𝓶𝓪𝓻𝓪 𝓳𝓪𝓷𝓮 ➢ 𝓼. 𝓻𝓮𝓲𝓭

𝑜𝓃𝑒

Mara was the youngest detective in the state of Texas. Being a woman, everyone assumed she fucked her way to the top but that wasn't the case. She had an aspect not many of the officers there had: passion.

Mara had the passion and will to save as many people as she could through her work. She was one of the most successful detectives in the country. She'd been offered jobs from all around the country, everyone wanted her on their team but she turned them down. She was convinced she belonged at the small station in Texas and nothing bigger.

The cases she got there were predictable, easy to solve. Definitely heavy on the heart but they were easy to learn from. She was a regular officer at the station for about two years before they upgraded her to detective. Being a detective, she had more authority and the ability to help more people.

Mara and her brother, Alex, were some kind of legends in Willow City. Everyone knew them as the survivors of the Fox. An infamous serial killer that left Texas after murdering Mara and Alex's parents, accidentally leaving them alive. He continued killing in other states before stopping when she was eighteen.

She had been the lead detective for roughly a year now. Being in Texas and being a female lead detective, usually didn't go over well with the locals when a crime was committed. Everyone was convinced that a woman couldn't do the job like a man could.

In her case, however, she was better at the job than most of the detective in the surrounding counties. Male detectives.

There was a knock on the door, pulling Mara from her thoughts. "Detective?"

One of her officers came in, a file in hand. "Yes?"

"There was a double homicide in the county over and the other detectives want your opinion."

He set the file on her desk and sent her a soft smile. "Let me know when you're done and I'll fax it over."

"Thank you." She nodded.

Everyone had an overwhelming amount of respect for Detective Tate around here. It was something she built up for two years. She hadn't earned it until she was promoted to detective. Until every officer she worked with watched her exceed their positions. It was something they hadn't expected. Especially from a woman.

She opened the file and immediately was sucked into the horrible pictures. Searching for anything that could give her any hint to what kind of person could have done this. She read over their suspect list, each detail from the coroner, and all the theories the detectives in the other county had.

She dialed the number, tucking the phone between her shoulder and her ear, laying the photos out on her desk. "Kimble County Police Department, how can I help you?"

"I'd like to speech to the Sheriff, please."

"May I ask who's speaking?"

"This is Detective Tate in Willow City, I was looking at the case file on the double homicide over there, I have something that could help."

"Yes ma'am, we're transferring you right over."

"Thank you."

The line cut out for a moment before reconnecting with the Sheriff. "Tate?"

"Yes sir, you sent me the file-"

"Yes, I'm aware."

"I was wondering about their son, it was mentioned in the report but wasn't apart of the suspect list-"

"You think he did it?"

"I'm not sure, have you interviewed him?"

"We didn't think of him as a suspect, he was so torn up by his parents."

Mara furrowed her eyebrows, looking over the crime scene photos. "That could have been an act. If you look at the crime scene photos, there was no sign of a struggle. There was blood on the broken lock-"

"We thought he injured himself breaking in."

"The only blood found at the crime scene were the parents." Mara argued, gathering her thoughts.

"What are you getting at here?" The Sheriff asked.

"Interview the son," she said. "He's a narcissist, play into his ego. Say things like 'we're just trying to find the mastermind that did this,' and 'we want to study his brain.'"

"Why would I do that?"

"If you appeal to his ego then he's going to accidentally give himself away."

"And if this doesn't work, what-"

"It will," she said confidently. "And if it doesn't, I'll come down there myself to help find this guy."

"Thank you."

"Of course," she said, closing the file. "Let me know how this ends."

"Yes ma'am, have a great day."

She hung up the phone, a small smile of victory on her lips. How the Sheriff's attitude went from degrading and angry to respectful and grateful.

How she earned his respect in a matter of moments. She couldn't help but smile at how well she did her job.

There was another knock on the door. "Detective?"

She looked up at one of her officers. "What's wrong?"

"You're gonna want to see this."

Mara furrowed her eyebrows and got up, following them out of her office. He handed her a file and she flipped it open. "Missing flyers?"

"The victims found the flyers before they were murdered," the officer explained to her. "Michelle found this flyer on her front door and brought it to Detective Yarborough in the town over; the husband of a friend of hers but why not bring it to us? We're closer."

"She was confiding in a friend," Mara said to the officer. "He shrugged her off as a Halloween prank but went to check on her later that night. Found more flyers, a mask, and a body two days later."

The officer handed her the photos from the crime scene and her mouth fell agape in shock. "She was sexually assaulted and her face was removed."

"Removed?" Officer Archer asked her, not looking at the pictures. "Maybe it was fish or animals?"

"The M.E said that the edges were smooth, not torn," Mara muttered, looking very closely at the pictures. "And they found water in her lungs."

Archer started to hang the pictures on the wall while Mara held the flyer in her hands. "He likes to torture them psychologically before he tortures them physically."

"Textbook sadist." Someone says from behind her.

She spins around to make eye contact with a boy with brown eyes, a satchel on his hip, and a smile on his lips. Mara furrowed her eyebrows, taking in the boy standing in front of her.

He opens her mouth to ask who he was but an older man stepped forward, opening his wallet and flashing a badge. "I'm Agent Hotchner with the FBI, this is Doctor Reid-"

She shook Agent Hotchners hand before turning to the doctor. He tucked his hand into his pocket and smiled awkwardly. "It would actually be more sanitary if we kissed."

Mara chuckled. "Take me on a date first, pretty boy."

"FBI?" Archer asked from behind Mara.