Marcus sniffed.“Yeah.”He thrust his chin at the notes on her desk.“You said you got some info?”
“I do.I’m not entirely sure what it means yet, but it’s there.”
Marcus sidled to the desk and scanned the translation.“Jesus.This is a damned essay.”
“It is,” Kate agreed.“This killer had a lot to get off their chest.”
Marcus’s eyes narrowed, and she knew he’d come to the part about the scapegoat.He crossed his arms and asked, a little reluctantly, “Do you think this has something to do with you?”
Kate took a breath to allow herself a moment to divorce herself from emotion.“It could.It doesn’t have to.It could refer to the killer.”
“So, the killer’s sacrificing people to God to atone for their sins?”
“Or they’re committing murder to atone for murder.”
He cocked his head.“Hmm.Okay.So, the end justifies the means here?”
“Possibly,” Kate said.“I think it might be the killer’s confession.They know what they’re doing is wrong, but they believe they’re doing a good thing anyway.They’re taking the sin of murder upon themselves to absolve the unjust judges of the sin of letting the real murderers get away.”
“Yeah, I saw that part too.That seems really complicated for Cox.No offense.”
Her brow furrowed.“Why would that offend me?”
“I… don’t know.But itdoesseem a little complicated.”
Kate chewed her lip.“I don’t know if I’d say it’s complicated.More like disjointed.Look at the Bible verses.The killer uses three different translations.”
“Ah.I didn’t pick up on that.”
“It starts with The King James Version with the Genesis quote.Then they complain that the command is the most obvious of God’s commands.It’s almost frustrated in tone, like a parent who can’t believe their child disobeyed by doing something stupid or dangerous.”
“That kind of sounds like Cox.”
“Not really.Cox has never come across as frustrated to me.Judgmental, but not frustrated.His disciples have sometimes exhibited frustration, but never when they’re killing sinners.That’s always firmly focused on whatever ritual they’ve chosen to carry out Cox’s commands and by extension, God’s.”
“I mean, stabbed through the heart, and their manifesto written with the murder weapon seems pretty ritualistic.”
“Yeah, but then we get to the Deuteronomy reference.That’s New International Version, and then there’s another rant about how wrong it is that people let murderers get away with their crimes.Then the scapegoat passage in English Standard Version at the very end.”
“Do you think the specific translations at different points matter?”
“I don’t think it’s intentional, if that’s what you’re asking.It’s almost like the killer decided what they were going to do, then looked up verses online without making sure they used the same version for each verse.They didn’t even quote Deuteronomy properly.The verse mentions the foreigner as well as the fatherless and the widow.”
Marcus frowned again.“You don’t think we’re looking at another copycat, do you?”
Kate thought for several beats.Eventually, she said, “No, I don’t think it’s another copycat.I think it’s more likely that Cox chose an instrument for the sixth commandment who’s motivated more by personal vengeance than religious zealotry.”
“That makes sense,” Marcus said.“A zealous person could have problems with breaking the sixth commandment to enforce it.More proof—not like we needed any—that this has never been about God for Cox.”
“He thinks it is, but that’s not important right now.I think you’re right.I think Cox wanted to avoid the possibility that his instrument would question the rightness of these actions.I think he chose someone whowantedHammond to die, not just because he broke God’s commandment but because his actions hurt them personally.”
“So, we’re looking for someone who Hammond hurt personally when he killed Gene Parker.”
“Yes.”
“And who did he hurt personally?”
“Does Gene Parker have a family?”
