Chapter 159: A False Lead (1/2)

I showed my identification and ducked under the tape to enter the scene. There weren't many officers at the site, but enough to secure the area and not allow curious passersby from stumbling into this.

The police would try their best to contain the news of the alleged return of the killer.

What puzzled me was why he had returned. And then I remembered the thirty-year anniversary of the first killing had come up. He must have seen the articles in the newspaper.

If I was recalling correctly, it also meant he was sure the case was being investigated once again.

The BTS Killer saw all the hype coming up and it refueled his wishes. And something was happening in his life… something major. And he must have felt powerless. That was why he felt like playing once again.

To him, it was time to start the game once again. That was why he started recommunicating.

He had sent the publishing house that printed the story a jarring letter. That was what made me speed up the investigation.

In the letter, he claimed that he had killed another victim, previously unknown, and given a specific date. It could have been laughed off as a prank, but the letter also enclosed several pictures of the victim's bodies in various positions.

They looked like crime-scene photos. The eerie part? The victim had been taken away in an ambulance before anyone could take pictures of the scene. And I knew that this was an original.

The BTS Killer took pictures of his victims as trophies. He would look at them in his most vulnerable moments to relive the murders and feel powerful once again.

Also enclosed was a photocopy of the victim's driver's license which was missing from the crime scene.

The thing about it was, the publishing house was manic. They wanted to publish more stories, they wanted to create noise around this. But the police didn't allow it.

It was strange, but I understood.

How did he get away with all those murders? One of the most notorious serial killers in the history of the city was back in the crowd and people would wonder if he was hiding within the crowd. If he was the person sitting next to them.

That would be the thing that scared people.

And BTS Killer loved that. It was part of his ego. He loved being in the spotlight.

An officer knelt down beside me to inspect the bag. ”Dr. Butler, why would they send it here? In such a public place?” I looked at the young boy and was reminded of the early days when Evie would ask questions.

I smiled. ”He enjoys knowing the havoc they are creating in the community and the police. He is saying that he is still here and he is playing with the police. He is saying that we will never catch him,” I explained.

”That sounds terrifying,” he whispered. ”My mom was a young girl when he was on the prowl. She told me that they didn't even talk to their neighbors, fearing that they would catch the eye of the killer.” The boy shuddered.

I put on my gloves and unzipped the bag. Inside it was a box… within which was a doll with a noose around its neck. The rope was attached to the pipe like he had done when he slaughtered the whole family, kids, and all.

I could tell that it was made to look like the mother. The reddish-brown hair, the blue eyes, and even the custom-made clothes fit perfectly with the crime scene images I had received.

Everything was in staggering clarity.

I pushed around the frilly stuff and found an ID card… for another victim.

I knew in that moment that the sender really wanted us to know that he was the BTK Killer and that he really was communicating again.

I made a call to Nash immediately.

[I'm back.] the note read. I flipped it over and felt a smile tugging at my lips.

I didn't give Nash information over the phone because I knew there were ears all around me. So, I bid my time as I pulled up the crime-scene photographs from the first case and looked at them closely.

Nash arrived within half an hour.

”Traffic was thin. I might have broken some laws to get here!” he chirped, looking beyond excited.

”Didn't you have another case to solve?” I asked perturbed. ”Come here,” I said finally.

He walked closer and put on his gloves before kneeling down beside me. ”Evie has it handled. I am sure they will find and save the little girl within tonight,” Nash commented confidently.

”Great,” I said quickly. ”But you need to see this,” I prompted as I picked up the doll and placed it in his hand.

He turned it around and frowned.

”This is how he killed one of the victims, right?” he asked.

I nodded. ”The sender put everything in stark clarity,” I said. I showed him the picture.