“We’ve been getting calls all night about possible missing women,” Lincoln said. “Five different women, four of them Vandy students. We had to chase them all down.
“Two were from parents who hadn’t talked to their daughters in a couple of days. Happily, both of them called back to say they’d gotten in touch. One was a roommate who’d gotten concerned when her friend didn’t come home, but that one showed up drunk and sound asleep at the Pi Kappa Alpha house this morning.”
“That takes care of the four Vandy girls. Who’s the fifth?”
“Pro who calls herself Mona Lisa. She’s working with that program over at St. Augustine’s, what is it, Magdalene House? She’s got some sort of medical condition and hasn’t shown up for her treatments in a week. Magdalene’s worried she may have gone back on the street. I threw it to Vice. They’ll be able to track her down better than we can.”
“Good call. What else?”
“Other than our MP report rate is skyrocketing? I guess you haven’t seen the news yet this morning, or the paper? Mayfield’s on another witch hunt.” With that warning, Lincoln threw her a copy of the front page of The Tennessean. She saw the huge headline, groaned and settled in to read, with Baldwin looking over her shoulder.
Metro Police Baffled at Murder Spree
By Lee Mayfield, Crime Reporter
Sources within the Metro Nashville Police Department confirmed early this morning that the body found last evening in the burned-out husk of St. Catherine’s Catholic Church in West End are the remains of Vanderbilt student Jill Gates. Gates was reported missing only yesterday. Despite the attempts of the Metro Police and the lead investigator, Lieutenant Taylor Jackson, to find her before she suffered the fate of students Shelby Kincaid and Jordan Blake, the University Killer has struck again.
The story continued, but Taylor threw the paper on her desk without reading the rest of it. She started swearing under her breath. “Of all the damn fool things to print above the fold, for God’s sake. That woman is going to be the death of me. Is she sleeping with Franklin now? I swear to God, I’m going to kill that man with my bare hands if I find out he’s even helped her across the street. The ‘University Killer’? Who decided to give him a nickname? I’m going to charge that woman with obstruction one of these days, watch me…”
Baldwin was enjoying the rant. “I assume you have a problem going with this Lee Mayfield?”
Taylor huffed out a breath. “No. Well, yes. I mean, it’s her problem, not mine. A few years back, she misquoted me in an article that nearly got us sued. She had to print a huge retraction. She’s had it in for me ever since. She’s been eating up the Martin case. Tearing me to pieces for months.”
Fitz had entered the room as she was finishing her tirade. He patted her on the arm. “Don’tcha worry about it, darlin’. She’s a full-blown, grade-A idiot, and everyone knows it. Just let it go.”
He turned the volume up on the TV. The Channel 5 anchor wore a knowing smile. Taylor was struck at how the media always seemed to enjoy reporting on a tragedy. She turned away, fuming, but looked back when she heard what the anchor was saying.
“Despite the article printed in The Tennessean this morning, our sources have confirmed that there has been no identification of the female body found overnight at St. Catherine’s Church. According to a spokesperson from Forensic Medical, the male victim has been positively identified as Father Francis Xavier, a recent transfer from the Boston Archdiocese.”
“Go, Sam!” Taylor threw her pen at the TV. She picked up the paper and stuck her tongue out at the headline. The tension dissipated for a moment.
Price chose that moment to return to the office to find his detectives laughing their heads off.
“I’d really like to know what’s so damn funny,” he said indignantly. The tone of his voice was too much, and the gales of laughter started again. Price tried to look stern, but giggled a bit himself; they were all getting punchy from the lack of sleep and the pressure of the case, but he quickly sobered them up.
“Okay, kids, knock it off. Has anyone slept?”
There were headshakes all around.
“Taylor, are you heading over to the ME’s office for the post of our burn victims?”
“Yep, I’m going now. Baldwin, do you want to come?”
“Yes, I’d like to be there.” He stood up and grabbed his coat.
“Wait,” Price said. “Baldwin, I’d like to speak to you, if I may.”
Taylor and Baldwin shot each other a look, and he put his coat back down. She gave Baldwin a smile, and a look he read as see you later. He nodded back.
“Absolutely, Captain.” They went into Price’s office, the door closing behind them.
Taylor stared at the door for a moment, chewed on her lip, then turned and grabbed Marcus by the hand.
“C’mon, puppy, let’s go see Sam.”