Chapter 10
Here's the next chapter, couldn't resist. Thank you all for r&r it infuses my creative flow
Sharon had decided to have the press release and had to be there for the press conference in the morning on Taylor's order. The department was swamped with calls as usual after those press conferences but there wasn't a sign from the killer.
"He won't call", Lauren predicted dismissing yet another record of a lunatic claiming to be the killer. They had been doing this from the news at noon till late afternoon and everyone got tired. Since Lauren had to wear yet another outfit from her mother she felt less than comfortable in her own skin anyway and somehow every call someone deemed important was run by her, to decide if they should follow up. when Tao came in
"I think this might be interesting. The letter was delivered a few moments ago! And it's written in blood! And it's for the Captain!" he exclaimed excitedly. He handed Sharon a pair of gloves and waited till she had put them on, before he handed her the letter. "I had it scanned, no bombs Ma'am!" he added smiling. Sharon nodded, thanking Tao, who handed out latex gloves to everyone else. Sharon opened the letter and put the envelope in an evidence bag held ready by Tao, before she put the letter itself into another one Flynn had ready for her.
She read out loud.
Dear Boss,
I deemed it fit to start the letter like this, although we both know I should write lady boss. I laughed to see you all look so clever on TV and your boss talk about being on the right track. I'll be down on whores and I shant quit ripping them till I do get buckled. I set the place for you last time bet you haven't figured out that so far. Women shouldn't be in charge. I saved some of the proper red stuff in a bottle and guess what, figured out how to keep it useable. This letter wouldn't have been half as much fun otherwise. I love my work and I'll start again. Too bad I know where, we both know when. I'd invite you to the dance but not yet. The next job I'll do I'll slice the ear and send the one of the other to you. We know the dance. Will you dance with me? Soon we'll know my dear Captain.
Yours Hollywood Ripper
PS: Albeit I appreciate his work, yet this name suits me better, don't you think?
Lauren had gotten chalk white, while her mother was reading. Her lips were a thin line when Sharon finished. She grabbed the edge of the table she was leaning at and her knuckles turned white. She was frightened and furious at the same time.
When her mother looked up and saw her she asked. "What do you think?"
"That I told you this is a very bad idea. I told you not to play with his fantasies!" Lauren said in a low voice and pushed herself away from the table. She held the hand out for the letter in silence. Her eyes where huge and showed the emotions she tried to contain. She read the letter in silence and everyone's eyes were on her till Provenza couldn't bear it any longer.
"Wasn't that what we wanted to get him talking to us?" he asked frowning.
"Yes but I said it was dangerous to play along his fantasy and the press conference was exactly what he wanted. In addition we managed to give him another obsession."
Flynn "What obsession could we have given the idiot?"
Lauren turned her gaze towards the Lieutenant and he saw the young doctor was on the verge of tears.
"This letter tell's us several things", she said her voice strained with unshed tears. I did this, I gave her the idea, she thought when she continued "first, the killer is definitely male, second he's copying the Ripper murders, but doesn't deem himself the Ripper's reincarnation and last but not least he's obsessed with my mother and the phrases I'd invite you to the dance but not yet and Will you dance with me? Soon we'll know my dear Captain indicates he plans to make my mother one of his victims."
She handed the letter to her mother in a brisk motion and stalked away the heels clicking in the silence that had settled in the murder room. She fled to the ladies and closed herself into a stall before she allowed the tears to flow. She dug out her phone and called the airline to yell at a poor call center agent about why her luggage wasn't found yet.
"It can't be so difficult to find an old Louis Vuitton suitcase! Where did you send it? Timbuktu!?" she yelled and hung up on the woman on the other hand telling her she had to be patient they'd call if they found it. She sobbed her head in her hands.
"Lauren?" Sharon asked gently. "Come out there. We'll figure this out."
The door flew open. "What do you want to figure out? What to wear for your killer!" she yelled and came out.
"I'm not dead yet and I don't plan to die soon sweety", she said drawing her daughter into an embrace.
"If something happens to you it's my fault!" she sobbed head buried against her mother's shoulder. "No, I decided to have the press conference and if anyone is to blame, it's Taylor wanting me on screen. Lauren I need your clear mind here. We have to get everything out of this letter that is there to see and I need you to find it. It's better than anything we had in months. there won't be usable prints, we both know that." She felt Lauren straighten up and snuffle. Looking up she found her daughter's eyes no longer oozing tears and smiled encouraging.
"Come on let's get some tea and have a look at this letter again, while I tell Chief Taylor about our new lead!"
10 minutes later Lauren found herself analyzing the dreadful letter, hugging a cup of tea in her mother's office while Sharon talked to Taylor over the phone.
"Yes Chief Lt. Tao pulled prints we're analyzing the letter at the moment and wait on the results", she explained, when Taylor told her he'd be down in some minutes to hear in person what they got and see this letter. She nodded "As you wish Sir", and hung up. Her attention went back to her daughter who had made some notes. "Any thoughts?" she asked gently.
"Yeah. Your killer is educated. He didn't make any spelling mistakes. The meticulous straight lines he keeps in the letter allow to draw the conclusion he either used a lined paper underneath or he is obsessively accurate. It's a guy and a narcissist. Most sentences start with I. He is very confident. He does not belief a woman can catch him and he has every intention to end your life. He has evolved from only copying the Ripper. He uses the Rippers m. o. and is probably trying to earn more fame than his idol. He is deeply disturbed but on the outside you'd never recognize him."
While Lauren continued to give a profile based on the letter and what they knew from the crime scenes the team outside gathered.
"We need to make sure the Captain's safe. We take turn's in watching the house at night. Who's first?" Provenza announced.
"Do we really know if Lauren's right?" Sykes asked.
"I'd say the girl was right on a lot of things so far and I don't want to find out the hard way", Sanchez said, and everyone nodded. This was how far they'd come. They cared enough to organize a night watch for their Captain.
"I'll do the first night", Flynn said decidedly. Quickly the second went to Sanchez the third to Sykes and a forth to Provenza and the night after that would be Taos. After that they'd start all over again if they hadn't caught the killer till then.
"Lt. Flynn is still out there" Lauren said glancing down to the street where Flynn was parked. Sharon had told him to leave several times and it was almost midnight. She got up looked outside and grabbed her phone from the table, calling Flynn again.
"Yes?"
"Come upstairs."
"Finally wanting that bed time story?"
"I'm in no mood for this Lieutenant now come up", she said pointedly and ended the call. She looked at Lauren "I think we don't want him to stay in the car all night."
"We don't?" Lauren asked raising her brows.
"No he has a heart condition. It's not good for him to be up and out there all night."
"So you want him to watch me sleeping on the couch?" the younger one frowned.
"Of course not, you sleep in my bed."
"And you?"
"Me too", Sharon smirked.
"Oh no mom, that's embarrassing!" she said sounding like a teenager.
"Do you want to cuddle with Rusty?"
Before Lauren could answer the bell rang. "That Lt. Flynn and he gets the couch tonight, no discussion!" Sharon warned and went to the door.
"Lieutenant is that you?"
"No it's Little Red riding hood", he answered and she opened the door.
"Come in", she ordered.
"You have this couch tonight", she pointed at the couch. "I don't have the energy to deal with your insubordination tonight. Tomorrow we'll talk about this" she added and Flynn looked from her to Lauren who only shrugged.
"I'm ok in my c…" he started and stopped when she held up a hand.
"Don't argue with me or I'll get really mad Andy. I need some sleep, we all do."
It was settled then. Lauren felt awkward when she slipped under the covers of her mother's bed. "Thank god you kept a king size bed" she mumbled and stretched. Her back cracked and she was a little bit grateful for the opportunity to sleep in a bed.
Sharon smiled at her in the darkness "You are even more stubborn than me. You wouldn't have survived another night on the couch anyway."
"You need a new couch", Lauren mumbled.
"You need more sport."
"You need a new couch", the younger mumbled sleepily.
Within minutes Lauren slept and Sharon couldn't resist to text Flynn.
Everything ok on the couch front?
Everything's peachy. You can't sleep?
Are you going to offer a bed time story?
No wouldn't want to wake up Lauren. Just asking
Just for the record I'm still mad at you
Just for the record it don't care and before you ask I'm still flirting with you
She smiled and put the phone back on the bed side table before she fell asleep.