Page 7 of Midnight Creed

When she didn’t answer, Racine continued like a response wasn’t necessary. “Sounds like you’re trading in your doctor for a dog handler.” She gave Maggie a sidelong glance, then added, “Not a bad idea.” Racine being Racine weighing in with her unsolicited opinion didn’t stop there. “I heard he’s hot.”

Maggie wanted to ask where the information was coming from, but to do that would only make Racine believe the topic was open for discussion. It was not. Certainly not with Racine.

“Are you lead on this case?” Maggie asked, attempting to steer Racine back to business.

“Yes. And it’s getting stupid-crazy fast. That’s why my boss is anxious to offload it.”

Maggie guessed “stupid-crazy” was one of the new alternate phrases. “Victim was homeless?”

“Not homeless, O’Dell. Unhoused or unsheltered are the politically correct terms. How is that any better? As far as we can tell, he was living on the street. My officers are still talking to people. And these people are the worst at sharing information.

“Even when they do talk, we have to be careful. They’re very good liars. Seriously, the CIA should be recruiting from the streets. Guy can be knifed in the tent right next to them, and they claim they haven’t seen or heard a thing.

“To be fair, some of them are so zoned out, stoned or drunk they might not have seen a thing. They aren’t even plugged in to reality. And those who do still know what’s what, they frickin’ don’t want to get involved.”

Maggie restrained a smile. It was weird listening to Racine without her using the f-word.

“Chances are, they wouldn’t have even reported it,” the detective continued. “Took the Dumpster crasher to notice. Probably why he plowed into it in the first place. He’s young. A little shocked. Not used to seeing dead guys.”

“You said on the phone this is number two?”

“Ten days ago. Three blocks away. Similar MO.”

“Victim was also homeless?”

Racine nodded. “I know the holidays bring out the homicidal maniacs, but I sure as hell didn’t expect a serial killer.”

“What do you know about the killer? Anything caught on video from ten days ago?” Maggie’s eyes darted under the awnings of the small businesses dotted along the street. At the end of the block was a three-story brick building. She made a mental note to check for surveillance cameras.

“Preliminary search didn’t tag anyone suspicious or out of the ordinary. In fact, I was starting to think he might be homeless, too. Possibly mentally ill. Maybe it was revenge for something trivial. Happens, you know. They have belongings and can be very possessive of their stuff.”

“Weapon?”

“Weapons. Neither one has been recovered. Last week’s victim had blunt trauma to the back of his head. M.E. said it looked like a ball-peen hammer. But it wasn’t the cause of death. May have been used to incapacitate him. There were no defensive wounds. He was stabbed. Double-edged blade. Three to five inches.”

“That one happened at night, too?”

“Early morning. M.E. doesn’t think he died immediately, so if we back up from approximate time of death, we’re looking at midnight to three or four in the morning.”

“No one noticed him bleeding on the street?”

“Actually, he was inside his tent. Makeshift tent. Basically, a blue tarp draped over a cardboard box. It wasn’t until he crawled partially out that someone saw him. Called 911.”

“And today’s victim?”

“We think he was sleeping against the lamppost, close to the sidewalk grate to keep warm. About five feet away from the Dumpster. Looks like the same MO. Hit on the back of the head. Then stabbed.”

Maggie scanned the area. Cars parked on this side of the street would have given a limited view of anyone asleep on the sidewalk. Two- and three-story brick buildings were broken up by a few businesses. A nail shop, deli and grocer, a coffee shop interspersed, all with several concrete steps up to the front doors. Some with canvas awnings. None had entrance doors at ground level. Not that any of them would have been open at the time of the murders.

“Tell me about the victims,” Maggie said.

“Both male. This one looks to be in his thirties. Last one was older. Maybe forties. No ID on him. Prints didn’t register. No hits from NamUS.”

NamUs was a national database for missing, unidentified and unclaimed cases from across the United States.

Racine pointed to an area where a CSU team was still working and said, “This morning’s guy was found tucked in over there. Like I said. Not far from the Dumpster.”

But the body was gone. Maggie wished Racine had called her sooner. Examining the crime scene with the body would have been helpful.