Facilis Descensus Averno [REWRITING]

17. Side Profile

After work, Bishop would usually be found in one of two places. First, of course, was a local bar—there were several along the street, none of which were open yet at this hour of the day. The second was the diner about a block away from the station, which was about a five-minute walk, give or take, well known for its coffee, apple cobbler, and warm company.

"Mostly the apple cobbler," Bishop concluded to Gilliam as they sat down in the corner booth, and a waitress came up to them with an award-winning smile and two menus. The detective returned the smile and thanked her, before turning back to her partner with a frown and a sigh. "So, we're back to square one. We have zero leads, zero suspects, and nine bodies in our hands."

"No, we do know a few things," Gilliam said, glancing up briefly, then turned back to the menu. "Our killer is a local. The killings never crossed town borders. They were all in the suburbs, which is likely the killer's hunting ground." He set the menu flat on the table and pursed his lips. "Whoever did this also knows Woods, Nichols and Ouelette enough to replicate their M.O.s and signatures—"

"But not enough to replicate the exact details," the detective finished with a tight-lipped smile, also setting her menu down. "I thought their files were classified."

"It's hard to keep civilian serial killings classified," Gilliam replied, and Bishop silently conceded with a firm upper lip. "We do our best to keep the mass media out of it, but the Internet exists. People talk. These killers—they became rumors. Urban legends. Spooky stories shared in forums and blog posts instead of campfires." He leaned back, clicked his tongue, and glanced out the window beside them. "Most people call them 'creepypasta', sort of like horror-themed Internet copypasta. We have a team back at the Foundation who monitors these discussion boards, making sure these stories are nothing more than that—stories and urban legends."

"So, it's possible that our killer knows about Eyeless Jack, Jeff the Killer and Clockwork—"

"—but doesn't know they actually exist, no." He looked back toward her for another two seconds, then peered back down at the menu. "It would explain the inconsistencies with the methods. Some of it is tied to the urban legends, but we keep the minute details under wraps. I know what you said about the apple cobbler, but is there something that's more appropriate for lunch, preferably a proper meal?"

"The Breakfast Burger's a good start," the detective replied, and a more natural smile appeared across her face as she raised her hand to call the waitress back. "Those inconsistencies could be part of our killer's own signature."

Gilliam nodded. "It's possible."

"Okay." Bishop closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and gently clapped her hands together. "Let's take a step back, review the evidence with fresh eyes. We know most about Jack's M.O. That's the one we can compare the most to."

"Based on the most recent one," her partner began, setting the menu aside, "Organ harvesting, usually kidneys. He has surgical expertise: he uses a scalpel, makes precise cuts, clean sutures, but no anesthetics."

He immediately paused when the waitress, a forty-something-year-old lady with curly brown hair, approached their table and took their orders. To Bishop's surprise, Gilliam ordered both the burger and the cobbler. The detective decided on a club sandwich. Both asked for coffee.

"But our killer thought he did use one," the detective added after the waitress had left earshot. "Our first three victims died from the chloroform before they were even cut open."

"And based on the severity of the wounds, they would have surely died either way," Gilliam agreed with another nod. "Poor overall execution, which means our killer is sloppy, much more so than Nichols is. They also do not have the same medical expertise that he does." He paused and exhaled slowly. "Nichols almost never targeted entire families or large groups of people—that was more of Woods' style. His more recent victims were almost always single, isolated targets. He knows better than to take that risk."