Part 16
Back at the precinct, they all sorted the different items in the trunk and sent the sweater, shirt, and a letter to be analyzed. The ink was too faded for any of them to make out the words. Not much else was in the trunk that had value to the case that they could tell but it seemed his whole college life had been tucked away to be forgotten rather than remembered at all.
"This guy was trying to forget this part of his life for a reason." Frost spoke softly to no one in particular. This case was getting to everyone.
"Hey Maur, did we ever get confirmation on the hazelnut sauce from the coffee shop?" Jane said without making eye contact. "I mean, is it possible that one of the employees is our killer. I'm starting to wonder if this isn't a victim of these three men more than just a connection."
"The results confirm the sauce." Maura said seeking those chocolate eyes. When they found her they shared a small smile of understanding.
"Why don't Frost and I go to the coffee shop and see if we can get an employee list and you ladies keep going thru the trunk and see if we missed anything. Maybe we will get lucky and trace will come back with something soon and we can get this thing over with." Korsak watched the group as he spoke and knew that the stress was not case related for his friends. Something new was happening and the full force hasn't hit because of this psycho.
"Old man, why don't you guys grab dinner after and we will too. Hard to think on an empty stomach." Jane saw Maura look at her watch and knew she was going to be trying to force food down her throat soon enough to make sure she takes care of herself.
"Sounds like a plan, and I ain't old." With that the boys took off with Frost snickering behind his partner the whole way out the door.
"How did you know what I was thinking?" Maura asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I know you, I know how you worry about me, and I know what time it is. We have been friends a long time Maur and whether you know it or not, I do pay attention to you." Jane walked around behind the ME and placed her hands on her shoulders, gently massaging the tension away. "And as soon as this case is over I will be taking care of you" a kiss to the ear, "at home" a kiss to the neck, "with no interruptions" a swipe of her tongue along her jaw. Jane stood up and started to walk away.
"Now, that was not fair detective." Maura said grabbing her wrist and pulling her close.
"I figured it was my turn to start something we can't finish at the moment." With a wink she leaned down and kissed her softly.
When the boys arrived at the coffee shop they were working on closing down for the night. Flashing their badges they walked over to the counter and asked to speak to the manager. When the scrawny geeky kid came out of the back, they looked at each other. The kid looked sixteen at most, especially with the acne and glasses.
"We would like to get an employee list and a copy of the schedule for the last month." Korsak asked the kid in a friendly tone.
"Okay, but why?" the kid scratched his head looking completely confused.
"We are investigating a homicide and your hazelnut sauce was found at two crime scenes."
"We are a chain, anyone of the coffee shops could be using it."
"We just need to get those copies. Are we going to have trouble or can we just get the information and be on our way?" Frost asked this time, sounding more intimidating with the attitude he gave the kid.
"Yeah, ok." With that he disappeared back to the back.
After a few minutes he returned with the printouts of the staff and schedules.
"Thank you." And headed out to find dinner.
Jane and Maura walked arm in arm like they did frequently when they were out together. Just not usually leaving the precinct. A couple of heads turned but they never noticed to busy enjoying the others company. Angela watched from the café window and couldn't help the smile that came to her so naturally at seeing her two favorite women so happy.
"Jane, at least have a small salad if you insist on that much salami on your sandwich." Maura was trying to convince her before she even noticed her reach into the front case for a salad and a bottle of water. "Oh, okay." Maura just blushed and Jane gave her a peck on the cheek.
"I'm still having the sandwich so don't get too happy over there doc." Winking she walked up to the counter to order hers and Maura's food. Maura was off to find a place to sit before Jane joined her with the tray of food and the two bottles of water.
"So, any ideas coming to mind? About the case I mean." Maura winked at her own joke.
"I'm definitely leaning more towards a victim getting revenge, or it actually feels like she is trying to find peace more than anything." Jane shook her head at the feeling of sympathy for her murderer. "Why? These boys destroyed someone's life, how many someone's we don't even know."
"Considering the photo from the yearbook, the tally marks, I would hypothesize six at least." Maura considered this and couldn't help the feeling of helplessness at the fact that there were six women that were attacked and nobody knew or did anything about it.
Jane reached for her hand. "Let's solve this one first and see what we can find out about the rest of the woman."
Maura just smiled and squeezed the loving hand. Pulled out of their own little world by Maura's phone beeping she reached for her phone with her free hand.
"The lab found semen on the shirt but it was too degraded to get DNA." Maura continued to scroll thru the email.
"I bet I can take a guess on one of the possible contributers of the semen." Jane chimed in. "What else?"
"The blood on both shirts was from a female." Maura put her phone down but never attempted to free her other hand.
They ate in silence and then headed back to the precinct. They separated at the elevator with a gentle squeeze of their hands. Jane had refrained from leaning in for a kiss bye.
"So, what have we got?" She asked as she headed into the AV room where Frost and Korsak were running through the employee list and schedules.
"Not much yet. Still waiting on the DNA search and the lab discovered a fingerprint we have running through the system now. We just started cross checking the staff schedules for the coffee shop with the time lines of the murders." Frost said never looking from his screen.
Korsak moved over to the monitors. "Frost, highlight Victoria Lynn Lawson and her schedule. Now highlight the murder date and times."
"I see it too." Jane was pointing now. "Do we have any background on this Victoria Lynn Lawson?"
As Maura walked in the room the computer alerted them to a hit on the fingerprint. Victoria Lynn Lawson popped up on the screen. "That's the girl that was hitting on you at the coffee shop." Frost and Korsak turned to the voice that made the statement while Jane looked down to the ground a little embarrassed.
"Don't you remember Jane?" Maura smirked waiting for the detective to look at her.
"What I remember is the reaction it caused from a certain female medical examiner at the time." Two can play the embarrassment game. Jane couldn't resist but then wanted to take it back, well kind of take it back when she saw Maura turn red.
The boys just started laughing pulling the girls back to the room.
"Okay, so Jane's admirer may be involved." Korsak said suddenly serious.
"Okay, truth is we need to find her tonight if this is the case. Nobody has heard from Easton so it stands to reason she may already have him." Jane started in, focus was back now that this seemed to be the right direction. "Do we know where she lives, what she drives, or anything that might help us track her down?"
"Running it now Jane." Frost searching while everyone was staring at the monitors in anticipation.
"We've got it. She has an apartment downtown. She drives an older model Chevy compact car. I will put out an APB on the car right now." Frost kept typing.
"Okay, let's get over to that apartment. Maura, you're coming with us." Jane said and started to move towards the door when she noticed three pairs of eyes on her. "Please?" A huge grin on her face, no way her girlfriend could turn her down with that.
With a smirk and a head shake, they all followed her out of the precinct.
When they arrived the back-up was already there and Jane made sure to ask Maura to wait in the car until they were sure there was no danger.
Vicky came back into the room. She had to drug Alec to get him here. He didn't fall for any of her seduction tricks. He never once took the bait. "Did you know it was me at the coffee shop? Did you recognize me then?"
"No, not the first time I saw you but when I went in a couple days later I turned back around and walked out. I knew it was you when I heard you laugh. I watched you pretend to be happy and when I got a look into your eyes it just clicked." Alec was trying to explain himself. "When you came up to me at the grocery store, I already knew."
"Wow, you are more observant than I thought. I'm glad I was so memorable." Sarcasm seeped from her voice mixed with anger.
"I am sorry. I know I should have done something. I should have stopped it but I just couldn't." Alec was starting to let his tears fall again.
Vicky continued to circle him and watch him. "That is what makes it worse. You were a coward who stood by and watched. You saw and felt my pain. I saw it in your face and you did nothing." Vicky was getting louder as she spoke. Tightening her grip on the knife she brought it over to his thigh, dragging it achingly slow up to his groin. As she got closer she added pressure, just enough to draw blood.
"Don't worry Alec, I will put you out of your misery soon enough and then the nightmare will be over for both of us." Vicky took the knife to the other side to make sure he has a matching set.
"You may not have responded to my previous attempts of seduction but I'm sure I have your full attention now." And with that she used the tip of the knife to tease and torture him making sure he was primed for the main event.
A door is kicked open and the three detectives bounded into the room guns drawn. Uniforms right behind them. Moving from room to room to check the premises for the suspect. Once they made the rounds and decided it was in fact all clear Maura was brought in to help with the forensics of the room.
They turned everything upside down. Frost was running the credit cards and bank accounts. Maura started taking prints and looking for any trace that may put a location to her whereabouts. Korsak started going thru the rooms. They know they are running out of time and confirmation of being on the right track came in the form of a box filled with information on all three men.
"Look at this." Korsak called everyone into the bedroom as he flipped everything out onto the bed.
Alec sat tied to the chair naked, blood dripping and just waiting for the final swipe of the knife. Vicky now on her knees in front of him with the blade ready to take the final swipe.
The sound of glass shattering before the room filled with smoke, a flurry of cops sweeping into the room. Vicky raises the knife to swipe and a shot rings out bringing her to the ground. As the smoke clears you see Frost and Korsak standing above Vicky as Jane kneels down holding pressure to the wound. She didn't want to take the shot but she had no choice. At least she is good enough to get the shoulder.
The paramedics took Vicky and Alec to the hospital, Vicky of course in custody of the police. Jane walked out of the cabin and headed for the car but the person she was looking for was already headed to her. They grabbed each other in a hug and forgot about the entire world outside. Maura had always wanted to grab Jane after things like this and was glad she was finally allowed to embrace her in this way.
Everybody went to the station to finally finish up everything and close the case down. As they were wiping the board off the medical examiner reappeared.
"I think we need to celebrate the end of this case finally. Dirty Robber anyone?" Maura suggested and everybody looked at her in awe. She was not the person to normally suggest a night of drinking. After a moment they all agreed though.
They gathered everything up and as they were headed out the door the women linked hands interlacing their fingers. Jane brought the hand up to her lips and gave it a gentle kiss an act she would never take for granted.