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“How did you come to that conclusion?” Nolan crouched down on the other side of the body, the muscles in my legs tensing at his nearness.
“Look at the way she’s situated.” I gestured up and down the length of her. “It was with care. He put her in a relaxed position…if she was alive, this would be a natural way to lie in bed or somewhere more comfortable than the floor.”
His hands once again brushed over the bulge of his necklace beneath his shirt before dropping to rest on his knees. It was as if he didn’t even realize what he was doing. “I suppose.”
“Plus, what serial killer takes the time to bring a victim back to a familiar place?” I pointed out. “We know she wasn’t killed here based on the lack of blood spatter. Even with the overwhelming wolfsbane scent, we would have seen traces of cleaning solution if he had tried to clean up the blood, but there are none. So, he not only took the time to place her body in a respectable position, he brought her back to a place that mattered to her. If this was just a random attack, he would have dumped her body on the floor, more likely in an alley or somewhere hidden where no one could find her.”
Nolan looked up at me, our gazes connecting. “It’s always been obvious he wants us to find the bodies. It’s his way of bragging.”
“True.” My jaw tensed. “But I still think his intentions run deeper, which may be the key to finding the motive.”
Nolan’s jaw dropped, his face twisting as he processed my theory. Finally, after a few moments of silent tension filling the room, he lets out a chuckle, leaning forward slightly.“Your mind is fascinating.”He looked at me with blatant awe, lips pulled up in a loose smile.
My insides churned at the attention, my muscles going rigid. He thought I was…fascinating? Really? My heart fluttered a bit at the prospect…
Nope, none of that.
I cleared my throat, standing up so for once, I towered over him.“And you’re the lucky Alpha who has the privilege of working with me and my fascinating mind. Try not to swoon every time I say something brilliant.”
“Oh, trust me, I’ll try my best, but it sounds like you’ll make that a difficult promise to keep.”He stood as well, his posture looser than before, shoulders relaxed, hands resting gently on his hips.
By the Goddess, what was happening?
“I’ll be able to do a comprehensive autopsy,” Beckett said, bringing the conversation back to the important topic. “I don’t know how much it will expose that we don’t already know, since first glance shows this is standard for Elliot, but it’s something.”
“Maybe we need to focus on how he got close to her,” Emric suggested, him and Colton still hovering by the doorway. “He didn’t break in. He could have been stalking her for a while, and they had plans to meet somewhere outside of here last night. Then, after he was done with her, he brought her back here. He would have had her keys if that was the case, which would explain the locked front door.”
“That’s been one of my theories, but past victims have rarely led us anywhere deep.” Nolan rubbed his forehead. “But I agree, it only takes one victim’s past to help break a case like this.”
“I can stay behind.” Eden said, straightening. “I can lead an investigation, get a better understanding of her past and what she’s been up to. Her next of kin probably won’t have much, but if we can interview neighbors, friends, or other people connected to her, we may get a better understanding of how Elliot grabbed her without breaking in or anyone seeing.”
Nolan smiled. “Smart idea. Spend the day here and then write up a report for everyone. We can reconvene this evening.”
“Yes, Alpha.” She nodded, tucking a few strands of her bright red hair behind her ears, eyes downcast.
“Kiss up,”I said to her privately, giving her a wink.
“You’re damn right. I like my job,”she winked back at me before turning toward Emric and his second. “Colton, will you help me?”
“Sure.” The skinny redhead nodded, following her out of the room.
I turned back to Melinda, taking in a dose of horror for the day.I had dealt with murder cases before, but never had I seen something so meticulously executed. This man was a perfectionist, he was a deviant mastermind playing a game he proudly continued to win each day he walked free on the streets. Every little move he made was a taunt, every victim he collected a prize.
I knew that darkness existed in this world, and I was rarely afraid of it, but it was men like Elliot and the crimes they committed that made me shudder with dread.
Chapter Fifteen
That evening, we all came together once again, the conference room filled to the brim waiting for Eden and Beckett to go over their investigations from the day. I stood near the investigation board, ready to mark down any important notes that might need to be front and center to help. I tried not to pay attention to the fact that Nolan was on the other end, a stilo in his hand as well.
“Alright, I’ll start.” Eden flipped through the report in her hand, quickly thrown together judging by the mismatched handwriting scribbled all over it that must be both hers and Colton’s. They had only returned from Kelna two hours ago after spending most of the afternoon there. “We were able to track down four people from Melinda’s life: her parents, her fiancé, and one of her close friends. All of them said Melinda was a strongminded young woman. She had dreamed of opening that bakery but refused monetary help from anyone…she was determined to earn all the money needed to gain the lease and start the business. According to her fiancé, Larson, it was one of the reasons they delayed their wedding. She was so busy with starting everything up, they decided to postpone.”
My heart ached at that; this man had put his future wife’s happiness first, letting her achieve her goals. He sounded like a good man who understood the importance of Melinda’s dreams. And now, all because of one maniac loose on the streets, he would never get his happy ending.
I might not be able to give him that happy ending, but I could help him achieve some peace by catching the man who took his love from him.
“Did they all have alibis?” Nolan asked, leaning against the wall.
“Parents were out on a double date with some friends at a local tavern. The friend was working. And her fiancé is a Delta in a local pack and was helping clean up from the recent full moon. We were able to confirm all of them.”
