This morning, Winters also wore a taut frown, but her eyes lit up a little when she saw Kate.That was a good sign.It wasn't so long ago that Winters would darken at her presence.
That encouragement was ephemeral, however.Winter's words killed any remaining good feeling Kate had.
“Two bodies,” she informed them.“Husband and wife murdered in their bed in Miami.Surrounded by a cipher, but there was one clear symbol.”
She lifted a photograph from the desk and showed it to Kate and Marcus.The Hebrew wordsheva.Seven.
“Shit,” Marcus cursed.He rubbed a hand across his stubble and pointed out, “We don’t know that Cox is involved, though.This could be another copycat case like that woman in Pittsburgh who killed her husband.”
Kate had a feeling he was saying that for her benefit, not their boss’s.Elijah Cox, self-styled as the Lawgiver, had precipitated the commandment killings by murdering ministers he believed had broken the first commandment,Thou shalt have no other gods before me.The case had culminated when he tried to kill Kate and himself together, claiming that he had orchestrated her past suffering and brought them together as a final symbol to the world of God’s justice.
At the time, Kate believed that Cox was just another garden-variety psychopath.His knowledge of her past and apparent obsession with Kate disturbed her, but she didn't put any stock in his claims that she was the crux of "God's plan" or that there would be others to carry out his work.
She wished she could be that naïve again.
"Even if it's not directly related to Cox, the existence of a copycat is disturbing," Winters said."Perhaps even more disturbing than if it was Cox.However, you won't jump to that conclusion.You two will examine the case and let the evidence lead you to a resolution, just like always."
“Can you tell us anything about the victims?”Kate asked.
Winters responded by shuffling the papers on her desk together and handing them to Kate.“That’s all of the information we have.Good luck you two.”
They left the office, dodging curious glances from the other agents and analysts there.Kate could almost hear the whispers.There’s another one.Cox strikes again.I wonder why he’s so obsessed with her?
Knowing that her coworkers probably didn’t spend more than a second or two wondering those things before returning to their own jobs didn’t make her feel any better.
“You good?”Marcus asked when they were outside.
That didn’t make her feel any better either.“Fine.”
She left it at that and allowed Marcus to drive them to the airport.On the way, she thought of the Hebrew word carved into the victims’ headboard.Seven.
Three to go.And when they reached ten would Cox stop?
No.Much as Cox tried to convince others he was a servant of God; it wasn’t God he served.It was another being, one compared appropriately to a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
The message to the world wasn’t clear yet, but the message to Kate was bright as the morning sun shining through her passenger window.
I’m not done with you yet.
