“Four murders already… how this guy keeps getting away is beyond me but we have to find a break somewhere. That's why I'm bringing you on.”
Athena Devereaux stared at Chief Wilson from across the table, reaching out to take the case file that he had pushed toward her. Opening it up, she began looking through the reports, the pictures, any and everything that resided inside the file. “Christ… he's brutal.” Her heart dropped as she examined the playing cards left behind on the bodies. “Queen of Hearts… Ace of Spades… Joker… King of Clovers… I don't understand. What do any of these cards have to do with them?” She looked back up at him, confusion evident in those dark eyes of hers.
“Honestly? I'm not sure. I don't think there is any rhyme or reason for them. I think they're just left behind as a signature.”
Athena hesitated before she closed the file and shook her head. “Forgive me if I don't agree with you, Chief. Judging from the photos alone, he's organized. He takes his time and he knows what he's doing. He wouldn't just pick random cards. Not like this…” But why those specific cards? It didn't make sense.
Sighing, she reached up and pinched the bridge of her nose. “It doesn't matter right now. I'm sure once the facts start coming to light then it will make sense.” She shook her head and pushed back the brown strands that fell in her face.
There was silence between them for a moment before the chief cleared his throat. “Miss Devereaux? How have you been holding up?”
She didn't answer right away. She knew what he was asking about and it wasn't something she really wanted to talk about. But she couldn't ignore it. She had to address it at some point… “I'm fine,” she finally said, the Lousiana accent slipping through just a little heavier. “They'll find him and when they do, they add years to his sentence. He'll deserve it.”
The news that her father had escaped from prison had left her panicked when she'd heard about it on the news a day before. Luckily enough for her, only the chief knew about her relationship with Aaron Baxter and her mother wasn't even in the States. She had moved away to London to get away from the horror of everything. Athena had decided to stay for other personal reasons, though she didn't live in Lousiana anymore. She currently lived in Virginia, safe and content. She had changed her name and had practically erased any connections she'd had with her father.
Knowing he was out there, though… it was unsettling.
“Don't worry about me, Chief. I can still do my job. This won't affect that.” She stood, placing the file under her arm before she offered him a smile. “Anything else? Or am I dismissed?”
With a wave of his hand, Athena left the office, making her way to her partner's desk before she threw the file down on top of it. “Lucky us. Another murder case.” She sounded so enthusiastic.
