The Lancaster Murderer

Home, 3:00 PM

EPISODE XVII.

Quickly, we evacuated the home and collected Valeria. We headed back to the apartment and talked about what had happened, what it meant, and our next plan of action. For all her haughtiness and infallibility, Valeria felt so personally responsible for the death of Dumois that when I squeezed her shoulder and told her it was okay, she didn't even fight me. In fact, she looked grateful.

While being on this case, I've been right behind the killer in every way. I was yards away from Sara when she died, there when Morgan's body was unveiled, aided Samara in surviving, felt something off just before the reveal of Victor and Dolan's bodies, and narrowly avoided getting smashed by Eliza's corpse. Though I've been on a mission to end the slaying, I never personally felt responsible for their deaths.

Seeing Valeria crumble under the idea makes me wonder if I should feel the same way. It was my intention to end the death before it continued, but I've failed miserably. I've scrambled for clues and hints, most of which are not useful considering our suspect list is practically infinite. All we know is that the killer is flashy, vying for attention, and preying on a select group of individuals. There's no identifiable motive, and it's only our assumption that they're about to wrap some things up. Though my gut tells me it's a reliable assumption.

Because someone needed to document Dumois's death, we drove to a prehistoric phonebooth two hours out of town and out of view of CCTV. Using an odd voice, I reported the need for a wellness check at the Dumois address, then hung up. After that, I felt like there was a giant timer over my head, counting down the seconds before her body was discovered and the case blew up even further. The murder of the sheriff is...huge. It's a giant resume builder for the killer. It'll also be hard to top off that feat.

On the way back, I thought about the deaths. We've deduced that someone is craving attention, but I never contemplated that something may be triggering the criminal. Not until I thought about how killing a cop in their own home was wilder than their last stunt, then realized everything has been slowly progressing in the realm of violence.

"Explain," Izayah simply stated, mentally drained on our way home.

So, I did. Sara was poisoned: no contact with the killer whatsoever. Then, Morgan was mauled by animals: the actual killing was enacted by the killer, but done by another entity. Then, Samara was brutally stabbed. Sara's head was then decapitated and strung up – increasing hands-on activity. Then Victor was suspended above an entire auditorium with Dolan's strangulation in the bathroom as an appetizer. Here, the kills were getting bigger and – in terms of the ripper – better. To top off two kills in one night in a crowded event, the killer had to create a massive explosion to top their last deaths; hence, Kat's car. And to beat that? Murdering the sheriff without homefield advantage.

There's a great chance that something is happening that's ticking off the killer, increasing their aggression.

"Now the accomplice is trashed," Izayah grunted. "And we can look at the past grievances with the new perspective of Dumois being some sort of mole. But now we have to worry about what comes next. What has a bigger shock factor than killing the sheriff who was on your case?"

The first things that popped into my mind aren't pretty. "Crucifying the mayor and gutting them?"

"The mayor has nothing to do with us. All victims are tied to our school and this case," Izayah shut down. "Maybe...a series of killings at once? Corralling the professors together and beheading them?"

"Professors after the sheriff? Seems a bit dull," Val dully added, mind obviously going through her last watch over Dumois and wondering where the killer had a chance to make their move.