CHAPTER 8

Hello there! I just finished writing chapter eight and I just couldn't wait to post it! I really liked how this chapter came out and I hope you guys like it too!

Thank you so much to Aquababy58 and Stephanie or your reviews: you're awesome!

By the way: lots of dialogue in this chapter… I enjoyed very much writing it.

- Hey guys! Lori on the phone! – Steve said, walking out of his office and heading for the smart table to place the phone on it and putting it on speaker. Chin and Kono were the only other ones in the office apart from Steve, since Danny and Annabeth were at the university acting undercover.

- Lori, did you manage to make a profile? – Chin asked, placing both hands on the table.

- Yeah, although it's not much. The profile is pretty general because, you're right, the lack of connection between victims makes the use of victimology almost like a waste of time – Steve ran his hands through his hair and let out a breath.

- I was afraid of that, but anything can help us. What have you got? – he asked her.

- Alright – came Lori's professional voice from the other side of the line – I believe you're dealing with only one unsub, the constant change in MO indicates he's trying to cover his tracks, avoid any connection that could trace back to him. He seems pretty sociable considering the victims are all from different gender, ages and social status. He's most likely young, closer to the victim's ages although it's hard to determine an exact age with just the information on this file. No idea whether he's native Hawaiian or haole. I'm sorry guys but that's all I can give you.

- You keep saying "him". Are you positive the unsub is male? – Kono asked after writing down every detail Lori had just described.

- Based on the autopsy reports from all three victims, I would say the unsub must be pretty strong and tall to subdue another person enough to suffocate or to stab. That alone is not a 100% guarantee that the killer is a man, but if you consider that, plus the method of the killing: stabbing, suffocating and strangling, those are all methods preferred by men. So yes, I believe the unsub is a man – she finished with a methodical tone of voice.

- Alright Lori, we appreciate the help and if there's anything new, we'll call you – Steve said before finishing the call.

- You got it guys! Oh! – she exclaimed before the connection was cut off – there's something else you should do to try and get more clues. Find out if there's ever been another string of violent deaths at the university. Go back at least five years, concentrating on the last two. There must be something significant about the date of the first murder. That date or the days surrounding it must mean something to the killer. Something must have triggered him to act.

- Will do – Chin confirmed and then the call was ended – that could prove useful. I'll run the background check on the university. Maybe Lori's right and this isn't the first time something like this has happened.

- Alright – agreed Steve – you check on that. Kono, go through every person related to this case and see if you can find anyone who fits the profile. I reckon there will be plenty of hits, but we gotta start somewhere.

- What will you do? – she asked as he was starting to walk back into his office.

- I'll update Danny into the profile Lori gave us so he can be on high alert whenever someone goes in to see him – and, with that, everyone got to work. Maybe with a little bit of luck, they would finally get results that day.

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When she walked into the classroom, Annabeth zeroed in on Keoki and went to sit right next to him. He was just as friendly as he had been the previous day and they made small talk about the subject they were currently working on.

- Urgh! I'm just having the hardest of times understanding the last part of yesterday's lesson. This course was supposed to help me with my investigation, not confuse me further – Annabeth complained right after the class had ended and they were both heading for the lab. Just as the day before, they shared the first two classes of the day and then they both would go their separate ways. It was a friday and if she didn't do something soon, the whole weekend would go by without them seeing each other again. She needed some time away from the classes to bring up the subject of the murders and that meant she needed to act quickly. It had been almost a week now since the discovery of the third victim's body... Time was running out on a possible fourth victim.

- Well it's actually not that complicated. You know, the text book is really helpful on chapter 9...

- Do you think you could help me with it? Maybe explain some of the notes I took that now I can't remember what they meant when the professor was talking – she asked, with a hopeful look on her eyes and a flirty smile on her face.

- Ammm... – he seemed like he was debating whether or not to help her but eventually a small smile played on his lips – yes, I can help you. Maybe this weekend? Or even monday after class? – she shrieked like she was thrilled with the idea.

- Awesome! Thank you so much – she exclaimed, british accent still on display – but, actually, this weekend is gonna be impossible for me. I've already got so much to do... Look, I know I'm dumping this thing on you out of the blue but can we meet maybe today after class? I just really want to understand this subject once and for all. Unless you have something else to do? – she asked, leaving the question hanging and putting on her best puppy dog eyed face. The guy looked reluctant enough that she thought he was going to turn her down; to tell her that he couldn't stay after classes that afternoon, but after what looked like an internal debate, he agreed to meet that day.

They made it to the lab and sat together for the class, but the conversation between them wasn't as fluent as she'd hoped. She decided to let it slide for now and cut herself some slack since she had already managed to arrange a meeting with him after lunch hours. Whatever information she could get on Leia, she would have to get it then, so no sense pestering him about it now and taking the risk of him being annoyed by her and her 'curiosity'.

When the lab hour ended, they waved goodbye to each other and agreed on a spot to meet after lunch in one of the garden areas of the university. Annabeth then focused on the rest of her classes, making sure to talk to some specific students about their recently lost friend.

When the time came after her last class and before lunch time, she headed to Dr. Sanders office, surprised she didn't have to wait in line this time to enter. The hall was empty and so she proceeded to knock on his door. She was about to open it when suddenly the door opened from the inside and she bumped into someone she did not expect to see coming out of the office.

- Keoki! What are you doing here? – she asked, surprised. Her heart had skipped a bit or two and she felt like a deer caught on headlights. Never the less, she didn't let her surprise show too much; there was no reason she shouldn't be there, so no problem running into her target.

- Getting counsel – he answered. Unlike the other times they spoke, Keoki had a somber aura about him. He almost looked embarrassed to get caught leaving a shrink's office. He bypassed her and began to walk away.

- We're still on for this afternoon? – she called after him.

- Of course... See you there – he said, referring to the spot they had already chosen for the meeting, and then disappeared around the corner. Annabeth then turned to the office and closed the door behind her.
- So... Any progress? – Danny asked, signaling to the door and, with that, signaling the person who had just left the office. Again, like the last time she was there, Danny took off his glasses and started massaging his eyes. Annabeth, on the other hand, switched from british to plain old american accent.

- We're meeting this afternoon. I plan on getting some more personal information on Leia. I figure I have to be pretty convincing into making him talk to me about his relationship with her. We can't afford to wait until monday. The week between the murders is almost up, if we don't find at least a suspect soon... – the rest of the sentence was left unsaid; they both knew what could happen if more time passed without results – what about your conversation with him? Anything useful? What was he in here about?

- Well, he doesn't exactly seem suspicious to me. As far as I can tell he's just a boy who recently lost a friend. He wouldn't talk much about her. Mostly just asked me how can one move on after losing someone you care about. Given the way he talked about it, it would seem he and the girl were more than just friends. I don't know... There was just something deep in the way he talked; but who am I to know? It's not like I'm a shrink or anything – Danny explained.

- I didn't know they could be a couple. By the way he talked about her yesterday at the memorial, it didn't seem like it but I guess I'll have to find out for sure this afternoon – then she pulled her phone out of her pocket – speaking of which, I better tell Steve about the change in plans and to not come pick me up now.

- Yeah, you better not forget. You know how he gets... – they both laughed remembering the last time someone had forgotten to tell Steve about a sudden change of plans and the aneurysm face that resulted from that. And it had only been something as trivial as changing the location of a team night out.
- Yeah... We know how he gets – she agreed and then sent the text.

That was it! I don't know why but I really really liked this chapter… Did you see what I did there in the end? About "knowing how Steve gets"? Sound familiar? Check on chapter 5… It's just some of the scary similarities between Steve and Annabeth, as Danny liked to call them xd

Oh people! We're getting so close to the moment of truth that I just can't wait to write it. How will it happen? Even I'm not sure yet! Let's hope my muse can decide for one of the many possible scenarios in my head so that I can go on and write it… any guesses? I would love to see if one of them is close enough…

Well… until next chapter then!