Finding the serial killer

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Jake’s POV

“Then help me.” I waste no breath admitting that I need her help.

“How?” she asks like she can't predict and she acts like she knows me all the time. “How can I possible help you?”

“Help me solve this case. Whatever this is. I'll prove it to Captain that I deserve to be here. I'll save my job. Whatever this case it, let’s work together to figure it out. I promise you I'm going to change my ways.”

She thought of a moment. I know it’s not the first time I've said it, I know she will be skeptical. “Fine.” She stretched her lips in a smile. “Then get to work.”

I don’t want this time for her trust to go to waste. I don’t want to go back to New York doing nothing here. I fought too much to give up this job. If I go back, I’ll have to join the family business, I'll have to be a slave of John Wilson. Do what he says, live to please him. but sorry, I'm not mom, I'm not Jerry, I can't be his son without any conditions.

I can't believe it took us five hours of thorough search and endless reading to even get to know about the least important thing about this case. Almost like no one cared to collect enough evidence to a case that was so much publicized, so much criticized and scrutinized by the locals. Like no one cared to look for the real victim just looked for the most vulnerable person to put the blame on. It’s more evident than anything that the case was a cover up. The real killer wasn’t the kid who was blamed. They just found him the most vulnerable because he was dead, no longer seeking justice or proving who the real culprit was.

“I'm tired…” she let’s free a groaning sigh stretching out in her shirt that only left out her fingers to come into contact freely with the atmosphere. She’s covered like always. That’s her style, I wonder what she will look like in dresses, for me, I've only ever seen girl in dressed and makeup, she does nothing of them. sometimes I feel like she’s hiding her true self, she only expressive when she judges me.

I keep that thought to myself.

“Let’s get a coffee.” She looks at all direction before she got up and dragged me with herself. “Did you get the case?” she whispers in the corner like she doesn’t want other people to hear about it.

I nodded. “It’s a cover up.” I answer. She nodded matching my frequency. I'm nodding unknown to the reason of us sneaking around and she— I'm not so sure. “But why are we sneaking up like this?” I speak in a hushed voice like hers.

“We are not sneaking up.”

“We are.”

“We are just talking in private. Okay?”

“Okay— why though?” I'm still confused she is the most upfront and unfazed person in my life and she shouldn’t behave like this for no reason.

“Because—” she once more looks around to make sure there was no one listening. And we are not sneaking up. Huh!

“We are deserted.” I added.

“Yeah!” she confirmed. “I've heard a rumor.” She whispers close to my ear. Come on, no one is out here listening to the two newbies.

“Rumor?” she’s not herself today. “Is it that time of the month or something? You are scaring me really.”

“Ugh!” she flicked her hair. “Stop twisting everything I'm saying and just listen for once.” She pushes me down to sit on the bench near the water dispenser and coffee machine. “Captain is looking for someone to assist him in the new homicide cases.” Her eyes grew as she spoke. “Two capable officers to work with him on this serial killer thingy.”

“Doesn’t sound like up.” She roars at me with such devotion, I almost feared for my life. “Wait, you think we can work with him?” I almost laughed at the absurdness of her. “There’s no way he would let two rookie wannabes work with him. no way.”

“Yes way.” she smiled. “This case can make us huge; I have this feeling. If we can solve it correctly, we will be able to get on his good side and media’s. he will have no choice but to let us.”

“Why would he though?”

“No cops want to work when the media is watching their every move. But we won't have any problem doing it.” I'm still nowhere convinced. And she sees it on my face. she can't convince me. “Fine.” She taps my shoulder. “Help me solve this case and I guarantee you this job. He will beg us to work with him.” I wanted to laugh at her absurd dream but I want to give her the benefit of the doubt.

“Then, let’s make it a bet.” Her enthusiasm and confidence forced those words out of me.

“Okay, bet.” She shakes with me on that.

“If you lose,” I added, “you'll tell me your life story.” I'm dying to know her beyond those tattoos. I know it won't be pretty.

“If I win,” she replied with the same enthusiasm, “you will be my slave for a week.” She can't be serious. Her slave. What are we, teenagers? “I'm serious. I need some help around the house. You know, I'm kind of messy.”

“More than anything. deal is sealed.”

“So shall we now get back to work?”

“Ladies first.” This time I took her hand and get back to our desks getting back into rummaging the dusty papers and the words written on it.

The day ended and not on a good note. But a very-very tiring note. In the end, if I want to summarize all that I happened to learn was that that girl that was r***d and murdered brutally in her woods behind her school wasn’t really murdered by her fifteen-year-old boyfriend, Steele. And that it was a cover-up for someone who really was the culprit but powerful enough to shut everyone up and get his way with this crime.

I don’t think that was enough to learn to be able to solve the case. That’s something anyone around the town will already know by now. Only if Captain didn’t instruct her strictly to keep it under folds, we would’ve been able to find it all in fractions of the time we spend.

It’s already don’t though. No use crying over it now. the day is over already.

Now, back to my vehicle, back on the road that leads to my apartment, all I want is to get the music to the fullest, grab a burger, get home and read my book.

Book of no fiction, actually non-fiction. American serial killers, the epidemic years, 1950-2000. There are so many things I've got to learn and when no one else to depend on, these books come in handy. I think, maybe if I keep exposing myself to this kind of violence, I will learn more about the worse side of human psyche just like Emily says, not everyone is helpless of their animalistic instincts. Not everyone is helpless to let go of their humanity. They are more in control of their actions, of their behaviour than anyone of us. Maybe she is right. maybe I'll learn it too when I see more bloodshed. And believe me on these words, the pages are dripping of nothing but fresh blood, colouring me with it. and it’s scary to read the more I read it.