Chapter One

An armed cop walked into the grimy building holding the arm of a cuffed man. The cuffed man looked calm and collected considering he was under arrest for murder. The cop lead him into an interrogation room uncuffed the man and sat him down in a chair. Placing a cup of coffee in front of the seated man, the cop turned around and exited the room, shutting the door behind him. The seated man took a long sip of the steaming coffee and rubbed his unshaven face. The clock in the room read 2 am. The man looked at his surrounding. The usual two way mirror, table, a few chairs, and some barred windows made up one of the most uncomfortable places ever. As the man looked at the door, it suddenly swung open revealing a woman.

“Hello Ethan. I’m Officer Pearson. Do you know why you are here?” She closed the door and pulled out a chair to sit in. She placed a large stack of files on the table in front of her.

“I have no clue as to why I’m here. But I would like to have a lawyer present before you begin confronting me with whatever charges may or may not be brought against me.” Ethan sat back and crossed his arms. A satisfied look sat on his face.

“Well, well Ethan. It’s true. You have been educated very well in law proceedings. What else are you good at Ethan? Covering up crimes? Murder?” She threw photos on the table of five different, dead girls. Ethan’s satisfied look washed away at the sight of the pictures. They were gruesome and odd.

“Why are you showing me these pictures? I have nothing to do with them.” He pushed the pictures across the table to Officer Pearson. She hunched over the table.

“So you don’t know the finer points of forensic science. You haven’t studied crimes scenes or set up scenarios of possible crimes? You don’t know the ways criminals cover up their tracks? You can’t tell that you went to school with any of these girls? You can’t recognize the faces of the girls that weren’t completely destroyed?” Officer Pearson was now on her feet leaning over the table to intimidate him. If there was one thing she was good at it was extracting information.

“I could have gone to school with them. But I don’t know who they are. Who are they?” Ethan looked a little more panicked, especially because he didn’t want to go away for murder. Officer Pearson stood there and stared at him. She straightened out the photos in a line. She pointed to the first photo.

“This is Meredith Empsom. She was burned in a fire. We were able to detect her from her dental records.” Ethan held the photo, glanced at it briefly, and set it down. Pearson held up the second picture. “This is Jena Price. She was force fed rats, poisonous snakes, and toads.” Ethan checked the picture and set it down. “This girl is Carolina Perez. She was founded tied down in a bathtub filled with burning oils. The next girl is Lynette Dey. She was found in a pit of poisonous snakes. She had been bitten so many times her blood was heavily concentrated of venom. And the last girl is Abby Curt. She was found completely dismembered. Her body chopped up into bits and pieces.” Ethan checked each photo and set them back down.

“I remember their names. I think I was in high school with them.” Ethan wasn’t shifting nervously or trembling. Officer Pearson was getting distraught. She didn’t expect it to take this long to get something out of him. She rubbed her face and gulped down some coffee.

“We know for a fact you went to school with them. Did you know any of them personally? Did you maybe have a relationship with any of them?” Ethan looked at her quizzically.

“I think I might have gone on a date with one of the girls. But they weren’t the type I hung around with in school. They were the popular crowd.” Officer Pearson’s head had been looking down at the table and she suddenly snapped back up. She smirked slightly.

“How did you know “they” weren’t your crowd if you couldn’t remember any of them around ten minutes ago?” Ethan began to squirm. Officer Pearson whispered. “Now we’re getting somewhere.”

Chapter Two

Five Months Earlier

A beautiful Hispanic woman locked her door and made her way to the elevator. As she waited, her cell phone began to ring.

“Hola!...hey Mere…yeah I’m on my way out now…no I’m waiting for the elevator.” As she said this the elevator dinged and the doors opened. “I’m on the elevator. I’ll be at the coffee house in three minutes….bye.” She fluffed her hair and smiled as the doors closed. She reached the first floor and walked out into the lobby. The doorman waved at her as she walked over to the revolving doors.

“Hello Miss Carolina. Como esta?” Carolina Perez smiled back.

“I’m wonderful Henry thanks. I told you the Yankees would win.”

“Yes you did. I didn’t believe you. Have a nice day.” She put her sunglasses on and entered the revolving doors.

“You too Henry.” She got through the revolving doors and made it out to the street. In no more than four minutes she reached the coffee house and saw two of her friends waiting there.

“Carolina I thought you would never make it.” Carolina smiled and sat down.

“Sorry you guys but you know I’m working a rough case right now. Not to mention it is between me and two other people for partner in the firm and I have to get it. The guy I’m defending is a shoe-in for the case. Plus he is paying me extra so we can wipe his ex-wife absolutely clean of cash. He wants her to have to run to her lover for support so that it will look even worse.” Carolina finally ordered her coffee before either friend said anything.

“Dang Care, aren’t you a little ruthless? I mean you said it wasn’t proved that the ex-wife and the cable guy were lovers. How are you going to get everyone to believe that she was having an affair when there isn’t any proof?” Meredith Empsom had been friends with Carolina since they were toddlers. It was surprising to Meredith that Carolina had turned out to be so cutthroat.

“If I want to make partner then I have to go to whatever means necessary. As for the case, there is proof that when the two were still engaged she had a one night stand with an old coworker who said he would testify.” Carolina’s coffee arrived and she smirked devilishly as she drank. Besides Meredith and Carolina, another girl sat at the table. She decided to speak up.

“How did you get him to testify? You must have done something to get him to testify against his ex-lover.”

“Eve you are so naïve. I didn’t mean that to rhyme, but anyway yes I did do something. I told him when I interviewed him that his ex-lover was going to blackmail him.” Eve Knight shuddered.

“How could you do that? What did you tell him about the blackmail?” Carolina snickered.

“I told him that she had secretly taken pictures and she was going to tell his wife unless he paid her twenty thousand dollars. I told him her plan had been foiled. Needless to say he was pretty upset. His exact words were “ That bitch will rot”. So he has been a pretty solid witness for me on the stand for her infidelity.” Meredith and Eve both shook their heads. Meredith decided to change the subject.

“On a lighter note, I hooked up with the hottest guy last night.” Eve smiled.

“You seem to really like him. Did he do anything special for you or was he just really good in bed,” Carolina said. Meredith laughed.

“His name is Eric. And he did do something sweet. After dinner we went salsa dancing. He is a terrific dancer. Then he took me back to his place and sat me in the living room. He blindfolded me so that he could do something. Well after about five or so minutes he took off my blindfold and there were rose petals on the floor and bed. There were candles lit everywhere. Seriously, every flat surface had candles on it. There were around two hundred. Then he led me over to the bed and we started kissing. Then I took over and we had wild crazy sex. The neighbors this morning knocked on the door and told him that he needs to put pads behind his bed. I guess I’m that wild.” Carolina and Eve mouths were dropped open in a large fashion. Meredith laughed and blushed.

“So is he…well you know…well endowed?” Eve stuttered out.

“Carolina do you remember Matt Jenkins back in high school? You know how we both slept with him?” Carolina nodded to both questions. Meredith continued.

“He is way bigger than that.” Carolina and Meredith began laughing. Eve sat there in confusion.

“You guys lost me.” Carolina looked around and then whispered in Eve’s ear. Eve’s face twisted into shock but then began laughing. “Wow Meredith nice.” Carolina switched subjects.

“So Eve what happened with Mr. Married?” Eve began to blush immensely.

“Well we are planning on meeting tonight and I’m going to tell him it’s over between us.” Eve looked solemnly at her coffee cup.

“Eve that’s what you said the last four times we met and yet you two are still having sex at his office every Tuesday,” said Carolina. Eve gasped.

“How do you know that?” Meredith and Carolina began laughing.

“Honey I looked at your date book. You really should encrypt your date book. It helps from people knowing everything about your life.” Eve scowled at both girls.

“Well from now on I will and yes I forgive you for looking at my stuff.” As Carolina apologized Meredith glanced down at her watch.

“Oh crap guys I have to go get ready. I have to steam my outfit for my date.” Eve grinned.

“Hope everything goes well with Eric.” Meredith stood up and looked at the other two.

“His name’s not Eric, it’s Travis.” Eve and Carolina shrugged their shoulders, stood up, and paid for their coffee. They all walked outside and gave their goodbyes. That was the last time Carolina and Eve saw Meredith alive.