The slide show came to a stop. Someone flipped a switch and turned the lights back on. Twenty-seven people stood crowed in the station. Officers, Investigators and the Chief. No one said anything. Chief Wilks cleared his throat before continuing.
"What you just saw was the footage that was put together in 1980 of the Stratton murder. The case was deemed unsolvable, not enough evidence, and was put to rest in 1985. For five years, investigators from our department and the GBI followed leads, interviewed suspects, and collected evidence. It's been a cold case now for 30 years. We never expected to reopen it, that is until this morning." With that, Chief nodded to the chief investigator. " Tom, will you explain please?"
Tom stepped to the front of the room. He tugged at the all ready loose collar of his blue polo before beginning. "This morning, around 9am, Kristen Carter let herself into her sisters house on Rankin street. She said her sister hadn't been answering her phone in a couple of days, so she got worried. The smell is what she noticed immediately. Flies too. She didn't go any further, afraid of what she might find. She called us. I arrived at the house around 9:15am. Inside, myself and officer Bagson, who was assisting me, found the body of 37 year old african american female, Kerri Carter. The body, at our estimation, had been there at least three days. The air was not on in the house."
Across the room, Bagson looked down at his boots and kicked the floor, looking like he would be sick at any moment. To tell the truth he had felt that way sense this morning, and when they found the body he had to run out to use the bushes in the front of the house, rather than embarrass himself.
Besides the obviously disgusting details, everyone seemed to be wondering the same thing, how did this all fit together?
"Kerri Carter's body was found in the exact same state as the body in the pictures you have just seen. In the bath tub, killed by multiple knife wounds. "
There seemed to be an audible gasp seeping through the room. Like each person was trying to wrap there head around the possibility that something so horrible could be duplicated.
"There's more" The Chief said, bringing everyone back to attention "Kerri Carter, was the daughter of Colleen Carter, the woman that was murdered in the same way in 1980".
The Chief and Tom could easily imagine how everyone was feeling. They had both felt the same way when they came to the realization that they were either dealing with a serial killer, or a copy cat. Neither of which either one of them had ever delta with. GBI had been informed, they had done their own work up of the scene, coming to the same conclusions as Tom had. To exact a replica to be a coincidence.
Mason was the first to speak. "What do we do now?".
That was what the chief liked about the kid. He was a no Bull guy. Straight to the point, and not afraid to speak up. Like his father in so many ways that he didn't even relies.
"We called you all here, so that everyone gets the same information. None of that he said she said crap. You all know what we're dealing with. We appreciate an ideas or input you may have. We're taking this one step at a time this go around. One thing I'll promise you, this time it will not go unsolved. We'll get this sombitch."
"Surveillance? Anything like that need to be amped up chief? At the schools or somethin?" Jerry ran a nervous hand through his unruly red hair as he spoke. Everyone knew he was thinking about his kids. Just like half the other officers in the room.
"We have no reason to believe that the killer will lash out any other ways. Both of these murders were very specific. Not random by any means. Just one family has been targeted. For that reason we will assign an officer to keep 24 hr surveillance to the other emendate family members. From what we have gathered, that only consist of her sister and kids, a grandmother and an uncle. Apparently though, Kerri was a bit of an outcast. She lived in the same neighborhood, but didn't see eye to eye with the other family members from what we've been told. Thats the reason no one found her earlier than we did. Anyways, no one is out there Po-lecing, so lets get back to it. But, hear you this,all of you, not a word to anyone. We want to keep it as quiet as we can right now. Don't need the town in an panic about something like this."
Everyone knew they had just been dismissed, but while the on duty officers went back out to their cars, the others seemed to hover around, talking or just sitting. Mason walked up to his Sergeant and Tom, who were talking in a quiet corner. He walked up as Tom was saying "It was like walking into bad De Javu'. I worked it with Mason's father back in 80, and it was like I was seeing the whole thing over again. For a min I thought I might be going crazy or something."
"So this was the case. The one that started him off on those night mares."
Tom looked startled, like he didn't realize Mason had walked in on the conversation.
"You remember that?"
"No, I just remember bits and pieces I've heard about it. It happened about 5 years before I was born. He would never tell me much about it, except to say it was the worst thing he had ever dealt with in his career."
Tom shook his head in remembrance. "We only talked about it once after it was over. Your mamma was pregnant with you. We went out for drinks after a shift, and you father got a little looser than he normally would. He told me then about the dreams. Never talked about it any other time. The GBI had just ruled the case cold. I guess thats what brought the memories back. He didn't get the night mares until then, when your mamma was caring you. I think the fear and responsibility of parenthood made it all the more real to him." Tom's words trailed off. Lost in thought. Whatever was coming, whatever they were about to have to deal with, he knew was going to be John Carter's nightmares realized. For his son to relive the very same horror that he had.
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