The Kerosene Killer

April 18th (5:30-7:00 AM)

WARNING --- THERE IS A SLUR IN THIS SECTION THAT MAY BE TRIGGERING TO ANYONE AFFILATED WITH LGBTQ. NO OFFENSE IS INTENDED, IT IS ONLY PART OF THE STORY.

5:30 AM

Hazel Falls Police Department

Shepard and Myers are both sitting at their desk in the office. Myers sipped his coffee while leaning back in his chair a look of exhaustion in his eyes. Shepard intently reading the same report over again for the 20th time as if there was a secret hidden in the few paragraphs.

This case reminded him of the last case he had in Atlanta that he was unable to solve. The murder of Rebecca Jacobson. She was a young girl who had just graduated from college and moved to Atlanta to start working as a journalist. She was writing articles for a news company's website; she was working late one night when her office got burnt to the ground. 2 more fires occurred after that, and notes were sent to several other news outlets saying God had told them to start the fires. The women who were burned alive in Atlanta still follow Shepard around. He was unable to solve that case and felt he left them and their family without justice or closure.

He thought about those women and their families as he continued to peer through the papers hoping anything would jump out and hit him, He needed something, how could there be no evidence, what am I missing he thought to himself. Nothing, pure silence swept in. He thought about her necklace shining back at him just a few hours before, wondering if God was real, why he'd let these awful things happen. He didn't want to go down that rabbit hole, it wouldn't help solve this case. He picked up the Styrofoam cup from his desk and gulped his coffee. Stood up walking towards the door leading out of the office, he looked to Myers.

"I'm off to check out the homeless lead by the old mill. Did anything come back from missing persons?" Shepard

"Nope, no missing people the last 4 months in Creek County" Myers

"What about surrounding counties?" Shepard

"No word yet, I did get the autopsy rushed, coroner said he could be done by 5pm but any toxicology report is going to take a week." Myers

"Alright, call me if we get word on a missing girl." Shepard said leaving the room.

6:10 AM

Juniper Street

Hazel Falls

Shepard taking a deep drag on a cigarette drove down the long dark road, Thinking about all the trains that made their way through this town daily. "Follow every lead." He thought to himself, knowing the train companies likely had no information on the victim or a possible stowaway, countless people could sneak on and off a cargo train without being noticed. The old mill had been abandoned for years now, and hoping for a break in any case from a homeless person was a far-fetched idea.

Maybe somebody knew something that could make a difference though. Shepard was used to fighting the sensation of getting his hopes up in situations like these. Only he hadn't really felt this kind of emotional turmoil since leaving APD. The desire to solve this case was starting to grow immensely. This feeling, he'd almost forgotten what it was like. The overwhelming need, an insatiable desire to catch an evil bastard who could do something so cruel to another human being. "It's the little things that matter," He remembered his old Captain reminding everyone of that anytime she spoke.

"It's the little things that matter people, the little things get them caught, the little things get us convictions." Remembering her morning briefings "Follow every lead, no matter how small." He could hear her voice echoing through his mind as he turned onto Mill Road. The short street only led right into the old sawmill, he pulled into the parking lot driving across the large open area seeing all the cracks in concrete, grass seeping its way up through the split ground. He parked on the far side of the lot, near the tree line where the girl's body was found. He walked along the grass between the parking lot and trees examining the mill with a flashlight.