Page 21 of The Hanging Dolls (Zoe Storm #1)
TWENTY
Zoe’s eyes thinned at the image on the screen.
The new day had started on an encouraging note.
She had finally gotten her hands on the CCTV footage from Seaside Sweets.
The burglary had been tagged as a low-priority case following Lily’s disappearance, but now this was the only solid piece of evidence that could lead them to their elusive killer.
“The CSU is combing Tara’s room and that shoe print we found,” Scott said, swinging the door to her little office wide open. “Jesus, it’s cold in here.”
The grainy video showed behind the counter. The lights came on and a figure appeared in the frame. Zoe stilled in anticipation. The figure was wearing a brown hoodie, his size and shape distinctive of a man. But his hood was up, his hands in his pockets and his shoulders hunched.
He was avoiding the cameras.
With a gloved hand, he opened the compartment door to a display case. He began sweeping all the desserts into a large box he’d picked up from the floor. As soon as he’d finished, he disappeared from the frame. Seconds later, the lights went off.
“Damn it.” Zoe sat back with a huff. “He knew where the cameras were.”
“Must have scoped the place as a customer at some point,” Scott said.
She played back the video, zooming in on the hooded man. There had to be something here, she kept trying to convince herself. But the hoodie was a generic brown. No visible logo on it. “I’ll send this to FBI.”
“What will they be able to do?”
“They can enhance this frame by frame and detect something our eyes missed. That’s our only shot.”
Gloom settled on her shoulders like a heavy weight. Her mind spun in all directions, firing randomly, but she was getting nowhere. Aiden strolled into the office, carrying a tray of coffees.
“Did you guys find anything last night?” he asked, scowling at his tie, which was askew.
“A footprint. CSU is there. Anything from the dad?” Zoe asked.
“I didn’t detect any signs of deception, but he’s hotheaded. Very.”
“He took four days to kill Lily.” Scott’s words tumbled as though outrunning his thoughts. “But Lily showed no signs of any kind of injury other than the strangulation. So what was he doing for four days with her? Deliberating?”
“It could be obsessive-compulsive pathology. The caretaker behavior is part of a compulsive cycle that the killer feels obliged to complete. Disrupting the sequence could cause significant psychological distress,” Aiden explained.
“We do know he’s meticulous and most likely mirroring something important to him. ”
Zoe pulled up Lily’s autopsy report again and read it line by line, hoping for a clue she might have missed. She’d gone over it countless times, but something kept nagging at her.
“Hold up,” Zoe said, her tone shifting as she focused on a particular section.
“The victim’s stomach contents revealed traces of recently consumed food, including proteins and carbohydrates.
The body showed no signs of malnutrition; in fact, it suggests that Lily was well fed in the days leading up to her death.
The only damage was to the kidneys, which could be attributed to exposure to some kind of toxin while in captivity. ”
Scott stopped pacing, turning to her with a furrowed brow. “Well fed? So he was taking care of her?”
She nodded, flipping to the next section. “Yeah, and it says here, ‘Hydration levels consistent with regular intake of fluids; no signs of dehydration typically seen in prolonged captivity.’ He kept her well-nourished and hydrated.”
Scott turned to Aiden. “You were right. He’s being a caretaker. But why?”
Zoe chewed on the pad of her thumb—a habit Rachel hated. She could still feel Rachel flicking her hand away. “Are you sure we are clear on the finances of the Bakers? Tim and Mary?”
“We got those. There’s nothing there.”
“They don’t owe anyone any money?”
He shook his head. “Why?”
“There’s another possibility. Something more basic.” Zoe floated the idea. “Hesitation.”
Aiden pondered, then said, “Lily is the first victim.”
The color drained from Scott’s face. “Does that mean that he might not take four days with Tara?”
“It’s a possibility.” She nodded against that sharp blade of time pressed against her throat. It could nick her at any time. “Why these two victims? What do Lily and Tara have in common?”
“Lily was seven years old and Tara’s eight years old. They are in different grades but same school.”
“Maybe they knew each other then? What about Tara’s father? What does he do?”
“He’s an environmental scientist for a consulting firm. Has nothing in common with the Bakers,” Aiden confirmed.
Zoe threw her head back, trying to connect the dots.
There had to be a reason why these two girls were targeted.
The killer had snuck into Tara’s room to abduct her.
It couldn’t have been convenience. Was it random?
Did he watch Tara from a distance one day and a switch flipped that he just had to have her?
“Could it be an obsession that he’s following up on?” Scott voiced her train of thought. “He saw these girls and just had to have them.”
“In my experience, obsession is linked to sexual acts. Are the cops still canvassing the neighbors?” Aiden asked.
“Yeah, they’re there right now.” He chewed his lip, trying to make sense of it all, when his eyes lit up. “Lily said there was a man she knew. What if Tara did too?”
Zoe straightened. “Kids talk to their friends, you know. We need to interview them. Maybe Tara talked about the same man to her friends.”