2019-12-08 - Zoo clues

Now that the results of her tests and requests were in, Esme felt comfortable enough going to Captain de la Vega with a case update. She gathered up the growing case file and made her way to Ruiz's office. The door was open some, which she figured meant she could peek in. She announced herself by a few short raps on the door, offering up a smile. "Hey Cap, you got a minute so I can update you on the Zoo murder?" Her hair is down and she wore a pair of black dress slacks with a forest green button down.

The captain's slouched back in his chair, hands smooshed against his face as he apparently takes a minute to recover from the call he just had with the DA in Seattle. He drags his palms over his beard with a scratchy sound, then drops them to his lap when someone knocks on the door. "Detective Wilkinson. Sure, come on in." There's a chair on the other side of his desk, and it's even clear of junk. De la Vega is in uniform today, crisp black shirt and pants, shiny boots, gun rig and captain's pins at his collar. Must be feeling fancy today, or have some sort of PR to do.

Esme closes the door as she steps in - not all the way, but enough so they have some privacy and also no one comes barging in without at least knocking first. "Got camera duty today?" She asked, quirking her brow as she settled into the seat and then slid the case file over to him. "Our vic is Natalia Kuznik. She was an employee of the zoo, I met with M.E Duchannes after he finished his examination of the body. It's...pretty brutal. Nothing I've ever seen before. Or that he's seen before. All of her skin, from the neck down has been removed. But only the skin. There's not a single bit of muscle mass missing. Or anything. Only the skin and the fingernails. And a single, paralyzing skull in the back of her head." Esme shuddered just a little bit at the memory of the body. "There were prints found at the crime scene but if they're legit - our perp isn't in any database. And he's either really big, or has some kind of disfigurement perhaps." Though, there was just a hint of Esme not really believing either of those things. But what else could it be? She shifted in her seat a bit.

"It looks like there was a string of similar cases not too long ago. Different organs missing, but in the latest case from '03? A Detective Nathaniel Jones and Alice Morgan found a matching print. They seemed to conflict on who the killer was. Jones seems a little off his rocker maybe? I want to try and speak with them. It's always better to do a live chat than try and read old notes, you know?"

"Something like that," he murmurs, in response to camera duty. Easing up out of his heavy slouch, he reaches for the case file that's slid over, and collects it before flipping it open. The notes from the M.E. are perused first, then one of the photographs nudged out with a fingertip. His jaw is tight as he looks at it, throat pulling in a single swallow. "Have you run the prints up to Seattle, and the FBI?" His eyes flick up when she mentions Nathaniel Jones. "I don't think that's going to be possible," he adds after a long moment.

"Do you think they might come up with something?" Primarily the question is asked because she didn't want to spend time waiting for nothing when there could be something else that might lead to more answers. "I'll put a call up at least. I've got a couple contacts up in the area still. " She offered up.

Her brow raised, dark eyes studying the Captain curiously. "And why's that Captain? " What did he know that she hadn't learned yet?

The captain makes an indistinct noise at do you think they might come up with something?, eyes still fixed on the case file in front of him that he's presently flipping through. "Doesn't hurt to try," he replies evenly. Then, "They went missing. Both of them. Fifteen years ago? I've gone through the cold case, haven't turned up anything actionable yet. Though I was planning on tracking down a Mr. Terrance McDonald for a word about it, since he's one of the names on file."

Esme's brows remained raised for a moment. Definitely intrigued. After all - cold and unsolved mysteries were exactly what she was in to. "Well, shit." She sighed then. "Let me know if I can help on that angle yeah? Finding out what happened to them might help figure out what happened in their case and ours." She glanced off for a moment. Wheels turning. "I don't know what to make of this case. We've got to be looking at someone with just...a ridiculous amount of skill, knowledge, precision..." Or something. As Yule had kept bringing up when she was looking at the body. "I'm waiting on some results- cross referencing people who may have been incarcerated or checked into a facility around the time the killings stopped and now recently released. So I'll be following up with those if there's any hits."

"You can, actually," replies Ruiz with a tired looking smile that appears briefly near the corners of his eyes, then fades away again. "How would you like to come with me, to question McDonald?" He nods once to her point about the cross referencing. "Also.." He leans to the side, and digs a manila folder out of his desk drawer, pushing across to Esme. "Take a look at that. Let me know if you have any thoughts about it."

"I think I'd love to. There's something fucked going on with this whole thing and I want to find out what it is." Esme leaned over to accept the folder from him before settling back in her chair. She perused the file with a quick but careful eye. Particularly examining the photographs. A finger tapped on the one of the man with sunken cheekbones. "I think I'd like to try and cross reference this guys face with the search I've got going now." If she had to judge a book by its cover - this dude looked sketch as hell. "Do you mind if I hang on to this for a day? Or just the picture at least?" She asked, closing the file. "Also these started up around the same time as our murders did, didn't they? In October? Or was it September. Either way...and we're up to a 3rd victim...there's got to be something about these people being killed. If it's the same killer of course." Don't assume and all that. "Something that links them together. Blood type maybe? Or...just being in the wrong place at the wrong damn time."

Ruiz lifts his hands as if to say be my guest. "Please. So long as they come back." He gives the file a little nudge, as if to reinforce that it's hers to look over as she sees fit. As to her last, "Yeah, I agree. There's usually a pattern. The trick is finding it." He digs his thumb and forefinger into his temples for a moment, then checks the time on his watch, and starts collecting some paperwork from the filing cabinet beside him. "Anyway, I've got another press conference to get to. I'll let you know when I'm heading out to see McDonald. You know where to find me if you need anything else."

"The hunt for the pattern is the best part." Esme rose to her feet, gathering up both files as she did. "Have fun." She mused, flashing him a wry smile. "I'll let you know if anything hits and I look forward to talking to this McDonald guy." Esme nodded and then headed out of the office. Not one to linger any longer than was necessary.