we were doing and called your team.”
“We appreciate it.” She and Asher moved to the lifeless body of Sylvia Abbott. Sightless eyes stared up at the ceiling of the church, the horror and damage to her face branded in Olivia’s mind forever.
The killer had gone to town on Sylvia. The violence that was expressed here was much greater than in the past. Before, it had almost seemed to be calculated incisions. Enough to make sure the victim suffered but not enough to kill her until they were ready. But this, this was something that went beyond what a human could inflict on another. “He did a number on her.” She knelt beside Asher. One thing in particular caught her attention. Her ear was still intact, which would explain why they hadn’t received the trophy.
Olivia said a prayer for Sylvia’s family. She pointed to her face. “Jaw was broken.” It appeared as if most of the bones in her face were crushed. There were bruises on her neck that seemed to indicate the killer had strangled her at some point. No human being deserved this kind of brutality.
Asher’s eyes connected with her. “This man is changing Van Gogh’s MO. He didn’t leave the photo of the victim tied up at Sylvia’s apartment. He deviated from choosing someone with dark hair, and deliberately picked this victim because of her connection to Lizzy Grayson. And now this.” His hand swept the devastation on Sylvia’s face. “This seems eerily personal.”
Olivia believed the same. “There was trace DNA found on the knife the killer used to attack Lizzy at the Washington compound. It seems to indicate that whoever this person is, he’s somehow related to Lizzy and Buckley.”
Asher’s attention returned to their victim. “The only question is how. According to Lizzy’s Aunt Betty, there are no other family members living.”
So how did this second killer fit into the family dynamic?
Olivia carefully removed the photo of Van Gogh’s Starry Night with gloved hands. On the back of the printed photo, the killer had scribbled words. She read them aloud. “This was his. Now you will see mine.”
Asher held her gaze. “He’s telling us he’s done with following Buckley’s rules.”
“Looks like it.” Olivia caught Detective Stanley’s attention, and he came over. “Is there video surveillance set up at the church?”
The detective shook his head. “No. This is a rural community. Everyone is trusting.”
In other words, they were out of options.
“We’ll speak with the pastor next and see if he can tell us something more.” Olivia rose along with Asher. “Can you show us where he is?”
The detective started out one of the side doors while she and Asher followed.
With the new changes the killer was throwing at them, they had no idea where he would lead them.
“He obviously has a score to settle with Lizzy,” Olivia said. “Although she wasn’t the one to kill Buckley, he’s blaming her for his death, or something else.”
“Maybe he’s upset because she got away.”
Still, Olivia believed they were missing something big. This new twist had her wondering what the connection was between the killer and this church.
As the sun began to set, they stepped into the church annex where a man around fifty was seated at one of the tables while several officers stood around.
Detective Stanley stopped beside the table, and the pastor glanced up from his coffee. The extent of how upsetting it was to find a body in his church was written on the pastor’s face.
“Pastor Allen, this is Agents Hamilton and Lackland with the FBI.”
The pastor rose and shook their hands. “Thank you for coming. As you can imagine, this has been a horrific day.”
“I’m sorry you had to go through this, Pastor.” As senior agent, Asher took the lead while Olivia jotted down notes. “Can you tell us what you found when you arrived?”
The pastor gathered himself. “It was about an hour later than I normally would. I was running late. Normally I come in very early and work through the afternoon on my sermon. It’s quiet here. I have two teenage sons who are being homeschooled so sometimes it’s hard to concentrate at home.” The pastor pulled in a breath. “Today, I wanted to check in on one of the older parishioners who hasn’t been feeling well, so I was delayed.”
Olivia wrote down the information while dissecting it in her head.
“What did you do when you first arrived at the church? We understand the church stays unlocked all the time?”
The pastor seemed surprised by Asher’s question.