Page 20 of Outrun The Devil
Olivia shrugged. “Interrogation.” Eyebrows knitted together as she tried to understand what was wrong.
“That was not interrogating, that was some bullshit good cop, bad cop ploy that I didn’t sign up for.”
Not having any time for this, Olivia Collins rolled her eyes and walked toward the squad room on the other side of the bullpen. The lack of footsteps told her that he wasn’t joining the others in the squad room.
In the squad room, Detective Maya Patel awaited them, tapping her polished nails on the table. “We found something,” she said in a hushed tone. “It could connect both victims.”
At Patel's cluttered area of the table, Detective Alex Diaz leaned back in his chair, nodding them over. “We combed through both victims to see what they have in common,” he said. “And we found something they have in common.”
Diaz handed Olivia the folder and she flipped it open. “They both attend Arizona State.” A lump formed in her throat at how young the girl was. Jessica’s age. And that didn’t make the feeling of knotting in her stomach any better.
One had blonde hair and the other was strawberry blonde. The killer had a type. And when they had a type, it meant there was a chance to catch him based on the type. If all the cards fell in their favor, that is. But for now.
Collins clapped Patel’s shoulder. “Good work you two.” She’d only just met them today and while she loathed having a partner she could recognize that they’d need a few sets of eyes doing the grunt work of the investigation. There were only so many hours in the day, and there was no way she’d be able to question the victim’s family and friends, watch hours of surveillance and track down the leads.
Olivia was all too aware of the double standard at play, but she refused to let it cloud her judgment. She knew that she was a damn good detective, and having a partner didn't change that. Still, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance at the thought of being tethered to someone else's schedule and whims like a lost puppy dog. But for the sake of the case, she would grit her teeth and make it work.
Plus, the redhead still planned to kick this lost puppy to the pound the moment she could. And that thought alone had a smirk playing on her lips as they strode out of the station.
“What should we do with Davidson,” Diaz asked.
“I want to check his alibi, check with each of his pals and see if we can’t poke any holes in it. No one just goes out for a joy ride at that time of night.” This meant that even if they weren’t the ones who took the victim and murdered her, they were likely out there doing something they shouldn’t have.
“Do we like him for this?” Diaz raised an eyebrow.
“I do,” said Nathan. Nathan's response didn't surprise Olivia, although she made sure not to let it show.
“Let's focus on the evidence and follow the leads,” she replied, her outward demeanor remaining indifferent. However, inwardly, Olivia couldn't help but feel annoyed by Nathan's approach. Her experience had taught her that the first suspect was rarely the culprit. But as a rookie detective, she wasn’t surprised that his first instinct was the first suspect.
“Also, I want to know as soon as the lab processes the hair from the crime scene.” She paused, pulling out the small bag she’d stuffed in her pocket. “I want it checked against this.”
A sudden realization seemed to dawn on Nathan as his eyes widened. “That's why you were aggressive with him,” he exclaimed, connecting the dots.
Olivia nodded in affirmation. “Sometimes, we have to push boundaries,” she explained, confident that he would eventually understand.
“But any evidence …”
“Yes, I am aware,” Olivia cut him off, fixing him with a deadpan look.
Thank you, Captain Obvious.
Olivia shrugged nonchalantly, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. “I just needed to satisfy my curiosity,” she admitted.
“Where are we on witnesses?” Olivia's gaze remained fixed on the whiteboard as she posed her question.
“No eyewitnesses so far,” Nathan responded, but she didn't bother to look at him. The absence of any eyewitnesses was disheartening, and it felt like hitting a dead end.
With her arms crossed, Olivia raised an important question. “How long between the time the first victim was reported missing until she was found?”
As she stepped up to the whiteboard, marker in hand, Patel flipped open a file to find the answer. “Two weeks,” she replied.
Olivia nodded and started writing on the board, emphasizing the significant jump. “So he's escalating. From two weeks to three days, that's a big jump.”
Olivia stood in front of the whiteboard, staring at it as if the answers to this whole case would jump right out at her. But she knew better. That was not how this job worked, visions or no visions. Following the evidence, she worked every case the same despite her supernatural skill.
“Let’s have CSU check for tire prints,” she said finally. It was a long shot. “See if any of the tire marks match a truck. And then let’s comb through any surveillance we have on the way to that area.” If they could find a truck matching what Mr. Davidson described, then they could catch a break. But she didn’t hold out too much hope, for all she knew he was lying.
“I heard you’d taken a case in Tolleson but I didn’t want to believe it.”