Killer Scents (7 page)

Randy
gave her a definitive
nod and let off on the gas to fall back in behind her, but not before he caught a telltale wrinkle sprout between her gorgeous green eyes.

A brisk morning breeze carried the sweet scent of flowers in full bloom
from a
beautiful, endless sea of color
–a welcome distraction.

H
e followed Becca down a
long
winding drive that eventually yawned open to a picturesque house. He eased in beside her
out
front of a double garage.

He
whistled. “This is quite the set up, eh?”

Becca set her helmet on her seat and finger
-
combed the tangles from her shiny red hair.

He’d sat at his computer long into the night researching Professor Davies
.
The man had
been a high school science teacher for fifteen years before climbing the rungs to become a
p
rofessor of
h
orticulture at the university. Last spring, at sixty years of age, he took a semi-retirement
; he
now
taught
hands
-
on horticulture, specifically hydroponics her
e
in his greenhouses.

“Well, let’s see if this guy can
decipher
The
F
lorist’s psychotic reasoning.”

Becca nodded and slipp
ed
the denim shirt back over her tattoos, visibly switching to cop mode.

It must be nice to have an on/off button.
Randy followed her across the driveway.

Becca climbed the porch stairs with Randy at her side. They paused at the door, and he looked her way.

“Are you okay?”

“Absolutely.”  Her finger
was
already on the doorbell.

Through the etched glass
, Becca saw
a
n older woman scurr
ying
toward them.

“Good morning.” Her bright smile welcomed them as she wiped her damp hands on a crisp
,
white apron.

“Good morning. I’m Detective Randy Bates, and this is my partner, Detective Becca Talbot.”

“Yes, of course. I’m Mable
.
The professor is
expecting you, so i
f you’ll follow me this way
....
”

They stepped onto an incredibl
y
polished floor
.
S
eamless tile depic
ted
many geometric and floral patterns, skirting a spectacular staircase. Mable led them through a formal living room with luxurious celery
-
green curtains and deep
,
curvy
pelmets. Beautiful crystal lighting hung from the ceiling on either side of a contemporary sofa
.
W
inged
-
back chairs in a contrasting shade of vanilla
provided the perfect complement
.
It was a
room she’d only seen the like of in high end design magazines.

Mable opened impressive French doors to a homey
sunroom
filled with mismatched furniture and dated lace curtains. The scent of p
i
pe tobacco lingered in the air. Sitting in an overstuffed armchair, a distinguished, white-haired gentleman looked up from a magazine and set it on his lap
, followed by
removing his glasses.

“Hello, you must be the officers
wanting to talk flora with me.” His smile reached his sparkling blue eyes, putting Becca even more at ease than the room did.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.” She smiled warmly. “I’m Detective Talbot, and this is my partner, Detective Bates.”

“I’m a little surprised you’re asking me for the significance of these blooms. My wife shared my passion for horticulture, but she’s the one who actually did all the research into their meanings.”

An air of melancholy settled in the room.

Becca laid out the pictures of the flowers she’d scanned off the Internet. “These are the ones left in the hands of The Florists’ victims. We hoped you might shed some light on their significance, if any.”

The professor set his
glasses back on the bridge of his nose and perused the
images
thoughtfully. His long, wrinkled fingers feathered the edges of each
photo
before turning his attention back to them.

“This is quite a diverse selection you
have
here.”

Becca tapped the first
photograph
of a white carnation. “What is the
definition
of this
one? Of course, we’ve researched them on our own, but came up with quite a few conflicti
ng
definitions.”

T
he housekeeper appeared, and Randy jumped up, taking the f
u
lly laden tr
a
y from her hands.
T
he chivalrous gesture
stained the woman’s cheeks pink.

“Why thank you, young man. You can set it in the middle of this table.” She smiled and slid the magazine out of the way. “Would you like me to pour?”

Becca
smirked
. “No, Randy can take care of that for you.” She pressed her lips firmly together to contain her
laughter
.

He arched an eyebrow.
“Thank you, Becca. How kind of you to offer my services.”

Professor Davies peered
over the rim of his glasses from her to Randy and then back to the picture in his hands. “White flowers in general usually lean toward purity. The carnation defines it in the form of beauty, love and charity. These qualities might symbolize the memory of someone who is deceased.”

“Are you suggesting he might have known and loved the first victim?” Becca sat on the edge of her seat.

He shrugged. “I suppose it’s possible. In my opinion, since the type of flora is polar opposites from the way he killed them it almost feels like a present...a parting gift, if you may.”

Very interesting possibility.
Becca anxiously awaited his next assessment
.

The teacher took another photo from her. “Hmm, a lily. Beautiful. It’s known to symbolize honesty and faith, and yes, even purity in the form of virginity. In the Bible, the white lily is associated with the Virgin Mary.”

The professor sweetened his tea with two sugar cubes.

Becca looked over at Randy. “Virginity can’t be the common thread. Susan never married, but she did have a serious boyfriend in her early twenties
.
”

“Three days after the Virgin Mary’s burial, the tomb was found empty, save for a bunch of white lilies. It became the emblem of Annunciation, the Resurrection of the Virgin. The pure white petals signify the spotless beauty, and the golden anthers are her soul captured
in heavenly light.”

Becca
sat
entranced by the lyrical quality of the man’s voice.
He must be one hell of a teacher.

Randy quietly took notes in his ever-present notebook.

“
It’s i
nteresting
that
the killer would go from
white
to
the
vibrant red of this
g
ladiola. He held the
paper
between two fingers. “Strength and integrity. If it were a bouquet of them, the sender is likely conveying his or her infatuation with the recipient.”

Becca’s eyes filled as she
handed him the snapshot of
the
asters
left in
Susan
’s hands. The teacher nodded, understanding
in
his expressive eyes
.
H
e briefly touched her hand before accepting the
photo
.

“In ancient times, if one burned aster leaves they believed it would drive away evil spirits. Today, they
’
re used to create a sense of peaceful stability. This shade of purple is very similar to
the
w
isteria.”

He pointed
to
the lavender
w
isteria intertwined throughout her tattoos
,
a few delicate blooms visible below her shirtsleeve. The
ir fragrance
had been
her mother’s favorite. Becca cleared her throat noisily before taking a sip of tea.

“Would the meanings be any different for a man or is it a unisex type of deal?”
Randy leaned forward to pick up his cup.

Becca closed her eyes, grateful for the timely diversion to gather her emotions.

“That’s an interesting question. I’d have to say if there is a difference
, but to my knowledge
it hasn’t been charted.” He
tapped the top of his head
. “
I have acquired an
extensive
amount of data over the years.
” He chuckled lightly before glancing at his watch. “You have one more for me? I’m afraid my students will come looking for me soon.”

“Yes.” Randy passed him the last
picture
. “We really appreciate you taking the time to see us today.”

“A
white
lilac
is an
interesting choice. They have a very short life. It
is
very fragrant and associated with youthful innocence and confidence
. I
n a nutshell,
it means
selflessness.”

Becca took the
photo
from him. “Do you know of a
florist
the killer might have ordered these from?”

The teacher
shook
his head
while stuffing his glasses in a case inside his shirt pocket. He
leaned heavily on his cane to stand.
His obvious
discomfort
deepened the soft lines around his eyes and mouth. “No, I find it highly unlikely. My guess is he’s quite knowledgeable in horticulture and is growing them himself.”

Randy stood and
offered
his hand. “Thank you for your time. If by chance we have more questions, will you be available to see us?”

“Of course, just call before you come so they can track me down. It’s easy to get lost around here.”
He winked playfully
before turning his attention to
Becca
. He clasped her hand. “I’m terribly sorry for
the
loss
of your friend
, my dear. I know how it feels to lose a loved one. A little piece of you is gone forever.” His eyes clouded
,
and he gave her hand a final
squeeze
before
stepping
through the open doors to the back deck, his steps uneven
.
“Maybe next time I’ll take you on a tour
.
”

He hung on to the rail and
hobbled
down the few
remaining
stairs
to
where his ride wait
ed
.

“I would love that.”
She
whisper
ed
.

“As would I.”

Becca
swallowed the bitterness at the back of her throat. Susan’s murder was now added to the white boards. She quickly looked away and shifted in her chair to block the images from her line of vision.