Chapter 43: Lynn: You Really Think I Can't Do This on My Own?
The moment the butterflies were removed from the woman's stomach, Lynn saw the spirit's expression change.
The death energy pulsed, flowing from her and into him.
The spirit herself began to glow, and then, slowly, she dissolved.
'Well, I'll be damned.'
Lynn was speechless.
'So her big obsession wasn't to catch the killer... it was just to get the goddamn butterflies out of her stomach?'
Now, her obsession was fulfilled, and her soul was gone.
The souls of the other three victims were nowhere to be found.
'So how the hell am I supposed to find the killer now?'
"No leads at all?"
George Stacy, seeing Lynn "deep in thought," looked disappointed, but quickly recovered. "It's okay. Don't force it. You've probably been too tired these last few days, so that instinct of yours…"
Before George could finish, Lynn suddenly looked at him. "What do you think stuffing a body with butterflies means?"
"No idea."
George just shrugged. "Maybe the psycho is trying to make some kind of sick performance art?"
"Every depraved killer we've dealt with has had some kind of weird quirk or psychological issue."
"No, it's not that simple."
The spirit's guidance was gone, but Lynn wasn't helpless.
'Did he really think I only solved cases by talking to ghosts?'
"Back when I was in college, there was this girl from London who was after me."
"She wrote me this line in a love letter: 'I like you so much, it's like my stomach is full of butterflies.'"
"Later, in bed... ahem... later, I asked her what it meant."
Lynn looked at George. "She said it's an English saying. 'Butterflies in the stomach' means she liked me, but was terrified because she didn't know if I liked her back."
"Oh?"
George froze. "So, you're saying... the killer is doing all this to express his love for someone?"
"If so... then the victims, from one to four... represent the killer's state of mind as he's falling in love?"
"Probably."
Lynn nodded. "Look at victim one: sticks in the eyes. The killer is expressing that the first time he saw her, he fell in love. He kept watching her, but she never once looked at him."
"Victim two: decapitated. This means after seeing her, he's lost his mind, completely lovesick. His head is filled with images of her."
George immediately picked up the thread. "So he's desperate to know if she likes him back, which is why he cut off the second victim's head."
"He keeps trying to show his love, and he's desperate to know what's in her heart... which is why he cut out the third victim's heart."
George looked at the autopsy table, at the butterflies. "And this victim... this one means the killer is trying to show how nervous and full of butterflies he is about his feelings."
He crossed his arms, staring at Lynn. "It sounds like this guy is so obsessed, he's completely unhinged."
"If we don't find him fast, that girl he's obsessed with is probably his next target."
Listening to the two of them volley back and forth, seamlessly building the killer's psychological profile...
...the M.E. just stood there, his jaw on the floor. He finally gave them an approving nod. "No wonder the Commissioner partnered you two, out of all the detectives in the division. Gave you your own office, even."
"Highest pay and bonuses in CID, too."
"This kind of teamwork... this deduction... I'm sold."
At the praise, Lynn and George glanced at each other.
'Yeah,' George thought, 'he really did admire Lynn.'
'It's just a damn shame the kid was such a womanizer. Otherwise... he and Gwen would actually be a perfect match.'
'Wait.'
The very thought of Gwen falling into this bastard's "poisonous" clutches made George shoot Lynn a sudden glare.
"Huh?"
Lynn was completely baffled. 'One second he's looking at me with admiration, the next second he looks like I just pissed in his coffee.'
"George, you hitting menopause early? What's with the mood swing?"
"Fuck off."
The thought of his precious daughter, the one he'd doted on his whole life, climbing into Lynn's bed and getting... 'handled'...
...it made George's stomach turn sour.
Especially since Gwen had been asking about Lynn lately. Very curious.
That had put him on high alert.
"Is he nuts?"
Lynn motioned at George's back as he turned away. He looked at the M.E. "Hey, doc, maybe you should crack his skull open? See what's rattling around in there."
The M.E. just threw up his hands. 'Not my department.'
***
Back in the office, Lynn sat down, opened his drawer, and pulled out a PlayStation Vita.
He started playing, asking casually, "Well, the leads are dead. Guess we just wait on forensics."
George, long used to Lynn's gaming, said, "That's all we can do. By the way, Lynn... are you sure you don't want to find a steady girlfriend?"
"You can't just keep on like this. Find a girl, settle down, get married, have kids. It's a good life. You'll never understand... not until you're a father, holding your newborn in your arms."
"Trust me, Lynn. It's a joy you've never experienced. You'll feel like you'd do anything for that tiny little life. Even give your own."
Hearing this, Lynn's hands paused.
On the screen, his character died, the 'Game Over' text appearing.
He set the console down. "I'm not cut out for that, George. I like my freedom too much."
"You only live once. Life is short. You should experience as much as you can, not tie a noose around your own neck with marriage and kids."
"Even if it's a 'sweet' noose... it's not for everyone."
Seeing Lynn twist his advice with his usual bullshit...
...George could only shake his head, exasperated.
He really did care about his partner. 'If he would just settle down...'
'He really would be the perfect match for Gwen.'
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