CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Ella surveyed the parking lot of Meadow Heights, already awash with service vehicles. This was a far cry from the slums where they’d found the other victims, she thought. This was an upscale complex, each apartment probably closing in on seven figures.
At the foyer door, two officers nodded them through at the sight of Ella’s badge. They took the stairs right up to the top floor where a fresh crime scene awaited them.
“How are you feeling, Ellis?”
Paige hadn’t said a whole lot since Ella had rudely awaken her just after 7am. Apparently she wasn’t a morning person.
“Bad. There’s a dead body up here.”
“Yes there is. Are you going to be alright going in there? I’ll warn you now, those things don’t exactly smell like coconut, and something tells me it’s gonna look pretty bad too.”
“I’m ready. I need to get over it. I can’t do this job otherwise.”
Ella didn’t vocalize her agreement. “Trust me, once you’ve seen a few you’ll be fine. It takes a while to get used to.”
They reached the corridor and found two rows of human barricades blocking off any intruders. Some apartment-dwellers had come out to gawp at the proceedings but some freakishly tall officers blocked their view. Ella flashed them her badge and the barricades parted.
At the entrance, Ella grabbed the protective equipment. Paige suited up in full but Ella only opted for the gloves. The crime scene machine was in full swing yet again, so they waited until it was their turn to go in. Chief Reed appeared from the bedroom door.
“It’s a mess,” Reed said.
“What do we have?” asked Ella.
“The victim’s name is Kate Sutton. Twenty-seven years old. Freelance website designer.”
Two years older than the other victims, Ella thought, but still within a reasonable age range. The killer had a type, that was for sure.
“Roger. What else?”
“Follow me.” The chief led them into the lavish front room, decorated in elegant furnishings that wouldn’t look out of place in the Queen of England’s palace. A huge white sofa, fur rugs, a giant crystalline TV stand. The adjoining kitchen was equally impressive, with sleek white surfaces, an island bigger than Ella’s entire apartment and high-tech appliances that looked straight out of a show home. Two glasses rested on the work surface, both shades of brown.
And amongst these extravagant elements was a river of dried blood, leading from the sink area into the hallway.
“He attacked her in here?” Paige asked.
“Looks like it,” Reed said. “Blood trail leads from here right into the bedroom. This time, he slit her throat. No strangulation.”
Ella pictured the scene. This woman had been pouring drinks when the unsub attacked her, but how could such a situation come about? A date? Two friends? She leaned over and sniffed the contents of the glasses. One whiskey or bourbon, one water.
A freelance website designer, apparently.
No. That wasn’t the case at all. Ella could tell exactly what was going on here.
“Can we see the body?” Ella asked. The comment caused Paige to tense up. Ella grabbed her wrist and gave her an affirmative nod.
Chief Reed peered into the hallway and nodded at someone out of sight. “Yeah, come on through.”
The three of them entered the bedroom, equally as grand as the rest of the house. One side of the room housed a wall-to-wall closet with sliding mirrored doors. One of the doors was open, and inside Ella saw a collection of dresses that resembled the backroom of a Paris fashion show. One red dress lay crumpled on the floor alongside a pair of Louis Vuitton heels. The room’s centerpiece was a four-poster bed decked in velvet sheets, and that made the dead body on top seem even more tragic than it already was. A few feet away from the corpse, like the last scene, was a severed leg.
Even Ella had to glance away for a second. The victim was undoubtedly a stunning young woman, that much was obvious even in death. The visual, the idea that a monster would take such a thriving young life made her sick to her stomach.
Paige took a few steps closer. “Poor girl. Who the hell would do this?” she asked as she swallowed hard. Ella could tell she was doing her best to keep the sickness at bay.
“Feel okay?” Ella asked.
Paige nodded. There was no vomit, but Ella noticed one of her eyes had leaked a solitary tear. Only now did Ella realize her partner hadn’t worn her contact lens today. Paige must have taken Ella’s comments to heart.