“Thank you.”
“Don’t celebrate. It’s a clue, but it may be nothing.”
Or it may be everything.
It was only six steps before we hit the basement. I always assumed maintenance used these steps to get back and forth. I wasn’t sure why they were here.
When we hit the bottom of the steps, we remained side-by-side. Dust covered old boxes. In some corners, cigarette butts littered the floor.
“The new generation is still using this place as a smoke room.” He flashed the light on a few joints and condom wrappers. “They’ve also upgraded their smoke breaks to more.”
Uh oh. People’s business is about to be exposed.
“Where’s the steps to the boy’s bathroom?” he asked.
“Over here.” I walked ahead of him.
He kept the light in my direction as I guided him. “How many kids would come down here?”
“We had a rule. No more than five people at a time.”
“Interesting.”
“Anymore and then somebody’s mom or dad would suspect something.”
“During that time, how many kids knew about this hole?”
“God. It must’ve been at least thirty of us naughty rascals.”
“Any of the parents of these little girls?”
I let out a long breath. “All of the victim’s parents had at least one that attended when I was here. Fullbrooke Baptist is a popular church. It’s the upper crust Blacks in town. My father was considered a prominent person. When Fullbrooke had a black mayor, he went here. Any wealthy black person is a member. Any politician black or white will attend on holidays throughout their election years, hoping to get the black vote.”
“So, you could write down a list of the parents that you knew attended?”
“Easily. If it wasn’t the mother, then it was the father.”
“Hmmm.” He stopped us at the steps and then walked up them. “According to you, at least thirty kids knew about this place?”
“Yes. Of course, now they’re adults.”
“And the new generation may know?”
“Yes. As well as all the church’s staff. I’m sure they’ve tried to hammer the opening, and the kids have reopened it.”
Alexander lowered to the ground, crawled through the small passageway, and shoved the other side. The metal cover fell off. He went through the bathroom. I followed. When I came through, he extended his hand to help me up.
“I’ve got it.” I rose on my own and scanned the men’s bathroom—all blue and white. This one only had two stalls. The rest were urinals and a smaller sink.
Alexander shut off the flashlight. “The Unsub chose Ariana, watched her, and knew what Sunday school class she had.”
“Each class has a different bathroom break.”
“He knew when Ariana would be in the bathroom.”
Something bothered me. “But how did he know he could get her? She could’ve chosen any stall or. . .”
“Then, he didn’t pick Ariana.”
A shiver ran through me. “He chose whatever little girl would use that stall.”
Alexander ran his fingers through his hair. “But is he a member of the church or was he a maintenance man or plumber that snuck into the building, waited in the basement during Sunday school, and came up at the right time?”
“Both options scare me.”
“Welcome to the case.”
Chapter 5
Holy Communion
Alexander
The Forensics unit arrived fifteen minutes later. Barron and I went outside to greet them. I let Barron guide Forensics inside. Richards went along with her.
Stein smoked a cigarette in the parking lot. “What do you think?”
I stayed out with him. “I think the Unsub definitely used the basement to get Ariana.”
“Of course, but I was asking about Haven.”
“Agent Barron,” I corrected.
“I like saying her first name. It’s pretty.”
“We’ve got more things to worry about besides pretty names.”
Stein blew smoke. “You know that two minutes of happiness or peace won’t hurt the investigation. At some point, you can turn off Agent Alexander King and enjoy your life.”
“And what happens when another little girl is taken?”
“You’ll do what you always do. Find him.”
“What’s your thoughts on Agent Richards?”
“Besides the fact that she’s smart, funny, and smells good?”
I scowled. “Yes. Besides that.”
Stein took a puff of his cigarette. “She thinks the Unsub is a black man between the age of 30 to 50. Religious. Neat. Social, but still an introvert. Married with kids. Family man, which is why he doesn’t hurt the girls. His taking and killing them serves a higher purpose. It’s a ritual of some sort. Perhaps, even a sacrifice to God for the greater good.”
“He’s giving the kids to God? I hate serial killers based on religion. They’re usually harder to catch.” I looked back at the church. “A black man that’s married with kids and active within the church. If we make this profile public, the streets will be full of rioters by the evening.”
“Haven said something similar when Tina brought her theory up.”
I nodded. “So, Haven didn’t like the idea either?”
“Not at all.”
I shrugged. “It’s a fair point. After six precious black girls are taken and killed, we don’t want to storm into black households and grab the men.”
“Correct. However, Tina’s profile makes sense.”
“It does, but perhaps the killer wants us to think that he’s black.”
Stein dipped ash on the ground. “His care of the girls says that he loves them, not hates them.”
“Correct.”
Stein dropped the cigarette and stomped it out. “This isn’t Thompson and his crew. They’re too racist to care.”
“It still could be.” I directed my gaze to the sky. “Either way, we’re missing something.”
A dark blue Cadillac drove up to the parking lot and then parked next to us. Pastor Miller stepped out of it. Although he was my father’s age, he looked as young as me. No weight. No sign of balding. Barely any wrinkles on his face. He probably jogged a few times a week and kept a healthy lifestyle—good food and no alcohol.
Pastor Miller walked over to us, holding a bible in his left hand. “Mrs. Mabel says that you have police down in the basement gathering fingerprints.”
I extended my hand to shake his. “We do.”
Pastor Miller looked at my hand and didn’t shake it. “When Ariana went missing, I told the cops to check that basement.”
I put my hand in my pocket. “I wasn’t aware of that. The information wasn’t in any of the files.”
“You would’ve known that if you allowed me to help with this investigation.”
“I apologize for my mistake. Now, I’m asking for your help.”
“But I hope it’s not too late, Agent King.” Pastor Miller tapped the Bible against his leg. “Those boys should’ve been down there the night Ariana went missing.”