Leroux quirks an eyebrow in her direction as if making a mental note to check up on her later.
He continues, “Well, now we have a time and place, let’s get a plan rolling here. The festival is only hours away. I’ll bring this to the station and see what higher-ups want to do. Muller, you coming?”
“You had me at Butcher,” she says as she walks through the open door in front of them.
Wren is suddenly even more thankful to be the boss at the ME’s office. As they enter the police station together, she feels the atmosphere become heavier somehow. The smell of stale coffee and frustration wafts through the air like a humid breeze.
The lieutenant is intimidating at first glance. He is physically looming, with thick arms, a bald head, and gray eyes that can bring anyone to their knees. Standing somewhere around six foot three, he was made for a position of power. And at this particular moment, he is looking over the papers and reports that were thrust into his face first thing this morning. Leroux and Will didn’t waste a second sharing the news of their newly discovered evidentiary connection. They had burst into his office, both speaking over each other in a haze of exhaustion and adrenaline until he held up one of his massive hands and demanded silence, and the space to read over what they just threw on his desk. Now, Leroux can see the wheels turning in the lieutenant’s head as he pieces together exactly what needs to be done next.
“So, you think it’s a body drop?” he asks, flicking his eyes up to meet Leroux’s and Will’s. He briefly eyes Wren but gives her a nod of approval quickly.
Leroux nods and leans forward with his elbows on his knees. He answers, “That is exactly what I think.”
“Should we try to have the festival canceled? Is that even possible this late in the game?” Will questions.
The lieutenant shakes his head and leans back in his chair, responding, “No way. Technically, it has already begun. There are hundreds of people converging on New Orleans as we speak. It’s an all-day event.”
Leroux points to the flyer and clarifies, “This advertisement is specifically referring to the events beginning at four p.m.”
“So, there is time to get people out of there. We really don’t know the extent of what he has planned. The best-case scenario is a body drop, but we could be looking at something much worse,” Will adds, concerned.
“An evacuation might cause mass chaos,” Wren interjects, holding up a finger for emphasis.
“Dr. Muller is right. Any move like that is going to spook him. If this asshole has something planned tonight, he will notice if the place starts emptying out prematurely. Besides, a mass exodus would cause chaos and panic. This community is already on edge. They don’t need to be chased away by a ghost,” the lieutenant decides, stroking his chin and feeling the flyer between his fingers. He stands and walks around the other side of his desk. “Let’s get a team together. I want every officer we can get on this. Hell, let’s get the administrative team suited up. I want that festival surrounded in rows, like shark’s teeth. No one moves without eyes on them. If people have an issue with it, remind them that there is a possible serial killer turning people into pulled pork.”
Leroux turns to Wren and instructs, “Muller, grab your team to come with us for this.”
The lieutenant nods and passes through the door of his office, agreeing, “Absolutely. Get them on the phone. We need you on the scene right from the jump.”
“Of course. I’ll get them rolling now.” Wren pulls out her phone and sends texts to the members of her team she wants to summon.
She follows Leroux and Will into the hallway, listening to them fill in a few officers nearby. In what seems like an instant, the scene inside the station has changed from business as usual to a state of heightened urgency.
“Get in here, Leroux. We don’t have time to waste staring into the abyss.” The lieutenant waves a giant hand and disappears into the conference room.