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"God damn it," she muttered under her breath, clenching her jaw and fighting back the wave of anger threatening to consume her. She glanced up at Derik, her dark eyes burning with determination. "We need to find this monster before they strike again."
"Agreed," said Derik solemnly, nodding in agreement. "We'll go over everything we have on the case again, see if there's anything we missed. We'll find them, Morgan. I promise."
Morgan took a deep breath, steadying herself before standing up and following Derik out of her office. There was no time to waste; they had a killer to catch, and she wouldn't rest until justice was served.
***
The sun's rays streamed through the windshield, casting a warm golden light over Morgan and Derik as they navigated Dallas's bustling morning traffic. Morgan gripped the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles turning white as she weaved through the congested streets. Despite passing out at her desk, it was the best sleep she'd had in a while. No nightmares, just... darkness. Exactly what she needed. Her mind was still a bit foggy, but she felt refreshed enough to focus on the case.
"Damn traffic," Derik muttered, drumming his fingers against the dashboard impatiently. "I can't believe this killer is still out there."
"Neither can I," Morgan replied, her voice somber. She glanced at him briefly before returning her attention to the road. "We need to piece together the puzzle that is this psychopath."
As their car inched forward, Morgan's mind wandered. She couldn't help but wonder why the killer was leaving feathers on the bodies. What did it mean to him? Clearly, he had some sort of fascination or affiliation with birds. Morgan internally recalled a time when she was young, and her father would take her hunting.
"Hey," Derik said, breaking the silence, "you seem lost in thought. You alright?"
Morgan sighed, furrowing her brow as she stared out at the sea of cars ahead. "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking about the feathers. Why is he leaving them on the bodies?"
"Good question," Derik replied, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe it's a symbol of some kind, something personal to the killer."
"Maybe," Morgan agreed, her thoughts drifting back to her childhood hunts with her father. They would walk for hours through the woods, tracking birds and other small game. The memories were bittersweet; her father had taught her so much during those outings, but it also reminded her of the distance that had grown between them over the years.
"Let's just focus on finding this killer," Derik said, determination filling his voice. "We'll figure out the meaning behind the feathers in due time."
Morgan nodded, steeling herself for the task ahead. She would not let this killer continue to wreak havoc and claim innocent lives. As the traffic began to move more freely, she pressed down on the accelerator, speeding toward their next lead with a renewed sense of purpose.
As the Dallas traffic inched along, Morgan's eyes remained focused on the road ahead, but her thoughts were far away. The sun cast a warm glow on her face, highlighting the lines etched by years of stress and determination.
"Hey, Morgan," Derik said, glancing at her with concern. "You seem really deep in thought. What's going on?"
Morgan hesitated for a moment before deciding to open up. After all, Derik was the only other person who truly knew her father. "It's just... these feathers the killer is leaving behind. They remind me of when my dad used to take me hunting."
"Really?" Derik asked, his green eyes reflecting genuine interest. "I didn't know you guys did that."
"Yeah," Morgan replied with a small smile. "We hunted pheasants and quails mostly. I remember those times fondly, you know? My dad taught me so much during those trips."
Derik nodded, encouraging her to continue.
"But there was this one time," she went on, her voice growing more somber, "when I accidentally shot a crow. I can still see the blood on its feathers like it was yesterday. My dad told me that day that it's wrong to kill crows—they're intelligent creatures capable of experiencing pain and suffering." She paused, swallowing hard as the connection between the unfortunate victims of this case and her memory became more evident.
Derik reached over and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Thank you for sharing that with me, Morgan. I know it must be tough to think about."
Morgan nodded, grateful for Derik's understanding. It felt good to talk about it, to let the memories out and share them with someone who understood. "I just can't shake the feeling that the feathers mean something more than just a symbol. The killer has a connection to birds, I'm sure of it."
"I agree," Derik said, his tone serious. "We need to look into any suspects with a known fascination with birds. It could lead us to our killer. Maybe he sees himself as some kind of predator, like a bird of prey. And his victims are his prey."
Morgan's mind raced with possibilities as she considered Derik's theory. It made sense, in a twisted sort of way. The killer could be acting out some kind of primal urge to hunt and kill, like a predator stalking its prey.
"I think you're onto something," she said, a fire igniting in her eyes. "We need to dig deeper into this angle and see where it leads us."
Derik nodded in agreement, his own eyes fueled with the same determination as Morgan's. "Let's do it," he said, his voice resolute.
She nodded in agreement. But first, they had to get to the new crime scene and see what it could tell them.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Morgan's heart pounded as they arrived at the crime scene—an apartment building surrounded by a chaotic swarm of reporters. As she parked the car, she took a deep breath and mentally prepared herself for the onslaught of questions that would inevitably come their way. With a determined nod to Derik, she opened the door and stepped out into the fray.
