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"Actually, it is," Beth replied. "No one has come to claim her belongings, so we've just left everything as it was."
"Would you mind if I take a look?" Morgan asked, hoping to find something that could help her make sense of the connection between Mildred and the murders.
"Of course, follow me," Beth said, leading Morgan through the dimly lit halls of the retirement home. The distant sounds of snoring echoed through the corridors as they approached Mildred's old room.
The stale air of Mildred's room enveloped Morgan as she stepped inside, the dust particles dancing in the weak beam of her flashlight. She could almost feel the weight of time pressing down on her shoulders, the remnants of a life lived and forgotten scattered around the room.
"Here we are," Beth whispered, her voice barely audible in the oppressive silence. "Her room's just as it was when she passed away."
"Thank you," Morgan replied, her voice equally hushed as she began to search for any clues that might connect Mildred to the case. She carefully examined each item, hoping to find something that would shed light on the enigmatic Cal.
With each fruitless minute that ticked by, Morgan couldn't help but feel a creeping sense of despair. Was this what awaited her at the end of her own life? Alone, forgotten, and surrounded by the dusty relics of her existence?
"Damn it," she muttered under her breath, trying to shake off the cold dread that had settled in her chest. There had to be something here, some connection she was missing.
She stooped to examine the area under the dresser, her body tense with anticipation. That's when she spotted it - a crumpled piece of paper tucked away in the corner, hidden from sight. Her heart beat faster as she realized it was a letter, its ink faded with age. It appeared to be a makeshift will, addressed to someone named Calvin.
Calvin... Could this be Cal? The visitor Beth mentioned earlier? she thought, her mind racing as she scanned the words on the page. The contents of the letter hinted at a deep bond between Mildred and this Calvin, one that went beyond simple friendship.
Morgan's eyes scanned the yellowed paper, her pulse quickening with each line she read. Mildred's words to Calvin were intimate, written with a depth of understanding and compassion that seemed almost out of place for someone who had lived such a solitary life.
Calvin, my dear boy, Mildred wrote, I have always accepted your darkness, and I know how difficult it has been for you to grow up in foster care as an orphan. How cruel it was for your mother to leave you at St. Joseph's Church...
St. Joseph’s Church… where was that? Morgan quickly took out her phone and looked it up. There was one in the city, but another on the outskirts that had been abandoned years ago.
Despite everything, I wish I could have adopted you as my own, the letter continued. I am leaving everything I have to you, my dear Calvin. You brought joy into my life when you lived with me, even though you hated the way I'd clack my teeth.
At those words, Morgan's heart nearly stopped. Teeth. The very thing that had been haunting her investigation was the gruesome hallmark of a killer who preyed on elderly women.
And now, the connection between Calvin and Mildred's teeth became horrifyingly clear.
Morgan's mind raced, putting the pieces together. Calvin, a man with a dark, troubled past, had been visiting Mildred before her death. He despised the sound of her teeth clicking together, and now the FBI was searching for someone who targeted elderly women and extracted their teeth.
"Jesus Christ," she muttered, a cold sweat breaking out across her brow. "It's him."
She knew she needed to act fast to alert Derik and the rest of the team. The weight of the letter in her hand bore down on her, as if it were the key to unlocking a Pandora's box of horrors.
With her pulse pounding in her ears, Morgan pulled out her phone and dialed Derik's number. The dial tone seemed to stretch on for an eternity before he finally picked up.
"Derik, it's me," she said, her voice shaking with urgency. "Johnny isn't our guy. We're looking for someone named Calvin."
"Whoa, slow down, Morgan," Derik replied, his voice thick with sleep. "What are you talking about?"
"Look, I can't explain everything right now, but—" Morgan started, but her words were cut off by the sound of a commotion in the hallway.
She hurried out of Mildred's room, the letter still clutched in her hand, to find Beth frantically rushing between doors, her face pale with worry.
"What's going on?" Morgan asked, her heart clenching with a sudden dread.
"Sarah, one of our residents – she's missing," Beth panted, pausing briefly to catch her breath. "I didn't believe her when she told me, but... she said a man kept breaking into her room at night. And now she's just gone."
"Damn it," Morgan muttered under her breath, her mind racing with the implications. She needed to act fast to find Sarah before it was too late. But what if Calvin was still here? What if he'd been watching her this whole time?
"Listen to me, Beth," she said, her voice low and urgent. "You need to call the police and have them send officers over here immediately. Don't let anyone leave the building."
"Wh-what? Are you saying that—"
"Please, just trust me," Morgan cut her off, her eyes scanning the dimly lit hallway for any signs of movement. "This is important."
