Anica ran through the rain. There was a couple deaf guys in Hannon, but only one that she knew of that was mad about the fact that others who could listen, didn't. Jasper Golding.
He had been born deaf, but his parents had gotten him an implant before he even turned a day old. Then a couple months ago his implant had started to not work, and he needed a new one but his insurance wouldn't cover it and he didn't have enough money. It was a real sore spot.
Then he had got into a car accident that befuddled his brain causing him to have speech problems. With his failing hearing he couldn't hear the sounds so he couldn't fix it and his befuddled brain didn't remember how each one went. It made him very frustrated.
But he wouldn't seriously kill someone would he? He was a nice guy, who worked doing online gigs, with a little bit of a temper. He almost never came outside and enjoyed not being around other people.
Anica had written an article about him, to help raise money for a new implant, but it had never made it to the paper. She had another story come to light which was better and she hadn't had a chance to post it since. Which meant she did all that stalking for pretty much nothing. It was in a folder with other articles that of she ever had a bad week she could just send in and not worry about it.
The more Anica thought about it the more she saw simularities between Jasper and the profile. It was kinda sad. She would have never thought of him at all, except that Heather, the first victim was working as his speech therapist.
That woman and that job should have never met. She couldn't understand a person speaking regularly let alone someone trying to learn who couldn't hear them self talk. Anica didn't have a hard time picturing a frustrated Jasper and a ignorant Heather who just kept saying he was doing it wrong. Then Jasper pulling out a pocket knife... It was sad. Jasper was a nice guy.
Right?
Anica slowed to a walking pace. Maybe she should turn back and inform the FBI, but then if it wasn't him and they busted down his door... People already judged him. They wouldn't let him get off the hook for being a killer even if he wasn't.
She had a twenty minute walk to Jaspers to endure so she continued to walk. The more she thought about it the more conflicted she got. There was no way he could be the killer, but it made perfect sense.
Anica shook her head causing her wet hair to whip back and forth. She shoved Jasper Golding to the back of her mind and thought about something else. Like the article she was suppose to have written by tomorrow....
She thought about writing about the serial killer. His profile, his MO, his ness, but everyone would be on that for the most part. And it might not be such a good idea to let the killer know that the police knew so much about him. Then she thought about writing memorials about the victims but then agin everyone else was already doing that....
Anica mulled it over. Everyone was reporting on the death and carnage. What people need was a bit of light. Even though she's been ordered to write about the case... Or something to do with it... Anica had a lightbulb moment.
She would write about the people holding the case. The BAU. The people of Hannon had a right to know who was working to catch the ear thief, or whatever the frick frack they were calling him.
The more she thought about her idea the more she loved it. She would talk about them as a whole team. Not individually... Even though she would not mind digging into the life of Derek Morgan. Like for example: did he have a girlfriend? Or worse. A wife?
He wasn't wearing a ring... But Anica dad had never worn his... Then Anica realized that she had checked to see if he had been wearing a ring... She had done that. What? Then there was the butterflies she'd felt when he walked over to talk to her after the debriefing.
Anica blinked and told herself that they were just the usual butterflies of being someplace she wasn't suppose to be and on the verge of getting caught. She was totally kidding herself.
She thought about her article and Derek Morgan the rest of the way to Jasper's.
Jasper lived in a small house. His garage was open and his truck was parked out front. Anica reached to the small of her back and pulled out her gun.
She was an American citizen. She did have her concealed carry permit, and going into a potential serial killer's home was the perfect time to turn off her safety.
Anica also put a round in the camber then stuck the gun back in her pants, better to be safe than sorry.
She walked up to his front door and knocked. Then waited. There was no answer. She tested the doorknob. It was unlocked.
She debated for a long while. Did she go in? Did she not? It wasn't the moral wrong that it was to walk into somebody else's home that held her back. She had done that plenty. (No breaking and entering or stealing. Mind you.) It was the potential of being in the same house as a serial killer that had her stopped.
Anica shook it off and opened to door. She could almost hear all the people watching her life screaming at her not to.
"Hello? Jasper?" Anica yelled. She had talked to him before. It wouldn't be that weird to just start up a conversation.
Also Jasper might've not heard the knock on the door but he defiantly would have heard her yell for him.
She moved though his house. The more she was there the more comfortable she became.
"Now where would a serial killer put ears?" Anica talked to herself to cut through the silence in the home, "the fridge perhaps?"
She walked to the fridge and opened it. There wasn't much in it. Just some plastic wrapped leftovers and some beer bottles.
"Nope." She closed it and opened the freezer, which was absolutely empty, "nope. Things look good for Jasper."
Then she walked to the living room. There was a set of couches and a coffee table. Beer bottles were strewn across the floor.
Anica frowned. A month or so ago, before the crash, Jasper had hardly ever drank. He did keep one or two in his fridge but never enough to trash his living room with. Also he tended to be a little bit of a neat freak, or at least he has been when Anica came over to talk to him.
He had even added a little mini fridge.
Anica went to open it, expecting more beer bottles. She was already thinking along the lines of; Jasper isn't the killer he is just a sad man who really needs help and a good friend.
She opened the mini fridge and immediately shut it, gagging. There is nothing worse than the smell of decaying flesh.
Anica cover her nose with her shirt than opened the fridge again.
Inside was four sets of ears and what Anica had to guess was what was left of the first victims that aren't so cleanly cut off.
"Waht a'e oo doing hee?"
Anica spun around. Jasper stood there and steak knife in hand.
