What Wedding?

The Home Of Thomas Allston And Eve Crowder - Somewhere In New England

"So okay, how much can we trust Petra Schultz as a witness regarding the events of over thirty years ago?" Eve thought about this question and all the time they spent speaking with Petra in her home in Darien, Connecticut.

Eve sipped her coffee and rested her chin between her thumb and index finger with her elbow on the table. "What a porcupine of a person."  "It was cringy to listen to her bad-mouthing everyone." "Tango didn't like her, but he loves everyone." "How does a person become like that?"

Allston laughed, "Tango never wagged his tail or approached her." "It's not like him."

Tango began thumping his tail on the floor at the mention of his name.

He was glad to be home.

When we questioned Petra, we focused on her relationship with Shauna Vasilios, The Mixtape Killer's first victim. 

We were interested because Petra told us she only saw her once. I'm not sure Wally knew the significance of this, so later on the porch, while Eve mixed a margarita with Petra, I spoke with Wally.

"Wally, this must be important because Petra says she only met Shauna once. It was the night of the photograph that four of the victims were in. I can't call this a coincidence, and that's why I believe her life is in danger."

"Who did the five girls encounter during that day or night?" "Was it someone at Abernathy Hall or someone they met when they went out?" "Or is it someone who knows each of them?"

Wally's mind hummed while we spoke. He assigned a Special Agent to start combing each woman's social media accounts, saying, "Some accounts have been put on ice by law enforcement, but we have our ways."

Wally took the time to update me on what the FBI knew about the serial killer.

"We got a familial match to the killer's DNA from a commercial database." "A Woman in Virginia" 

Eve laughed, saying, "Wally is a team player for staying with Petra; He didn't like her."

"You know his motives, Evie. He will get five million "Atta Boys" from the suits in Washington." "Ol J. Edgar Hoover may rise from the dead to shake Wally's hand with his bony hand." "It will make the F.B.I. look great again."

Eve thought about it. "We did the right thing bringing them in Allston." "I agree, but it would have been good to solve it ourselves," I said.

Eve said, "It's not solved yet, Thomas."

When she calls me Thomas, it only means one thing. I looked at her and leaned over the table, rubbing her shoulders and kissing her. She rose, and we returned to bed for a couple of hours.

It's good to be home.

The New England Regional FBI Office - Chelsea, Massachusetts

Special Agent Tanaka was thrilled to get this assignment. When she was growing up, she dreamed of the opportunity to work for the F.B.I. hunting down serial killers. She still laughed when she thought of the line in the movie Silence Of The Lambs when the psycho yells at the victim, "To put the lotion in the basket."  It was still funny, she thought.

She started assembling all the known facts about this case and looking for avenues to discover more.

In her cubicle at the office, she had all the usual tools, the biggest of which was her access to some high-grade databases. Also in the cubicle were her Three Stooges Bobbleheads and a foam imitation WWE championship belt: Kitsch and a first-rate mind.

Her first order of business was to find out everything about the person with the familial match D.N.A... Her D.N.A.100 percent related her in some manner to the killer of Hanna.

She took a sip of her coffee and dug into the day.

"Must not think of the wedding," she said out loud. 

The wedding is next Saturday, and the baby is due in six months.

Somewhere In Maine - The Home Of Natalie Freaking Leuze

Natalie was thrilled when she learned Wally was in Stamford, Connecticut. That he was working on catching a serial killer didn't matter to her.  She called Wally, and when he answered, she said, "Hey, Agent Hughes, why don't we meet in my brownstone in New York, and we can catch a play and eat some great food."

Natalie had not figured out there was no ON or OFF button regarding serious casework.

Wally considered the possibility of the offer and was tempted. Still, he had to explain his presence on the current case was mandatory and his efforts would be expected around the clock. That's how Law Enforcement works.

"Wally, you can't work twenty-four hours; what do you expect me to do?"

Wally thought about this before he answered her. Civilians live in a nine-to-five world, and very wealthy civilians like Natalie do whatever they want when they want.

"Natalie, this case I'm on is so important, and we are close to catching our guy." "I hope you understand; I'll have plenty of time to play soon."

Natalie Freaking Leuze's brain overloaded.

She said, "Bullshit, Wally," and ended the call.

#MurderInvestigation