced sideways to Julianne, lifting his head to focus on her eyes, "Seriously, no offence, but if I can't make sense of this, no one will." He now lifted the coffee cup getting to his feet walking away from the desk leaving the notebook behind.
Julianne watched his back walking away, she exhaled relaxing again, it was hard for her to relax around him, but she kept focused on Elizabeth who'd slowly turned around. "Don't say it."
"I am," Elizabeth turned to her laptop starting a print out, "Just going to pretend what I saw, didn't happen." She pushed herself off the chair heading for the printer.
"What?" Julianne followed behind Elizabeth, her eyes studying over her sister, she hated it when she got cryptic.
Elizabeth inhaled, "You got him coffee, offering to help him, giving them Bambi eyes." Her back still to her sister, "I don't need to say it."
"I hate you," Julianne exhaled while looking over her laptop where she'd been trying to work out a pattern, what and where Marcos Vasile was heading next.
Elizabeth took the print out of people on the jury of the Marcos Vasile case, "You don't hate me, you just hate the fact I've known you nearly twenty two years, and I always know." Her face quickly turned to face Julianne, "to me, if you were a book, you'd be a children's pop up."
"Because I'm easy to read?" Julianne asked.
"I was going to say, colourful and fun," Elizabeth shrugged, "but yes, I read you very easily."
Julianne kept looking the direction Lloyd went, a second passed while watching Elizabeth putting the photos up, "So, on a scale of one to, well, ten."
"How much you got it?" Elizabeth put the last photo up, walking over to the notebook picking it up, she bit her lip, "I'd say a seven, possible eight," now looking to the writing, "for a genius, he's a pain in the," Elizabeth stopped seeing Erica walk into the office. "Hey."
"So he figured anything out?" Erica sat on the desk near the window wall, her eyes going over the photos, her eyes scanning the photos of people who'd been murdered, part of her needed to find this guy, but another wasn't sure how.
Elizabeth turned around, "Nope," She now kept looking into the notebook, "Erica, can I ask you something?"
Erica lent forward, her eyes focused on the other woman, the fact she'd not really gotten around to talk to her, but then she didn't really get alone with other females, it was just that she never had much in common with them. "Sure, knock yourself out."
Elizabeth lifted the notebook, her eyes looking over a page, "Right, so he's written a lot of descriptions, but no names…"
Erica quickly walking beside Elizabeth looking over her shoulder, "So," She started slowly, "Find the description to the person."
Julianne stood back feeling awkward, she didn't know what to say playing with her scarf, "But what if he says clothes?"
"Well, thing is, each jury person had an ID badge done, these are they clothes they wore on the trail first day…" her eyes going to the book, "I know, the trail went on for a whole week." Her eyes were looking from Erica to Julianne. "I research in detail."
Erica laughed, "Well, come on!" She got ready for this.
"Right, well, we know," Elizabeth stopped, "First victim was Charles," Her eyes going into the book, "He's not the first described," her eyes looking to his photo, then turning to see Lloyd standing with a grin on his face.
Lloyd who'd come back to stand and listen to the women, he made his presence known, "Well, I thank you got one thing Liz," He walked closer to her, as always noticing her step away, he reached taking the book, "You can see, he's pattern isn't in a simple process." He now glanced to Erica was giving him a dark glare, but he quickly cleared his throat. "Well, let me see here." He glanced over the page.
"You knew all along," Elizabeth kept her focus on Lloyd, her eyes narrowed darkly, she wanted so badly to smack him upside the head when he smirked in her direction.
It was only his luck that Erica was quicker, her hand quickly grabbing around Elizabeth's waist, "Whoa your houses." She spoke lightly; her face snapped to Lloyd, "Do you always have to be such a douche bag?"
Lloyd's attention going to the least hostile person in the room, Julianne staring at him, "I think you should just let the guys out in the field know." Julianne cleared her thought, "we need to know the next victim, give the guys a heads up." Her eyes moving to Erica, "Why are you here anyway?"
Erica kept looking from Elizabeth to Julianne now, "I kind of punched out a guy," her voice dropped, her hands going into her pocket, "so I've been benched." Now sitting on the desk again, she glanced to the photos.
Elizabeth brushed her hands down her stomach now, for a few seconds staring at Lloyd, "so are you going to say, or you need to wind me up a little more?"
"I am trying to work the pattern myself," Lloyd's eyes connected with Elizabeth's, part of him pushing to know the reason, everyone had something hidden. His fun was pulling it out one way or another.
Elizabeth nodded, "Well, just got to find the first three victims," She kept calm, even if she could sense Lloyd stepping closer to her, she felt her stomach churning. She hated not being in full control of a situation. "All we know, is he could kill again any moment." Her voice drifted out, her hand moving up her arm closest to Lloyd, for a second not knowing if he was someone worth trusting.
Holding the notebook in his hands, Lloyd focused his attention to the book, "Well, we've got a number the top of each page," He suddenly shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I think I know what his next victim is going to be…" His tone dropped while catching Elizabeth's eyes.
Julianne kept looking from Elizabeth to Lloyd, she knew that look in his eyes, feeling her stomach knotting, she glanced to the coffee cup, it didn't get touched, picking it up, she sighed feeling like she was invisible.
AN: So I was going to update this sooner, but yeah, I have been having a little Jimmi Simpson crazy moment...