Chapter 4

Miss Holderson is up the following day; she walks to her son's bedroom knocking on the door. There was no response; she noticed the door was unlocked and entered:

"Jeremy?" she calls out. She noticed he wasn't in his room. She heads downstairs and gets her cell phone; she calls her son's phone. She hears it ring; the ring leads her outside. She opens the front door :

"Just because Matthew was over doesn't mean you have to sleep out...side.." She drops her phone and screams, falling to her knees. She begins crying, crawling towards her son. She grabs his leg, "Jeremy!"

Jace and Johnathan arrive at the crime scene, Miss Holderson sobbing into an officer's shoulder. Jace walks over to the officer comforting Miss Holderson, "Take her down to the station, get her something hot to drink, and contact the station Psychiatrist. I'll have her questioned some other time." Jace approaches Jeremy's corpse, sitting on the bench outside. He wore light beige dress pants; his hair was brushed and slicked back. He was sat up properly with his hands resting on a bible in his lap. Jace puts on his gloves, gently taking the bible from under Jeremy's hands:

"Huh, hey, Johnathan, look at this. It belongs to our church" Johnathan gloves up and takes the bible looking at it.

Jace goes back to examining Jeremy's body, "Jeez. "

Jeremy's throat was cut ear to ear, his tongue pulled out from his neck lesion just dangling like a necktie, "oh shit, ever seen one of these before, Johnathan ?"

Johnathan looks, "Well, that's different."

"Yup! It's called a Colombian necktie."

As Jace examines Jeremy's neck, he notices he's missing skin. He looks under the red button-up shirt noticing Jeremy's arms and torso are skinned. Jace realizes the boy's jacket is made of leather. He gently picks up Jeremy's hand holding it against the coat; noticing they are just about the same color, he sets him down.

Johnathan looks at Jace, "What is it ?"

"Well, he's been skinned, and let's just say we don't have to look too far for the missing skin."

Johnathan looks at Jace then at Jeremy's leather jacket; his mouth opens slightly before quickly closing it. Quickly learning what Jace meant, "What kind of person thinks of that kind of thing?"

"A special type of person " Jace removes his gloves, "Let's head back to the station. He walks back to the car, "We'll let the forensics team do their thing," he hops into the car on his drive to the station, opening his window lighting a cigarette. He takes a long drag, "Fuck, Jeremy is about the same age as your Malachi."

Johnathan looks at Jace, "I'm aware of that," he closes his eyes taking a deep breath, "More reasons to catch who did this. Do you think it's our new friend?"

"Well, thinking back to the crime scene at the church, there's a good possibility. So far, both crimes have a brutal but creative M.O." Jace takes another drag, "Indeed, it's both creative and brutal; the fact they giggled at me means they get some type of pleasure from this."

"Definitely has some sort of grudge against The Children of Reparation, leaving the boy in his Sunday best and with the church's bible on his lap."

"If the suspect is the same man who visited me at the hospital, he seemed to be in his twenties, but he mentioned he was older. " He gives Johnathan a glance, "I'm guessing you would like us to arrange a schedule to pick up and drop off your boys from school?"

"I like to, but I can't without causing an alarm. We live in a small town, and word travels fast."

"What makes you think it hasn't? Everyone is already aware of the crime at the church; they just lack details. But they have an idea. Now the second crime is out in the open, word will spread faster. So standing out to protect your kids wouldn't be an issue."

"Yeah, I know. But it will definitely confirm people's suspicions."

"We're gonna have to deal with this at one point or another, "Jace says, lighting a cigarette, "but it may also be a good time to ask some questions; fear will proliferate in this small town. So there will be a lot of talk."

"It will be a good opportunity for churches to open, nothing like fear in a deeply religious small town."

"What about the possibility they work for the church?"

"Not possible"

"At the pastor's crime scene. That hatred couldn't be faked. The way he strung up the pastor with those wings was just him mocking them."

"So, we have a vengeful serial killer ."

Jace snaps his finger, "We'll also need to look into the relationship between the church and Jeremy. A few weeks ago, Malachi mentioned that they like to pass out flyers. And that Jeremy, being an angry child, would pick fights with them."

"He did say that," Johnathan sighs.

"They're going to be ok. Not only do they have you, but they have me as well. I love your damn kids; Cecil seems sweet; it won't be long until he gets used to me. By the way, thanks for letting me be an uncle."

Johnathan chuckles," And to think at first you hated the fact I kept asking you to be my kid's godfather."

" I'm just as shocked as you. Maybe it's because they're your kids."

" I'm not that great of a father. "

" Yes, you are; look at how healthy and well-behaved Malachi is. And Cecil is shy, but it won't be long until he feels comfortable. And he continues to be a great kid. You're an excellent father," Jace flicks the finished cigarette into the ashtray before lighting another," I know everyone silently judges you, not only cause your wife disappeared but because you're a single father ." he takes a drag," don't worry about it you're a great dad, and they know it ."

Johnathan looks at Jace, giving him a small smile," Thank you, Jace. I'm glad you think so."

" I know so," Jace smiles back at him.

They arrive at the station going into their office. Jace goes grabbing some coffee as Johnathan pulls out the paperwork. Jace groans as Johnathan places forms in front of him:

"The only thing I hate about this job is the motherfucking paperwork. It's horrible that a kid got murked, but at the same time, it's nice we're not sitting in this office all day. The only time we ever got to go out is if someone hires us to get dirt on another person."

" Indeed true, everyone is so nosey," Johnathan begins filling out his paperwork.

Jace takes a sip of his coffee and lights a cigarette before he starts his. After an hour or two, Jace slams the pen down as he stretches," Ahh, I'm finally done. " he stands to stretch, " I could use some food."

"Sounds good."

Jace grabs his keys, " I'm gonna go to the gas station and have my car filled up. While that happens, I'll grab some more coffee and maybe a sub."

" Mmm, Yes, Gus and his daughter, Amy, make the best coffee. Get me an extra large cup and some of Amy's coffee cake."

" Will do; I'll be back " Jace walks over to his boss's office; he knocks before entering," I'm going to Spade. Do you want anything? "

" Extra large, black."

"that's it?"

" mhm"

" Extra large black," he repeats as he exits.

Jace hops in the car and drives down to Spades as Johnathan gets out some files. When Jace arrives, he gets the pump started as it fills; he heads inside. He grabs a random pack of gum and an Italian sub; he walks up to the counter:

"Good evening Amy, Could I please get an extra large black coffee, another extra large coffee with six spoons of sugar, hazel cream, and a spoon of hot chocolate? I will get an extra large Chai tea with sweet vanilla almond milk. Please and thank you. Oh yes! And some of your homemade coffee cake." he then pays for everything. As he waits, hearing the jingle of the doorbell, he turns around to see Malachi and Cecil, "Is it lunchtime already?"

"Yeah,"

Cecil gives Jace a friendly smile, "Hello, Mr. Jace" he turns to Malachi,

"I'm going to use the restroom," Cecil says before leaving.

Jace looks at Malachi, "Just getting everyone some coffee."

"Nice, oh Jace, can you give this to my dad," he pulls out a piece of paper in a plastic protection sheet.

Jace takes it," No problem."

"Jace, your order is ready," Amy says as she places the items on the counter.

Jace looks at Malachi, "I'll see you later," he says before grabbing his order. He makes it to the car, puts up the pump, and returns to the office. He checks his rearview mirror only to see Aizen sitting in the back seat. He turned around to discover the back was empty. He pulls the car to the side, checking the back seat and then the trunk :

"What the fuck." he gets back in the car, locks the doors, takes a breath, and continues back to the station. Jace checks his car once more before locking the car door. He stops at his boss's office, "Here's your coffee, extra large black."

"Thanks"

Jace makes his way back to his office, where he finds Johnathan going over some files, "Hey, here's your coffee; I also ran into Malachi; he wanted me to give this to you," Jace says, setting the paper down next to Johnathan's coffee and coffee cake.

"Thanks," Johnathan takes a sip of coffee, looking over the paper. He nods to himself, stashing the documents in the drawer, "Also, we have an update from the forensic team," taking one more sip before standing.

"Alright, let's see what goodies they have." When they arrive, they walk over to the head of the department, "What do you have for us?"

"Well, not much; the pastor died before we could get him down from the ceiling. And that hair you gave us has no DNA whatsoever."

"So, a wig?" Jace leans against the wall.

"No, they're real strands of hair, but there's no DNA."

"Though there were many prints, they lacked their markings."

"So there are no matches in our database?"

"Correct, there is literally nothing. It's odd, they're not natural, and I still can't believe there is no DNA!" Dave says as just confused but fascinated

"How can someone have prints but no prints at the same time," Jace asks, looking at Johnathan, who shrugs.

"Indeed, something weird, maybe a birth effect, mutation, or scar," David suggests as he opens Jeremy's file.

"Now, for Jeremy, Indeed, the jacket was his own skin; the craftsmanship was quite skilled." David hands the results, for both cases, to Johnathan, " Jeremy was whacked in the back of the head with a metal flashlight, then had the same flashlight smashed against his face, only to be rendered unconscious. He was then skinned alive and was kept alive until his throat was slit."

"Jeez, we have a bit of a sicko on our hands."

Jace takes the results from Johnathan looking them over, "There is evidence but no evidence at the same time" He looks at David," Thank you for your work." Jace leaves with the results, and Johnathan silently follows.

"That's weird; how can some have prints but no DNA?" Johnathan thinks to himself. Jace sits looking at Johnathan once in their office; Johnathan looks back at him:

"What?"

"I think maybe there is a possibility this man isn't a man."

"What, like they're not human?"

"Yes, I was driving back. I saw him in the back seat, but he wasn't there. I felt his presence. "

"You could be overthinking it; they did attack you and give you head damage."

"Perhaps," Jace sips his tea and sighs, "Not many leads, except possibly one."

"Well, maybe it is for our serial killer, but we have The Children of Reparation."

"That we do," Jace leans back in his chair drumming his finger on the chair's arm.