SPLATTER (draft)

Page 42:

"I told I was fine. I don't need time off... I want to be there when we catch him. I owe it to John."

Easter didn't push Casey any further. Coming back to work was a logical decision. She did not understand however, why he felt the need to "owe" John anything.

He was dead.

The living owed nothing to the dead.

Easter tried not to think about any of it, her focus was on solving the case. Figuring out the science. She let Casey go off to secure the premises.

"Did you get a good look? Wilson? Aaron?"

Easter looked up at Mason from where she was inspecting the body. She looked back towards where she had seen the skid marks then back to the body where she used tweezers to lift a strand of hair from the victims jacket.

"No wallet, or ID." She poked at the uniform on the victim. "From his uniform he was an Electrician for the Council. Like Victim 4, his body was mutilated. His hands are missing so even if he is on record I can't get any finger prints. Skid marks and angle of the body suggest he was thrown from a truck. A delivery van." Easter sighed lifting the hair to the light inspecting it before putting it into the evidence bag. "I can't give you any definitive answers until I run the necessary tests Detective Quinn. I can however tell you that this was not our killer." Her voice dropped down so that only he and Aaron could hear her.

"I will only have answers once I get back to the lab. My team will finish off the evidence collection." Easter said standing up. She clutched her Forensic Kit in her hand and looked over to Aaron who still hadn't said anything. "Do you know the victim?" Easter asked curiously.

Easter then turned back to Mason. She nodded at the EMTs who had just arrived. They would deliver the body for further investigation at the lab. There was nothing else Easter could do at the scene.

"I will have Officer Stephens drive me back to the precinct so I can have a report ready for you ASAP."

Easter greeted then walked in the direction of Casey and Benjamin. She heard raised voices both with a hint of tension. As she neared them Easter gently placed a hand on Casey's left arm. It was a brief sign of affection from the scientist before she dropped her hand to her side. "Don't let her rile you guys up. Wouldn't want her misquoting one of you. Abby would do anything for a story. It is all about sensationalism to sell papers." Easter said in a bored tone. She barely looked at the reporter on the other side of the tape, mostly because seeing the woman opened up a can of worms Easter had worked very hard at burying. It was hard to believe they use to be best friends. That was of course until Neil left and Abby used Easter for a story which almost cost the Forensic Scientist's her job. Needless to say they were no longer friends despite how many times Neil tried to convince Easter to forgive Abby.

"Benjamin, do you mind dropping me off at the Precinct? I would like to start running tests on the samples I have collected." She asked only because he was still a Rookie and Casey's experience would be far more valuable to the detectives.

Easter pushed the button in the lift for the basement. The drive back had been quicker than the drive to the crime scene.

The lab was quiet because her team was still at the crime scene. Easter didn't mind the quiet. It allowed her to think. As she neared her office though she realised that she was not alone. She could make out the figure sitting in the glass box that was her office.

He sat at her desk combing through the open filing cabinet. The handle of said draw lay on the desk clearly having been broken off. He hummed the theme song from the 1984 video game; Circus. The man was dressed in a police uniform, complete with cap and baton hanging at his side. It was easy to walk into the police station that was to busy to notice he was not one of their own. It was a bold move but he knew they would be busy.

He grabbed a file and flipped it open. The report was detailed. And he licked his lips in anticipation for more gory detail as he turned the page. He wanted to learn more. The news didn't  have every grizzly detail he needed to pay tribute to the artist laying havoc the city. The man got to Victim number 4. The photos were painted red with blood. It was enough to make him giddy. Putting the file down the man picked up a framed photograph from the desk.  The policeman who had been on the news was standing with 5 other people all smiling. The man frowned. He liked the deconstructed version painted red more. 

"Who are you and what are you doing with my files?"

Easter knew every single cop that worked in the building. Thanks to her photographic memory she could put a name to every face so she immediately knew that the man behind the desk did not work for this office. The genius was quick to access the room for anything else that was out of place. When her eye spied the broken handle to the file draw she immediately knew that the situation was very wrong.

Slipping her hand into her coat pocket she blind dialled the first number that came to mind. Casey.

"You are HIM aren't you?" Easter asked. She looked around her office once more looking for a way to best escape. She couldn't out run him. Men were just naturally faster and she was wearing high heals. She looked for a weapon. Silently cursing herself for leaving her liscenced pistol locked away in her safe.

"You really are quite brilliant Dr Wilson. Your files were very thorough." He said placing the file down and stood up from the desk. Easter backed out of the office and turned to run even if she couldn't make it to the lift she could buy time. The was no such luck. The intruder crossed the office in three quick strides and grabbed her by the arms. Pulling her back into the office and slamming her so hard against the glass wall that her head hit the glass so hard that she saw stars.

Easter hoped that whoever she had dialled would hear the commotion and send help. Alternatively Benjamin would come down any moment with the coffee he said he would bring her.

"You weren't on my list but I will make an exception because you have seen my face. " He clicked his tongue as if he was reprimanding a child. "Your eyes are really magnificent perhaps I will keep them." Easter paled.

"How do you expect to get out of the precinct with Police swarming all over the place." He just laughed in her face. Easter took advantage by lifting her knee to his gut. He doubled over and Easter clawed at his face before trying to make another dash for the door. Her second attempt was foiled when he grabbed her by the pulling her towards him.

Easter felt a sharp pain as he forced a blade into her stomach. She blinked then looked down at his hands wrapped around her silver letter opener. He smiled as he pulled the blade out only to force it back in a second time. He then released her. Easter slid down the wall clutching the letter opener buried in her gut. She couldn't pull it out or she would bleed out? 

Her attacker picked up the files once more and then stepped over her whistling as he made his way out of her office. Leaving her for dead. With the strength Easter had left she withdrew the phone from her coat pocket. Her fingers fumbled the device.

"Casey..."