Merrville County

  Castleton Police Department

  Thursday

  6:32 a.m.

  Detective Mackey strolls into the operations room and goes straight to his desk. He takes in the cluttered desktop with an air of dismay. Not wasting another second, James sets to work cleaning up the small space. Crime scene photographs, James crams into one manila folder. DMV records, the detective stacks to the left of the photos. Criminal and traffic reports, Mackey situates below the DMV records. Other random documents are placed at the desk's center--assorted by amount, date, and type. Samantha Mackey would be proud.

  Dave appears a few moments later, holding two cups of hot coffee and a couple of sub sandwiches from the department cafeteria. He tosses James a sub, which the spry detective expertly catches with one hand.

  "It's the best I could do. So eat," Dave grumbles. "The cook was real nice though. I had her put extra turkey on your sandwich. I think she has a thing for you. As you can tell, she really heaped it on."

  "Yeah, I can see that," Mackey says. "Did you manage to snag any packets of mustard and mayo, Dave?"

  "Oops. Nope. Gonna have to eat it dry, buddy."

  At that moment, a feminine voice wafts from Chief O'Leary's office. The unseen woman seems adamant about something, her voice rising and falling with every few words uttered. Dave briefly turns his head in that direction and grins.

  "Sargeant Emerson is back?" Dave inquires.

  "Nope. She's out for another two weeks. Pamela's pregnancy is very high-risk. Phyllis took off at least two more weeks to be with her. I don't know who that is. I don't recognize the voice."

  "I almost feel like I do. Thought it was Emerson because the voice sounds so similar. Oh well."

  Movement catches Detective Mackey's attention. His gaze roams to the chief's doorway. A tall African American woman in a black dress uniform, complete with a peaked cap and leather jacket, stands watching him from the chief's doorway. The woman officer's dyed blonde hair falls to just past shoulder-length, her hazel eyes stern and observant. The uniform is definitely not Castleton Police Department issue. Fell's Springs, maybe?

  "Uh, Dave? Don't look now, but you're about to get your answer. And it isn't Sargeant Emerson."

  "Huh?"

  Before Dave can turn fully around, the female officer is upon them. Her long strides taking her across the room in nearly record time. She offers Detective Mackey her hand for a firm handshake.

  "Detective Mackey? I'm Detective Patterson... From the Fell's Springs Police Department," the woman police officer says matter-of-factly. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person."

  James climbs from his seat and shakes Detective Patterson's hand over the desk. Beside Detective Patterson, Dave has gone pale again. The deputy's jaw is now clenched and he scrutinizes Detective Patterson with slitted eyes.

  "You have a first name, Detective Patterson?" Dave ventures to say.

  Detective Patterson pivots to look at Dave, turning her acute observational skills on the chubby deputy. She looks Dave over from head to toe before speaking.

  "Octavia. Octavia Patterson. And you are...No, I know who you are. You're Deputy Newsome?"

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  "Octavia?" Dave repeats, as if he hasn't heard anything else the Fell's Springs detective said.

  "That's what I said," Detective Patterson replies, brow knitting. "What? You were expecting a name like...Shaniqua? Or maybe..."

  "No. Nothing like that," Dave hastily says, cutting Detective Patterson off. "It's just that...You seem familiar. Do we know each other?"

  "I...Don't think so. If we do, I don't remember where from. Sorry."

  Shaking his head, and scrunching up his face with confusion, Dave gets himself back on track. He offers Detective Patterson his hand. The woman detective takes Dave's hand and shakes it firmly. Her stern gaze does not leave the deputy's face. Her brain now struggles to place him as well.

  "Oh. And yes, I am Deputy Newsome. You guessed correctly. Pleasure to meet you, Detective Patterson."

  "Don't worry, Deputy Newsome," Detective Patterson responds in a formal tone. "You're not the first one to have that reaction to me. One of numerous reasons why I dress like this. So there is no confusion...When I show up at a suspect's door...That I am there on official business. And it wasn't so much a guess as a process of elimination, Mr. Newsome."

  "Dave. It's just Dave."

  "Okay. Well, Dave. You're wearing a sheriff's department uniform, you're a deputy, you're working closely with Detective Mackey. Stands to reason...You are the Deputy Dave Newsome. I've watched every single press conference on the Aquarius Killer. Multiple times, actually. Sometimes, perps like to hide out amongst the audience. It gives them a certain high or buzz to see law enforcement agencies frazzled and scrambling. You looked very familiar as well. Only took a moment to place where I believed I'd seen you before."

  "So...A lucky guess?" Dave quips, sensing an icy edge in the woman detective's manner. Is she still riled up about the name business?

  "If that's what you want to call it? Sure," Detective Patterson answers with a small shrug.

  The entire time Dave and Octavia have been talking, Detective Mackey has been studying them both. The close to heated conversation brings back memories of his own initial reaction to the towering deputy. Dave does have that effect on people.

  "I came here as soon as I got the information," Detective Patterson says, finally returning her attention to Detective Mackey. "Turns out your hunch may have been correct, James. The newest Jane Does are in fact twin sisters."

  "Oh Jeezus!" Dave groans.

  Detective Patterson briefly shifts her gaze to Dave before continuing.

  "Two young women, twins...Thirty-two years old...Were reported to the Fell's Springs Police Department as possibly missing less than a week ago. Kelsey and Maisey Middleton. But they're not from Fell's Springs. If they're the newest Aquarius victims...Those girls are actually from right here in Castleton."

  "God dammit! That's right," Dave almost yells. "Maisey and Kelsey Middleton...Were the former police chief's two nieces. Twins. That was before your time, Mackey. If I remember correctly, the twins moved to Colorado a few years back...After their father died. What the hell were they doing back here?"

  "I've already spoken with Roger Middleton. The former police chief. He's shaken up, but he's also given us his blessing. The original intent of the twins' visit was to spend time at their father's grave," Detective Patterson replies in a flat voice. "They rented an Airbnb about three miles from where the bodies were found. Family became concerned when they didn't answer calls. However, the twins had a habit of going...Off the grid...For long periods of time and reappearing without a care in the world. Those tattoos on the young women's ankles...Were a pair of dolphins. A gift from a tattoo artist in Vegas. While the girls were both piss-face drunk and more than half-naked. Everyone involved figured they'd just wait and see if the girls eventually turned up. They did. It's pretty clear the victims are Kelsey and Maisey Middleton. A check of the Airbnb found some of their belongings but no sign of the two young women. The owner reported they'd trashed the place two days ago. Could've actually been the killer."

  "You've been busy, Detective Patterson," James says approvingly, taking a bite of his overstuffed turkey sub.

  "I want this Aquarius scumbag off the streets as much as you do, Detective Mackey. More even. I have a daughter as well. I know she's not exactly the Aquarius' type, but I'll sleep better when the killer is either dead or behind bars."

  "Same here," Dave interjects.

  Detective Patterson's eyes shift to Dave yet again. A tiny smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

  "Mom?" A second feminine voice calls. "I thought I recognized your car!"

  Octavia turns to see her only daughter, Vivian, hauling tail in their direction. The curvy female officer walks with a strong swagger, her hips swishing with every footfall. Dave's eyes narrow and he studies mother and daughter in combination. It is now his turn to grin craftily. Thankfully, Octavia and Vivian are too concerned with each other's wellbeing to care about what Dave's face is doing. The deputy no longer has any doubt as to where he has seen Detective Patterson before.