Decoy (Camren)

Chapter Four

August 4th

Two weeks later I find myself in the SPD conference room with Kyle and Elise, sifting through autopsy photos of Rachel Simmons and the Jane Doe, which we now know to be Avery O'Connor. Various pieces of evidence from the scenes of the crimes are lain out on the table in front of us. Elise awkwardly drinks her coffee as she looks through the pictures, her face twisting upon coming up on the more gruesome ones.

"Do we know the weapon?" Elise asks.

"It seems to be a knife, but the cut isn't clean," Kyle says while looking over her shoulder.

"Let me look at it," I demand. Elise hands the photo over to me and I grab it, looking at it intently. I notice not only the cut, but horizontal bruises lining her throat, almost as if the killer was trying to gain control. "What if it's not a knife, but a wire of some sort." I throw the picture to the center of the table so that they can have a look. "The bruising around her neck could indicate attempts at strangulation while trying to control the victim." I point to the bruises to add more emphasis to my claim.

"You have a point," Kyle says as he leans away. I cast a look to Elise who just shrugs.

"I've always been with narcotics, homicide isn't my thing." Just then, her phone rings, and Elise leaves the room to answer it.

"Do you think the Simmons case and the O'Connor case are related?" I ask.

"Well, they did happen within hours of each other, but the modus operandi was different. The killer strangled Simmons with their bare hands rather than a wire. Why would the killer change their MO?"

I thought about it for a second before saying, "Maybe she saw something she shouldn't have. She seemed a little scared when I talked to her that day. Perhaps the perpetrator did it on a whim, carelessly."

"That could be, but for now we will treat them as separate cases until either new evidence presents itself or something comes up."

Elise re-enters the conference room, shutting her phone off and placing it in her back pocket with another officer in tow.

"We've picked up Allyson Hernandez per your request," the officer says. "She's in Interrogation Room One."

"You brought Allyson in?" I ask as I look up at Kyle.

"The pictures of the bag of money may be circumstantial, but it's enough to bring her in for questioning. You and Elise can watch from behind the glass."

He thanks the officer before walking out of the room with Elise and I right behind him.

"I got us an invite to Chess' party tonight," she says happily as we walk down the hallway.

"How?" Kyle and I both question at the same time.

"Well," she cringes, "We have to work the bar..."

"Elise!" I shout. "Today is my only day off this week!"

"I know, I'm sorry, but Brittany and Taylor backed out at the last minute, and I half-way volunteered us. It was all in the name of crime fighting!"

I try not to laugh at her as I say, "You're so full of shit."

"Okay, hold on." Kyle says as he stops right outside of the interrogation room. "There is no way I'm letting the two of you go in there alone if Allyson walks free today."

"Ugh," Elise groans. "We'll mic-up if that makes you feel better, and knowing Chess, she'll be getting out scot-free."

He gives us one last look before opening the door to the room, Elise and I taking the next door to see Ally facing us through the mirrored glass.