Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 108342 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108342 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
“But that has nothing to do with—”
“They were in a relationship! It was a Crime. Of. Passion! Unlike the fact that we can’t put a relationship between him and the victims, with the exception of two. The victims of the Old Orchard Beach strangler were all male. All had alcohol in their system! All had at least two illegal substances in their autopsy reports. They were either partying at the beach right before their disappearances, or were discarded there soon thereafter.”
“We don’t know that those are his only victims though, Porsche, and even so, he belongs in jail after what he did to that girl. She’s in the hospital as we speak!”
“Yes, he belongs in jail for assaulting her, but you have the town now thinking all is well and safe, when the real killer is probably out and about, still enjoying his day! Or worst yet what if he gets pissed off that he doesn’t get the credit?! You just finally, today, called it what it was! Serial killings! Captain White, I trusted you… I believed that you and I had a good relationship going, and then you go and do this?! No wonder half this city can’t stand you! Look at how your department is handling these cases? The constant fumbles! The missing files! The tampering of evidence or destruction of it, by mistake! No follow-ups with some witness statements, and yet you tell me that you want this solved… that you need it solved?! I can’t tell!”
She jumped up from her seat. “You’re behaving like a starving bird who throws itself in the fire in hopes of getting a good meal, only to discover that it was so idiotic, it cooks its own self!” Her chest heaved up and down as he broke their eye contact and looked down at his desk. It was then that she realized he was holding back…
Things aren’t as they seem. The obvious isn’t so obvious…
“You’re too smart for this… What are you hiding?”
He was quiet for a long while. Leaning forward, he clasped his hands and stared blankly at his wall full of trophies and plaques.
“Porsche… I’m going to be frank with you. I think you’ve become obsessed with this case. I think also you’ve perhaps become… what’s the word? Enamored with Mr. Nikolai Raven. Don’t you think that—”
“Just when I was hoping you’d give it to me straight, you go after bullshit door number two instead. What does Nikolai Raven have to do with this?”
“Don’t act surprised,” he snapped. “You two have been spotted out together, having dinner. More than once.” She gripped the handle of her purse and squeezed it. “Now, I don’t know what’s going on between you two. It could be purely platonic or it could be more, but whatever is going on, you need to watch your step. I’m saying this to you as a friend. Not Captain White. You said he’s not our guy,” he threw up his hands, “… and though I didn’t want to initially, now I believe you. But if you’ve in fact crossed the line, then I think it’s safe to say that you’re no longer impartial.”
“Were you impartial when you didn’t tell me that the first victim, Julian Appleton’s initial police report has been revised and redacted, and there is missing information in the files?”
She leaned in as the color drained from his face.
“I have the full medical examiners report, and when I went to match up some of the details against the police report, funny how a lot was missing. I also know that you didn’t directly do it… I know you were ordered to do it. Chief Lewis, the same man who got his ass behind that microphone, on television and the radio airwaves, and proudly announced that they have the main Old Orchard Beach murder suspect in custody! He is running roughshod in here! Why?!”
She pounded her first on the desk. All he did was glare at her, expressionless. “I’ve been askin’ for that full report for months, and I’ve received nothing but the run around. I told you that the first kill, or at least the first we have on record, often has the most clues. You let Chief Lewis talk you into doing something that greatly impacted this case, and now you’re trying to pin at least six murders on Ethan. How convenient that he did something vile and stupid at just the right time, and landed so perfectly right in your hands!”
“I didn’t do it! I said it wasn’t right, but Chief Lewis didn’t want the town to get in an uproar!” He shook his hands, then ran them through his hair. “He didn’t want anyone to think that—”
“—You had a serial killer until he had someone in custody. So he got rid of the initial footage, the photos, almost everything! That could’ve helped in a court of law. How stupid. I need you to tell me, right here, right now—if you have an inkling of care for the citizens of Portland—where the missing data is, if any of it is even around?”