Back To Her Roots (Book 2 of Fell in Love with the Devil series)

Sin-Eater [3]

"Victim's Adam Wiser, 29," Chloe reported as Ella took pictures of the body "worked as an assistant at a local bank. "Time of death was two hours ago, but apparently he's been missing for almost two days,"

"Ooh, that's a long time on a sex rack," Lucifer marveled.

"Not a record," Maya shrugged. "Ella, we know the cause of death?"

"Well, he's got broken ribs, a ruptured spleen, and possible cranial bleeding, which would all totally suck," Ella noted. "And yet, this dude asphyxiated,"

"He was choked with an apple?" Chloe said.

"No, more like an orchard," Ella released the neck strap to reveal the neck bulging from multiple apples stuffed down his mouth. "We're gonna have to cut him open to get the rest. That's messed up,"

"Certainly brings new meaning to the term 'deep throat'," Lucifer said.

"Why not just kill the guy?" Maya wondered "Why all the pomp and circumstance?"

"Our punisher's clearly sending a message. Perhaps if we find the video the apple boy's apologizing for, we'll know what that message is,"

"Hold this," Maya told Lucifer.

"What are you doing?"

"The original video was filmed on Nick's phone, right? What if Adam's doing the same thing?" Maya looked at the victim's information and dialed the number.

A cell phone rang at the crime scene.

Maya walked up to the dead body where the cell phone was lighting up.

"Careful, Winchester. It might be a booby trap," Lucifer worried.

"You'd know all about those, wouldn't you," Maya muttered under her breath as she picked up the phone. She looked over at Chloe "The video's already cued up." Maya walked over to the team "Look at this,"

The group watched the sex tape.

"Notice anything familiar?" Chloe asked.

"The ball gag's amaranth," Maya nodded. "Just like the apple,"

"So our killer's paying homage to a bloody sex tape?" Lucifer said.

"He's recreating the crimes he's punishing for. First lighting Nick's groin on fire, now this. He's upping his game,"

"Okay, but what's with the outfit?" Ella asked. "I mean, other than giving me super creepy flashbacks to Catholic school, it doesn't add up,"

"And the woman is not wearing one in the video," Maya added.

"She certainly looks too old to be in school," Lucifer noted.

"Unless she teaches at one," Chloe said.

***

"Her name is Sarah Aiken, 27. A third-grade teacher," Maya told Lucifer as they walked side by side.

"Cute," Lucifer said as he looked at the picture.

Maya raised an eyebrow.

"Not hot," Lucifer corrected. "Lower level than you dear,"

"Nice save," Maya mused. "When she broke things off with Adam, he uploaded his revenge porn to Wobble. Some teachers caught wind of it, and she was fired,"

"Well, maybe she took out both Nick and our loathsome ex. You know, no harm, no foul,"

"And no dice. Because she had no connection to Nick. And shortly after she lost her job, she killed herself,"

"What, so our poor sexy teacher is dead, and our apple-chomping schoolboy's responsible?"

"And the only other connection we were able to find is that both victims posted their illicit videos to Wobble,"

"So, maybe some sicko saw both videos and decided to take action,"

"Sicko? Sounds to me like someone's doing our job for us,"

"This isn't hell, Lucifer. We don't exact vengeance,"

"Well, maybe we should. As far as I'm concerned, these little wankers got exactly what they deserved. See you later,"

"Hey! Where are you going? We have to find who did this,"

"Well, I thought someone out there was stealing my job. But far be it from me to stand in the way of excellent work. I'm off for a drink,"