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Careful not to touch anything, she scanned the room for blood or any signs of forensics but at first sight saw nothing. The bed covers were rustled, the comforter falling off the bed.
One of the dresser drawers was open and it looked as if the underwear had been rifled through. A black thong lay on the floor, a red lacy pair on the end table.
Her breath stalled as she glanced at the mirror above the dresser. A smiley face had been drawn on the glass in blood.
FORTY-SIX
Ellie clenched her teeth as she photographed the crime scene with her phone. A couple of strands of Beverly’s hair lay on the floor but not as much as the perp had hacked off. He must have taken it as a souvenir. Another facet of the Southside Slasher’s MO.
According to the profiler, Radcliff chopped off the woman’s hair to deface her beauty and to point out her vulnerability, as a woman’s sexuality often had a correlation to long hair.
Hopefully ERT could pull DNA or prints off the knife. Beverly had no visible injuries, so she wanted to know who the blood on the mirror belonged to.
Next, she studied Beverly’s lavender sheets and bedding for biologicals, but saw nothing. Forensics would have to confirm.
Turning in a wide arc, she examined the entire room with the same results. Nothing on the surface so she did the same in the master bathroom. Coming up empty, she returned to the living room and found Beverly with her knees pulled up to her chest, arms wrapped around them, rocking herself back and forth as she repeatedly ran her fingers over her hair. A siren wailed, signaling an ambulance’s arrival.
“Hang in there, Beverly,” she said. “I’ll be right back. I need to talk to the medics.”
She wanted to ask about Amy Dean, but at the moment Beverly seemed lost in trauma. Ellie stepped outside and saw Derrick looking around the property.
“Female, terrified by an intruder,” Ellie told the medics. “Physically, she appears fine, but she’s shaken up.”
The female medic nodded, then they went inside to Beverly and Ellie watched as they checked her vitals.
“Her blood pressure is high but that’s normal under the circumstances,” the medic said. “We can take her in for observation.”
Ellie arched a brow toward Beverly in question. “Beverly?”
“I don’t want to go to the hospital. But I can’t stay here.”
“Do you have a friend I can call?” Ellie asked. “Husband or boyfriend?”
“I’m divorced. No boyfriend.” The young woman rubbed her hands together as if to warm them. “But I can call my friend Janie and stay with her.”
Janie, the other girl who’d known Amy.
Beverly gave Ellie Janie’s number, and she carried it to the officer at the door and asked him to make the call. Then she returned and seated herself beside the young woman again.
“Do you have any idea who’d break in?” Ellie asked. “Have you seen anyone lurking around? Someone casing your place?”
“No, and I don’t have anything valuable to steal,” Beverly said. “Other than a few pieces of jewelry that belonged to my grandmother. But it’s old, not like I wear it or anyone knows about it.” She swallowed hard. “All my other valuables are in a safe and in storage. I put them there when I divorced.”
“It’s possible your intruder knew you personally. Maybe someone you crossed. How about your ex? How are things between the two of you?”
“Trust me,” she said shakily. “He’s on a yacht with his new girlfriend living the good life. He didn’t do this. He wouldn’t have the guts.”
Ellie offered her an understanding smile. “Can you think of anyone else who’d want to hurt you or scare you? Maybe a coworker or neighbor?”
“No, I get along with all of them.” Beverly pressed a fist against her mouth. A second later, her eyes widened.
“But ten years ago, there were a bunch of weird guys at the college. Everyone thought they were in a cult.”
Had to be the same students the Ladies of the Lake mentioned.
“The past two days I thought someone was following me,” Beverly said. “Oh, God, the reunion. I thought they might not come. But what if they’re back?”
FORTY-SEVEN
