The Street Corner Killer

Chapter 2

"What do you mean another womans blood?!" Riley demanded, looking positively confused.

"M.E's sending a profile," Bishop ignored her question.

"How did we not know about this?"

"It happened in Queens, Brooke. Different borough, different precinct,"

"Nothing in the papers?"

"People are killed everyday in New York - with no leads it would have been dismissed, just like that. They would have thought it was a your average gang hit and run,"

Riley sighed. Your average gang hit and run. "How do we know this isn't just a hit and run then?

"Every life matters." There was a pause, "Besides, whoever killed Kelly Swayers knows what their doing - they left their mark," Riley nodded slowly as Bishop went back to skimming the report.

John was right; whoever did this was prepared - and he kept souvenirs. So why did they bother leave the bodies on a street corner of all places?

"Riley!"

She whipped around to see Captain Morgan leaning out the conference room. He beckoned her over, and she followed reluctantly, leaving Bishop behind. She entered the room to find a group of men sat around the table discussing the case without her. Typical.

"Aren't I meant to be the lead detective on this?" She remarked as she sat down amoung them.

"We were just setting things up," Captain Morgan said dismissively from his position at the head of the table.

Riley surveyed the people sitting around her. There were 3 senior detectives, not including herself, who two of she had worked with before and developed an opinion on. Opposite her was Det. Rodger Peters, an older man who had been in the force for a considerable amount of years - he had only turned down the position of lieutenant because he had a family to think of. Riley liked him, and he smiled warmly at her as she positioned herself amoung them.

Next to him, unfortunately was Sergeant Charles Fallow. It wasn't that he was a bad cop, in fact he was a brilliant one, it was just he was bossy and judgemental. He and Riley were never on good terms, always arguing about something or other. Every comment directed at Detective Riley was laced with sarcasm and she gladly returned the favour regularly. No woman in the precinct liked him, actually - he had a habit for slipping sexist remarks, which the men chose to ignore, of course.
Next to her, though, was Det. Karl Briggs. He was new to the precinct,  having just moved from Massachusetts. Riley had barely spoken two words to him in the three weeks he had been here.

"What have we got?" Fallow asked, ignoring Riley and talking to the Captain.

"The reports just come through - Kelly Swayers was killed around 3 hours before we found her. No boyfriend, no job, lived alone," He continued to rattle through her details.

"She didn't have any friends?" Briggs asked, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"We don't know yet. She didn't seem to have any online profiles either,"

"Lonely girl, no job, lives in a run down area in Brooklyn. What makes her a target?" Peters asked no one in particular.

"More importantly, what about the evidence found at the crime scene?" Riley interupted, "Bishop mentioned a matter with the scalpel,"

"Ah yes," Morgan replied, frowning at the report, "That's where things get complected,"

"Wasn't it the murder weapon?" Fallow finally spoke up, after being silent (thank god) for a few minutes.

"Not as far as we can see," Morgan replied.

"It had another woman's blood on it," Riley said, and the room went into a confused silence.

"Why would a killer leave a different murder weapon at the scene? Who's blood was it?" Briggs inquired, voicing the questions going around everyone else's heads.

"The blood apparently belonged to a Amie Tyler," There was another pause, before he spoke again, this time quietly, "She was killed in the same way," He layed photos of her crime scene out on the desk.

"Slit twice in the neck?" Riley asked.

"Yes, and found on a street corner,"

"How long ago?"

"4 months,"

Riley frowned, "So assume this is the same killer..."

"This is how woman do it? Assume? Yeah, way to go Riley," Fallow chuckled, and Riley turned to glare at him.

"As I was saying..." She cleared her throat, "So if this is the same killer, was a scalpel found at the Tyler crime scene?"

"Yes, but apparently it was clean,"

"Well what's the link between these two victims?" Peters asked, "I mean, they live in two different boroughs, look completely unalike..."

"They both live in run down areas," Briggs offered.

"That would make them easy targets," Morgan, thought about to for a minute.

"That's still no real reason," Fallow said, shaking his head.

"Was Tyler murdered on the street corner?" Peters turned to Morgan.

"No, but in her apartment they found blood,"

Riley stood up suddenly, a look of urgency swept across her face. "If this is the same murderer, Kelly could have been killed in hers! We need to get to her apartment,"

Morgan nodded, as he realised Riley's point. "Go now, take Bishop and Peters. I'll send you the address."

Both nodded and Riley rushed out to get her jacket, telling Bishop to come with them. Peters was seconds after her, and out of the corner of her eye she could see him madly grabbing things from his desk. She began to make her way to the elevator, Bishop next to her. She could feel the adrenaline pulsing through her veins - she was practically lighting up. They might be about to catch a murderer.

---

They arrived barely 10 minutes later and approached the front door of the apartment complex. Riley also noted how this appeared to be only a block from their crime scene. Bishop slowly opened the front door, revealing a dim hallway. Their noses wrinkled at the sight - it was almost as bad on the inside as it was on the outside. The walls were painted a faded yellow, with grubby finger marks and mold on it. The smell of urine assaulted their noses, and the only window was smashed, making the entire hall cold and uninviting. Riley double-checked the text Captain Morgan had sent her. 3rd floor no.8. Easy enough. Peter began his decent up the stairs, and Bishop and Riley followed, avoiding the dead rat that lay on the fourth step.

They approached the apartment, Riley now infront as she had over taken both the men going up the stairs, being the more agile of the three. She paused at the white door of MDF infront of her, the paint peeling off and the 8 marked on it barely visible. Looking at the brass door handle, she saw a dark smear of blood on it. Bishop and Peters had seen it too. Nodding to them, she drew her service weapon, and at kicked the door, centimetres from the handle. It swung open with ease, and holding their guns out infront of them, they went in, finding a short, dark corridor.

"Police!" Riley's voice rung through the apartment.

She went through the door on the left, Bishop took right and Peters went into the far one.

"Clear!"

"Clear!"

"Guys you might wanna see this,"

Sliding her weapon back into it's holster, Riley followed Bishop's voice, and into the living room at the back. In it they found the blinds closed, rolls of duct tape on the floor, and more importantly, blood on the wall and sofa.

Riley sighed. They were too late.