13

I stayed outside as my team checked it out. Amanda came over. "We found a suicide note," she said.

I looked at her. "I should read it before Jasper does." Just to make sure it doesn't have anything that will hurt him more.

She handed it to me. "I'll leave you alone." She walked away.

I opened the envelope.

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Dear Ed and Jasp

I decided taking my own life was the best thing I could do. I know if I had just told you what had happened you would have helped me. I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I'm sorry. I love you both but I had to do this. Please tell Ken he had nothing to do with my death. I don't want him to blame himself. That wouldn't be helpful and no one deserves to take the blame. Take care of my niece and nephew.

Love

Lisa

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I rubbed my eyes, trying to stop crying. When I was sure I was done, I walked over to Jasper who was sitting in the passenger seat of my car. "Jasp, she left this note for us," I said gently.

He looked at me with tears rolling down his cheeks. "Did you r-read it?"

"Yes." I handed it to him.

He read it. "Oh, Lisa."

"Jasp, I have to arrest your mom," I said. Best not to wait now that Lisa is dead.

He nodded. "I know. Are you going to do that now?"

I nodded. "Hilda got the warrant. I'm sorry I have to do this now though."

He stood and hugged me. "It's your job. Keeping busy might help us get through this."

I hugged him tightly. "Yes. What do you have today?"

He dug his head into my chest. "A gunshot victim and a few others."

"Okay." I put my chin on the top of his head. We stayed like that for a while. Then we pulled back after staying like that for ten minutes. I kissed him and motioned to my team. Mrs. Light might cause trouble. When we got there she was on the porch.

She frowned. "Now what do you want?"

"One, Lisa killed herself for what you did. Two, we're here to arrest you," I replied calmly though inside I was still grieving.

"Under what charges?

"Helping a killer escape arrest."

She paled. "I thought…"

I shrugged. "I changed my mind." I turned to Noah. "Arrest her."

"Yes, Sir," he said. He cuffed her as he read her her rights. She glared at me the entire time. Not that I care.

He put her in his car and drove off. The rest of us followed him. When we got to the station I went straight to the murder board. I erased Mr. Hoot from it and sighed. Maybe I'll go on vacation after this case since I never use my days off. "I hate this case," I grumbled.

"The rest of us do too," Amanda said.

I turned and saw they were all there. "I don't doubt that. So does anyone have anything to report?"

"I do," Noah said. "The cameras revealed a figure dressed in black go into and leave the house. It also shows him taking the license plate off the Volvo and driving off."

"He might have changed cars by now," Hilda said.

I nodded. "Possibly. What did you get from the teachers?"

"That Mr. Hoot loved kissing them. Both the female teachers and the males," she replied. "Which matches the bodies in his basement. There were both males and females down there. He seemed to not have a preference. But it was only kissing. Nothing else that they told me and I doubt they would too. A lot of them were relieved that he was dead. They are currently trying to find another principal."

"We found something that might help," Julian said looking at Amanda.

Amanda nodded. "One of the neighbors saw the guy. Without the mask."

"He had red hair and green eyes," Julian added.

"That doesn't narrow it down much," Noah said.

"Do we have one of our artists down there?" I asked ignoring Noah's comment.

Amanda nodded. "Yeah. We'll have it by tomorrow."

"How did this neighbor see him?"

"The neighbor sits by the window with no lights on at night. So Night Wolf wouldn't have noticed because it was dark. He thought he was safe so he took his mask off. Or that's what the neighbor thinks," Julian said."

"And now we're back to no suspects," Noah said.

"Not true," I replied. "We'll have the portrait tomorrow. So we'll have a face to our killer."

"Who do you think he'll kill next?" Hilda asked.

"Someone with brown hair and is five foot six," Amanda answered.

"If he keeps going up like this, he'll be killing adults soon," I observed.

"Doesn't mean that's better," Amanda said.

"I know. Just making an observation." At least, we won't be dealing with kids anymore. It's harder to deal with dead kid bodies than it is with adults. Though I wasn't going to say that out loud because Amanda would surely get pissed off. Maybe also because that was my opinion too and not everyone would agree with it.

"Death is never good," Noah said.

"True," I agreed as I turned back to the board and wrote everything down. Then I remembered the other connection I made. "All the other victims had known each other. So if we look for a girl who knew Darla, Sarah, Halla, and Paris we might be able to save her."

"Conya," Amanda blurted.

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Who?"

"I met her at the school when Lisa and I had gone to talk to Mr. Hoot. She had been the one to tell us he wasn't there. She had brown hair and was five foot six. She had known all the girls because she was the go-to substitute for all grades though she is only twenty."

I felt a little excitement slide through me. We might be able to save one of the victims! "Do you have an address?"

She gave it to me. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to talk to her. Hilda, Julia, I want you to go question that neighbor more. Amanda, Noah, these girls have been using a website to get to know this guy. The lab released the microchips they found in the broken phones. Look through them and see what you can find. See if they all have any of the same apps on their phones too." Can't believe I'm making the couple work together but it wouldn't be a first. "No arguments while I'm gone though," I added just to be sure.

"Ed, do you think you'll be able to save her?" Noah asked.

I looked at him. "I don't know. But I have to try. You guys focus on your tasks. Dismissed." I quickly got into my car, hoping to get there in time.