Page 43 of Nothing Watching

“We all appreciate the choice you made,” Juliette said, and she meant it. There was no guarantee he’d have caught the killer, and another death would be catastrophic for all of them.

Turning toward Fischer, she saw that the woman was on her phone, talking seriously. She glanced at Juliette and began speaking with even more emphasis. Juliette couldn’t hear her words, but she felt sure that she was doing her best to buy them some time, that she was trying to delay the political mechanics that would see the case being taken from the task force.

She knew that Fischer was likely speaking to someone high up in the government, trying to keep the case in the task force’s hands. It was a delicate dance, and one that required a lot of tact and diplomacy.

Fischer ended the call and turned to Juliette. “We’ve got a little more time, but not much,” she said, her voice tense. “They’re going to meet later this afternoon and then we won’t have a say.”

Juliette nodded, knowing that they needed to work fast.

Turning away, she ducked under the crime scene tape, quickly crossing the street to avoid the gathering crowds. She needed to clear her head, and to think fast.

There were only a couple of hours for her to turn this impossible, frustrating case around.

As she walked down the street, her mind racing with the potential scenarios, she found herself grasping onto the ghost of an idea.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

“It’s the philosophy angle,” Juliette muttered to herself, striding along the narrow sidewalk, lined with small houses and apartment buildings, with the midday bustle of Berlin around her. “That’s what we need to focus on, what we haven’t given enough attention to yet.”

She tried to recall what she knew about Goethe’sFaust, the book whose page was found at the scene. A story about a man who sells his soul to the devil, it was a classic tale of temptation and morality. Juliette wondered if the killer was acting out some twisted version of the story. Perhaps he saw himself as a modern-day Faust, making a pact with evil to commit his heinous acts.

But how could they use this information to catch him? Juliette knew they needed to get into the killer’s head, to understand his motives and thought processes.

He was obsessed with historic works, that was clear. He must have a collection of volumes, early editions from the look of those yellowed pages. So far, understandably, the German police hadn’t been able to get any information on the source of those books or pages. But perhaps the more important information could be gained from their owner, the killer himself.

Juliette paused in her walk, feeling a surge of excitement as an idea struck her. Now, she had a plan.

Turning, she headed back to the crime scene, thankful that the brief opportunity to get some distance and clear her mind had allowed her to gain some important insight.

As she headed back to the scene, she saw their unmarked police car pull up again, and Wyatt jumped out.

“No luck at the hospital,” he said. “The victim’s in the OR and there hasn’t been a moment for her to communicate. But the prognosis is good, they’re expecting a full recovery, and said she might be available tomorrow.”

“In the meantime, I’ve had an idea,” Juliette said, glancing at Sierra, who was hurrying over.

“We need one at this point,” Wyatt admitted with a grimace. “What have you thought of?”

“I’m seeing how obsessed this killer is,” Juliette said. “I don’t think we’ve been focusing enough on his all-consuming need to do what he’s doing. He has collected texts and studied them. He’s chosen his victims—all blond. He’s stalked them. Now, he’s getting even more desperate and that is why he’s speeding up his interval, not waiting for night any longer, but going out to kill in daylight hours.”

Sierra frowned worriedly, understanding where Juliette was going with this. “He’s getting bolder, more reckless,” she agreed.

Wyatt nodded, looking thoughtful. “So, what’s your plan?” he asked.

“My plan is to search for any crimes, or any criminals, that involve philosophical ideas. This man is obsessed, that I can see. His mind is deeply embedded in these ancient texts, and he is living by them. I don’t think he just started doing this now, I think it’s habitual. And there’s a very strong likelihood that it’s gotten him in trouble with the law before now.”

“Maybe he had some dangerous ideas, some inflammatory concepts that got the attention of the police?” Sierra suggested.

Juliette nodded. “Yes. Or maybe he is a disgraced academic, someone who fled here from another country? We need to go through the databases with a fine-tooth comb and see if he’s hiding there. We know for sure that he’s not a previous convict here, because there’s no DNA on record. But he might have had charges dropped, or filed elsewhere.”

“I think that sounds like a plan,” Sierra said, looking encouraged.

Wyatt agreed. “Let’s get on it then. We need to find this guy before he strikes again.”

“We have to find him before this afternoon’s high-level meeting,” Juliette said, with the pressure bearing down. “At that meeting, Fischer said the powers that be are going to discuss the case and they might well end up taking us off it, because we haven’t performed.”

“That’s a lose-lose!” Wyatt looked appalled.

“Nobody wants it, but unless we can figure out who this killer is, it’ll be an inevitable consequence.”

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