Fiction: Title to Be Determined (Part Five)

Read Part Four.

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“The first two women were killed by the same man – the medical precision of the stitches would suggest a surgeon, as would the access to the sedative.” Jules spoke as Alistair sat at his desk.

“Tell me something I don’t know.” he snorted.

“Even though the locations vary, there's almost a kind of volley between the two killers - the first two are on the edges of town, then the copycat, and the fourth murder is found in a populated area. The first killer returns to the edge, and after a copycat murder, he shows up in the middle of town again. There's some interaction between the Surgeon and the Copycat.”

Alistair raised his brow, “And what is the point of their interaction?”

Jules shrugged, “If I knew, we'd be closer to to solving the case, wouldn't we? But, I don't think the Surgeon's happy to see what the Copycat is doing.”

Alistair leaned forward. “He's jealous?”

“Sure, they might be playing cat and mouse now, and it might be as simple as the Surgeon thinking that a dead girl on the edge of town isn’t as suspicious, but the Copycat has pushed the Surgeon to act more out of line with what he intended.”

“What else to do you notice about this case, Detective?”

Jules turned to Alistair. “All of the vics are women, 19 to 25, four Anglos, two African-Americans, one South Asian who is also our only student. None were known prostitutes or had drug related problems, all had decent families and were generally educated and productive. They were the last girls one would expect to get into trouble.”

“And what does that tell you, Detective?” Alistair sneered.

"Absolutely nothing." Jules admitted. "Other than that they were unlikely victims."

“And?" Alistair prodded, knowing that she wasn't saying what was on the tip of her tongue, the thing that would most discount her dual murderer scheme.

"They were probably known to their attacker.”

“And who do you suppose did it?”

Jules shook her head, “I don't know, sir.”

“That surprises me, Dr Julian. The Surgeon doesn’t have some obvious link to his victims, then?”

“It isn’t likely – he’s too refined, and he’s making a statement. They are heartless. He's probably not going to say that about someone that he actually knows.”

“And the Copycat?”

“He’s a copy cat. He may be pulling from the same pool of girls, if there is one, and he may even have access to the Surgeon, but he’s acting out of a rage; that’s why he strangles the vics instead. His incision is messy as well as his stitches – not rough, he’s trained, too, but not as removed, not as cool.”

“The Surgeon’s an artist?” Alistair asked. Jules met his eyes, it was the first time he had asked her a question without mocking her.

“He sees himself in that way.” Jules affirmed. “You know – an activist, truth in beauty. That’s why they aren’t harmed in any other way, beautiful on the outside but heartless and empty on the inside.”

“The Copycat’s just angry?”

“If he’s an associate of the Surgeon, yes, that seems likely. Especially if he's looking for attention and we're only looking for one murderer.”

“You think he isn’t intentionally connected?”

Jules thought for a moment. “He may be connected to the Surgeon without it being a mutual relationship.”

“He’s emulating a hero?”

“Applause to a masterpiece.”

Alistair shook his head, “How do they come into contact with the girls, then?”

"Well, if I knew that, we'd be a hell of a lot closer to knowing who to pick up."