Atlas Missing - Part 7

'We think she's training someone to kill. Her trophy is the atlas bone. The other killer's is the oak leaf. How many more bodies do you have with that signature?'

'#Zero,' she said. 'Why?'

'So you just have the two with both signatures?'

'That I know of,' she said.

***

'You need to check ViCAP and cops in the local jurisdictions,' I said to her, all business. 'I'm pretty sure you'll find at least #one more. The media might even have a name for him.'

She scowled and pulled her phone from her pocket, stepping away to make the phone call.

***

We watched the crime scene unit work on the body and the scene, and I noticed a canister in the kitchen with an acorn on it. I walked over to it and read the label.

"Acorn Coffee #Group"

'I need this analyzed now,' I told one of the techs. 'Check for drugs and poisons.'

***

Hannah came back with an angry expression on her face.

'There are five bodies throughout Harris and Galveston counties not counting the two with both signatures. We can connect them with a #morphism, and they do have a file on the Oak Leaf Killer. Someone let it slip.'

***

'The Oak Leaf Killer? How original. It may be #contravariant, but I'd like the media to work with us for a change. Can you find the journalist that broke the story?'

'Sure. Why?'

'You're going to offer him an exclusive in exchange for everything he has on this killer.'

***

'Do you think he'll agree?'

'If he wants the exclusive,' Jaci said.

'I'll see what I can do,' she replied. 'Are you ready to go to the office?'

'I'd like to freshen up,' I said. 'Do we have somewhere to stay down here or will we have to #commute from Fort Worth?'

***

Hannah laughed and it sounded like heaven. 'We have a few apartments in a complex close to the field office that we keep for visiting agents. It's called the #Triangle. Relatively new, and management is good about keeping up with the repairs. Do you need one room or two?'

***

'We're not together like that, just good friends. A two bedroom apartment is fine,' I said.

'Good,' Hannah replied, winking at me. 'We'll go to the office so you can settle in, stop at my place real quick so you can freshen up, and meet my cat, #Integer.'

'Cute name.'

***

'My niece named her. She's a math geek.'

'So is she,' Jaci replied, pointing back at me as we walked back to the car.

'Back to business,' I said. 'The Oak Leaf Killer is a known #quantity down here, and perfectly adept at killing, so why did LaShonda Marcus  join him?'

***

'How long was the gap between bodies 5 and 6, when Marcus came here?'

'A month, give or take a day. And before that, every two weeks like clockwork.'

'So you're either missing a body, or your killer was having an #existential crisis that Marcus helped him with,' I said.

***