"No!" She whirled around and slammed her fist into the wall. She punched the wall hard, pouring all her frustrations into it. Murderess had struck again. They needed help, and they needed it bad, as much as she loathed to admit that. But Strike was too proud to get help. How many men would have to die before that arrogant son of a bitch would make the call?
Detective Jorgensen stopped punching and sat back in her desk chair. This case had struck close to home. Her sister-in-law's cousin had just been killed. And in a small town where everyone knew everyone else, it was a wonder that Murderess hadn't been found. She pulled out the case files again, looking for anything she had missed. So far, there were 4 deaths spanning a month's time.
The first was found in an alley behind the theater, looking like he had just fallen asleep except for a smudge of blood on his neck, right over his carotid artery. The tiniest little nick, like when shaving. On his arm the word "Murderess" had been written in a shade of lipstick she had seen a few times before. The tube of lipstick was lying next to his hand, the bottom of it up. The name of the lipstick? Curtain Close. He was identified as Jackson Gardner.
Courtney Jackson- found in an alley behind a bakery called "The Honey Pot." Cause of death was poison injected with a hypodermic needle. It looked like a bee sting. Typical. Murderess was written on his arm as well, the tube of lipstick was also found in the same place. It was called Pink Poison. Traces of the lipstick and tranquilizers were found on his lips.
Richard Courtney- found in a stream. This one didn't follow the rest. He had obviously been shoved off a cliff, but it was made to look like he had drowned. The lipstick mark was on the back of his white shirt, the only place that wasn't soaking wet, though the lipstick had still smudged considerably. The tube was found in his back pocket, called Death by Design.
And finally, Chaz Richard Johnson, found May 24th, killed the day before. This was obviously not Murderess's work. He was found behind a trailer, but without a lipstick mark. Upon going into the trailer, which looked new, the mark was discovered. Over every surface was written "Murderess." Ten or 15 tubes of lipstick, called A Mauve Ending, were found in a drawer in the kitchen area. The scariest part was that she had dressed Johnson up as a woman, with heavily overdrawn makeup, like you would wear on stage.
Murderess didn't seem like the type to change her MO, but Detective Jorgensen didn't want to even consider the possibility of two killers.
Sunday, May 22nd, 2016
Dear Diary,
I do so hope that the weather is nice tomorrow. The water ruins my marks, dear Richard's were almost gone. It wouldn't do well for Chaz's marks to smear, too. Chaz is such a pretty boy, tall, strong. He is destined for greatness, and I shall give it to him. He'd look so nice in the shade of mauve I have chosen for him, so sweet with gold rimming his huge, brown eyes. His lashes are so long, so thick, so curling, so nice. I wonder if his daughter has them, it'd be such a same if she didn't. Chaz will make an interesting challenge, but I'm prepared. I didn't date him for years for no reason.
-M
ns 15.158.61.51da2
