Page 19 of For Blood

Morgan turned to him, her posture tense."Go on."

Garrett cleared his throat."According to our records, Reeves cooperated fully with the investigation twenty years ago.Gave a detailed statement, answered all our questions about the night he found Burke.He was never considered a suspect, just an unlucky civilian who stumbled onto a crime scene."

Derik frowned."So why target him now?After all this time?"

Morgan's eyes narrowed as she surveyed the crime scene.The floodlights illuminated pools of blood soaking into the earth, creating a macabre canvas."Someone's tying up loose ends," she murmured."But why wait two decades?"

She turned back to Garrett."Was there anything unusual about Reeves's statement back then?Anything that might have made him a target now?"

Garrett bristled slightly."I'm still getting up to speed, but there were inconsistencies in Reeves's statement."

Morgan's eyes narrowed."Inconsistencies?What kind of inconsistencies?"

Garrett shifted uncomfortably."Well, initially, Reeves said he found the body around 6 AM during his usual morning walk.But later he changed his story, claiming it was closer to 5 AM.He also gave conflicting descriptions of what he saw at the scene."

"That could be trauma affecting his memory," Derik offered."Finding a body is pretty shocking for a civilian."

Morgan nodded, but her instincts were screaming that there was more to it."Or he was hiding something.Did anyone follow up on those inconsistencies?"

Garrett sighed, running a hand over his face."Look, it was twenty years ago.Different team, different protocols.From what I can tell, they chalked it up to shock and moved on.Reeves wasn't a suspect, just a witness."

"A witness who's now dead," Morgan said grimly."And he's not the only one.Rachel Martinez was accused of having inconsistencies in her testimony too."

Morgan felt a knot forming in her stomach.The pieces were there, but the picture they formed was still frustratingly unclear.She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to quiet the whirlwind of thoughts in her mind.

Morgan's gaze swept across the crime scene, her mind racing as she processed the grim tableau before her.The floodlights cast an eerie glow over Kevin Reeves's body, curled into a fetal position that mirrored Thomas Burke's pose from two decades ago.It was more than just a coincidence; it was a deliberate message.

"Derik," she said, her voice low and tense, "this isn't just about tying up loose ends.The killer is putting on a show."

Derik stepped closer, his brow furrowed."What do you mean?"

Morgan gestured towards the body."Look at the positioning, the location.It's identical to Burke's murder.The killer isn't just eliminating witnesses; they're recreating crime scenes.It's like they're daring us to make the connection."

She felt a chill run down her spine as the implications sank in.The killer wasn't just methodical; they were theatrical, turning each murder into a macabre performance.

"It's a game to them," she continued, her voice barely above a whisper."They're not just killing; they're telling a story.One that started twenty years ago and is picking up right where it left off."

Derik's eyes widened as he followed her train of thought."You're thinking about Whitaker's theory, aren't you?That these murders are all connected?"

Morgan nodded, her mind racing through the possibilities."Whitaker was right.We're not dealing with a copycat or someone cleaning up old loose ends.This could be the work of a serial killer who's been dormant for two decades.The case was never publicly connected, that was only Whitaker's theory, so there's no way they could've known to re-create these two crimes."

She felt a surge of adrenaline mixed with dread.The pieces were falling into place, but the picture they formed was more terrifying than she had initially imagined.

"But why now?"Derik asked, voicing the question that had been nagging at Morgan."What made them start killing again after all this time?"

Morgan shook her head, frustration evident in her voice."I don't know.But whatever triggered this resurgence, we need to figure it out fast.Because if this is the same killer from twenty years ago, they're not going to stop with Reeves and Martinez.There will be more victims, more scenes like this."

She looked back at the body of Kevin Reeves, a man who had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time, twice.The first time had marked him for death; the second time had sealed his fate.The cruelty of it made Morgan's jaw clench.

Morgan turned to Derik, her eyes blazing with intensity."We need to dig deeper into those old case files, Derik.There's got to be a pattern we're missing, something that connects the witnesses from the original murders."

Derik nodded, his brow furrowed in concentration."You think the killer's working through a list?"

"It's possible," Morgan replied, running a hand through her hair."If they're targeting witnesses, there could be a specific order, a reason behind their choices.We need to figure out who might be next and get them into police protection."

She glanced around the crime scene one last time, her gaze lingering on the blood-spatter patterns revealed by the floodlights casting eerie shadows across the park.

The image of Kevin Reeves's body, carefully positioned in that haunting fetal position, was seared into her mind.

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