Kenzie crouched on the ground at a local park, where a young girl lay still on the grass. She was on the phone with Patrick.
"Morning, Kenz," he greeted.
"Hey. You close?" asked Kenzie.
"No. Flat tire."
"Ok. Well, we can talk when you get here."
"Oh, wait a minute. Just 'cause I'm not there doesn't mean I can't be of help."
Cho walked up to her. "Hold on." She turned to him. "What do you got?"
"Victim's name is Michelle Karp..." Kenzie put Patrick on speaker. "19. She left the restaurant where she worked around 11 PM. Never made it home. Looks like she was abducted and murdered. Her body was dumped here sometime late last night. Dog walker found her an hour ago."
"Thanks." Cho walked away. "All right. The body's on State Park land near a picnic area not far from the road."
"How was she killed?" asked Patrick.
"Um, her throat was slit. It looks pretty clean, precise."
"Mm. Blood?"
"Hardly a drop. She's fully clothed, so probably no sexual assault. Her hands and feet are bound with wire. Small pebbles have been placed on her eyes."
"Huh, nice touch. Pebbles from the crime scene?"
"It looks like it, yeah."
"It's knotted. Neatly, carefully."
"Yeah. Someone took their time."
Kenzie kept staring at the body. Her gut was telling her, practically yelling at her, that this wasn't a normal homicide. This is the work of a serial killer. She would know.
"Yeah, you're right."
Kenzie blinked rapidly, taking out of her thoughts. "I didn't say anything."
"No, but you were thinking something. You were thinking, whoever did this has killed before many times."
"Yeah, but I can't assume that."
"Trust your instincts, Kenz."
Rigsby walked up to her. "Hey, Kenzie. Just got off the phone with Fresno PD. The killer's MO fits four other murders they've had in the past 18 months. Looks like we've got a serial killer."
"Huh? See?"
🙂
The team made it back to headquarters. They sat in the bullpen, where Rigsby explained their evidence for the case.
"Here's what we got so far," he said. "The San Joaquin killer abducts young girls, all between the ages of 16 and 20. He takes them to a location where he binds their hands and feet with wire, then cuts their throat before dumping the bodies.
"Small objects found near the crime scene are placed over their eyes... pebbles, pieces of glass, and bottle caps so far."
"Any pattern to where the bodies were found?" asked Teresa.
"No, it seems random, but we–"
"Fresno PD did say that all of the girls were taken at opportune moments, often the only time of day that they were left alone, meaning he stalks them before he kills them."
"Does Fresno PD have a suspect?" asked Kenzie.
"Yep."
Rigsby turned the whiteboard around. Eight different pictures were plastered all over. Her eyes widen with surprise. "Eight suspects?"
YOU ARE READING
I Bet on Losing Dogs - Patrick Jane
Fiksi Penggemar"I bet on losing dogs, I know they're losing, and I'll pay for my place by the ring, Where I'll be looking in their eyes when they're down, ...
