The forensic team positioned a large stretcher below the body and above the pool of drying blood so that they could lower the body onto it and then carry it into a different area of the room to take an initial look at it before it was sent for an autopsy.
"What was the mistake?"Alison asked.
"They made a wrongful arrest early in the case," Nolan said."It wasn’t long after the first murder.They were pointed in the direction of a knife maker who made all sorts of blades, and when they spoke to him, he made a run for it.That was enough to bring him in.They interviewed him, and he never once denied it.They didn't have any physical evidence, but they thought they had enough to charge him with the murder.It wasn’t until the second body showed up that they realized their mistake.By that time, they had someone in custody for three months, and he was about to undergo a trial.A lot of people were fired over it."
"Yeah," Alison said with a sigh."That’s exactly the sort of thing that our current killer is looking for.If they hadn’t arrested the wrong guy and continued to look for the actual killer, they could have saved the second victim, or the third one, at least."
"I’ll need you to send over those case files," Hartley told him."I also want you to put the word out for any sightings of Kenneth Sterling.I’ll share the details we have on him.He’s been missing for at least two days, and he’s assumed to be our killer.The guy who was initially arrested, the one who made the knives, is he still in business?"
"I don't know."Nolan shrugged.
"Check if he is," Hartley instructed."Then, if he is, find out who bought knives from him recently.The killer knows the case inside out, and it would be a special kind of irony for them to buy the knife used to kill our victim here from the man who was wrongfully arrested for the initial murder."
"Yeah, I’ll get on that," Nolan said."Whatever we can share with each other to catch this guy.I don't know what it’s like back in Philly, but there’s something spreading through the streets.People are worried, and it’s not only here.A lot of cities are worrying, and that worry will turn to panic in time."
"That’s what the killer wants," Alison said."They want to spread their message, and the best way to do that is through fear."
"What’s the endgame?"Hartley asked."Do they really expect anything to change?We can't overhaul the system.They must know that’s not how it works."
"It doesn’t matter anymore what they might or might not know," Alison said."They’ve made their choices, and this either stops when they believe they’ve gotten their message across or when we catch them.We have to hope it’s the latter."
"Hey, we have something here," one of the forensic techs called.
Alison, Hartley, and Nolan immediately ceased the conversation and walked toward the body being examined on the stretcher.One of the forensic techs was lifting something pinched between their fingers, but Alison couldn’t see what it was.The tech deposited it into an evidence bag and sealed it.They held the bag up for everyone to see.
It was only when Alison got closer that she could make it out.In the bag was a long, black hair.
"It was wrapped around his pinky finger," the tech said."It looks like he grabbed it and held onto it."
"This could be just what we need," Hartley said."Finally, a stroke of luck.Let’s hope there's a match in the system.If there is, then we have our killer."
Alison held the bag up to take a closer look.
"Or…" Hartley said curiously.She stepped closer to Alison, taking the bag and holding it by Alison’s head."Perhaps the hair wasn’t an accident."
"There are a lot of people with black hair," Alison pointed out.
She looked at the hair in the bag again.It did look a lot like one of hers, the same color and length.Was the killer sending them a message?
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
"A stroke of luck," Detective Wolfe said.
Alison and Hartley were back in the FBI offices, where Wolfe had joined them to give an update on Kenneth Sterling’s whereabouts.
"What are you talking about?"Hartley asked.
"Those were Dr.Payne’s exact words," he replied."She told us that if we were to solve this case, we would need a stroke of luck.She says that, and then we get this?I’d say that’s extremely suspicious."
"Would you?"Hartley asked, defending Alison."Do you really think that Dr.Payne is the one committing the murders?"
"He’s right," Alison said."About it being suspicious.The killer is obviously trying to frame me.It would be an unknown risk for them to plant one of my hairs at the crime scene if they didn’t know it could be traced to me, so they must have known that I had my hair tested as part of my training at the academy.That’s the only reason my DNA is on record."
"Which sounds extremely convenient to me," Wolfe said."It’s exactly the sort of thing you could say if your victim grabbed one of your hairs and you didn't realize."
"Someone grabbed one of my hairs without me realizing," Alison admitted."The killer could have planted the hair at the first crime scene, but they chose to wait until the fourth.Why was that?"
"You tell us," Wolfe challenged.
