Chapter 15

Sykes popped into the break room and announced, „The Captain and Mr. McGregor have finished their interview".

Lauren and Mr. Gull stood. He picked up the Cups and turned toward the kitchen sink to rinse them. "Oh you don't have to do that", she said.

He smiled apologetic "It's a habit" and then he carefully dried his hands with a sequence of movements. Lauren noticed a pattern he repeated thrice before hanging the dish cloth back where it belonged. When they returned to the murder room Mr. Gull was asked to put a list together of McGregor's guests and they departed afterwards.

The assistant gave Lauren a kiss on the hand "It was a pleasure to meet you again. I have to say you are one of the most polite doctors I've ever met."

Lauren smiled uncomfortably "Thank you." She resisted the urge to rub her hand where he had touched her and let it hang by her side.

The second they were out of sight Lauren rubbed her hand. "Good grief. I need to tell you all something."

"Did you find the killer", Flynn asked, still in a foul mood, entering the murder room.

"Yes", Lauren said in a small voice.

"See! I told you McGregor did it!"

"It's not Mr. McGregor, Lt. Flynn", Lauren answered.

Sharon cocked her head sideways waiting for her daughter to provide further information.

"It's Mr. Gull", she said and rubbed her hand again.

"The butler, seriously?" came from Sanchez.

Lauren only nodded rubbing her hand against the side of her pants again.

Flynn on the other hand just raised his brows.

"Lauren I need a little more than a feeling here", Sharon finally said. Her daughter blinked resurfacing from the depth of thought her mind had dived into.

"Sorry. Ok, first it's the replacement", she started walking and emphasized her explanation with hand gestures. "He never told us he was going to retire. The new assistant is a woman in her forties, hence the age of the victims. Mr. Gull probably feels a deep rage against Mr. McGregor for being discarded. He and his family have given their entire life for the McGregor family and now he is just replaced. Since his embedded commitment to his boss prohibits him from simply killing McGregor. Killing the women Douglas had been with is easier in mind and he could act out his hate for women. And I'd bet, if you do some ancestry research, you'll find out that Mr. Gull is related to Sir William Gull, a prominent suspect in the original Ripper murders. When we talked to Gull after our first meeting with McGregor, he told us he had some gentry in his ancestry. Then he was one of the few persons who knew we have talked to McGregor. Not even Taylor knew and the press neither or we'd have read about it in some newspaper", she took a deep breath "And on top he never showed any emotion when we talked about the murders today and if that wasn't enough he has a serious OCD. He follows a certain pattern when drying his hands thrice. I'm almost certain I'd pick up other things if I could study him longer." She rubbed her hand against her pants again and stopped pacing to look expectantly at her mother.

Suddenly everyone was looking at the Captain for her opinion and orders. "Okay" she said slowly still processing some of the things Lauren said. She hummed to buy some time getting her thoughts straight.

"Lt. Tao", she started still not fully having all the things she needed to give an order for in line "would you do the background check on Mr. Gull."

Tao nodded and headed for his desk with a "I'm on it."

"Lt. Flynn you check out if we have any prints on Mr. Gull in our system, while Lt. Provenza checks out his finances. Lt. Sanchez, get us a court order to search Mr. Gulls house and Detective Sykes could you check out if we have any prints from the horror house yet? Lauren, go and wash your hands if it helps you to stop the rubbing, then you come to my office." Sharon turned on her heels and marched off to her office and everyone else scattered in different directions.

After Lauren had washed her hands she felt better and not so much like she had been contaminated. It had taken every ounce of self-control she had not to run screaming from Gull when she realized he was their guy in the middle of their conversation. Her inner voice to poke had made her stir him up. At first she thought his lack of emotion was because of his job. Butlers certainly learned to keep their cool. What had shaken her was his need to have the Hollywood Ripper being special, better than the others who have come before him. Then it hit her, then everything was easy to detect. The coldness in his eyes, the OCD, it was all there.

When she entered her mother's office Sharon sat behind her desk, lost in thought. At her daughter's entrance she looked up. "How do we get him before he kills again?"

"We wait for the delivery of the ear and the kidney and hope he leaves some prints", Lauren sighed and fell in a chair.

"You are kidding."

"I have just no idea how to prove he's our guy."

"Perhaps we could put some pressure on him."

Lauren raised a brow "What do you have in mind?"

"We arrest Douglas for the murders. That would pull Mr. Gull over the edge, wouldn't it?"

"And?"

"We set a trap for Mr. Gull when he tries to attack me. According to you I'm next on his list anyway" Sharon said calmly.

"I don't like this mom. I told you it's always dangerous to play with a psychopaths mind."

"Any better idea?"

Lauren sat there torturing her mind for a better, less dangerous, idea and had to admit she hadn't one eventually.

Sanchez couldn't get a court order to search Mr. Gull's place, while the background check produced that Mr. Gull had never been married, his sister had passed away last year which had been his only family. He had never ever had any brush with law enforcement, a model citizen. His financial records showed no weird activities. He was wealthy for a butler. He probably kept enough cash at home to pay any of the dead women. There were lots of prints form the horror house but sadly there were none of Gull in the system.

Sharon's plan didn't find any approval but since they had no other options they had to go along with it. Just when they had made a rough plan for the setup Sykes came in with two packets. "These were delivered for you Captain."

"Ok, Andy, would you get Dr. Morales. I have feeling he'll be able to complete Tracey Lynch shortly", Sharon said and slipped on another pair of latex gloves. "Lt. Tao check them for prints. Morales should be here when you've finished."

"These are the missing parts?" Sanchez asked gesturing at the packages Tao was dusting for prints.

"No, these are the Captains fresh orders for her candy drawer", Provenza grumbled, rolling his eyes.

Sykes, oblivious to the sarcasm, frowned in confusion "The Captain has a candy drawer too?"

That made Lauren smile, despite the situation and even Sharon had to bite back a grin when she shook her head.

Morales arrived slightly unnerved to be pulled from the morgue when Sharon opened the first box the smaller one. It was the ear. She didn't look at it to long, just handed it over to the doctor for examination. When she opened the second parcel there was yet another letter above the kidney. Sharon picked up the letter and handed the rest over to Morales, who went off to see if both body parts belonged to Tracey. The Captain unfolded the Letter and found a familiar handwriting and read out loud.

Dear Captain,

Sadly I have to depart from Jack's work once again. The first one simply didn't do me the favor to squeal a little. Good employees are so hard to come by these days. I'm very happy to have been able to provide a better scene for the second one. I hope you like my presents.

We are nearing the finale dance. Courtesy to your efforts in catching me I won't wait as long as my role model for my 5th victim. Tell your good doctor I'm sorry to deviate from Jack's path.

Yours sincerely

Hollywood Ripper