Understanding A Killer

Haunted mansion

A new case brought Jack and his team to an old mansion in the suburbs. The house would've stood out anywhere else in the city, but seemed completely average in the rich neighbourhood. A tall fence surrounded the flowery yard and a giant outdoor pool that didn't fit the vintage aesthetic.

Curious neighbors lined up at the fence, trying to see through the small cracks. The big crowd wasn't bothered by police officer's warnings to move away, only pushing harder to get the front view.

Public interest was always present in their cases, but the crowd was much bigger than usual. Something must've caused the widespread curiosity, Will thought.

A teenage boy at the front wrote in his notebook excitedly, attracting Will's attention. He's probably the best person to ask.

"Hey!" - Will pulled his shouler, "I'm a detective. Can I ask you something?"

The boy turned around as his eyes lit up with enthusiasm. "Yeah, sure! Whatever you want to know!"

They walked away from the crowd, to a quieter place. "So, what's the fuss here about? This is a crime scene, not a celebrity event. I've never seen so many people gathered."

"Since you're not a local, you wouldn't know, but this place is kinda famous." - The boy spoke eagerly, "There are rumours, I mean... There's a theory I've been investigating..."

"What kind of theory?"

"They say this place is..." - He whispered as he came closer to Will, "...Haunted."

"You mean as in... Ghosts?" - Will almost chuckled.

"Yeah." - The boy continued, "Ghosts have been killing people in this house."

"There have been more murders here?" -
Will's interest returned.

"Well, not murders. But deaths. Over the last 10 years, 3 people have died in wierd ways. All at night, at this house, and the cases were never closed. I'm interested in that stuff, so I digged a bit deeper."

"And... What were those deaths like?"

"I'm glad you asked." - He grinned, "The first one was 10 years ago. A young woman fell down the stairs in the middle of the night. That one was ruled an accident. Then, 5 years ago, a 14-year old boy drowned in the bathtub. He was completely healthy, and no one heard a thing. The last one was 2 years ago when a woman jumped from a window. Only the window was closed... And she was home alone. All of the victim's families moved away, and the house ended up being very cheap. So, someone bought it, but turns out... The whole family died. Wierd, huh?"

Will blinked twice, processing the wild story. "That... Is weird. Thank you for telling me this."

"Well, are you gonna tell me something the police knows?!" - The boy exclaimed.

"Sorry, kid." - Will shook his head, "I haven't even gone in yet. But I'm sure your detective skills will turn useful."

Will hurried inside as the boy watched in dissapointment, shouting about being betrayed. It made him chuckle, but his smile faded as he crossed the yellow tape and the familiar crime scene smell flooded his brain. "What are we looking at, Jack?"

"Three dead. A mother, father, and child." - Jack led him to the parent's bedroom. "All suffocated in their sleep. There's no sign of struggle. Presumably, they were killed one by one in their sleep, and never even had the opportunity to react."

Will looked at the bodies, laying peacefully in their beds. "So, someone broke in at night with the specific intention to kill."

"Yes, but the thing is, the house was locked from the inside. There was no sign of a break in, and all the windows were closed and completely intact. They found the bodies 24 hours later when none of them came into work."

"Huh. Maybe it really is a hauned house." - Will said half-jokingly, "Let me see the child's room."

Will's blood ran cold as the sight of a dead 10-year old girl lying in bed struck him. She looked as if she was just sleeping peacefully. He gritted his teeth, whispering to Jack. "I think I'm gonna do some profiling."

Left alone in the room with the girl, he closed his eyes.
I come in her room just like a ghost. No one knows I'm here, and no one sees me. They have no idea I even exist. I watch her die as my mouth splits into a joyful grin. I know exactly what I'm doing, and I know the enjoyment that comes from it. I have tasted it so vividly, and it has never left my mouth since. A joy that only phantom death provides.

This is my design.

The sight of a phantom killer made Will's blood boil, and he barely contained the rage as he called Jack back in. "The killer is enjoying every second of this. He's no amateur, but he doesn't stick to one method. The victims probably have no idea who he is."

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Will didn't even get the chance to eat a proper meal before he was called back in. Another body was found, but it had no connection to the ongoing case.

After almost an hour of driving, he stepped onto a field in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by a thick forest.

Jack's crying figure greeted him before he even stepped near the victim. He hung his head low, not being able to look at the young girl's body. "Will... It's Miriam." - Jack's voice almost broke.

"I heard over the phone." - Will stated quietly, "I'm so sorry, Jack."

"Me too." - He wiped a tear away, taking a deep breath. "But we have no time for sorry. We have to catch him, Will. We.have.to."

"Yeah." - Will's face returned the sentiment. "Do we have any more information about her death?"

"She died from hypothermia, apperantly, and has been dead for quite some time. We'll know after the autopsy for sure. But I don't expect they'll find any evidence. She escaped but just... Didn't get far enough."

"Her death paired with Eliana's testimony... Is circumstantial at best." - Will ran a hand through his hair, "... Just like he wanted."

"Hey, Will, Jack!" - A panicked voice came from behind, "Is it true?!"

They turned around to see Eliana, her breath heavy from running. "Yeah. It's true." - Jack responded.

"Damn it!" - Eliana stumped her foot on the ground, turning away in a frantic motion. "I... Sent her to her death. That was so stupid of me!"

Will came up to her, a hint of anger in his voice. "This is no time to blame yourself. It's time to step up and catch the damn killer."

"But if we don't find some miracle evidence on her, we're back on square one!" - Eliana cried out.

"Then we're gonna find it!" - Will responded firmly as he dragged her beneath the police line. Some agents protested, to which he responded brazenly, ignoring their petty warnings.

Miriam's body was curled up in a fetal postition as she laid near a tall grass, her face completely gray, fingers frozen from the Maryland winter.

Eliana couldn't stand the sight as she broke down in tears instead. "I'm so sorry, Miriam." - She sobbed.

Will examined Miriam's frame, searching for a clue desperately. The only thing that caught his attention was something sticking out from her tightly clenched fist. He was barely able to open it, disappointed at the revelation. It was a simple leaf, rolled in a circular shape.

He took a deep breath, glancing over to the crying Eliana. "Eliana, please look over here for a second."

"Okay." - She obeyed, still unfocused. "Why?"

"I'm assuming she just held onto a random plant while dying. Unless you think differently."

"Yeah. You're probably right." - She sniffled.

"Right, then, I've got nothing." - He muttered angrily, "Let's leave before they kick you out." - He glanced at the outraged agents that lined up near them.

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Author's note: The idea for the new case came up to me while watching some incredibly boring horror movie. I wrote this instead of sleeping, cause I'm really eager to finish the fic soon. See you soon :)