Daddy Issues

"Alright guys listen up," The Sargent's booming voice made everyone else in the room grow quite. "This is Detective Xavier Rodriguez, he is the lead detective on the Asbury Serial killer case."

Detective Rodriguez was a tall, built man, with short brown hair, and a bruiting face. "Hello officers, it's a pleasure to be working with all of you," He stated, looking out at his new team. "As you know the Asbury killer has killed up to 10 victims. 4 men and 6 women from Asbury and neighboring towns. The female victims are young, blondes, early twenties, very similar facial qualities. The male victims seem to be rich, powerful men, usually in their late thirties. Our profiling team believes the perpetrator, or perpetrators are targeting their victims based on an earlier traumatic event. The victims probably represent parents or other close family members. The culprit's are probably someone you wouldn't expect. They seem to blend in well with society, but underneath they are a sociopath, so if we find them, they will not go down without a fight, if we are put in the situation you have authorization to shoot at will."

There was a forceful knock at Xavier's office door. "Detective, there is an Alia Grazen to see you," one of the officers said.

"Not now, I'm reviewing files," Xavier said not looking up from the papers scattered on his desk.

"She's the wife of the most recent victim," she added. "She says she has some more information."

Xavier looked up, "Send her in."

A tall, long legged woman, with long brown hair walked into the office. Xavier was breath taken. "Hello, detective," She said taking a seat at the end of the desk. "Welcome to our little town of horrors."

"Thank you," he replied. "So Mrs. Grazen, what can I do for you?"

"Well Detective..."

"Detective Xavier Rodriguez." He said holding his hand out to shake.

She shook his hand. "Well Detective Rodriguez, I was going through my husbands phone records and I noticed a strange amount of calls to an unknown number." She dug in her purse and pulled out the phone records. She handed them to Xavier, who pretended to look through them. "A few weeks ago I accused Michael of cheating, of course he refused to admit it. I noticed the same number called him ten minutes before he was killed."

Xavier looked over the papers and at Alia. She flirtily smiled back at him. "Mrs. Grazen, where were you when your husband was killed?"

"What are you saying?" She asked still smiling.

"Well you have a motive; unfaithful spouse... rich unfaithful spouse," he said looking up at her.

"My daughter and I were having a Disney princess movie night. Whoever had my husband must have gotten sloppy because he escaped and made it back to the house and died on the living room floor," She replied, losing her smile. "my baby girl had to see that."

"I'm sorry," he replied, suddenly feeling bad.

She wiped a tear away. "It's fine, I just wish this was less..." she laughed a sad laugh. "I don't know."

"How about this," he reached across the desk and grabbed her hand. "How about just you and me go and get coffee and talk about in a less, hectic environment."

She sniffled. "That sounds good."

The two of them swapped stories over a pile of pancakes. Alia laughed as Xavier finished his crazy ex-girlfriend story. "So what happened to her?"

"Uh, she left the country," he lied.

"Oh nice," she giggled again, picking up her coffee. After taking a sip she set it down and sighed. "Look at me, having a coffee with another man, when my husband just died. Shame on me."