The Rabbit Hole

Chapter 13

Detective Edwards is buzzing like a bee in his office, doing everything he can to find anything that may lead to finding Heather. He pulled the archived files on earlier abductions that had similar traits to Heather's abduction. Since finding out that she was actually abducted by the same person he's been after, there's been a question circling in his head, one bothersome sense of a missing inkling as to why the killer decided to change his M.O. All the files spread across his table, some on the ground. He walks around his desk and stands at the head of it, rummaging through his endless pile of documents, crime scene photos and an extra pile of much needed paperwork. He flips through a few pages and flings the ones that give him nothing, then he palms his desk, hunched over the table, with his back facing the door. "After months of nabbing and killing his victims all in the same way. Why would he change his way of abduction and do something so brash?" He thinks out loud, failing to notice a guest standing in his doorway. "My guess is, he's escalating. Trying a new way of doing his 'thing'." She says while leaning against the door frame. Edwards turns around to see a suit-wearing woman at his doorway, scanning his office with one brow raised. "What?" He asks. She moves from the door and starts towards his desk then repeats, "He's escalating." Once again and takes in her hand a crime scene photo of the third victim. "You really need to be more clean, Detective." She says while examining the clutter in the office and adds, "This just won't do." With a shake of the head.
"Who the hell are you?" He asks, peeved at her.
"Agent Moira Rennik, of the FBI." A male voice from the doorway introduces the woman. The voice belonging to the Captain of the Baltimore Police Department, Victor Bradshaw. "Captain." Edwards respectively says.
"Sergeant Detective." Bradshaw replies.
"With all due respect, but what's the FBI doing here?"
"The FBI kindly sent one of their best behaviourist to lend us a hand out of my request." Captain Bradshaw explains.
"Your request? You asked them to send one of their robots for help?"
"This "robot" you so bluntly call, is the one that led to the arrests of the dangerous psychopaths who has ever been known to this world." She proclaims.
"Yeah, no one needs to know about the adventures you so loudly like to mention in your résumé." Edwards says. She breathes out a cynical laughter and adds, "wow."
"Sergeant Detective!" Bradshaw roars, "This woman standing before you is a government Agent and you will show her the respect she deserves." Silence befalls the tension filled room. "Now, I called for Agent Rennik's expertise on cases such as this one. You may be too proud to admit the fact that this criminal has got you stumped, you have no idea what's his next move. I brought in Agent Rennik to fill in the blanks." Bradshaw gestures for the agent to talk.
"Thank you, Captain. Now let me start off by saying that I'm not here to step on anyone's toes, I'm only here to help you find this son of a bitch."
"Fine. Maybe an extra pair of eyes can see something that I can't." Edwards admits.
"Fill me in. What's this maniac's way of kill." She asks while staring at the document-filled table. Both Edwards and Captain Bradshaw go around to attain a better view of the clutter of papers on the table, the Captain trying his best not to trample on any documents but to no avail.
"He nabs his victims at places which usually seem to be occupied by a lot of people, he finds a way of isolating them and then goes in. After the abduction, he would usually leave the victims shoes in a perfect position. Then after three days of disappearance he discards the victims in holes his dug up and places them with nothing on but a rabbit's mask."
"Hmm. What's his usual way of killing?" She asks while tapping her chin with an index finger.
"Post mortems say the bruises are consistent with strangulation."
She takes in a deep breath and releases, paces around the room, nothing but the sound of pages as she walks around and steps on them. "Personal," she says in an audible whisper.
"What?" Edwards asks.
"Up close and personal. His kills are related to something that happened in his past. A trauma he keeps on reliving through his victims. He does it so he can feel the lives of each of his victims wither away." She explains.
"You're saying that this bastard had a horrible past that makes him do what he does?" Edwards asks cynically.
"That's precisely what I'm saying."
"Then I should also explain that he rapes his victims. Sometimes repeatedly."
"Sexual too? That's not good. That's really not good."
"Well we know that, Agent, but would you like to tell us why you think it's not good." The Captain voices his question.
"Because he's not reliving his trauma out of impulse, he's trying to recreate it. He wants to relive it over and over. My guess is that he loves the feeling it gives him, he won't stop."
"Well we should work fast in finding him because today is the third day. By this time tomorrow, we're going to find Heather Brooks' body laying in a hole." Edwards says.
"Well good luck. If there's anything you need me to do, just say it." Bradshaw says.
"Thanks, Captain."
"Oh and Edwards." Bradshaw swings around to face Edwards.
"Sir?"
"Clean this damn office." He orders and walks out. Edwards chuckles it off.
"I agree with him." Agent Rennik voices her opinion.
"Yeah whatever, Agent Rennik."
"Moira, please. "Agent Rennik" sounds too formal."
"Okay, then."
"And another thing. Her friends and family, I'd like to have a chat with them."
"The kidnapped victim's family? Why?"
"Because, I haven't had a chance to meet them." She grabs Edwards' coat from behind his chair and hands it to him as she walks out. Edwards stands in place for a while and watches as she walks out. He breaths out an annoyed sigh as he follows.