Part One<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Joss took a step back and gazed at the murder board. Two pictures, provided by grieving families and clearly from happier times, gazed back at her.<\/p>\n
The picture of Shantelle and her daughter made her heart hurt. The little girl was all brown skin, big eyes, and even bigger, kinkier hair wrangled into submission by the strategic placement of ponytail holders. Mother and daughter were laughing and mugging for the camera on their apartment stairs. Alicia\u2019s picture was a study in motion, taken at a neighborhood party. She was in her best party dress and being dipped by a laughing young man who was clearly enamored with her. Beneath each picture there was writing:<\/p>\n
Shantelle Dubious \u2013 killed on the way home from work half a block from the A train stop<\/p>\n
Alicia Garcia \u2013 killed on the #1 subway platform at Dyckman Avenue<\/p>\n
Joss had added Alicia\u2019s particulars from the file that had been handed to her by Captain Miller. The picture came with Detective Thomas Signorelli once he joined the investigation from the 34th. The task force, such as it was, was small. Five detectives, a smattering of administrative assistants to help with the investigative scut work. On the street help from beat cops like DiPiro. Budget cuts meant that they were still scrambling to bring more bodies to bear.<\/p>\n
Joss looked over at a third picture, the one she called \u2018Victim Zero\u2019 in her head: Charlotte Finney, 29. A tall, skinny redhead whose serious mien belied a wicked sense of humor. This from her roommate who had worked in publishing with Charlotte; they had both been a lowly editorial assistants in a boutique. Lived in an apartment \u2018the size of a closet with a hotplate\u2019 because living in Manhattan and publishing salaries at their level rarely mixed. Charlotte was the case Joss and Fusco had caught when her body was found near a subway station in Midtown.<\/p>\n
\u201cCarter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joss turned and nodded at Signarelli and took the steaming cup of coffee he offered to her gratefully. He stood beside her, taking in the board. Though some careful culling of open cases from the other boroughs, they had found three more murders that resembled the others. Spread as they were near subway stops in Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx, there hadn\u2019t been a pattern. Until now.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe might have missed the others if it hadn\u2019t been for the three kills here in the city,\u201d Signarelli said.<\/p>\n
\u201cStarted as slow moving serial killer,\u201d Joss mused thoughtfully. \u201cStarted in the spring in Queens and spread it out to the Bronx and Brooklyn over time. Kills from midnight till dawn. Late night spots haven\u2019t let out yet, shift changes are done.\u201d She sipped her coffee and made a face at the bitterness before putting it back down on the table with a frown. \u201cSomething about August got them riled up.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShit, that\u2019s always the way it is this time of year,\u201d a voice called from the back of the room. \u201cYou staring at the board isn\u2019t going to change that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joss could almost feel Signarelli tense and she was sure he could feel her own enmity for the speaker. Lieutenant Fletcher Kennewick worked out of the 12th but Joss had had a few passing run-ins with him after the HR affair. He was of the mind that she should have kept everything in-house. Never mind that in-house would have signed her death warrant.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust making sure I\u2019m not missing anything, Kennewick.\u201d Joss replied pleasantly. \u201cSometimes I find connections when I least expect it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kennewick’s derisive snort did little to disturb Joss\u2019 thought processes. Besides, while she was largely occupied with the board, she was still mentally wrestling with the fact that Marconi had been at the crime scene. What the hell was that about? None of the people had any connection to Elias as far as she knew, so what was his interest?<\/p>\n
Joss turned back to the table, swept up the offending coffee, and tossed it in a nearby garbage can before taking her seat. \u201cSo far, we have victims, the areas where they were killed, and personal particulars.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo motive, no witnesses,\u201d Detective Sid Burell added. He pushed an impatient hand through already disheveled hair. \u201cWhat we got is a fat load of nuthin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t believe that,\u201d Joss replied. \u201cWhat else?\u201d<\/p>\n
Signorelli said, \u201cBodies were arranged neatly, nothing stolen as far as we can tell.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay,\u201d Joss was back up out of her seat and heading towards a white board. She grabbed a dry erase marker and wrote body arrangement \u2013 neat. <\/i><\/p>\n
Something was plucking at the edge of her thoughts. Something about Shantelle. \u201cFuck,\u201d she whispered. Her colleagues all looked at her. \u201cBlood.\u201d<\/p>\n
She motioned at the files on the table. \u201cShantelle DuBois neck and front were smeared with blood. The killer made her look all nice and pretty on the stoop but her whole front was a mess. Look at the other reports and photos.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was a brief flurry of movement as folders were flipped open and the contents gone over yet again as a sour feeling began brewing in Joss\u2019 stomach.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, damn,\u201d Burell muttered. \u201cAll the others, their necks were snapped.\u201d He looked up at Joss. \u201cYour girl, Shantelle? She\u2019s the only one who got painted red.\u201d<\/p>\n
**<\/p>\n
The late afternoon sun warmed Zoe as she picked up a nectarine from a market stall and looked at it closely. The skin was a light, pinkish orange and slightly fuzzy to the touch. S<\/p>\n
\u201cBrand new varietal, ma\u2019am,\u201d the stall owner called out over his shoulder. He finished bagging another customer\u2019s purchase and pocketed their money before moving over to her. \u201cWould you like a taste?\u201d<\/p>\n
Zoe smiled. \u201cIf it\u2019s not too much of a bother.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot a problem.\u201d As he picked up another nectarine and pulled a paring knife out of his apron, Zoe reflected on the irony. Although blood provided all the sustenance she needed, she still loved good food and drink and nectarines were a favorite. She tossed the one she\u2019d already touched into a paper bag and took the offered wedge from the tip of the owner\u2019s knife. Sweet, summery flavor burst over Zoe\u2019s tongue; the nectarine\u2019s flesh was firm but juicy and she took the offered napkin gratefully.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, I like that. I\u2019ll take half a dozen.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood choice!\u201d She handed him the bag containing the first fruit and looked at more of what was on offer. She added some black plums and two large peaches to her haul, utilizing another bag for her choices. Once her transaction was done, Zoe continued on her way.<\/p>\n
The market, run by an organization called \u201cYouthGrow,” was situated in a formerly empty lot between two brownstones in her neighborhood. The kids from YouthGrow spent a year petitioning the city to clean up the lot and then pave it over so that they could hold their once-weekly farmer\u2019s market. Zoe was very familiar with the organization which kept kids out of trouble and taught basic urban farming skills. She supported their efforts with her dollars. Stall boundaries were marked out clearly on the concrete and strings of lights provided more than enough illumination once the days grew longer. The kids even had their own farm stand.<\/p>\n
Passing by another stall, Zoe stopped for a loaf of bread. She brought it to her nose, inhaling deeply. The rich, yeasty smell coupled with the crackling crust brought up all kinds of happy memories from when she was a kid, before things went bad.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t have any rye today, Ms. Morgan,\u201d Sally Fish said. Zoe passed over a few dollars for the loaf in her hand and replied,<\/p>\n
\u201cNo worries. Next time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zoe\u2019s mother\u2019s skill ran to biscuits. Even though her father repeatedly reminded her that there was more than enough money so that she didn\u2019t have to bake, her mother would just crook an eyebrow and continue on. Loaves of bread, however, were too much of a bother so Zoe and her mother would make their way to Levittson\u2019s Deli and grab fresh loaves of rye bread hot from the oven. Mr. Levittson was one of the few people in town who didn\u2019t turn their backs on her family when they had their fall from grace.<\/p>\n
Since then, Zoe made it a point to buy bread from Sally Fish\u2019s bread stall whenever she came to the market. She rarely got back to the old neighborhood and buying from Sally was her way of paying it forward.<\/p>\n
As she walked away, she pulled a list out of her pocket. \u201cOkay, got bread, fruit, some sausage. Just need cheese and wine, and we\u2019re done.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her plans for the evening included finishing up some client work, invoicing others, and then hopefully some time with Joss. That was definitely a \u201chope.\u201d Trying to solve the newest murder was taking up a lot of Joss\u2019 time and they\u2019d been content with calling each other when they could. Still, it didn\u2019t hurt to have provisions in case things changed.<\/p>\n
Her phone\u2019s insistent buzzing phone broke through Zoe\u2019s reverie. Shifting her purchases around so she could pull her phone out, she checked the display and smiled. \u201cI was just thinking about you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHey.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joss\u2019 exhaustion seemed to communicate itself across the phone lines and Zoe moved over to a nearby table so she could sit down and listen.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey yourself,\u201d Zoe looked at her watch. \u201cYou sound tired.\u201d<\/p>\n
A low, bitter laugh answered her observation. \u201cI am…beyond tired right now. And as much as I\u2019d rather not do it, I need to ask you some questions.\u201d<\/p>\n
That took Zoe aback. \u201cI thought we weren\u2019t going to cross the streams so to speak.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know, I know and normally, I wouldn\u2019t. But something has come up and quite frankly, you\u2019re the only one I can come to about this. You have the expertise, so to speak.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joss\u2019 reticence put Zoe on alert. \u201cYou\u2019re not talking about my business, are you?\u201d<\/p>\n
There was a beat and then Joss said, \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
They spoke for a few more minutes, solidifying plans for Joss to swing by after her shift was over. Inside, her vampire growled, disturbed by an assumption of a mate\u2019s possible distrust.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhatever it is, Joss, I\u2019ll help in any way I can.\u201d Zoe rubbed her temple, willing herself to calm.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know you will. And Zoe? Thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n
**<\/p>\n
Carl Elias tipped his chair back as he gazed at the boats passing on the East River. The view from this particular office was one of his favorites. He and Anthony moved periodically. It never hurt to make sure none of his enemies knew exactly where he was. It kept them off balance while he remained in control.<\/p>\n
The door to his office opened and he knew by the footfall that it was Anthony. Not a day went by that he didn\u2019t give thanks for this man. He and Marconi were perfect compliments to one another.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoss.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carl turned around to face Anthony, who\u2019d taken up the chair in front of his desk. \u201cWhat do we know?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe woman who died, Shantelle DuBois. She was one of ours.\u201d<\/p>\n
The rest of the information came quickly: she had worked out of Pure Essence, one of the organization\u2019s cleaner establishments. No funny money flowed through it\u2019s doors. It catered to businessmen with nice looking women and mid-range entertainment and had a reputation for being a safe place to work.<\/p>\n
As this was one of the clubs under Marconi\u2019s direct purview, he\u2019d already started digging into Shantelle\u2019s life. \u201cShe was clean, boss. No complaints about her work, well liked by the other girls.\u201d He gazed at Carl. \u201cScuttlebutt said she was going to move on if her kid got into Stuyvesant.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carl\u2019s lips firmed. \u201cShe in the lottery?\u201d When Marconi nodded, he continued. \u201cI think we can make that happen. You see who\u2019s working the case?\u201d<\/p>\n
Marconi smirked. \u201cCarter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joss Carter was a good cop, a fact that caused Carl no end of amusement and consternation in equal measure.<\/p>\n
He turned the murder over in his mind. He didn\u2019t know Shantelle personally; he rarely knew any one particular employee unless they came to his attention for a less than savory reason. But this was his city and she was on his books, the ones that counted.<\/p>\n
Carl nodded and smiled, all teeth. \u201cWell, we\u2019ll keep an eye on proceedings then. And her.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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The dark head turned back towards him, nickering softly. \"Cold night but you're in here with a nice warm\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sylum Advent: 2021"","block_context":{"text":"Sylum Advent: 2021","link":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/category\/sylum-events\/sylum-advent-2021\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/banner-DanceWithTheOneThatBrungYou.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":15400,"url":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/sylum-advent-2019-day-twenty-two\/","url_meta":{"origin":17419,"position":2},"title":"Sylum Advent 2019: Day Twenty-Two","author":"Nicolaus Meridius","date":"December 22, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: Detective Joss Carter has seen some of the worst things that humans can do to one another both in the Army and in her job as a detective on the murder squad. When Zoe Morgan, fixer and vampire, steps into her life, Joss' world is upended. Against the backdrop\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sylum Advent: 2019"","block_context":{"text":"Sylum Advent: 2019","link":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/category\/sylum-events\/sylum-advent-2019\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/banner_LightWayThroughShadows.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":13896,"url":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/spring-fling-2019-day-five\/","url_meta":{"origin":17419,"position":3},"title":"Spring Fling 2019: Day Five","author":"Nicolaus Meridius","date":"April 25, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"A Zoe\/Joss Fanmix by ladyjax *Right Click to download (must have password to access music\/video)","rel":"","context":"In "Spring Fling: 2019"","block_context":{"text":"Spring Fling: 2019","link":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/category\/sylum-events\/spring-fling-2019\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/ladyjax_Dedicated_cover.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/ladyjax_Dedicated_cover.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/ladyjax_Dedicated_cover.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/ladyjax_Dedicated_cover.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9551,"url":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/sylum-inspiration-new-characters-zoe-joss\/","url_meta":{"origin":17419,"position":4},"title":"Sylum Inspiration: New Characters – Zoe\/Joss","author":"Nicolaus Meridius","date":"December 18, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Tallikut: Member At one time Zoe lived in a nice house in the suburbs. Her father was a politician and Party man, who ended up in a scandal, taking the fall on his sword to save the Party. For weeks, the press was camped outside their house, until a man\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Character Introduction"","block_context":{"text":"Character Introduction","link":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/category\/character-introduction\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sylum_morgan-zoe-without-name.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":19121,"url":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/sylum-advent-2021-december-20th\/","url_meta":{"origin":17419,"position":5},"title":"Sylum Advent 2021: December 20th","author":"Nicolaus Meridius","date":"December 20, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Aesthetic: Addison Forbes Montgomery Artist: ladyjax","rel":"","context":"In "Sylum Advent: 2021"","block_context":{"text":"Sylum Advent: 2021","link":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/category\/sylum-events\/sylum-advent-2021\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/bar-banner_advent2021.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17419","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17419"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17419\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17419"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17419"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17419"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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