Page 39 of Psychic Obsession
"Forensics have arrived, but we're talking liquefaction, loss of soft tissue.They'll have to give you a plausible time of death, but it's not recent."
An unpleasant tingle washed over Nikolai's body."February."
Medlin raised his eyebrows in question.
"I asked Isaac some days ago if we'd missed a victim.October, December, then nothing until April.If hewas to stick to the same pattern of the first two, thereshould've been one in February."
A grunt was all he got from Medlin."Are you going there?"
Nikolai wished they could stay at the precinct, but the victim, whoever she was, deserved their attention."Yes, we'll have a look while the crime scene is still intact."
Isaac made a sound."How come no one found her until now?"
"She lives in a house--"
"Different from the other three."
Medlin nodded."Lives in a house a little outside of town.It's pretty desolate out there.You'll have to check why no family or workmates have missed her."
Nikolai got to his feet."Let's go."
Isaac grumbled but followed him out of the room.
"I don't know how long they'll let you keep the case."Medlin walked with them but was heading to his office.
"What?"Nikolai stopped instead of heading toward the exit.
"Four bodies.Federal will want to have it.We're not a department with enough resources for a serial killer case."
"We're already working a serial killer case."
"Yes, but there is no way we can hide this from the media for much longer, and then all hell will break lose."
Fuck.He was right, but what would the federal agents do that they weren't already doing?"I want to keep it."
"Then you better solve it fast because I don't have a say in the matter."
Nikolai gave a brisk nod and turned toward the exit.How would he catch a killer when he had nothing to go on?
Isaac gave him a grim look as they jogged down the stairs and toward Nikolai's car."Will Frode be up for seeing Yeager today?"
For a moment, Nikolai didn't understand what he was talking about, then he remembered the forensic artist."I hope so, but I don't know if a drawing will help us."
Isaac pursed his lips."Depends on if he's in our system or not."
"How often are they in the system?"
"Depends on what kind of killer he is.Was he one of those freaks who killed the neighborhood cats as a teen or is he squeaky clean, loved at his work, and sooo nice to his neighbors?"
They reached the car, and Nikolai looked at Isaac over the roof."Is the artist any good?"
"Yeah, he's good, and he's especially good when he's working with Frode."
Weird."Why?"He opened the door and got in; Isaac did too.
"I suppose it's because Frode has a photographic memory.He doesn't have to guess or question if what he remembers is correct.He has the image stored in his brain, and it will always be stored in his brain."
"Photographic memory?"
