SO LONG, page 10
She started with the head, examining the skull for any fractures or other signs of trauma. Nothing. She then moved to the neck, checking for bruising and other signs of strangling.
Finally, Fiona examined the woman's eyes and nose--looking for any sign of petechial hemorrhaging--and sure enough, there it was; tiny red dots around the eyes and nose that indicated that pressure had been applied. It wasn't strangulation that had killed her--it was smothering.
Maybe by a pillow. Maybe something else. She didn't show any sign of broken facial bones, so Fiona assumed it was with something soft.
With a cause of death determined, she needed to work on extracting the forensic data from the body--as much as possible. Even a shred of DNA could help them identify the killer.
Fiona worked meticulously, taking samples from the woman's hair, skin, and nails. She used a scalpel to scrape for evidence underneath the fingernails--potentially in the form of skin or fabric fragments--and then utilized her tweezers to pluck out any hairs she found that might match with the killer. She also took swabs from inside the victim's mouth, nose, and ears, looking for any saliva or mucus that may have been left behind by their assailant.
Fiona then used a vacuum-like tool to extract dirt particles from around the body, as well as any fibers that may have been left behind.
Finally, she took photos with a special magnifying lens to document any bruising or other marks on certain parts of the body.
At last, Fiona was done with her examination of the victim. She had collected all possible evidence and was ready to send it off for further testing. Hopefully, it would be enough to lead them one step closer in finding Tilda's killer. It was hard work, but Fiona knew it was worth it--not only for this case, but for countless others who would benefit from her findings.
With all her work done for now, pending further analysis, Fiona knew it was time to let the agents on the case know that she'd determined a cause of death. She began the process of cleaning up the lab and getting her samples ready to be sent off for further analysis, some of which she'd do herself tomorrow, but much of which she'd have others in the lab help her with, to speed up the timeline.
Once she was all cleaned up, she leaned over the computer and began to write up her report. It was a lot of paperwork, but Fiona was determined to get it all in, so there'd be less work tomorrow.
As she worked, she took out her phone and called Jake. This time, he picked up within two rings.
"Fiona?" his gruff voice said. She supposed he'd added her to his list of priority callers, after all.
"Hello, Agent Tucker," Fiona said. "I've determined a cause of death and have collected samples for further analysis."
"Good work, Fiona," Jake said. "We have an ID on the victim—you still in the lab? I'll meet you there."
Fiona frowned. Jake wanted to meet with her in person, now? She wasn’t sure why it had to be an in-person meeting, but she certainly wasn’t opposed to the idea of seeing him again, picking his brain on his case.
“Of course,” she said finally. “I’m just finishing up.”
***
The lab was quiet this late at night, and after finishing her duties and getting Tilda's body back into the morgue, Fiona paced through the hallway by the main desk, waiting for Jake to show up. She wasn't sure why, but she was nervous to see him again. She wondered if Lauren would be there, too.
Fiona hadn't been blind to the look Lauren had given her earlier--like Fiona was somehow entering her territory by communicating with Jake. It seemed unprofessional and silly of Lauren, to feel threatened by someone like Fiona, and Fiona assured herself that she'd probably imagined it; Agent Lauren Price was a well-respected and serious agent, and Fiona doubted she would be concerned or jealous like that. Fiona must have misinterpreted her comment.
Still, it was a feeling she'd picked up on. And she sensed Jake and Lauren had a lot more history than had been made public.
The sound of the door opening snapped Fiona out of her thoughts, and she looked up to see Jake alone, his face stern as he walked into the lab. Instantly, she was relieved that Lauren wasn't there; she felt bad about it, but at the same time, she didn't want to deal with that heat she’d gotten from Lauren earlier.
He glanced around the room briefly before walking over to Fiona. "You finished already?" he asked.
Fiona nodded, feeling a bit awkward now that they were alone together. "Yes, for now. We will need to run more samples in the morning. I need my team with me on it."
"Of course," Jake said. "It's late. I'm about to call it a night too."
And yet he wanted to meet up?
There was something different about him—something more tired. Fiona looked up at him, taking in the details of his face. He really was conventionally good-looking, with warm brown eyes and short brown hair, a slight five o-clock shadow. Fiona wasn’t usually attracted to men who seemed so, well… cliché. Jake Tucker was all bravado, a hero type, but Fiona had to admit that he was cute, too.
She flushed at the thought. She was being a total idiot.
"Anyway," Fiona said, turning her gaze, "you said you got an ID on the victim?"
"Right, let’s talk somewhere more secluded. Where can we …"
"Oh, come into my lab, right this way."
She led Jake down the hallway to a medium-sized lab. It was filled with various scientific equipment. She walked over to the wall and switched on the lights, illuminating the room in a bright blue hue.
"This is where I do most of my work," she said, gesturing around the room. "I have microscopes, centrifuges, digital scales--all kinds of things." She moved around the room, pointing out various pieces of equipment as she went along. "Over here," she said, motioning to one side of the room, "is where I run my chemical tests and analyze tissue samples." She stopped at a long table lined with glass beakers and test tubes.
Jake scanned the room, taking it in, and for a moment, Fiona felt strangely nervous about what he thought of it all. "Very cool," was all he said. "I was never much of a science guy myself. I've always liked getting physical, getting my hands on the action."
Fiona laughed. "I guess that's why you're an FBI field agent, and I'm a lab rat."
"I guess so." Jake rubbed the back of his neck, then pulled a file folder out of the pack he had slung around his shoulder. He opened the file and spread it on the table.
Fiona came over and curiously looked. The files contained details about a woman named Tilda Swanson. And the photo pinned to the front had a face Fiona couldn't forget.
"This is her," she said breathlessly. "This is the victim."
"That's right," Jake said. "We've already talked to her family." Jake sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "So, tell me what you found," he said, all business now.
"Smothering," Fiona said. "I suspect she was smothered by a soft object such as a pillow. That is the cause of death.”
"Well done." His voice was low and solemn. "I think we're getting closer. Although if smothering is the cause of death, well, it doesn't give us much to go on."
"I know." Fiona's heart sank. "I'm hoping we'll have more answers tomorrow, once we analyze all the DNA."
"For sure." Jake leaned against a table and put his hands in his pockets. He looked exhausted. "Good work, Red."
Fiona's face heated up at him calling her by her last name. "Thank you. Was there any connection between the victim's identity and the other two?"
"Not at all," Jake said. "Like you suggested, she was an addict, a homeless woman who stayed at a shelter downtown. She went missing only a few months ago."
"A few months?" Fiona thought on it. The timeline seemed to be accelerating. "Each woman found has been missing for less time than the last," Fiona noted.
Jake's brows pinched. "Now that you mention it, yeah, that's true."
Fiona's mind raced as she put the pieces together. If the timeline in which he’d kidnapped victims had been accelerating… then wouldn’t that mean he was building up to something?
Could it be possible this killer was still on the hunt?
“The killer could be looking for a new victim,” she said, fear bubbling inside her.
“It’s possible,” Jake said, his gaze intense on Fiona. “We can’t rule it out.” He paused and looked around her lab before continuing. “We need to figure out what the killer has been doing with these women, where he’s taking them, why he chooses them…" His voice trailed off as his thoughts seemed to drift away from the room that they were in.
Fiona was just as lost in thought as she tried to imagine what the killer was up to. It made her skin crawl just thinking about it. If they could piece together his timeline, they might be able to get a better understanding of the killer and his motives. She knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but if there was any chance of catching him, they had to try.
"You should go home and get some sleep," Jake said. "We'll pick this back up tomorrow."
"What about you?" Fiona asked. "You look tired."
"I want to stay here and see if I can come up with any more theories. Agent Price went home for the night, and now I have some downtime to think by myself."
Fiona fidgeted with her lanyard. "Right... Agent Price...” The temptation to ask about them tickled her tongue. She knew it was none of her business, and yet she couldn’t resist: “You two have worked together for a long time, haven't you?"
"We have." Jake sighed, like it exhausted him. "Lauren's a good agent. She's the only partner I've ever had."
Fiona smiled. "You two have a special bond then, huh?"
Jake gave her a small smile back. "Yeah, I guess you could say that." He paused, looking like he wanted to say something else but didn't know how. The look on his face only confirmed what Fiona had suspected—those two were definitely involved, and as more than just partners. She also got the sense that Jake was in hot water with Lauren. Fiona wanted to make him feel better, even a little—Jake was a surprisingly nice guy. Fiona had met a lot of jock types who weren’t.
"Well," Fiona said awkwardly, breaking the silence. "I'm sure she'll appreciate what you're doing here tonight. She probably knows you're working hard to solve this case."
"She's seen it all before," Jake said with a shrug. He laughed to himself. "Usually, she'd be the one up all night working, but..."
"But what?" Fiona asked, genuinely curious.
Jake just waved his hand. "Never mind, sorry. I'm going on a tangent."
Fiona eyed him. There was something apprehensive in his posture. If Fiona wasn't sure of it before, she was sure of it now--there was something between Jake and Lauren. Something that seemed to, well, not be going so well. She wondered how productive it was for two agents to date each other. It wasn't her business to comment, of course, but she did get the sense that this thing with Lauren was stressing Jake out.
"Do you think it distracts from your work at times?" Fiona asked.
Jake's brown eyes flashed to hers. "Does what?"
"Your romance with Agent Price."
All at once, Jake's eyebrows shot up and his face reddened. Fiona almost giggled to herself; he'd given himself entirely away.
"How did you...?" he asked.
Fiona shrugged. "I just picked up on your energy. You confirmed it just now."
Jake laughed, shaking his head. "I guess you're as good with the living as you are with the dead, huh, Fiona?"
"I'm known to be perceptive," she commented. "But of course, you two are also not very subtle."
"Maybe no one ever bothered to call us out. Till now." He smiled, his eyes lingering on her. "Honestly, we're not together. At least not right now. Things with Lauren and I are... volatile."
Fiona got that sense. The whole vibe around both of them was just, off. "Hmm," Fiona said. "It sounds like it might not be the most productive thing for your work."
"Don't remind me," Jake muttered.
"So why don't you just... call it off for good?" Fiona asked. She wasn't trying to be a therapist, but rather, she was genuinely curious and fascinated by the dynamic between these two. Fiona had very little romantic experience. If two people were bad for each other, then why stay and try to work it out?
"It's complicated," Jake said.
Fiona nodded knowingly. She truly did not understand these things. "I'm sure it is. But when two people work together, sometimes it's hard to separate their professional and personal lives."
"Very true," Jake said with a sigh. "Lauren and I have been partners for years now, and we've both grown accustomed to relying on each other in so many ways. We fight like cats and dogs sometimes, but in the end, we always manage to make it work." He smiled sadly. "It's not easy though--it takes a lot of patience and understanding from both sides. And we don't always have that for each other."
In Fiona's eyes, it sounded like more trouble than it was worth.
"What about you, Ms. Red?" Jake suddenly asked. "How's your love life been treating you?"
Fiona's cheeks burned. Her love life was non-existent. She'd had some potential matches over the years, and a lot of boys who had liked her, but she had met very few who she shared that interest with. In truth, Fiona did desire a relationship somewhere down the line, but she was happy being alone.
If she were being truly honest, sometimes she did get lonely in that apartment, but dating was just… off the table for her.
"I think I'm better off on my own," she said.
"Ah, the life of a single person," Jake said with a chuckle. "I know how that feels. There's something to be said for independence, after all."
Fiona smiled. "Yes, there is. I'm sure you have more than your share of it right now."
Jake nodded in agreement. "It's a strange thing--being alone and being content with it. I guess I haven't felt that in a long time. Even when Lauren and I aren't together, we're still in each other's lives as partners, so I never feel like I'm truly not with her."
They both fell silent for a moment, lost in their thoughts. Fiona had so many questions she wanted to ask Jake about his relationship with Lauren--but she decided that those were better left unanswered. It wasn't her business. Just as she suspected Lauren and Jake distracted each other, she didn’t want their relationship to distract her too.
"Well," Jake finally said, breaking the silence between them. "We should probably head out before we start getting into any more trouble here." He gave her a playful wink as he stood up from his chair and stretched his arms out wide before heading towards the door. It was clear that he didn't want to talk about this topic any further--and Fiona respected that decision without hesitation or question. But still, that playful wink he'd gave her--it made her heart feel something strange.
Something like the beginnings of a crush.
Fiona could not, under any circumstance, let that happen. Jake was taken by Lauren, clearly, and a guy like him would never go for a girl like her. It was ridiculous and inappropriate for her to even think it, so she wiped the thought away.
She had to focus on work. And first thing in the morning, she'd be back here.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Yes. This one would make a nice addition to his collection.
As he watched the woman working at the bar across the street, he sat on the bench, perfectly hidden by the business of downtown Portland. It was the perfect place to hide in plain sight; the perfect place to sit and watch, waiting...
After he'd left one of his women in the woods, he'd become anguished with the knowledge that she was no longer with him. Without her body down in his freezer, preserved, waiting for him, he found that he couldn't remember her face. Her voice. Her cries as she'd begged for her life.
He couldn't remember... all the memories, slipping away... just like he would soon slip away.
With that realization, he'd had an epiphany. He was going to die soon, but he couldn't do it without feeling that bliss, that happiness, one more time.
And so, he knew he had to find a new one. One last girl, to steal the life from, who he would keep with him as his final memory before his own passing. He needed to feel it again, to hear it again.
And this one--this bartender--was perfect. He had never collected anyone yet who was born the year she was. Every one he collected had a different birth year; they were his vintages, his collection of lives all from different eras. He knew based on her file that she was twenty-eight years old. A ripe age, a perfect age.
He smiled as he watched her, feeling his heart swell with anticipation. Yes. She would make a nice addition to his collection.
As he continued to watch her, he observed her every move: the way she laughed with the customers, the way she smiled when they tipped her. She was so alive, so vibrant... and it filled him with a strange kind of joy and sadness all at once. He wanted to take that away from her, yet he wanted to keep it for himself too; a memory of life before death. He deserved it, after all he had been through.
His heart raced as he contemplated what he was about to do, but he knew this was his final gift to himself. His last act before leaving this world forever. She was beautiful; her skin was a creamy white and her eyes a deep shade of brown that seemed to pull him in like a whirlpool. He was entranced by her from the first moment he saw her. She reminded him of a girl he once knew, in another life, a life that didn't even feel like his....
Once upon a time, he was young too. An elementary school kid. He was never very popular, but he remembered a brown-eyed girl like this one, who looked at him like he was a freak.
He wanted to take her life, to make her pay for the way she'd looked at him with such disdain. He wanted to make her suffer, just like he had suffered in that school yard all those years ago.
But he knew he would never get the chance to do that. So, instead, he was going to take this woman's life and keep it with him forever. He was going to savor every moment of this kill; he was going to relish every second of taking away her life force while still feeling alive himself.
He just had to wait. Soon, she would close the bar. She would leave out the back and go to her car, but she wouldn't make it there. He would be waiting for her in the shadows.
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