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AS SOON AS HE WALKED into the station, he went straight for the coffee pot. Usually, he avoided the stuff here, but he didn’t have a chance to pick up coffee this morning. When they say cops couldn’t make coffee, they were correct, especially the cops here. Even if you add creamer to it, the coffee would more than likely still be black. The stuff was so thick you needed a spoon to drink it, but he needed the caffeine.
Landry heard the Sheriff calling him and walked over to his office. The walls in here were covered with various awards and certificates he had obtained over the years, all attesting to his worth. There were also several pictures of him shaking hands with mayors as well as other prominent people. Hell, there was even one picture of him with the Governor of Louisiana. Sheriff Tyrell Williams was not only a good cop, but a good man. Landry couldn’t ask for a better boss.
As Landry sat down, he took a sip of his coffee. Not only was it still scalding hot, but the thick taste of the coffee didn’t sit well with him at all. As he waited for Sheriff William to speak, he observed him. Sheriff Williams was a big man. His shoulders were broad and his forearms large. He could have been a professional linebacker. He heard that back in the day he played football and was a formidable opponent. Something happened during his college years that made him reconsider playing football and join the Sheriff’s Office instead. It may have been the NFL’s misfortune, but the Stewart Sheriff’s Office good fortune.
“What do you have for me Landry, and please don’t tell me nothing?”
“Okay, I won’t. I’ve got a victim that has been dead for at least twenty-four hours. The crime scene looks identical to the other crime scenes. The computer techs are printing me out stills of all the women from the surveillance videos so that we can compare them side by side. We interviewed all those working at the hotel the last forty-eight hours to see if they remember anything or anyone. Forensics is combing through the evidence that they obtained at the crime scene. We are waiting for the toxicology report to find out what exactly killed the victim.”
“Damn, so basically this woman once again left us with nothing to work with?”
“Yes, sir, but I am hoping that the computer techs will find a woman who was at the hotels each time a murder occurred. This is our best bet. She uses poisons that aren’t hard to obtain.”
Sheriff Williams asked him, “What does your gut tell you?”
“I only have intuitions, nothing solid. I believe that this woman has no intentions of stopping.”
“Yeah, me, too.”
“I also have a feeling she is just getting warmed up.”
Sheriff Williams stated, “That is not what I want to hear.” He rubbed a hand over his clean-shaven jaw. “The press is all over this.”
“Yes, sir, I had an overzealous journalist waiting outside for me last night. She wanted a one-on-one interview.”
“I hope you didn’t give it to her.”
“You know me better than that, but I don’t see her giving up either. I told her that the public relations department would be releasing a statement, but that didn’t seem to satisfy her.”
“We don’t need them reporting about a serial killer.”
Landry stated, “I believe they have already put it together sir.”
“Be that as it may, I want to keep as much about this case as possible under wraps. This kind of crime could hurt not only local tourism, but the hotel industry as well. Do you happen to have any strategies?”
“We should assign undercover cops at each of the hotels as doormen and let them wear a hidden camera so that we can get our own surveillance. A cop will recognize a familiar face over and over again more than a front desk clerk who only catches a glimpse of a woman as she tries to slip up to the hotel rooms.”
The Sheriff shifted in his chair, as if sitting has become uncomfortable. “You think that will help?”
“Yes, sir, I do. We can instruct the men working undercover exactly what to look for, the possible profile of our killer. She brings several items with her in order to arrange the crime scene, so the officers will know what to be observant of. If a woman comes in with a small purse, then there is no way she is our suspect. She has to come into the hotel with a large purse or small suitcase. Now, if she is getting her own room for the night, then it will be harder for the doorman to place her. If that is the case, though, I will have the computer techs go over the guest names as soon as they finish with their current project.”
Sheriff Williams stated, “If you want cops to go undercover as doormen, then we will do it. This is your case, and you need to handle it as you see fit. If I need to get you the extra manpower in computer forensics I will, just say the word. I need this woman caught before she strikes again. The mayor and city council are breathing down my neck. They are worried that this will hurt tourism.”