Sins Of The Mother (Chapter-11)

Lukas suffered through one of the most restless nights he could remember. Gabriele came over and did what she could to help ease his anxiety, but he would have probably been better off alone. He barely even knew she was there.

When he and Brooke stepped hesitantly into Chief Armstrong’s office a few minutes before the appointed time, he was wired up, ready for anything. They were told to sit in the waiting room, which felt like an interrogation primer to Lukas. He could hear a spirited conversation coming from within the chief’s office, but he couldn’t make out what was being said. Whatever it was sounded heated. A few minutes later, the secretary’s phone buzzed, and she ushered them in. Chief Armstrong and Captain Hunter were waiting.

They took seats, and Chief Armstrong began without any pleasantries.

“Captain Hunter has filled me in on last night, and to say I’m shocked would be one of the biggest understatements of all time. This one won’t be easy to outrun. My initial concern as the police chief is public safety. Then we have the reputation and integrity of the department to consider.”

He fixed his gaze on Lukas.

“What about leads? Progress?”

“We have forensic evidence that’s being processed, but it takes time. We have a description of a suspect vehicle. The new murder last night may turn up some additional leads as well.”

“So, you’re not really making any progress, are you?”

Neither Lukas nor Brooke said a word.

“We need more people,” Brooke said. “We need more boots on the ground.”

“Done. I’ll talk it over with Chief McConnell, and we’ll get a plain-clothes task force together that will be at your disposal. Use them as you see fit. You’ll have anything you need from this point forward. But understand this – I need to see some results. Otherwise, heads will start to roll, and I don’t think I need to explain to either of you which direction shit flows. I want written daily updates on the progress of the investigation from you, Captain Hunter. Normally, I’d just ask for a briefing, but at this point, I want it in writing.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Get out of here. Go catch this psychopath.” Chief Armstrong dismissed them with a jerk of his head.

After the meeting, Lukas and Brooke headed to the medical examiner’s office to sit in on Razzy’s autopsy. Lukas knew it would be tough. He was about to hit the call button to announce their arrival to the ME’s receptionist when Brooke’s hand stopped him. She gave his arm a slight squeeze.

“You don’t have to do this, you know,” Brooke said. “I can handle it. Why don’t you go canvass the neighborhood again?”

“I have to do this. It’s not something I’d expect anyone to understand. And after this, I need to talk to Timmy. I doubt he’s been told yet, and I’d rather he hears it from me than from a stranger.”

“Okay, but I’ll pick up the slack if you need to step away.”

“I know. Thanks.”

He hit the call button, and they were immediately admitted to the building. Odessa McCabe met them in the front lobby. She led them into Dr. Benjamin Franks’s office. They all sat down for a short briefing before the grisly work began.

“Thanks for letting us sit in today, Doc,” Lukas said.

“Always glad to have you, Lukas, you know that. And your partner is?”

“Detective Brooke Stevens from Kingsport.”

The doctor shook Brooke’s hand.

“I’ve completed a preliminary examination of Miss Raznovich. The forensics and toxicology will take some time, of course. There’s one glaring difference from the other killings. This woman was brutally sodomized.”

Lukas tensed.

“Semen was found in the anal canal. It’s the first body fluid we’ve found on one of the victims. Now, assuming the recovered semen is from the killer, we may have a solid lead. But, considering her profession…” His voice trailed off.

“The mutilation and violence. What do you think they mean?” Lukas asked.

“I’m not a psychiatrist, but it seems pretty obvious that he’s finding it harder and harder to get a thrill. I’ve worked in Miami, Dallas and Boston, and I’ve seen serial killer cases. I don’t remember one going so far off the rails this quickly.”

“What’s the earliest we can expect the results back on the semen?” Lukas said, leaning forward.

“We put an emergency rush on it, so, two, maybe three days.” He looked at each of them. “Okay, are we ready to go do this?”

“Let’s go,” Lukas said, standing up. His jaw tightened involuntarily. He braced himself, trying to prepare for what he knew would be gruesome.

Lukas had been present during autopsies before, and they never really got any easier. It was even harder when you knew the person the doctor was dissecting. The ME went through a precise routine, measuring and weighing organs, taking notes of wounds and disease, recording his findings. It took him an hour-and-a-half to finish. Lukas and Brooke learned that Odessa’s assessment of the time of death had been on point. Dr. Franks said Razzy had been dead between two and three hours when she was found. The cause of death, to nobody’s surprise, was due to blood loss from the cut to Razzy’s neck. According to the doctor, the killer used an extremely sharp, edged weapon, most likely a knife. 

She had serious bruises on all her limbs and several on her torso. She’d been sexually assaulted with a wooden instrument, maybe a broomstick or an old baseball bat. Dr. Franks removed splinters of wood from her vagina and anus. There was severe tearing in both areas. The one thing that gave Lukas some comfort was that Razzy also had a severe skull fracture. She may very well have been unconscious during the worst of the attack. The big finding, though, was the semen.

Maybe the killer had finally lost control, Lukas thought. Maybe they finally had the break they’d been waiting for.