Page 16 of So Sinister
Jessica nodded.“We had a case there recently, huh?”
“Yeah, Kenneth Still, the guy killing happy people.”
Jessica scoffed.“To this day the worst motive I’ve ever encountered for murder.”
A trace memory flitted across Faith’s mind.Franklin West, eyes empty as the abyss, explaining to Faith why he murdered people.Because I can.Because I want to.
West was gone, though, long gone.Faith didn’t need to think about him anymore.“You know, our first case together was here in Baltimore.”
Jessica smiled.“Yeah, the woman killing dog breeders for genetic crimes.”Her smile faded.“That might have been the most understandable motive I’ve ever encountered.”
That killer, Victoria Lang, had a daughter who suffered from advanced Huntington’s Disease, a genetic condition that had left her severely disabled and only months from death by the time Lang, a geneticist, lost her mind and began lashing out against dog breeders for the increased prevalence of genetic abnormalities in purebred dogs.The grief, Faith supposed, was understandable, but she wasn’t sure about using it as an excuse for murder.
Her head was starting to hurt.She looked at the line for the airport coffee bar and frowned when she saw it was predictably enormous.
“We’ll stop by a Dunkin’ on the way over,” Jessica said.“I could use a coffee too.”
“Is Craig Daniels close by?”
“Yeah, he’s twenty minutes from the airport.Lives in a condo in Canton.”
“Sounds good.Hopefully we’ll catch him before he begins his day.Employed?”
“I’ll check on the way.”
“Perfect.”
Faith’s phone buzzed.Her eyes widened.“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.Already?”
Jessica whipped toward her.“Baltimore PD?”
“Yeah.God damn it.”Faith answered the phone and tried to be professional.“Bold.”
“Special Agent Bold, it’s Suresh,” the police lieutenant replied.“I’m afraid it’s bad news.”
Faith sighed and rubbed her temples.Turk whined softly and nuzzled her leg.“Yeah, I figured.Hit me.”
“We have another bomb.And another body.”
***
The street was crowded with terrified residents evacuated from the Park Palace Apartments in the urban neighborhood of Riverside.Many of the residents were still in their pajamas and slippers, having been roused from sleep by the early morning bomb threat.Since the bomb was in an apartment and not a single-family home, there was a real threat to other lives this time.
Suresh met them in front of the property.He was in a white shirt and dress pants with his badge clipped to his belt this time.No gun, like most lieutenants Faith interacted with.He was a manager, not a foot soldier.
“Wow,” Jessica said.“We beat the media here.”
Faith looked up the road at four vans speeding their way.“Not for long.”
They approached Suresh, who was right now a pissed-off manager.He kept frowning through the gate at the open door of a second-floor apartment crowded with bomb techs.“Motherfucker put the bomb in between her legs this time.”
Jessica paled.“Was she assaulted?”
“No, she’s still fully dressed.It just seems more disrespectful somehow.I don’t know.”He ran his hand through his hair, not nearly so kempt as it was the night before.“Maybe I’m just pissed.”
“I don’t blame you,” Faith said.“When you say in between her legs, was it sexually suggestive in any way?”
“I don’t know.I don’t even know if it matters.I’m just upset.”
