Perfect Reflection (3 page)

Jewel observed two hands reach up and touch the
woman’s legs then she was pulled closer to the end of the table.
She couldn’t see anyone’s face but the woman’s, but the blurred
movements showed the man’s arms, she studied his skin, the way his
hair was shaved off his forearms.

What Jewel saw next pissed her off. She watched a
hand reach up to the woman’s stomach, then turn into claws. The
claws slit the woman’s stomach in two. Jewel flinched as she could
almost hear the rip of the flesh, it disturbed her.

The vision stopped before Jewel could see anymore.
She knew the suspect was a male, because of the semen in the
victims. Now she knew that the suspect was a wolf as well. This
changed everything.

If humans found out that a wolf shifter killed the
victims, it would change everything as they know it. Humans didn’t
know about shifters. If they did then shifters would be put into
cages and experimented on. The Elders had seen it in the past when
someone found out about them, they were treated like freaks, so
they went into hiding, making sure never to reveal their shifter
side. A killer among them could be disastrous.

This man was smart. He never left a print or hair.
Now Jewel was glad that he didn’t leave any hair. How could she
explain if a wolf’s hair was found at the scene? The visions were
always the same; she could only see so much of what happened. They
needed more information. Jewel was getting frustrated quickly with
her gift, and with the torture the victims were going through, it
pissed her off.

The victims were sent to the Georgia Bureau of
Investigation (GBI) Crime lab. They would be examined, trying to
locate evidence from the victims’ bodies and clothing. In this case
and the others, the victims didn’t have any clothing on. However,
the findings in the exam and collected evidence often provided
information to help Jewel and Vander reconstruct the details of the
events in question, in an objective and scientific manner.

The semen would be put into CODIS to check for a
possible DNA match. CODIS is a computer software program that
operates local, state, and national databases of DNA profiles.
While in prison, officials can take DNA from the prisoners
currently housed in State Correctional facilities. Then they
compare the DNA collected at the scenes of crimes and those that
are already in the CODIS system to see if there is a match.

Unfortunately, there was no match located with the
other murders. This meant that the killer hadn’t been arrested, so
they didn’t have his DNA. Jewel and Vander were taking the case
apart piece by piece. These were high profile murders. The victims
came from money. Parents and loved ones wanted answers. This meant
that pressure was being put on Captain Marks to come up with some
answers. In return, this put pressure on Jewel, since it was her
case, and Vander, since he was her partner.

Jewel couldn’t let herself become attached to the
victims. If she did, then she wouldn’t be able to concentrate on
finding the suspect. Other cops were the only ones who understood
this. Feelings would bring the investigation to a halt. It was one
of the things they drilled into their head during training was to
keep your feelings detached from the crime, you had to be able to
focus on the perp or it would be difficult to look at the evidence.
Jewel took that to heart and never crossed the line, she couldn’t,
or it would tear her up.

She never did victim notices to the family. She would
go and speak with the family later after the grief had passed some.
It was hard for her because she knew the victims suffered until he
finally killed them. Her so-called gift made sure she saw the
suffering. What she didn’t see was who the killer was or what they
looked like. The suspect enjoyed making these women suffer. He
always took something from the crime scene to remember the victim
by. Usually it was a piece of jewelry. The victims came from a lot
of money so the jewelry was missed and noted by the family. Jewel
knew it was a serial killer, but she didn’t want to say it.

Vander knew that Jewel was ready for him to come into
the room and compare notes with her. He had been with her long
enough to read the signs. “Like I said before, we have a serial
killer,” Vander said looking at Jewel.

“Yeah, I know,” Jewel growled.

Jewel walked to the door and looked at the crime
scene techs. “Hey, guys, you can come on in now. I want the door
printed. Oh yeah, and bring the table the Victim is laying on,
too.” The crime scene techs walked in smiling at Jewel. They knew
how she wanted the evidence collected.

Joseph Newton was the youngest crime scene tech at
the Atlanta Police Department. Jewel showed him things that he
would never had learned if it wasn’t for her, she liked the kid and
wanted him to succeed. The techs respected her. She always gave
them the respect they deserved, while other cops made fun of them.
Jewel was a class act. She remembered them during Christmas and
always made sure they had plenty of drinks on hand after the
evidence was collected.

Jewel and Vander walked out of the building looking
across the street at the vultures that had already set up their
vans. She turned her head not wanting to be on the eleven o’clock
news. They walked to the side of the building so they could compare
notes. She spotted the small trailer the company used as an office
and walked toward it.

“Where are you going?” Vander asked Jewel as she
walked up onto the porch outside the trailer. Jewel knocked on the
door waiting for the Superintendent to open the door. She could
hear him and knew he was on the phone. Her hearing was great since
she was a wolf, it worked to her advantage that she could hear
things others couldn’t.

Mr. James Sams, the Superintendent, opened the door
with his cell phone to his ear. He motioned them to come into the
office while he finished his phone call. “Yes, sir, I understand. I
have your name written down, Captain Lex Doyle. Thank you, sir. I
will.”

Jewel looked up at Vander when the Superintendent
mentioned Captain Lex Doyle. Why the fuck was he calling her
witness?

“Okay, bye, Captain,” James Sams said as he hung the
phone up and looked at Vander and said, “Sorry about that. What can
I do for you, Lt. Collins?”

“Mr. Sams, this is Lt. Campbell, she is in charge of
this crime scene. She has some questions for you.” Vander motioned
toward Jewel.

“Yes, ma’am, I will help you all I can. This is
terrible, just terrible. I can’t believe somebody would do this to
a woman. It’s a shame, a terrible shame,” Mr. Sams said as he sat
down on the side of his desk.

“Mr. Sams, can you tell me why you are talking to
Captain Doyle from the New York City Police Department?” she asked
quickly, she didn’t like this guy, and hearing him talk to Doyle
pissed her off.

“Umm. Well, my boss, ma’am. Mr. Wexford told me to
tell him what I found at the site,” the man stuttered, which pissed
her off even more. She was certain that he was lying about
something.

“Why would your boss want a New York Police Officer
to ask you questions about my scene when the Atlanta Police
Department is working the damn case?” Jewel demanded. James Sams
looked up at Jewel with a panicked expression. “Why, Mr. Sams, are
you telling another cop that is in New York City about my case,
giving vital information out to another agency who isn’t working
this case.”

“Well, ma’am, I work for Mr. Wexford and when he
tells me to do something or talk to somebody then I do it. I want
to keep my job, ma’am,” James Sams said as he looked at Vander for
some type of help. James could tell that Jewel was pissed off and
he wasn’t second-guessing the way this situation would play out. He
didn’t want to go to jail for releasing information that he wasn’t
supposed to, but he wasn’t going to go down for this, the other
things he had done, maybe, but not this.

“Mr. Retten Wexford owns this site, too?” Jewel asked
Mr. Sams.

“Yes, ma’am, he does. He owns the other two buildings
the other murders took place at, too. I’m sorry, I thought you knew
that. Mr. Wexford owns many buildings in Atlanta and New York City.
His best friend is Captain Doyle. There were two murders in New
York, too, and they were at Mr. Wexford’s buildings.” Jewel looked
up at Vander with smoke coming out of her ears. The supervisor
wanted to smile, but he was not going to get in trouble for
this.

“Mr. Sams, may I use your phone?” Jewel asked. Mr.
Sams knew that she wasn’t really asking she was demanding, so he
stepped back and held put his hands. He could now honestly say he
wasn’t culpable.

“Yes, ma’am.” Mr. Sams handed his cell phone to
Jewel.

Jewel looked at the recent calls and saw Lex Doyle’s
name. She pushed his name and the phone redialed Captain Lex
Doyle’s number. The phone rang a couple of times then she heard
“Doyle.”

Jewel smiled and said sweetly into the phone,
“Captain Doyle?”

“Yes, who is this?” the arrogant bastard demanded on
the other end of the phone. She was ready to rip some ass, this
whole situation smelled rotten.

“This is Lt. Jewel Campbell with the Atlanta Police
Department. Next time you want to know about my crime scene, you
pompous ass, then you pick up the damn phone and call me. I
understand that you boys think that we are a bunch of hicks down
here in the south, but I can assure you,
Captain
, that we
are on this. I would have been happy to call you with this
information, but I will not tolerate you pissing on my scene. Do we
understand each other, sir?” Jewel didn’t wait for Captain Doyle to
answer her before she hung the phone up.

She looked up at Sams, who had his mouth open,
staring at Jewel. She tossed his phone to him. “Mr. Sams, I
understand that you don’t want to lose your job, but if you give
out any more information without my authority, I will lock your ass
up. Do you understand me?” Mr. Sams nodded his head as Jewel stuck
her hand out, “It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Sams. If you
think of anything else then please contact me?” She took a business
card out of her coat pocket and handed it to James Sams. Jewel
turned and walked out the door before James Sams could respond.

“Wow, you really know how to make friends?” Vander
said, laughing at Jewel. She looked over at him shaking her
head.

“You know how that pisses me off when they think we
are just a bunch of rednecks.”

“Hell, Jewel, we are a bunch of rednecks. Now they
will probably put us up in the roach motel in New York. You know
I’ve never been to New York and I want to go so please stop pissing
off the people who are paying our way,” Vander snorted as he pushed
Jewel on the shoulder playing with her.

“Hey, Vander?” Jewel asked.

“Yeah.” Vander looked over at Jewel.

“I didn’t know that Retten Wexford owned this
construction site. It doesn’t say that. I thought it was the NY
Pack Industries.” Jewel looked at Vander confused.

“I thought so, too, but now I’ve got to go and check
to see if he owns this company, too, or maybe his family owns it.
Hell, who knows with these rich folks,” Vander said as he and Jewel
continued to walk back to where the body was found.

Jewel and Vander walked back to the crime scene.
Jewel always went back over the scene in case she missed something.
They continued to take notes and pictures as the crime scene techs
finished processing the scene.

Chapter
Two

He sat and watched. Those idiots had no idea who he
was and what he was capable of,
there she was
, he grinned
and rubbed his hands. Hiding her face from the cameras like that
wouldn’t make a difference, he could see her whenever he wanted.
She was his ultimate prize, and soon they would be together for his
final act of terror.

She was the perfect choice for his finale, before he
took over what was rightfully his. Once everything fell into place,
he would be like a Phoenix rising from the ashes to step into place
and save the day. The plan was perfect, and he would execute it
like he and his father planned all those years ago, he only wished
his father and mentor was alive to see how he turned out.
Unfortunately, the old man didn’t know when to turn over the reins,
and the Redeemer had to take them from him. It was the only kill
that affected him, not like he was sad or anything—more like
disappointed in the fact he refused to allow him to grow. He had
shown him though, the Redeemer grinned to himself.

They would soon get this was just a taste of his
power. She would understand he did exactly what he had to, and when
she came to him, he would kill her, too. He had a lot of practice
over the years, “developing his signature,” as they called it. It
was good he was so much smarter than those idiot cops were. His
plan was in place and it was going beautifully. They would
not
be able to figure this shit out, he would have them
chasing their tails for a long time.

It was time for him to go and put the next part of
his plan into action. It was simple really, wreak havoc and let
someone else take the fall. Like he was innocent or something, no,
the asshole deserved everything he got. Since he was young, he knew
that he was special, smarter, and more determined than anyone to
rise above his childhood was. His so-called brother was not
deserving of anything he was given.

He thought they could get rid of him. He didn’t care
why, he only cared that they did. Discarded like an animal. He
would show them, their precious little prince was going to go down,
then he would rise and show them what he had made of himself—how
successful he was. They couldn’t argue, they would beg him to come
back into the fold. Then the pack would be his like it should have
been all along, and he would be able to get what was his. Maybe
even find a mate, the Redeemer laughed, fuck no, women were
cheating, heartless bitches. Like his mother. She cheated on his
father, and look what happened, it had destroyed his life.