Darkness and Light

Greg headed down to the morgue while Sara checked on the print he had recovered. His thoughts went back to Brass’s words and the fact that he would be watched. He had a feeling it wasn’t him they should be watching. It was Sara.

If she even thinks Sara and I are together she would go after her just to get back at me, he thought as he pushed open the doors to the morgue. I can’t have that happen.

The only way for Sara and their child to be safe was to get Kristine off the street. The only way to do that was lure her into some sort of trap.

Using me as bait, Greg thought as he saw the bodies on the slabs.

“I was wondering when you were going to get down here,” Dr. Robbins said as he finished sewing up the last body.

“Had something to take care of,” Greg said as he stood across Robbins and glanced at the woman on the slab.

“Their throats were slashed,” Robbins stated, “But the mother died before that.”

Greg stared at him as if he had grown another head, “What?”

“You could say she died of fright,” he told Greg. “She was the last to die…”

“Which meant she saw her family die before her eyes,” Greg finished. “She was the target. Someone held a grudge against her and this was a way to get back at her.”

“Force her to watch her family die and then die herself.”

“Someone she knows,” Greg said, his thoughts elsewhere. “Thanks.”

He headed up the stairs, his mind on one thing. It was time to ask the neighbors once again if the mother had any enemies. Maybe it was one of the neighbors themselves.

He spotted Sara leaving the print lab and he jogged to catch up with her. He called her name and she turned, a smile on her face. A surge of hope went through him as he closed the gap between them.

“A match?” Greg asked, hopefully.

She handed him a print-out as she spoke, “His name is Chris Jackson. He lives in the neighborhood. He was arrested a couple of times for breaking and entering and assault.”

“Let’s pay him a visit,” he said, smiling.


~*~


They arrived at Jackson’s white and blue trimmed house thirty minutes later. Tall hedges nearly covered the front windows.

They climbed out of their SUV and followed Brass up the walk-way.

The sprinkler shot water out at them and Sara jumped out of the way as she strode up the walk-way.

“Doesn’t like visitors,” Sara said as Greg tried not to laugh. She gave him a glare and he laughed then.

“You know most people fear my dark glares,” she told him.

“Not me,” he said, laughing. “I know what’s behind them.”

He chuckled as she rolled her eyes and Brass knocked on the door.

“Can it, you two,” he said. “Show time.”

Greg stifled his laughter and took in the tall man who opened the door. He glared at them, then raised an eyebrow as if waiting for them to get on with it.

“I’m Captain Jim Brass. This is Sara Sidle and Greg Sanders. They’re from the Crime Lab.”

Greg held a shiver at bay as the man glanced at him then at Sara.

“What’s this about?” Jackson asked Brass.

“You’re neighbors were murdered a couple days ago,” Brass said. “Do you know anything about that?”

Jackson looked toward the house with the crime scene tape in front then back at them. He shrugged slightly and leaned against the doorframe, his gaze steady.

“I heard sirens and looked out to see what was going on,” he told them. “I heard on the news the next day they were killed. Do you know who it was?”

“We have an idea,” Sara said. “How well did you know the Robinsons?”

Jackson shrugged again, “A couple of years. I knew Martha in college, though. We went out a few times.”

Greg glanced at Sara as a motive came to his mind. She didn’t look his way, but he saw she thought the same thing. He turned his attention back to Jackson.

“We might need to take a little trip down town while these CSIs check your house.”

“What are you talking about?” Jackson said, pushing himself away from the doorframe.

“This can be voluntary or I can arrest you. Your choice.”

Jackson glared at them, but he pushed past them and let Brass guide him to the car.

“Have fun,” Brass said over his shoulder.

“Same to you,” Greg said as he stepped into the house.

“So what are we looking for?” Sara asked as she set down her kit and pulled on a pair of gloves.

“I’m supposed to ask you that,” Greg said as he mimicked her movements.

“Not this time,” she said as she picked up her kit and stepped into the living room, turning on her flashlight.

“I guess the murder weapon and proof that he held a grudge against them.”

“Good.”

Greg stared at her, his eyebrows raised, “Were you just testing me?”

Sara shot a toothed grin over her shoulder at him and he shook his head. He never knew about her, but he returned her smile as he headed into the kitchen.

“Keeping me on my toes, I see,” he said as he looked in the drawers.

He tested for blood on the knifes he found and came up empty. He shoved the drawers closed and went to the dishwasher. He opened it and pulled out the lower shelf. He saw a huge knife in the silverware basket and lifted it out. He tested it for blood and smiled when came out positive.

“Found the knife,” he said as he bagged and tagged it.

Greg looked up as Sara came into the kitchen to join him. He closed the dishwasher’s door and showed her the knife.

“Found a picture of Jackson and our victim in the living room, but it only proves they knew each other.”

“It’s a start,” Greg told her as he picked up his case. “There could be a jackpot upstairs.”

Sara smiled her wide grin, causing ripples of desire to flow through him.

“After you then,” she said.

They headed upstairs, glancing at the pictures they saw on the walls. It became apparent Martha had a stalker. It sent shivers down Greg’s spine as images of Sara’s stalker came to him. He didn’t want to think of how close he had come to nearly losing her.

“This place is getting creepy,” she said as they entered the master bedroom. “This guy was obsessed with her.”

“Tell me about it,” Greg said as he placed his kit on the floor and began opening drawers. “And to think he was only two doors down from her.”

“Are you trying to freak me out?”

Greg looked at her and he saw she was also thinking about her stalker. He didn’t want to frighten her and he kicked himself for doing so.

“I’m sorry,” he said as he went back to searching through the drawers.

“I’m more worried about you,” she said. “This Kristine is scary.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” he said as he found a journal underneath some T-shirts. He pulled it out and opened it, scanning the entries.

“I think I found something,” he mentioned as he walked over to her on the other side of the room.

Sara stood up from looking under the bed. He showed her the entry he had found and her eyes widened.

“We should take this and the knife to Brass,” she said.

Greg nodded as he bagged the journal. They spent another hour going through the rest of the house, but came up empty. They then headed back to the lab. Greg placed a rush on the knife as he joined Sara back into the SUV and headed toward the police station.


~*~


“He’s not talking without a lawyer,” Brass said as Greg and Sara joined him outside the interrogation room.

“This will speak for him,” Sara said as she held up the journal. “We also found a bloody knife in the dishwasher. Mia’s on it now.”

“Good,” Brass said staring at Jackson through the glass. “By the time his lawyer gets here we should have it to nail him.”

“Have they found Kristine?” Greg asked, the question in the back of his mind the entire day.

Brass shook his head, “Not, yet. All they found so far is that she’s from San Francisco and disappeared after college. Not much to go on.”

Greg didn’t let his disappointment show as he leaned against the wall. He should have known Kristine would try to cover her tracks. She probably knew the police would be after her soon. He closed his eyes and sighed.

Maybe I should offer my idea, he thought. Otherwise, we’re never going to catch her.

“I have an idea,” he said, looking from Sara to Brass.

“No,” Sara said, her voice telling him she knew what he was thinking. “Hell, no.”

“She’s not going to show herself otherwise, Sara,” he told her. “It’s the only way.”

“Greg…”

“What are you talking about?” Brass asked, irritation more than confusion in his voice.

“Lure her out,” Greg said, ignoring Sara’s angry expression. “Use me as bait to catch her.”

“Don’t listen to him,” Sara said, glaring at him. “He’s just getting impatient.”

“It’s the only way,” he told her, hoping she would listen, but know she wouldn’t.

“No it’s not, Greg. Just let them do their job.”

Greg opened his mouth to try to convince her, but Brass nodded behind them. He turned and saw Jackson’s lawyer sauntering up to them.

“We’ll discuss this later,” Brass said as he opened the door to the interrogation room.

Greg stepped inside as Sara made her way to the other room. He sense she was upset and scared. He sighed as he took his seat across from the suspect, his thoughts in a whirl.

He didn’t want to wait for Kristine to show herself or for the cops to find her. He knew it wouldn’t happen. He had to do this or she would always be out there, waiting for him to be alone.