Wraith

Chapter 4 - Bigger Picture

Chapter 4 - Bigger Picture

The whiteboard was set against the back wall of the office, divided into four distinct columns; one for each victim. Redcliffe leaned against the back of a chair in silence, slowly shifting his attention between each piece of information taped to the board. Dates, times, possible leads that had all come up empty. Hopefully they would find something from the Asherton crime scene, or there wouldn't be much left to do until the Wraith killed again.

There were the fibers from the murder weapon, the tapes of both Asherton's apartment and the warehouse hallway, and the tox reports. Not a whole lot, but it was something to start with. The door creaked slightly as it swung open, snapping Redcliffe back to the present.

"We may have something," a familiar voice called as Heartbreaker entered the room, pausing and looking at Redcliffe after fully emerging from the doorway. "You alright man?"

He only now noticed that his hand was resting on the gun on his hip, with the holster unclipped. "Sorry, just a bit nervous I guess. What have we got?"

"Rosie managed to pin the fibres down. She thinks it's some kind of high tensile rope, very strong, quite thin."

"How strong?"

"Crazy strong, concealable as well because of the small size."

"Do we have any idea where it's from?"

"Maybe. I had a hunch and made a few calls, and I think it came from a sporting goods store about twenty miles south of here."

"How do you figure?"

"Well, not a whole lot of people make custom garrotte ropes, so the next best option is some sort of climber's rope. Now, a rope of this particular strength is something of a specialty item, so not a whole lot of stores keep it in stock, but one that does reported a break and enter about a month ago, twenty miles south of Daleford. A town called Duxton."

"Good catch," Redcliffe nodded, clapping Heartbreaker on the shoulder as they both walked into the hallway. "This guy stays off the books wherever he can, and he's good at getting into places without being seen. If this is our guy, then this is the first evidence we'll have of him operating outside of Daleford."

"My thoughts exactly. Asherton's full autopsy and my report on the security footage of his building will be waiting for you when you get back."

"Good."

>---<

The road was dismally lacking in any variation on the way to Duxton. There weren't many roads that weren't dead straight, flanked by fields. The sky was clear blue, sun high in the sky as they he pulled the SUV over into a parking space. The sporting goods store was on the corner of main street, or at least, the closest thing this small town had to a main street. Even Daleford was bigger than this, and that was saying something.

As he closed the door and started to walk towards the storefront, Redcliffe couldn't help but notice the eyes following him. Of the towns few inhabitants currently walking the street, almost all of them were watching him. He paid them no mind. People were on edge, even outside of Daleford. They had every reason to be.

He pushed open the screen door of the small store, making his way immediately to the single register. A boy stood behind it, barely in his mid-teens, wearing a vest several sizes too big for his frame. As he walked, a tinny replication of his own voice played through the small tv set against the back wall. Without even looking he recognized the words; the interview he'd done a few hours before. The teenager, who was halfway through a sale, didn't even register Redcliffe's arrival. The agent simply waited as the items were rung up and the lady paid for her purchase. As soon as it was done, the youth's eyes immediately travelled back to the screen, watching the interview intently without even noticing Redcliffe. He cleared his throat three times before he was heard.