Page 68 of Discover Me
Morrison leans forward, curious despite his earlier embarrassment.
"I know that some of the detectives are saying this must be the work of Hex," I start, my finger tapping one of the photos. "The location matches his dumping grounds, the timing fits with his escalating pattern, and Colt was an Omega. But I think we have two killers, or two organizations, or whatever the hell Hex actually is."
"What are you talking about?" Morrison looks genuinely confused. "Pinkney was sure this was Hex. He showed me the comparisons to previous victims and they lined up."
Grayson snorts. "Pinkney is just as bad at his job as you are. Look, Hex has certain tells. Patterns in how he kills, how he disposes of bodies, the types of victims he chooses. None of which were present here."
I push several photos toward Morrison, pointing out specific details. "Sure, it's a similar area where Hex dumps bodies and he's been growing bolder lately, expanding his territory. But I think this might be someone else entirely."
"How so?" Morrison picks up one of the photos, studying it more carefully now.
Grayson takes over the explanation, his crime junkie knowledge finally useful. "First off, the Omegas Hex usually finds are smaller and cuter. Vulnerable-looking. Easy targets who wouldn't put up much fight. Colt was huge—over six feet, muscular, clearly capable of defending himself. That's not Hex's type at all."
"Second," I add, pushing forward another set of photos, "look at these pictures. What do you notice about the body?"
Morrison studies them for a long moment, his expression shifting from confused to disturbed. "The cuts are precise. And the body seems... taken care of? Like it was arranged carefully."
"Exactly." I lean back, letting him process what he's seeing. "It almost looks like the killer preserved the victim. Positioned him intentionally. This person knew what they were doing from a technical standpoint. The cuts are surgical in precision. The body shows signs of being cleaned post-mortem, arranged in a specific position that has meaning to the killer."
"This wasn't a chaotic kill done in rage or opportunity," Grayson continues. "This was methodical. Careful. Someonewith knowledge of anatomy, someone who takes pride in their work. Hex is brutal and efficient, but not careful. Not like this."
"I think we have someone else on our hands," I conclude, gathering the photos back into the file. "Someone who either wants us to think it's Hex, or who's working parallel to Hex with similar methods but different execution. Different motivation."
"Another serial killer?" Morrison's voice pitches higher with alarm. "In our jurisdiction? Are you serious?"
"I fucking hope not," Grayson says, exhaustion bleeding into his voice. "One is more than enough for any department to handle. But we need to approach this case with the assumption that it's not Hex. Because everything about this case points to someone else entirely."
