Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

Chapter 21 (Serial Killer on the Loose)

"We got another one on Kent Boulevard." Tori's head fell onto her forearms and she let out a long groan while Jade rubbed her shoulder. "Come on Tori, we do still have to tend to other homicides."

"Even with that photograph Jesse got, it feels like we haven't gotten any closer to finding out where Holly is keeping Trina." She brought her head up and sighed. "Now with the recent escaped prisoners and the murders that have been happening, I can't help but to feel everything is connected. Am I being paranoid?"

Jade sat at the table and folded her forearms on the surface. "No. I have the same thought. We need to find out if that's the case." Tori slid into an upright position and ran her hand through her hair. "By the way, I was wondering. Is there something going on with you and Detective Ricardo?" She froze and looked to her friend's suspicious gaze. "You and Rick are always around each other it seems."

"It's called working. We do a lot of cases together just like you and I."

"I know, I just-be careful. He seems like a good guy."

Tori smiled at the girl then grabbed her purse. "Come on Jade, let's get going. I don't know why, but it wouldn't surprise me if these murders are connected to Holly somehow." Since the recent murders were not anyone in particular that Andre, Robbie or Cat knew in their lifetime, it was hard to say why Holly or Gary would kill these people. There wasn't anything to gain. "Looks like a serial killer though, so far the homicides are connected."

They arrived at the crime scene and moved past the investigators already there. Rick had already arrived, so he could inform them. "Third one this week." Rick led them to the body. "Dart in the neck and stabbed in the chest." He held up a plastic bag with a dart inside.

Tori crouched beside the body of a musclebound man with a bald head. He looked to be in his late forties and had prison tattoos all along his body. The victim's cloudy eyes were open and gazing up at the ceiling. "Looks like one of the convicts that escaped a couple weeks ago."

"Ramón Gutierrez. He was serving a life sentence for aggravated assault, and murder in the first degree." Whoever was killing these men were targeting former prisoners. Could it be whoever aided in their escape was the one that was now killing them? "If you ask me, I believe the assailant is stalking the victims, shooting them with the tranquilizer first and then shooting them point blank in the chest. A quick kill requiring minimal struggle."

She rubbed her chin and pulled the victim's shirt up carefully. There was a blackened circle around the hole, which was evidence that he'd been shot up close. "So far the kills have all been the escaped convicts." She rose up and looked Rick and Jade in the eyes. "My guess is the other escaped prisoners are being targeted, and whoever the killer is may have aided in their escape."

"Makes sense to me," Jade remarked, "How else would the killer know where to find them when the police don't know?" There was no way to protect the remaining escapees unless they got word out. There was already enough of a panic with news of all the escapes making the airways for the last two weeks. "Three victims, all shot with a tranquilizer and then shot point blank in the chest. You think we've got a serial killer on the loose, Tori?"

"I think so. Let the chief know, we may have to alert the remaining escapees through the news media."

"They're not going to just turn themselves in."

"How else do you propose we can avoid another murder?" Criminals or not, these people were being hunted like prey. Her job wasn't to let criminals die, it was to protect innocent lives, and these people were innocent in whatever was leading to their deaths. "We've got a job to do right now, so I propose we do it."

She looked around the room, trying to see if there might be anything out of order. The victim was found on his back, much like the others. Tori looked up to the ceiling and smirked at the blood spatter. "He was shot while on the ground. Look at how the spatter is, as though it splashed onto the ceiling."

"Most likely he was shot with his back to the ground." Jade crouched and studied the blood pool beneath the man. "No evidence of a struggle, no forced entry. He was struck by the tranquilizer first I presume, then unconscious when shot. Just like the others."

"It was clearly an execution. One shot execution." Tori motioned to the open door. "We'll have to check the door for fingerprints. Windows too. Any open area that the killer could have fired a tranquilizer from." Her eyes darted to the plastic bag and she snapped her fingers. "Speaking of which, check for saliva on that dart. We don't know if it's a blow dart or if it was shot from a gun. If it's a blow dart, then there will be saliva. Run that saliva through the DNA processor and see what comes up."

The killer had to be taunting them this time, because it was the first time a dart had been left behind. The other two victims had a red dot on their necks that was near identical with what Jesse had when Andre attacked him.

Thinking that Andre could have something to do with these murders was a bit hard to stomach, but after hearing Jesse's story, she would put nothing past the man. However, the prison escapes happened on the same day that Andre let Trina be with Jesse, and the same time Andre took her back. This would give him an alibi as well as keeping him from knowing who or where the escaped convicts were.

Back at the crime lab, Tori ordered an age progression on the headshot images of Andre, Cat, and Robbie. She also had a police sketch of Andre based off Jesse's description of the man. Since she understood that Holly could very likely be controlling the trio and would cause them harm if she wasn't careful, she decided to put them out as missing persons as well.

"Hard to believe they weren't reported missing nine years ago." Jade studied the age progressed photos and shook her head. "Andre's grandma would have been the first, wouldn't she?"

"Yes. They all would have reported them missing unless someone told them not to. What Cat said on the phone was their families were threatened if they acted out, so what if their families were threatened not to report them missing?"

"Then we need to ask their closest relatives."

"The problem with Andre is that all of his relatives are dead." Tori walked away from the machine and stared at the blow dart. No saliva evidence came back, but neither did markings that would imply it was shot out of a gun. The dart itself hadn't been used either, so the killer took the used dart and left a different one. Likely toying with investigators. "Which also bothers me about whether or not he's there willingly. His family's dead, Holly and Gary don't have anything to keep him in line."

"What if they don't know?" Jade leaned against a countertop and Tori furrowed her brow at the woman. "We know his grandmother had a heart attack. His mom shot herself upon release from the mental hospital, and Olivia was murdered."

"Who killed her and how did she die?"

Jade moved over to a computer and brought up Olivia's case file. The image of the deceased showed her to be covered with bruises, and the left side of her head was caved in. "Abusive boyfriend. There were multiple reports of domestic violence and the man had been arrested multiple times. Unfortunately her case was like every other abuse victim out there…"

"She went back to him?"

"Yes." Her heart sank and she moved her hands down to her hips as Jade spun around in the swivel chair. "She was always there waiting for him every time he was released. She said she loved the man and she was afraid she wouldn't find anyone else to love her." Tori felt sympathy and pity, but the case certainly wasn't unlike all the other domestic violence crimes out there.

"Jesus…it's sad seeing the abused victims. There's usually help out there but they won't get it, or when they do, it's too late."

"It was too late in Olivia's case." Jade turned back and closed down the file. "She was trying to get help and I believe the man found out. A fight escalated because she was going to leave him, she got to the door and he pushed her. She fell back, struck her head on the porch steps outside…"

"He never confessed?"

"No, but he's serving-or was serving-a thirty year sentence. He always maintained his innocence."

"Of course," Tori scoffed and threw her hand up. "They always do. 'I loved them and would never hurt them', then the person moves on until someone else is a victim."

"A sad cycle of endless violence, and sometimes it only ends with someone's life."

Tori craned her neck back and closed her eyes. "What do you mean he was serving a thirty year sentence?"

"Leonard Andrews was one of the prisoners that escaped prison. Which also means he's probably going to be targeted." She pulled the corner of her lips back into her cheek and turned her eyes to the age progressed picture of Andre.

"You know, that gives me an idea. What if the killer is Andre? If he's targeting these prisoners…Say we used Leonard to bait him." She started snapping her fingers and paced to the right. "If we can catch Andre, we could force him to tell us where they're holding Trina."

"But if we're wrong, and Andre isn't the one doing this. Exposing Olivia's death and killer on the press could be giving Holly proof that Andre's family is dead. What if you're wrong, Tori?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean what if Andre's not the bad guy." She dropped her hands and watched Jade move to the photos. "We know from witness statements that it looked like Robbie was forced to kidnap Trina. Cat spoke with a great deal of fear over the phone, so she too is under duress. What if you're wrong about Andre being a willing captive? The police never released details of Olivia's murder to the press, there's no way Holly or Gary know she's dead. They may or may not know that his grandmother and mother are dead, and that leaves only Olivia. If they learn she's dead, then they have nothing left to hold over Andre's head."

"Then they have no reason to keep him alive. Is that what you're saying?"

"Yeah…so what if he's the good guy, and releasing details of Olivia's murder would cause his own murder? Especially if he's not the one killing these escaped convicts. Baiting would be worthless, Tori."

She scratched her chin and started to mutter. The woman was right, there was no denying it. "Then we'll just have to investigate further. Let's find out who this serial killer is, hopefully we can put a stop to this string of murders before it gets out of hand."

"Right. We need to find out where these criminals are hiding. Who even knows if these murders are connected to Holly at all? Just because Megan Shapiro's death was-"

"Speaking of family members. We need to contact Robbie's parents as well as Cat's family. We have got to put them under guard." She didn't want to startle any of the relatives, but there was obvious reason to believe their lives were in danger as long as Holly was free. "Just feels like everything's crashing down right now. I'd rather not frighten the Shapiro's, they already lost one child…"

"And grandchild."

"Oh yeah. Here comes the hardest part of the job." Jade nodded and Tori walked towards the door. "Notifying family of death, involvement in crimes, or threats to their lives. Always a pleasure!"

Jade drew out a heavy sigh and shook her head. "Always."

So someone's bumping off criminals, and now the investigators have to go notify other families about what's up. Hmm what are your thoughts this chapter?