CHAPTER FOUR
822 Words
CHAPTER FOUR
Ilse shot a glance towards where Agent Sawyer lingered in the shadows of the coroner’s office. He’d taken up position by a row of sinks beneath a small flickering light that kept turning on and off. He leaned back against the metal basins, his arms crossed.
Ilse returned her attention to the coroner. A younger man, good-looking, with a strong jaw line, and the hands of a football player.
Ilse found herself glancing towards those hands more than once. She thought Sawyer frowned when he caught the look.
She cleared her throat, and said, “Could you say that last part again?”
Dr. Jordan nodded once. He stood with his arms crossed, a clipboard resting on a gurney at his side. The coroner was about a foot taller than Ilse. Taller than Sawyer too. She couldn’t help but notice that Tom wasn’t slouching like usual.
“I’m afraid it’s not good news,” Dr. Jordan said, his tone grim. “The killer is using a hybrid substance. It’s a watered-down version of the sort of anesthesia they use in most operating rooms.”
Ilse winced. “Wouldn’t that stuff be heavily controlled?”
“It would be, but it’s also relatively common across the states. It’s used overseas as well. The thing is, he’s doing something to alter it.”
“Alter it how?” Sawyer called from his position by the sinks.
Ilse tugged at her sweater sleeves, shivering a bit in the cold room.
Dr. Jordan lifted his clipboard from the gurney, double checking it. “I was worried when I was reading up on the substance. I’m afraid the killer is able to incapacitate his victims. They can’t move or speak but they can hear and feel everything”
Those words lingered in the room, even more frigid than the temperature.
“So he’s some sort of sadist,” Sawyer ventured.
Ilse couldn’t help but agree.
“That’s not my area,” Dr. Jordan said. “Though I’m guessing it wouldn’t take behavioral analyst to tell you that.” He flashed a smile towards Ilse, and met her eyes for a moment.
Ilse shifted uncomfortably. The attention of an attractive man was never a bad thing. But she’d never dated anyone in her life. She’d had interest at times, as some people thought of her as naturally pretty. But on the other hand, she hadn’t thought anyone could handle her background. Damaged goods. That’s how she had always thought of herself.
She knew it wasn’t the most healthy approach, given her own field, but sometimes, psychiatrists and counselors went into the field for themselves just as much as their clients.
Ilse knew she was a work in progress.
“Is it true the killer dyed their hair?” Sawyer said, glancing towards the wall-to-wall cooling compartments on the other side of the room.
Dr. Jordan didn’t even look towards Sawyer. He was still smiling at Ilse. He did say, however, “Hair dye. Yes. Both of them. It looks like the killer also cut Ms. Perkins’ hair. He made it shorter, and brushed her bangs in front of her face. I’m guessing he did this so no one could tell she was young. I found traces of hastily cut hair inside her shirt collar.”
Ilse shifted, refusing to look Dr. Jordan in the eye. She glanced toward Sawyer and said, “Wasn’t that what the cop was saying about the first victim? That she worked at a hair salon?”
Sawyer nodded. “Maybe the killer has some sort of obsession with hair. It would be worth checking out.”
Dr. Jordan said, “I have a couple more things that I found interesting. I noticed one of the women was left-handed. You think that’s relevant?”
Sawyer shook his head. “You can text the rest. We’re heading out.” Tom brushed past Ilse, gesturing towards the door.
She gave an uncomfortable glance towards Dr. Jordan, flashed an uneasy smile, then, brushing at her hair, hastened after her partner.
As she caught up with Tom in the hall, she said, “So you think we should check out the hairdressers?”
Sawyer shrugged. “As good a place to start as any. If the killer had experience cutting hair, maybe he was an employee there. Maybe this started as some sort of beauty salon feud.”
Personally, Ilse had never set foot in a beauty salon. She had her hair cut by one of her clients.
“A beauty salon feud? That’s a thing?”
Sawyer gave a somber shake of his head. “You don’t know the half of it, doc. Those places can be vicious. You better watch your back.”
It took her a moment to realize he was joking. She frowned as he led the way out of the small, cramped building, up the stairs, and into the parking lot.
- Writer
