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An oppressive silence draped across the room, an invisible blanket that rendered everyone mute. A faint clock ticked in the distance, counting down the seconds until this killer – or the other one – claimed their next life.
Because this wasn’t a game of cat and mouse anymore; it was a game of two cats, two predators fighting for dominance.
“Mia, this isn’t a message to us. This is a message for the second killer.”
The game was on, and Ella had assumed the role of enforcer.
Ripley said, “They’re trying to outdo each other. This is a competition.”
The note on the page, written in Gail Brookes’s blood, said:
Signed, the Real Monster.
“But,” Ella said, “if we know these guys well enough, this is how we catch them.”
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
Ella was back in her office, determined to assemble this whole jigsaw into one comprehensive image. She was scrawling on her trusty whiteboard with a black marker, compiling everything dot by dot. It had taken four victims, but now they had enough information to piece together true events.
Ripley sat in her chair, arms folded, painstakingly lost in Ella’s frantic scripture.
“We were right. This isn’t a single killer; this is two. Both with individual M.O.s and victimologies. They just happen to be eerily similar, but if we break it down, the differences – and the connections – are obvious.”
“Let’s start at the beginning. Vanessa May,” Ripley said. “Strangled in her bed.”
Ella sad, “Okay, this is Killer One, or what we could call the Rose Killer. He walked in through the back door, went up to the bedroom, and strangled her there. The coroner found rose petals on her because he brought a bunch with him. He was planning on entering through the front, but Vanessa was asleep. Remember what her neighbor said? At around midnight, she heard someone knocking. A few minutes later she heard a scream. He tried the door first, failed, then went around the back. But there was something else too, something that connects her to another victim.”
Ripley nodded, motioned for Ella to continue.
“Next up is Katherine Parkinson. This is Killer Two, or what we could call the Ripper. He climbed up the fire escape at Katherine’s apartment, broke in through the back door, stabbed her as she tried to flee. Remember, Katherine was on the news, weeks before her death?”
“Yeah.”
Ella said, “Keep that in mind. Third victim was Abigail Cartwright, and now we’re back to the Rose Killer. Strangled, lured in by the rose petal ruse. It worked this time because Abigail was home. This was his second victim, and they both have a few things in common. We know they were both quite traditional, kept to themselves, and didn’t make a nuisance. But do you know what else they had in common?”
Ripley held up her ring finger. “Divorced.”
“Exactly. We didn’t make the connection because Katherinewasn’tdivorced, but Vanessa was, and Abigail was recently separated. The Rose Killer is targeting traditional women in failed relationships, probably because he’s a traditionalist himself. Remember that Arthur told us Vanessa had gone through a messy divorce, meanwhile Abigail was out celebrating her recent separation. That’s too specific to be a coincidence.”
Her partner looked up to the ceiling, bit her lip. “I’m inclined to agree.”
“All inductive reasoning points to the divorce angle. These women weren’t easy victims. They didn’t have enemies. The killer targeted them specifically because he unearthed that they were divorced. Vanessa’s was apparently local gossip, and he could have met Abigail when she was out celebrating.”
“Right, and now Gail Brookes. Forty-two-year-old councilwoman.Notkilled in her home unlike any of the others.”
“And that’s the Ripper again. This guy sees himself as a missionary. He thinks he’s doing the city a public service by taking out influential, respected women. He claims to be therealDavenport Monster, so he’s aware of the other killer and doesn’t want him taking credit for his murders.”
“Influential women?” Ripley asked.
“Yes. Katherine was a vocal activist for women’s rights. Gail was a high-ranking city official who’d accused the mayor of sexual assault. How is the Ripper finding these women? Easy. What did Katherine do a few weeks ago? What did Grant mention about Gail’s case?”
Ripley tapped a pen between her teeth. “The Ripper watches the news.”
“Bingo. Katherine was on TV. Gail was on TV. Both were outspoken against men. The Ripper is on a mission to rid the city of women who go against the grain. Similar to the Rose Killer, but with enough discrepancies to set them apart. Both killers have two victims each. They’re taking it in turns. Not consciously, that’s just how it’s worked out.”
Ripley stood up out of her chair and moved closer to Ella’s written ramblings. She put her hands on her hips and took it all in piece by piece.
Ella continued, “Oh, and there’s one more thing that confirms this is two separate killers.”
