Inked by death

Chapter three

When Cal and I get back to the station we first get a coffee before heading up to the seventy-seventh division, our division. And let me tell you the coffee they brew up there, it ain't good. So thank the lord for the little careteria on the ground floor. When we get out of the elevator I immediately walk to the captain's office and knock. 'Come in.' I open the door and take a seat patiently waiting till he is done typing something on the computer which for the record might take a while, he is not the fastest in the department if you get what I mean. He clicks on a few things before focusing his attention to me. 'How can I help you det. Gray?' 'It's him Sir, we're certain. It's his M.O. and he left his calling card on both the victims again.' I feel my own scar pulsating at just the thought of it. I take a deep breath before I continue talking. 'We have learned someting new today. We know how he subdues his victims. He uses some kind of gas that will knock you out.' The captain takes off his glasses and is intrigued. 'That is certainly new.' 'I would like to assemble a team Sir, specifically designed to catch this sick bastard.' He sighs. 'I'd figure you would so I already put in a request for you.' At the same moment the fax in his office comes to life. The captain stands up and walks to it to get the paper. 'Looks like our request is approved. I do feel I have to warn you det. Gray. The only reason I am letting you work on your own case is because I trust your partner to hold you back or stop you when necessary. On that point take anyone you need and spare no cost. I want this asshole caught and I want it yesterday.' The captain ens his speech there, letting me know that I can leave. 'Alright Sir, thank you. We're going to do everthing no matter what it takes.' 

I start walking towards my desk. I grab a nearby agent and tell him to get all the tattoo killer files to conference room one. I see Cal reading the file. 'I don't understand how he chooses his victims.' He says while looking at me as I sit down. 'Well let's find out, shall we. I got the taskforce approved from the captain so we're good to go.' The agent that I asked to get all the files walks towards me. 'I got all the tattoo killer files. There in conference room one.' 'Thank you officer.' I get up and so does Cal. We make our way to the conference room. Cal closes the door after he is inside the room and we look at all the boxes stacked in the room. 'We better get some more coffee.' Says Cal, 'We got a lot to go through.' At the same time four more officers enter the room. The oldest steps forward. 'Good afternoon ma'am, we have been assigned to your case. How can we help?' My face drops. 'People really need to stop calling me ma'am, I'm thirty-one for god's sake.' I mutter under my breath. The officer is still looking at me, with a slightly weirded out look on his face now. I clear my throat. 'Right yes, you can get started on those files. Try and find a connection between the victims. Cal and I will be right back. Oh and please don't call me ma'am, I'm pretty sure your older than me.' He grins. 'You could say that ma'am... sorry det. Gray.' I sigh. This is going to be a long day. 

Cal and I take the elevator downstairs and order six coffees. I take out my wallet before Cal stops me. 'Let me buy them this time. It'll be my treat ma'am.' I look at him highly annoyed and shove him away. He laughs out loud and stumbles back. I take the coffee from the cafeteria lady before leavin him behind laughing his ass off. I make my way back to the elevator and push on the seventy-seventh button and let the door close just before his face. 'Take the stairs. It'll be good for you.' I yell just before they close. Looking at his shocked face makes it all better. Back at the conference room the officers are busy looking for a connection. I walk in and give them all a coffee. A while later Cal storms in. The officers look up at the commotion, not sure what to do considering Cal isn't exactly small. 'Thanks for the work out. I'm ready to start looking for some clues, now that I had time to clear my head. Walking up all those stairs.' All four officers are looking confused as hell. 'Did you really take the stairs?' Ask one of them. 'He could use the exercise. With his fat ass.' I say holding back laughter. 'Fat ass? Fat ass?! Ma'am, I don't have a fat ass. How can you say that about my beautiful behind.' Cal says slighty hurt. I stand back up. 'Oh no you didn't.. You want a piece of me old man!' I throw back. 'Ohhhhh okay so now I got a fat ass and I'm old!' Cal shouts. 'Well I could make a comment about your last name if you'd like?' I reply. His mouth drops open 'You wouldn't..' The oldest officer interrupts Cal before he can say anything else. 'Do you guys need the room?' Sarcasm dripping heavily. 'No we're fine.' I say as I'm getting myself back together. 'Right let's focus bach on the case. 'Did you find anything interesting?' 'What in the five minutes you were gone?' The youngest officer tries to chip in. I look at him with a stern face. 'Sorry ma'am.' He apologizes. 'For god's sake! I give up.' I say while throwing me hands up in the air. 'Just accept it V.' Says Cal.

Once we're all calmed down a bit, we contine looking through the files hoping we find something that can help us solve this case. After an hour one of the officers says that he may have found something. 'What is it?' I ask him. 'I don't know for sure if it is something but I noticed that the killer always let's the caucasion person live and kills the one from a different ethnicity.' 'Well that is indeed something.' I say. 'Cal can you take out the pictures from each of the files from the couples?' He ruffels through all the paper and picks out a picture from each file before laying them out in a row. I can hear the three youngest officers gasp. I look at the table and understand why. In the row of pictures you can clearly see a picture of me and my late husband. The same picture I still have on my nightstand. One of the officers tries to be brave and asks. 'Det. Gray? Why is there a picture with you and your husband there?' I look at him. 'What's your name officer?' He gulps thinking he is gonna het written up. 'Officer Milton ma'am.' 'Well officer Milton since you were the only one brave enough to ask I shall answer. Six and a half yours ago me and my husband were also victims of this man.' 'How did you get this case if I may ask?' Says officer Milton. 'After I was released it turned out that I was pregnant so I stayed home for about two years to recover from the horrible things that happened and to take care of my daughter. So the case was passed on to another detective who worked on it for two more years, but after a while the murders stopped and no new leads came in. So it became a cold case.' I say. Cal takes over and continues. 'When I heard there was a nurder that involved an interracial couple I asked for the case because I thought that detective Gray would like to het back on track.' 'I sure do Cal. I want nothing more than to catch this bastard. Especially after everything he had done.' I say to officer Milton. Everyone is quiet after that. Taking it all in. 'Okay y'all let's get back to it.' Everyone gathers around the pictures and it seems that officer Milton was right. In every case it's always the caucasion person that gets to live. 'Good catch Milton. So besides the fact that the tattoo killer is a sick bastard he is also a racist.' 'But why?' Another officer asks us. 'That I don't know, but I would like to find out.'

Soon enough it's getting darker outside, so I call a good thai place to have some food deliverd. Everyone is working on a single file, reading it back to back and making notes as they read. Fresh eyes, this is good. Cops have the tendency to go over something over and over until they lose the big picture. Soon enough I get a call from the front desk downstairs telling me that the food has arrived. I stand up and walk towards the door. Cal looks up worried, I walk past him and put my hand on his shoulder. 'I ordered some food, I'll be right back.' I keep my voice low so as to not disturb the others and after he nods I make my way downstairs. While downstairs I grab some more coffee, pay for the food and take the elevator back up. The moment I walk back in all five heads shoot up at the smell of the food. 'Let's eat boys.' We all eat in silence when there suddenly is a knock on the door. I stand up to open it and an officer stands before me. 'I have the toxicology report ma'am.' I take it from him and thank him before closing the door. I sit back down and open the package as Cal comes to stand behind me. The others are waiting patiently for the information. I quickly read it through and my suspicions are confirmed. He uses gas. Nitrous-oxide to be exact also known als laughing gas. 'Okay boys, it is confirmed by forensics that he indeed used some kind of gas to subdue his victims, in this case laughing gas. It knocks them straight out. So we need to find out where he is getting that has and how his is using it.' Cal chimes in. 'For now let's call it a night. It's late and everyone is tired.' 'Cal is right. Everyone head home and get some good night's sleep. I will see you here tomorrow again bright and early.