As Hunter and Garcia came up from the basement into the kitchen, Garcia’s attention moved back to the rose petals on the floor and he let go of a heavy breath.
‘You know?’ he said, his voice sounding tired. ‘A moment ago, when I told the CSI agent downstairs that there would be a reason why this killer had pinned two, full-sized lobsters, to his victim’s thighs…’ He shook his head. ‘I’m not sure if I really believe that, or if that was just me going into “automatic cop-talk”.’
Hunter paused and looked back at him, his stare analytical.
Garcia shrugged. ‘I don’t know, Robert. We have two crime scenes prior to this one and there was no animal, or sea creature, or insect, or any other extinguished life forms other than the victims themselves, and that was already mind-boggling on its own.’ He leaned against the kitchen sink. ‘I’m starting to think that there might not be any meaning behind any of this. What if this killer is just plain nuts, trying to outdo himself with every murder? What if all this… the brutality… the super-complex MO… the quotes he leaves behind… the lobsters downstairs… the crazy, over-the-top kill methods… what if all of this is just to mess with us? Because nowadays, anyone who watches any TV knows that detectives can’t disregard anything that’s found at a crime scene.’ He broadly indicated the rose petals on the floor. ‘And now the killer has chosen a male victim. Another complete jump from what we had.’ Garcia used both hands to scratch his chin. ‘There’s some crazy part of my mind that can actually picture this freak sitting in a room, licking the cream out of Oreos and talking to himself like…’ He put on a silly voice. ‘“I know, I’m going to drop by the supermarket, grab me a couple of lobsters and leave them at the next crime scene. Let’s see what kind of crazy shit the LAPD makes of it.”’
Hunter could easily understand his partner’s frustration, but he also knew that frustration was something that they had to deal with every day. It came with the job. And Garcia knew that too.
‘Hey,’ he asked. ‘Are you OK? Everything alright?’
Garcia pulled down his jumpsuit hood and ran a hand through his hair.
‘Yeah,’ he replied, after a few silent seconds. ‘I’m fine. Just… feeling a little helpless, you know?’ He gestured toward the basement.
‘Yes, I know… and some of those same thoughts have bothered me as well, but all of this seems way too personal for it to be some madman just trying to outdo himself… even the seemingly crazy, over-the-top kill methods.’ Hunter used the fingers in his right hand to indicate the victims. ‘Victims one and three were murdered in two completely different ways, but in their own houses… victim two was also murdered in a very different way, but she was taken away, killed somewhere else, then brought back to her house… why? Why go through all that trouble and risk?’
Garcia took a moment. ‘Because the killer wanted them to die in that specific way. No other way would do.’
‘Exactly,’ Hunter agreed. ‘These crazy, over-the-top kill methods have been specifically tailored to each victim. There’s got to be a reason behind it other than simple madness.’
Garcia nodded. ‘I really hope so, because right now, I feel like I’m the one losing my mind.’ He took a deep breath and recomposed himself. ‘Do you need me upstairs with you?’
Hunter checked the time – 12:33 a.m.
‘No, I don’t think it’s necessary,’ he replied. ‘I won’t be long.’
‘I’ll be outside then,’ Garcia said back, gesturing toward the window. ‘Some of the neighbors are clearly awake, so we might as well have a shot at a few quick questions now. I’ll co-ordinate the efforts with the Sheriff’s Department and the LAPD. Whoever we don’t talk to tonight, we’ll come back to in the morning.’
‘Good idea. I’ll meet you out there in a few.’
Garcia stopped by the kitchen door. ‘You know that it won’t really matter if you warn her or not, right?’ His eyes moved to the ceiling to indicate upstairs. ‘Human curiosity will trump any explanation you give her. No matter how clear.’
Hunter nodded, knowing that his partner was probably right. ‘All I can do is try, Carlos.’
This time, Hunter knew that Garcia had noticed the worry in his voice.