Carver

Chapter Seven- Memories

Sarah’s nose was virtually touching the papers on her desk as she poured over the police report from the latest crime scene. Everything was pointing her in the direction of a sadistic person who enjoys chasing his victims before slashing their throats. A person who was using Caucasian women with black curly hair as surrogates. Yet again, Sarah found herself no further forward. This killer was meticulous, ensuring that he left no trace of evidence on his victims. Sarah lifted her head and peered over the top of her desk, past her name plate to Luke at his desk, whose brow was furrowed in concentration as he stared intently at his computer screen. A pen was clenched between his teeth, partially resting against his bottom lip. His left hand maneuvered the mouse whilst the fingers on the other hand drummed against the desk in frustration. Sarah straightened in her chair and tucked the report back into the manila folder. She pressed her palms to her desk and pushed herself up to her feet. Perhaps Luke would fare better with a second pair of eyes to study the CCTV footage from the shop directly opposite the back alley.

Sarah quietly made her way past the bustling desks in the bullpen. The other agents were heavily wrapped up in other tasks to notice their chief passing by. Sarah slipped into the break room. She was relieved to find the coffee pot refilled. She flicked the switch on the machine to power it on, a red light indicating that it was about to work its magic on the caffeinated goodness. Sarah retrieved her usual mug from the cupboard above her head and a blue FBI issue mug. She gently set them down on the counter. She drummed her fingertips against the counter top as the coffee machine bubbled and hissed to her left. Sarah’s eyes stared at the battered cupboard door as her mind drifted.

Sarah lay amongst the sand, eyes closed and sun bleaching down on her pale skin. Her hands were clasped behind her head. A silhouette blocked out her sun, causing her to open one eye and peer questioningly at the cause of the shadow. A handsome man with blonde curly hair that hung over his forehead but neatly trimmed at the back and sides hovered over her, a pearly white smile bearing back at her. He wore a pair of floral beach shorts and his toned muscles rippled. Sarah smiled at him.
“Danny...” she sighed happily. Danny lay down next to her, arm curled around her waist and drawing her in close. His cologne tickled her nostrils. Sarah rested her palm against his angular cheek.
“I love you, Sarah Carver.”
“I love you too, Danny Fairfax.”

Sarah was abruptly snapped out of her thoughts by the coffee machine giving out its final hiss. A swell of sorrow tightened around her chest. It had been six months. Six months since her beloved was taken away from her. One hundred and eighty two days since the drunk driver took away an innocent life and left Sarah permanently scarred by grief. Survivor’s guilt was what the therapist had told her. Guilt. Sarah felt that by the truckload every single damned day. Danny had surprised her at the office with lunch and a bouquet of deep red roses and was on his way home when the truck barrelled through a red light and plowed into the side of his sedan. They had been set to marry in a matter of weeks before that fateful day.

Sarah’s features hardened as she poured the steaming coffee into the mugs before setting the coffee pot back into the machine. She added a generous helping of sugar to her own coffee from the tins in front of her, then quietly opened the fridge to retrieve the milk. She poured some milk into her own coffee and returned the carton of milk to its place in the door of the fridge. Sarah rested her palms against the counter and bowed her head. With a sigh, she gathered up a mug into each hand and made her way back to Luke. Another agent was heading in Sarah’s general direction, nose buried deep in a manila folder. Luckily, Sarah had the wherewithal to take a side step and dodge the oncoming woman and potential coffee calamity. Sarah sidled up to Luke’s desk where he was still deep in concentration at the CCTV footage on his screen. She perched on the edge of the desk and set the mug of coffee down in front of him. Luke’s eyes shifted from the screen to the mug, then up to Sarah who was smiling down at him. Despite her smile, there was a sadness lingering there in her  green orbs. Luke looked exhausted. He had dark circles around his youthful eyes and the stubble had grown thicker on his chiseled jaw. Sarah grasped her mug between her hands and brought it up to her lips.
“How’s it going?” she asked, a smile dancing on her lips. Luke leaned back in his swivel chair and ran his hands through his shaggy hair.
“Nothing from the nail bar and I’ve barely made a dent in the footage from the convenience store.”
“How about we look together?” Sarah had a playful expression on her face. Or was it lust? Luke raised his eyebrows at her and turned back to the screen. He clicked the play button on the video. Sarah shifted herself so that she was positioned behind him, leaning over his shoulder. Luke swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. Sarah was close. Very close. Coffee. She smelt of coffee. Sarah could smell his musky cologne. They watched the grainy footage on the screen, eyes darting around at the various people passing the store. Luke knotted his brows in concentration. Sarah’s breath hitched in her throat.
“Wait! Rewind it a little.” Luke clicked on the arrow to take the video back a few frames, “There! There’s our vic.” Luke leaned in closer, his tie draped across the keyboard.
“She’s running and a dog trips her up,” added Luke.
“And then she ducks down behind the dumpster,” responded Sarah, pointing her middle finger at the rectangular shape just in shot on the screen.
“This looks like our guy.” A figure appeared on screen wearing all black and a ski mask on, “He looks like he could easily be six foot tall and a hundred and eighty pounds.”
“Muscular build. He goes into the alley after her and boom.” Sarah stood up straight, eyes still fixed to the screen.
“So what does this tell us?” Luke turned in his chair and angled his head up to face Sarah. Sarah glanced down at him, the playful smile still dancing on her lips.
“That he’s six foot tall and a hundred and eighty pounds?” Luke pursed his lips and folded his arms across his chest indignantly. Sarah’s eyes twinkled as she brought the cup to her lips again and sipped her coffee. The pair stared at one another, eyes locked in a battle of wills. The concentration was broken by the sound of Sarah’s cell phone ringing. She fished it out of her pocket, her mug cradled in her other hand, and held it to her ear.
“Carver.”
“Good afternoon, Agent Carver. I have completed the autopsy. As with our previous victim, Ms Smith appears to have been chased and fallen as evidenced by the abrasions to her knees. Same MO. Single, clean laceration to the throat severing the carotid and jugular. No ligature marks. Tox screen showed alcohol in her system. Not as high a level as our previous victim but too high for the legal drink-drive limit.” The words hit Sarah like a punch in the gut.
“Thanks, doc.” Sarah sighed and hung up the call. She pushed her phone back into her jeans pocket. Luke had been watching the exchange and the change in Sarah’s demeanor. It was as if the walls were visibly building around her.
“Sarah?” Sarah looked down at Luke, the twinkle gone from her eyes and a stone cold hardness in her features. As quickly as she hardened, Sarah’s face softened again. Luke knew immediately that the medical examiner’s words had triggered a memory in Sarah, “Sarah? Are you okay?” Sarah nodded morosely and stared into her half cold mug of coffee, “You remember you can talk to me, right?”
“I know. Let’s just find this bastard.” Luke studied Sarah’s face, desperately trying to read her thoughts. His eyes narrowed.
“What are you thinking?”
“Undercover. Set a trap for him. So far he has killed every two days. We have forty eight hours before he kills again.” Luke wrinkled his brow in thought, fingers curled under his chin and his elbow resting on his other arm that was draped across his abdomen.
“Who would you assign? None of the other female agents have undercover experience, and they sure as hell don’t match his victimology.” Sarah’s playful smile returned. Luke instantly realized what Sarah was implying, “Sarah! You can’t be serious?” Sarah turned and stalked away to her own office, heels clicking on the floor and her hips swaying seductively. Luke pursed his lips in frustration as he watched her disappear into her office.