The Curse Of Eden
Chapter 19- Stars and Shadows

"What do you mean you don't know detective?" Chief Leone asked in evident anger. "This is your team, your case! How can something like that come out from under your nose?"

"I know that well Chief and I promise you I did everything I can to keep it under the radar." Adam defended. "We did our best and kept it covered for over three whole months." "That doesn't concern me Woods. There was a reason that the outlines of this case were to not be made known the public and it all just blew up. How do you think the people will react?" Adam sighed heavily as he ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

"It looks like we have a mole roaming between us detective and you need to watch out more for your team."

"With all due respect chief, but I trust my team blindly. I'm sure it wasn't any of them."

Leone suddenly smashed his fist against the wooden desk.

"In our field, you have to always keep one open eye all the time. Our system is corrupt detective and you know that very well." Leone sneered.

Adam remained silent. He knew that his chief was right, but sometimes, you just gotta trust a little. Especially if they're people whom you've been a lot with. People who were ready to give out their lives for you. Yet, the thought of there being a mole in the station makes it all the hell harder.

"Now get out." Leone spoke. "I need to prepare for the press conference." He stood up to his feet.

Adam tried to keep his anger at bay. He knew that trouble with his chief won't be the best course of action right now.

"Of course." He got up from his place and silently left the room.

"Hey, how'd it go?" Ken asked as he moved away from the wall he's been leaning on.

He was waiting patiently for his partner to come out of the office, k owing that he'll need to steam off some of the heat somewhere.

"Not so well." Adam grumbled under his breath as the two men started heading towards Adam's office. "He's been going on about how the news slipped from under my nose and how I gotta look out for a mole among us."

"He's not wrong you know."

"But he's extremely dis-trusting. He thinks it's one of the team!" Adam almost yelled in exasperation.

"Let's just keep an eye out for everything that's going on here." Ken replied calmly.

"Guys!" Elliot suddenly called from down the hallway, halting their steps. "You need to come see this."

Elliot lead them to the briefing room where the rest of the team were. They stood in front of the large screen by the wall as Adam and Ken joined them.

There were several footage records showing people walking together in what appears to be riots all over the city.

"People are walking in aid of E. They actually see him as some kind of hidden superhero who's saving all those abused families. While some actually," Elliot changed the screen to a different footage, "these ones are against him and are cheering for his capture."

"This is a mess." Avery gaped out.

"The city got divided into two and it's causing chaos all over the place." Kristen informed.

Adam looked at Ken and without uttering a word, his friend understood exactly what he wanted to relay.

"Don't you think it might actually work to our favor?" Collette asked making them all turn their attention to her. "The Holers now know that they're being targeted so of course they'll be taking cover and being extra cautious. The victim rate will deflate and we'll be saving ourselves more deaths." She explained.

"That might actually work out." Alex aided.

"Surely yes. But let's remain on guard, we still don't know how E is working or how he reaches the victims. It might not be a problem to him even if the Holers were notified." Adam spoke. "But well done." He ruffled his wife's hair momentarily. "We'll continue with our initial plan of trying to replace out E's relation to the Holers. And let's try to replace any of the Holers who are still breathing."

"Yes boss." The team replied in unison as they all moved out to their respective desks and back to work leaving on Collette and Adam in the room.

Collette took a step closer to her husband, laying a comforting hand on his arm as he sighed.

"Why do you think E drains his victims from their blood? Why go through the trouble of it all I stead of just killing them and tossing the bodies?"

"Serial killers always have a psychological reason behind everything they do in their killings. Draining their blood is significant to him for some reason. Maybe it's reminding him of something a Holer did to him once or did to someone dear to him." Collette analyzed.

"So something like wanting to make them feel what he, or that person felt?"

"Yeah something like that."

Adam stood to his full length. "Killers always work close to home don't they?" He stated more than asked as he turned to look fully at his wife.

"Where did we say all the victims were found?"

The couple marched their way to the map hung on the board.

"They're all around Bronx." A female voice suddenly made a presence, answering in place of Collette.

The couple turned to Ruby who was making her way towards them.

"They're scattered all around Bronx and little close to us here at Queens." She continued.

"Wow miss obvious. How did we miss that." Collette rolled her eyes sarcastically.

"Look well professor, most of the victims were closer to one place than any other."

Adam and Collette turned their gaze back to the map.

"My old neighbourhood." Collette gaped out in a low voice.

"Exactly. And seeing as how your father was the first victim, E definitely know you personally." Ruby spoke.

"What are you trying to say exactly?" Collette raised an eyebrow.

"Oh don't bother professor, we'll get around that soon enough."

Ruby fixed her blazer and turned on her heels. She was a couple of steps closer to the door when she turned around slightly. "Just thought I could open up your eyes to different perspectives." Collette bit her tongue from growling lowly at the retreating blonde.

"I don't trust that brat." She turned to Adam.

"Me neither pumpkin."

Adam fetched for his phone and dialled Ken's number.

"Hey Ken." He spoke was his partner answered. "I want you to replace me all the people who used to live in Collette's old neighbourhood seventeen years ago up till today. Let's replace me the ones who went off radar from the system, maybe we can try and replace any one of them."

"This will be a shit load of work Adam." Ken sighed from the other line.

"I know buddy. Let's divide the neighbourhood on us. It's our next best option. If we replace the ones who lived there then maybe, just maybe, we can replace if E really was one of the abused children or not. Let's ask around for people who suddenly locked themselves up."

"I can get some men to help ask around. Let's expand to a couple more neighbourhoods."

"E started his first kill in Colletts's house, so he must be someone who lived nearby to be able to know about them." Adam replied.

Collette unintentionally shivered. It just dawned on her that E might have been so Ken she used to see walking down the street when she was younger. She's been closer to E than over on several occasions and it sent spiders crawling down her back.

She woke up from her trance just as Adam hung up the phone with his partner.

"Let's try and replace that Kingsly guy." She suggested.

"Your father's friend?"

"Yes. I remember very well that he always came over on foot so he probably lived nearby. Try to search for a Kingsly." Collette reasoned.

It was a chance worth taking and maybe then, he can unintentionally give them a clue or two about E.