Between the Spirit and the Dust

Chapter Seven

Hello readers! At the time of posting, Between the Spirit and the Dust is now #492 on the Paranormal listing thing and #688 on mystery/thriller. This is a huge milestone for me and I'm so, so, so happy right now.

I'd just like to say a big fat THANK YOU to anyone who's reading, voting or commenting on the story. THANK YOU! The chapter's dedicated to cravinq-rain who's left some really detailed and thought-provoking comments :)

And now onto the story...

***

“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m sure you’re aware of the urgency behind our hunt for the killer,” said Shepherd as he strode into the room. “No need for introductions, I already know who you all are. I am Assistant Director Derek Shepherd and while Evelyn is who you will be directly reporting to, trust me when I say that I will be watching this case very closely.” 

Our team had reported to FBI Headquarters early in the morning for this meeting with Shepherd. The FBI building hadn’t looked like anything that I had imagined. It was just another office tower in Washington, completely nondescript and non-threatening.

Shepherd’s eyes scanned across the room as if to impress upon us his importance. I tried not to flinch under his laser-like glare and sunk lower down in my seat.

“I’m here today to debrief you on the latest victim because we’ve just managed to track down her identity. Collins, I know you would usually be the one doing the debriefing but I understand that you were tied up with another case when she was found?”

“Yes, sir.” Collins nodded and folded his arms. “I asked to transfer back on the team as soon as I heard." 

So I had been right. Collins was the most familiar with the Sorority Row Killer. I wondered why they’d put Evie in charge given his experience. Was there something weird going on here that made the FBI call in an Empath? Or were they just going in a different direction just because Collins hadn’t delivered over the past few years? 

“Our latest victim is nineteen year old Isobel Hawthorne,” continued Shepherd. “We’ve just contacted her family and they confirmed that she was last seen in her college, at Brown University. She was headed back to her sorority house after a night class on Thursday before she disappeared.”

He handed out photos of her as well as a few sheets of paper. I skimmed the documents, listing the location she was found, when the officers had arrived as well as her cause of death. Like all the other victims, Isobel had been heavily sedated before her head had been sliced right off.

“He’s deviating from the pattern,” pointed out Collins, his face wrinkled in confusion. “He usually picks his victims from the same location where he dumps their bodies. Brown is nowhere near the Phi Zeta Beta house where her body was found. 

Two years ago, Sylvia’s body had been found outside the Phi Zeta Beta house. But Sylvia had been attending Carnegie Mellon University, at Pennsylvania. But Isobel had been in Brown University, at Rhode Island.

Max, Evie and me exchanged a three-way glance before Evie said, explaining my theory, “We believe that he’s deliberately re-creating what happened two years ago. The killer doesn’t see our investigation as a threat. He’s toying with us. 

We all considered this for a moment. Then Collins agreed, “He’s getting arrogant. He wants to his re-appearance to be with dramatic and he’s doing it by reminding the public about the hysteria that was caused two years ago. 

“That bastard thinks that he can pull one over the FBI, huh?” sneered Shepherd. “Not this time, this time he’s not getting away with it so easily. I want you to go through everything that we have on hand with a fine-tooth comb. You are to report to me immediately if you find anything. If not, I want an update in two weeks’ time.”