Brave
2777 Words
Captain Grayson was pleased with the discoveries Mel, Capri and Franco made in The Florist case. He complimented their teamwork and mentioned that Capri was right in assuming her help would be beneficial to the department. The moment he asked why Zinnia and Augustine’s murders weren’t included in their analysis, Capri stepped up.
“The Florist didn’t commit those murders, sir.”
His face jerked with uncertainty. “I hope you have something to support that claim, Miss Winters.”
Again, she cited her notes. “Along with charting the flowers and their meanings regarding the victim’s poems, I outlined the time difference between the murders. From 2005 to 2007, The Florist maintained a cooling off period of three to seven months in between killings. This changed February 18th, 2008 when the 8th victim, Neil Henry Barber, was murdered nine months after the 7th, Sidney Jane Hornell. From that point until February 15th, 2011, The Florist slowed down his killing schedule with a seven to eleven-month gap. Then, he committed his first double homicide in six years with Prudence Liesl Mata and Samson Clyde Riley a year and a day afterward. It wasn’t until eight months after that he killed his 15th victim with the 16th being murdered five months later, and then he waited eleven months before the last double homicide which claimed his 17th and 18th victim. Now, after fifteen months, he kills two people of the same s*x less than 24 hours apart?”
Captain Grayson put his hand up to interject. “L – let me see if I can … filter through what you’re saying here. Are you trying to tell me that The Florist has been operating on a self-made schedule?”
“That never surpassed 366 days or proceeded three months, yes.”
“That’s a large gap, Miss Winters, not to mention the fact that you yourself said his killing pattern fluctuated.”
“But never to the point that he killed within a close time proximity,” she argued. “And if you look at the evidence left at Zinnia and Auggie’s crime scenes, nothing matches The Florist’s usual pattern. Not the tone of the poems, not the flower’s connection to the poems, not the way they were murdered, or the time between the murders. I think … The Florist was done after victim 18 and these last two were orchestrated by a copycat killer.”
The captain nodded before reaching in his desk for a manila envelope. It was addressed to the police department. When he poured the contents onto the desk, they viewed a flower and note sealed in an airtight plastic wrapping.
“When did you get this?”
“The day after Augustine Velar’s body was found.”
“We can track it!”
The captain shook his head. “It was left in the drop box of a post office, stamped and ready for delivery with no return address.”
“You check the cameras?” Mel asked.
He nodded. “Hooded figure. Had his head dipped down like he knew where the cameras were. You believe that?”
“This guy is really putting a burr in my saddle,” Franco rumbled while picking up the sealed bag. “This is The Florist’s handwriting. I can recognize it anywhere.”
“And that’s a delphinium flower,” Capri established. “It represents haughtiness. What does the poem say?”
“Haughtiness can be a dangerous vice, and this fraud you found had better think twice, on accepting praise, from the trail I blazed, before I return, and he pays the price. Yikes.”
“Sounds like the hypothesis you made was correct, Miss Winters,” Captain Grayson said. “The Florist did choose to retire after his 18th victim. However, we don’t allow criminals to retire themselves; we convict them. I’m going to alert the media that The Florist is no longer a concern for the city, but I want this guy behind bars! So what I want to know from my very effective team is … how do we get him?”
“Uh, if y’all couldn’t find him when he was out in the open, we’re not going to be able to track him down when he’s hiding,” Capri scoffed.
“Unless,” Mel started, “we give him an incentive.”
Franco smiled. “I like where your head’s at, Perrin.”
“Well, I don’t!” she exclaimed.
“Capri, you said yourself that The Florist doesn’t address the media or the police like other serial killers have, and why is that?”
“It’s like I told you, he’s more private.”
“And it puts him at risk, right? Just as having an accomplice would, but here he is writing us. We have to take advantage of this!”
“Somebody want to fill me in here?” Captain Grayson requested.
“Thanks to Capri, we’ve got a handle on this guy’s technique. If we can use the fact that he’s pissed …”
“More like offended,” Franco recommended.
“Fine. If we can use the fact that he’s offended to bring him out of hiding, then we can use the knowledge we’ve acquired to track him down and put him in jail.”
“Okay, wait a minute. Time out!” Capri shouted. “Mel, think about what you’re saying!”
“Oh, I am. He just sent up a flare that’s going to lead us straight to him. Captain, we can finally get this guy!”
“Mel’s right. With the right bait, we can control how he moves. He’ll walk right into a jail cell on his own. It’s genius.”
“Miss Winters?” Captain Grayson called. “You said this was what you wanted, to be part of the team that catches The Florist. If we’re going to do this, I need my team, my whole team.”
Capri sighed between spotting the enthusiastic expressions on their faces. “Let’s do it.”
§
Capri stood firm between Mel and Franco at the press conference. Her heart didn’t begin to race until Captain Grayson approached the microphone. Her palms burned with an urge to slide her hand into Mel’s. From his peripherals, he caught a glimpse of her impassioned stare. The sight of his cheeks mounted to an inviting simper and his lips seductively pressed together brought a heat to her face that baked her insides more than the sun.
“Good people of Nolan,” Captain Grayson opened. “I am thrilled to announce that, as of today, The Florist’s terroristic reign on our town … is over!”
The cheering of the press was as deafening as it was encouraging. Capri, Mel and Franco joined in the applause but occupied their mouths with grins as opposed to joyous cries. Captain Grayson waved his arms to settle the crowd down.
“I have it on good authority that The Florist is not responsible for the murders that occurred last week,” he alerted as the crowd stirred. “The Florist sent us one of his infamous notes, not as a threat, but as a tip, that someone else murdered Zinnia Woodruff and Augustine Velar. The Florist also demanded that we catch the culprit and clear his name. But I stand before you today to deliver a public reminder: Nolan is not run by its criminals; it’s run by the people, our people … and it’s high time we reclaim our city!” he shouted while they roared in support. “These three people standing behind me have The Florist and his admirer in their crosshairs. We are going to take them down! Vive le peuple de Nolan!”
§
A standing ovation greeted the newly famous four as they walked into the police station. Captain Grayson took a moment to wink back at his team before retreating to his office. Mel escorted Capri to his desk and pulled an extra chair for himself.
“So what now?” she asked.
“You might want to specify what you mean by that,” he warned with a provocative chuckle. “It could be taken in a lot of ways.”
“So could you. I could think of a few ways to take you down right now.”
“Oh yeah? Well, you know, we can sneak off to one of those rooms in the back …”
“What?” she exclaimed with a laugh. “No! I’m a good girl.”
He laughed along. “I know you’re a good girl. Got a naughty streak but you’re a good girl.”
“You think you’ve got me all figured out, don’t you?”
“Not yet, but I plan to.”
“Oh, yeah?” she queried slyly, biting her lip. “Where do you plan to start?”
He cleared his throat and scooted his chair closer to her. She leaned into him, just as ready as he was to play the game they started. The same time his mouth parted to speak, the sound of furious stomping caused them to jump. When Mel noticed the chief of police, he exhaled seemingly annoyed. Capri took notice.
“Who is that?”
“My father-in-law. You might want to …,” he motioned before covering his ears. She followed suit.
“Grayson!”
Capri’s eyes enlarged at the sound of his bellowing. When Captain Grayson stood in the doorway, the hollering continued between the two of them until they withdrew into his office. Slowly, Mel and Capri removed their hands.
“My God!” she cried in shock.
“Yeah.”
“Hey, Perrin!” Ward called walking towards him.
“Hey! What’s up, man?”
“I didn’t know we were allowed to take civilians on field trips. I thought she was in protective custody.”
“Can I use your phone, Mel?” Capri asked sweetly.
“Uh, yeah, why?”
“So I can call the zoo and tell them I found another ass they can put on exhibit.”
“You better be talking about yours.”
“Hey! Watch your mouth when you talk to her.”
“Say what?”
Capri lightly fingered Mel’s hand to calm his nerves. His interior melted as a result. One look in her eyes prompted him to make one simple request. “Wait for me?”
“Of course,” she beamed.
When Mel stood to face his partner eye to eye, his demeanor became sterner. “Let’s take a walk.”
Capri watched as the two men left her sight. She rolled her eyes at Ward’s insolence. It was dreadfully reminiscent of her ex-boyfriends. Ugh, she shivered to herself.
The sound of her name made her head pop up in attention.
The sight of who called it made her wish she had the ability to disappear.
§
“Watch your mouth when you talk to her?” Ward recapped. “What the hell was that?”
“That was a warning that if you ever speak to her disrespectfully again, I’ll rip your tongue out and throw it in the bayou for the crocs to eat.”
“What’s with you, man? Are you getting sweet on this girl?”
“You said you wanted to talk, right?” Mel said changing the subject. “So, talk.”
“While you were modeling for the cameras, I got a lead on Woodruff and Velar’s killer.”
“Like your last lead?”
He laughed at the memory. “I told this one to come in, so I’m pretty sure she’ll have clothes on.”
“When is she coming?”
“Should be here soon,” he told before his phone rang. He put his hand up to silence Mel and took the call. “Ward … Yeah, I’ll be there in five … Yep.”
“What was that about?”
“I have to make a run,” he told closing his phone.
“Didn’t you just say you have somebody coming in here?”
“You can handle it. Look, her name is Gaia Monte. All you have to do is take notes. If it’s something we can use, keep it. If it’s bull, toss it.”
§
“Vasu,” Capri greeted halfheartedly. “What are you doing here?”
“I’ve been looking everywhere for you! Then, out of nowhere, you show up on my television! Why haven’t you been answering my calls?”
“Because I don’t want to talk to you,” she said as if the answer to his question was obvious. “What do you want?”
He inched closer to her. The chair screeched against the floor as she moved away. “Is it like that?”
“What were you expecting, a hug?”
“I come to see how you’re doing and you give me lip?”
An eyeful of Mel caught her attention as he quickly walked in her direction. “He’ll give you more than that if you don’t get out of here.”
“Oh, so you’re into badges now?”
“I’m into brass … instead of brash,” she taunted with a smile.
“What does that even mean?”
“The fact that you have to ask that question further illustrates my point.”
“You all right here, Capri?” Mel asked.
“I’m fine.”
“Who the hell are you?” Vasu confronted.
“I’m Capri’s new bodyguard.”
“Well, I’m her boyfriend.”
“Oh, my … no, you’re not!”
“I told you he had a problem remembering,” Mel joked. “Why don’t we take this outside so you two can sort this out?”
“We don’t need a chaperone,” Vasu snapped.
“You’re going to need a straw to eat your meals from now on if you don’t watch your tone. Now, move it.”
Along their walk to the front door, Mel was pulled aside by one of his co-workers. Vasu was disappointed when Capri decided to wait for him. When he started to complain, she abruptly told him to shut up. Mel laughed.
“What do you need, Moser?”
“There’s a young lady here, says she’s supposed to be meeting up with Ward about the last two murders, but I saw him leave a few minutes ago.”
“Yeah, he had an errand. Let me take care of something real quick and I’ll be with her in a minute. Just have her sit tight at my desk.”
“No,” Capri stopped him. “If she has any information we can use to catch The Florist or the copycat, you need to hear it now. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
“You sure?”
“What, about him?” she giggled pointing to Vasu. “I can handle him.”
“Mm-hmm, she sure can.”
“Shut up, Vasu!” Capri yelled pushing him outside.
Mel chuckled while following Officer Moser. Gaia Monte sat nervously tapping her foot before rising at the sound of their introduction. As Mel led her away to talk, she yelled for him to wait.
“You have to stop him!”
“Stop who?”
“Vasu Jó! That’s who I saw leave Nia’s and Auggie’s apartment before police found them dead! He’s the killer!”
- Writer
