The Face Behind The Mask

19

Lloyd stood at the window, looking at nothing in particular while Orion sat at her desk, thumbing through the report for the tenth time. "So, that's what it says?" he said. "No semen. No signs of penetration to the decedent."

She answered with a faint nod. "They got a few hair follicles. That's it for DNA evidence. Maybe we get something from the fingernail clippings."

It got quiet in the room, both of them running scenarios through their minds. Finally, Lloyd said, "Since I quit smoking I don't know what to do with my hands." He didn't expect a reply and he didn't get one.

She turned the page. "Oh, and traces of Ketamine. Did I mention that?"

"Yeah. You did." He watched a young mom pushing a stroller along the sidewalk. She stopped, took a knee, and attended to her infant passenger. Occasionally, Lloyd needed to remind himself that there were normal people living normal lives in this world. People whose only brush with the law might be a parking ticket.

Orion sighed, tilted her head back, and stared at the ceiling.

"How long was this girl missing?" he asked.

"Eight days."

He turned to face her, leaning his big body against the wall. "So he keeps her captive for eight days before he assaults her?" He let out a soft sigh, trying to make sense of it. "Eight days is a long time. Usually, they want to use them and get rid of them ASAP." He crossed to the chair in front of her desk and sat down. "A family member might keep a girl for eight days but a complete stranger?"

Orion went back to the report. "She had multiple bruises. Obviously, there was a struggle. Probably several. But after going to all that trouble, why kill her before sexually assaulting her?"

Lloyd shrugged. "Maybe he changed his mind. Or maybe it was never about having sex with her." The quick glance she gave him when their eyes met briefly said she wasn't buying it. He felt his phone vibrate, took a quick look, and slipped it back into his pocket. He'd get back to it later. 

"The single blow to the back of the head," she said. "That says rage to me."

He raised his eyebrows.

"Something really pissed him off," she said. "And he snapped. He struck her just once but with enough force to crack her head open."

"Maybe she taunts him. Insults him. Maybe he can't get it up and she laughs at him."

"Yeah, maybe."

"What're you thinking, Treece?"

"That little tattoo. At the top of her ribcage. That's a strange place to get your first tattoo."

"That's a bony area. Probably hurt like hell. My kid got tattooed on his ankle, said he almost passed out from the pain. This from a college football player."

"She was young. Like you said. Young for a tattoo. Maybe she was afraid her parents would see it." The detective ran her fingers along the top of her ribcage covered by the band of her bra. "The band would probably cover it."

"The what?"

"This part of the bra. The part that wraps around underneath."

"Hmmmm."

"Maybe that's what she was thinking. Her parents wouldn't see it there."

"Could be."

"Maybe her abductor undresses her and he sees it. And for one reason or another, he freaks out. Maybe he hates tattoos. It ruins the little girl appeal of his victim."

"Then why doesn't he just grab up a little kid? Be a helluva lot easier than fighting with a teenager." He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs. "I guess that's where the Ketamine comes in."

"The hairband. The scrunchie, or whatever," said Orion. "Maybe he wants her to look younger."

"Maybe."

"So let's say he gets so pissed off when he sees her tattoo, he snaps. He's out of control. He kills her before he even gets her panties off."

"Wow. That's messed up."

"But plausible, right?"

"Definitely plausible."