The Eustice Murders (Complete)

*Chapter 1*

The captain left his office and headed straight towards Hank and Sam.

"Morning guys," he greeted them cheerfully, "can I see both of you in my office please?"

"Sure thing," the guys responded almost in unison while sharing a look of intrigue and anticipation between them. It wasn't unusual to be called in by the boss but to be called in together most certainly was. That had only ever happened once before and on that occasion, it had led to the beginning of what turned out to be the biggest and most infamous case in the town's history, and the eventual discovery and following the hunt for the town's one and only ever serial killer. Surely lightning wasn't about to strike twice, was it?

Since relocating from the city nearly two years ago both Sam and Hank had settled into their new lifestyle really well. Resmar itself was an extraordinarily beautiful place and that alone had made life rather enjoyable. The somewhat slower pace of life and the close-knit community that often followed with the smaller towns was exactly what they had been looking for and the main reason for moving south in the first place. Life in general was pretty damn good.

However despite all of this both men had the same niggling feeling, not that either of them was prepared to admit it but something was missing. Something that gave life that little bit of a spark. Whether it was the thrill of the chase or maybe just the pure excitement that came with being involved in a high-profile case, they were both secretly looking for something that they could get their teeth stuck into. They entered the office and took a seat opposite the captain and waited with bated breath to discover the reasons behind this unusual and impromptu meeting.

"Now then," the captain began, "what are your thoughts on a potential road trip?"

"What sort of road trip?" Hank asked with a slight frown.

The captain picked up a file from his desk and explained further. "An old buddy of mine who runs a precinct out on the west coast has been in touch. Some years ago now, they were on the trail of a serial killer, until about fifteen years ago when everything suddenly stopped. No more attacks, no clues, nothing, cold and quiet. No one was ever brought to justice and the whole thing was shelved as a cold case; which is where it has remained ever since." He paused, running his fingers over the file and, looked back up at the men. "That is until a few days ago when another body turned up; same scenario, same m.o. as before. They believe it is the same perpetrator. And they want you to look into it."

"Look into it?" Hank asked, the same frown still showing on his face.

"If you're interested," the captain continued, "the case is yours. They have accommodations ready and waiting. Two separate apartments so visitors can come and go as you see fit. And to sweeten the deal they have agreed to a pretty decent bonus if and when you close the case."

Sam who had remained silent and seemingly unmoved throughout sat upright at the mention of a bonus. "Well, that would be more than useful right now," he smiled.

"No kidding," Hank added and nodded before Sam could add to his comment. "The wife has been banging on about a vacation for months now."

Sam and the captain both chuckled at this. "Well," the captain added, tapping the file with his left hand, "I think there's enough in here to cover a nice week away; maybe even a little spending money too."

" I'd need to clear it with Beverly before confirming anything," Hank added.

"Of course," the captain nodded while handing the file over to Hank. "Here are the details of everything they are proposing along with a brief outline of the case so far. Have a look over that, discuss it between you, and discuss it with the wife. Give it some thought, sleep on it if need be, and then let me know your decision tomorrow morning."

"Sounds like dinner at mine tonight then," Hank told his partner, picking up the file.

"Sounds good to me," Sam replied, although the look on his face appeared to suggest he had made his mind up already.

-----

Hank's wife, Beverly, was originally dead against her husband heading off for an indefinite period on some case, in a town that wasn't even all that close to them. It could be weeks, it could be months, and she didn't like that idea at all. Not that she was afraid of something happening to him, or her, she just didn't like being away from her husband that long. She knew that even with a weekend visit, Hank would be so engaged in his work they wouldn't get much chance to enjoy any kind of a break together either. Her spirits were raised slightly, though, when she realized it was on the coast and there were a couple of nice-looking beaches nearby.

A weekend trip, spending the day on the beach, and an evening with her husband, certainly had some appeal. Spirits were lifted even further when Hank had explained about the bonus that was an offer upon closing the case, and talks had switched to the vacation that she had been longing for. The third and final lift came when she discovered the town of Eustice was less than an hour's drive away from a major city. By the time Sam had arrived for dinner, she was frantically, and somewhat excitedly, tapping away on the laptop, drawing up plans for future shopping trips to a new city in order to pick up those essentials for the upcoming vacation she had now been promised.

Seeing his wife like this cheered Hank up no end and almost made his mind up for him, although seeing her expressions now and remembering the look on Sam's face in the captain's office this morning he couldn't help but feel that any objections he may raise were about to be over-ruled and outvoted. The two men sat back and poured over the case details contained within the file.

"Well, I know he called it a brief outline," Sam exclaimed, "but there's got to be more to it than that. There's not one detail in there that suggests this was done by the same person."

"Yeah," Hank agreed, giving his partner a nod. "Although, if I'm honest that grabs my attention even more; makes you wonder what they're holding back and why."

"I know what you mean," Sam responded, his eyes browsing over the file one more time before shutting it. "Well, I'm up for it if you are?"

Hank stroked his chin with his thumb and finger, clearly deep in thought before turning to his wife. "Any objections, dear?" Beverly gave him a smile.

"It won't be easy," she told him, "but I'm sure we can make it work, and it could be a good opportunity for both of you. Close this case and who knows what chances may arise in the future."

Sam and Hank both smiled at each other; neither of them had thought of it in that way and she was right. In order to get to Eustice, they would need to pass through two other states so it would have been easy for them to have hired someone a little closer to home. Bringing them in could only have meant that their reputations were growing and not just in the immediate area either. Who knows, maybe even nationally? So for them to go and wrap up another big case and one on unfamiliar surroundings too, would only enhance that reputation even further.

"I guess that's that then," Hank said putting the file back down on the coffee table. "Now then, what about dinner?"