Castleton Police Department

  Thursday

  Side Parking Lot

  Mackey's Car

  Detective Mackey and Detective Patterson are seated in the front of Mackey's sedan, styrofoam trays open and food spread out on the dashboard. Dave is manspreading in the back, food trays sitting beside him on the cushioned seat.

  "Okay. So I did some more digging," Dave says in a drowsy voice. "Jeremiah Clayborne was some piece of work. Before he shot himself...And before Sabrina spurned him...It was rumored that Jeremiah raped his own mother. No official report, but at least one witness made such a claim after Claudia Clayborne was found dead of an apparent suicide a few years later."

  "Jeez!" Mackey whispers under his breath, sneaking a sideways glance at Detective Patterson to gauge her reaction.

  "Same witness says the whacko had a habit of watching young girls at the local park. Got him clobbered a few times. Until his untimely death, Jeremiah floated from job to job. Nothing steady and nothing making anything close to good money. Married a stripper turned streetwalker named Janet King. Lived off the wife for a bit. Had an affair with Sabrina Engle for a couple of years while married to Ms. King. Affair went south, so he shot himself in the face."

  Dave stops talking and peers at his colleagues. When neither of them speaks, the deputy takes a bite out of his food before continuing with his narrative.

  "Jeremiah was in a coma for close to a year. After that, he bounced in and out of mental institutions. Also spent some time with his mother's adoptive family until he killed the family cat. They put him out. State took care of him until he slipped into another coma and later died."

  "That's all very interesting, Dave. But Jeremiah Clayborne is dead. I mean, yes. This does sound like our guy. He was into esoterics, he dabbled in the occult, he showed a tendency to disregard the will of women, and was a deviant supreme. But unless someone managed to resurrect the crazy bastard...There is no way Jeremiah Clayborne is the one committing these murders."

  "It's not just that Jeremiah was into the occult," Octavia cuts in. "I've done my homework, James. I've been following the Sabrina Engle case since Mitch brought it up in the press conference."

  Dave sits up in the back seat, surprised that Detective Patterson would come to his aid.

  "Ever heard of a lich, James?" Octavia inquires.

  "Yeah. I looked into that angle too. A lich is supposed to be an undead wizard. Uh...A necromancer. They use sorcery to basically live forever. Sometimes, taking the life force from other beings. Usually humans."

  "Exactly."

  "Exactly?" Mackey says. "What does that mean...Exactly? You think we have a real life lich running around in Castleton, Detective Patterson. "

  "No, of course not. What if someone else...Believes they are Jeremiah Clayborne reborn? Maybe even that they are somehow inhabited, or possessed, by Jeremiah's spirit? What if he had an admirer or a follower? That could explain some things."

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  "Like what?"

  "The change in the Aquarius sign. From the real and recognized symbol, to the more generic symbol. The bucket and water. Maybe, they don't feel up to Jeremiah's level? The master versus the pupil. We've seen that type of thing before. I'm just throwing out theories."

  "No. That's good," Mackey says. "So. Let's go over everything we know about the victims."

  "Okay," Dave says, leaning forward and pressing his elbows into his scrunched up knees.

  "Names," Mackey intones. "Bridget Davis and Rose Perry. We've already determined both women's names have a tie to water of some sort. Bridges over water...Roses need water. That sort of thing."

  "I'm following you," Detective Patterson says.

  "Then, there's Carmen Asbury," Dave pipes up. "I see 'men' and 'bury' in that but no connection to water."

  "Violet," Mackey says. "Carmen's middle name was Violet. Violets are another type of flower. I thought we'd discussed this already?"

  "Nope. Must have been a conference in your own head. Keep going. You're doing good."

  "You keep saying that," Mackey replies. "Anyways, another flower. But we can't discount 'men' and 'bury' like Dave says."

  "That's not the only thing. Carmen lived in Morgana Village Subdivision. Morgana... Otherwise known as Morgan Le Fay in Arthurian legend. A seductive and vindictive fae queen and enchantress. Yet another link to dark magic...And possibly water. A second powerful enchantress in Arthurian legend...Is the Lady of the Lake. Not to mention, some faiths believe violets to be a sign of connectivity to the divine. Uh, a sign that one possesses spiritual intuition."

  "Okay. This is good. Three minds are better than one," Dave jokes. "Out of curiosity...Why do you know so much about magic and enchantresses, Patterson? Thinking of starting your own cult?"

  "No. But magic is always useful to have...," Detective Patterson says, tilting her head to look at Dave. "If you want someone to disappear."

  Detective Mackey's brow dips low and he scratches the back of his head. The adversarial nature of Dave and Detective Patterson's relationship is becoming troublesome. Either that, or the Mackey's patience is running a lot thinner these days. James clears his throat to bring attention back to the issue being discussed. Dave immediately resumes the conversation.

  "Then, there's Sabrina. Wasn't there a show about a teenage witch named Sabrina? Could tie in with the necromancer angle? And then, that marvelous tattoo of hers. Underwater sex goddess personified. Whoever killed Sabrina hated that tattoo. Mangled her arm, and burned the flesh off it, to destroy that tattoo. It has some significance to the murders."

  "Okay. But what do the names Maisey and Kelsey have to do with anything?" Octavia interrupts. "Those are just ordinary names. Aren't they?"

  "I haven't checked into the meanings. Haven't gotten that far yet," James says. "But, I'm sure we'll find a connection. Aquarius is a methodical bastard. He doesn't do anything without a clear purpose."

  "Uh, James."

  "Yeah, Dave."

  "Maybe the names themselves don't mean anything. Maybe like Bridget Davis...They're simply a clue to something else."

  "Like what?" Detective Patterson says, turning to look at Dave. She is shocked to see the horrified expression on the deputy's pale face.

  "Maisey and Kelsey? That mean anything to you, James. Really think about it?"

  "Dave, I don't...," Detective Mackey begins to say. "Holy sh..."

  "What?" Detective Patterson says, straightening in her seat and staring at Detective Mackey. "What is it? What's going on?!"

  "Madison...Kelley. Maisey and Kelsey. The newest victims point to the victim that never should have been. It's like I said. The killer is frustrated about George Yolder attempting to steal his spotlight. Aquarius is very angry! Oh no."

  James tosses the food in his hand into an open styrofoam tray. A moot idea because he pulls the Crown Vic out of the parking lot before Detective Patterson can secure the leftovers. Reaching his left arm out of the driver's side window, Mackey attaches his magnetic emergency light to the hood of the sedan.