Highway Butcher – Chapter Ten

A/N: I don’t think it’ll surprise anyone that this has been yet another hellacious week, but escapes are good, and tonight, Bo and David’s friendship is mine. I hope they can be a good escape for you guys too ❤

NOT EDITED

Chapter Ten

Thursday: June 18, 2020

12:00 PM; LOS ANGELES, DAVID QUINN’S APARTMENT, LIVING ROOM

Bo’s hospital stay had been relatively medicated, and when the doctor finally released him, he had gone home with David rather than either of his parents. Acamas was at his mom’s house, and he truly wasn’t sure he could handle seeing her. And his dad’s house was just… Well, it wasn’t about the house. Bo simply didn’t want to be anymore of a burden to his parents than he already had been. He hadn’t wanted to be a burden to David, either, but they had refused to release him without a house to go to instead of a hotel room, and he wasn’t going to spend another damn day in that hospital, medicated or not.

Based on Bo’s experience with people growing entirely tired of him, he had more time with David before that breaking point than he did with his parents. They had known him longer, spent more hours with him, eaten away at the time limit for longer. So he had chosen David.

“Do you go back to work after your lunch break?” Bo asked.

“No. Took a half day. On call if they need me.” David stuck another pillow between Bo’s head and the armrest of the couch. “How’s that?”

“That’s okay. Thank you. And you don’t have to take a half day for me.”

“Consider it a half day for me. Just needed to get out of the station for a few hours. No progress or leads in the case, anyway.”

“That’s because Travis is working it.”

David snorted. “Well, now it’s Dylan, actually. I got Travis removed from it after he told me I can suck your dick all I want as long as he doesn’t have to hear about it.”

Bo’s brow furrowed. “I am… I know I’ve been a little drugged lately, but that has definitely never happened, and if you tried—”

“Not like that,” David said with a laugh. “Jesus, man. No, like… I can think you’re amazing at forensics and stuff, but he doesn’t want to hear it. That’s fine and dandy or whatever, but he was a total ass about it for no reason other than…”

“Other than because he’s Travis?” Bo asked.

“Yeah, pretty much.” David sat down at the other end of the couch, turned down the television, and tossed the remote onto the coffee table. “I don’t know how you put up with him for so many years. Clinstone must’ve been a wonderful break.”

“Well… mm. The analyst that seemed to like me was on leave for an overdue pregnancy, and the one that was working was not a fan.”

“Of course.”

“To her credit, her boyfriend or fiance or something of the sort was also secretly a serial killer, and I reminded her a bit too much of herself for her liking.”

“Jesus. Talk about shitty luck.”

Bo chuckled, wincing as a hand moved to his stomach. “Tell me about it.”

David watched him for a moment. “You seem… good today.”

“I’m still a little sedated. And I’m glad to be out of the hospital.”

“I bet. I’m sorry you had to be in there for so many days.”

“Me too.” Bo shifted, trying to find a spot that eased at least some of the tugging pressure on his stitches. Staples? Honestly, he wasn’t sure. He hadn’t asked, and he hadn’t looked. “Abby Richards.”

“Hmm?”

“Your victim. Her name is Abby Richards.”

“How in the hell do you know her name?”

“Because I found her on Instagram. If Travis was half as intelligent as he and Kathy like to claim he is, he would’ve found her there too. I was really trying my best to give him the benefit of the doubt, trying to believe he’d find her there eventually. But he hasn’t. At least, not that the media has stated.”

“No, he hasn’t. We’ve made no progress on either victim.”

“Either?” Bo asked. “What do you mean, either?”

David met his gaze. “There…? What do you mean? You didn’t know there was a second woman?”

“No. When?”

“The… the day I came to see you at the hotel? A second woman was found that morning.”

“On the highway?”

“Yeah.”

“Missing one arm?”

“Yeah.”

“And… the cleaver?”

“Yeah,” David repeated.

“Hmm.”

“Hmm? Jesus, man, you processed news of a second vic faster than I did, and I was there.”

“Quite frankly, given the nature of the killing, I would be more surprised if they hadn’t killed again. The concerning part is the cooldown period. We’re talking, what, fourteen days?”
“Sounds about right.”

“I doubt Miss Richards was his first victim. He likely… practiced. That or you have undiscovered bodies on your hands.”

“Travis never mentioned any concerns over hesitation marks or a lack thereof on the first victim.”

“And… do you trust Travis?” Bo asked.

David rolled his eyes and stood up from the couch. When he came back and sat down again, he had a folder in his hands. He held it out to Bo, but when he reached for it, David pulled it back, almost hesitantly, like he wasn’t sure withholding it was the right call. “I… I don’t know.”

“Jamal isn’t going to fire you if I help you.”

“That’s not my concern, Bo.”

“This is what you wanted, isn’t it? Me to look at the case? Me to work a case? You already asked after the first woman was killed, and I’m sure that’s why you came to the hotel after the second woman.”

“That’s not fair,” David whispered.

“I’m asking a question, David, not accusing you of being a monster.”

Bo had seen the worried look on David’s face far too many times. He had put that look on David’s face far too many times. “I don’t… I don’t want to make things worse, Bo. Y-you’re having a good day, I think, a-and I don’t…”

Bo cleared his throat. “Looking at a case file isn’t going to determine if I break or not. I did not survive a stay in that hospital to fall apart the second I’m out. I promise you that. Just let me see it.”

David tapped the corner of the folder to his temple twice before holding it out to Bo. This time, he didn’t pull it away when Bo reached for it. He flipped it open and thumbed through Travis’s reports. ‘Jane Doe One’ had been attacked with the cleaver well over eighty times. So had Jane Doe Two. Both missing an entire arm, cleaved through at the joint so the killer didn’t have to saw through bone. The few pictures of both women Travis had included in the file were nearly identical. The killer was incredibly consistent in their strikes. Not particularly methodical or intentionally replicating the first killing to the exact degree, but consistent.

“Any chance you’ve looked into reports of animal mutilation?” Bo asked.

“I actually did, believe it or not. I found a case of a suspected poisoning, and a few abuse reports, but nothing to this degree. I even checked domestic and assault reports. A few knives, a few handguns. No cleavers. Not even a sighting of someone attempting to use a cleaver. I’ve got nothing,” David said.

Bo nodded. “Would you happen to know why Travis believes the first victim is a sex worker?”

“Jesus Christ, did he write that in there?”

“No. I… still have access to the software Jamal has us store our voice notes. The ones we take during autopsies? I, umm, I created that software, and he never revoked my access. After you approached me with the case the first time, I tried not to think about it, and I tried not to do it, but I needed to know who was working it and what they were doing. Unethical or otherwise, I listened to his notes. The beginning, anyway. I couldn’t stand his voice much longer than that.”

“First of all, you’re brazen as fuck, Bo.”

Bo snorted. “No, I just knew no one would find out unless I told them. It isn’t brazen if there’s absolutely no risk of being caught. I assure you, with me gone, the online filing systems are left unmonitored the vast majority of the time.”

David rolled his eyes. “Secondly, the first victim. This is the first time I’m hearing about him calling her a prostitute. What’d you say her name was?”

“Abby Richards.”

“Abby Richards,” David echoed. “I know he found semen in her underwear. I guess… maybe his working theory was that the killer is a John? He suggested the second victim was a sex worker too. He thought the killer was choosing sex workers because no one would miss them or report them missing. No one would identify them once they were dead, either.”

Bo shook his head. “Jupiter, that’s such an outdated Kathy Baker line of thinking.”

“Tell me about it.”

Bo flipped through a few more pages of the file. “Based on Travis’s findings, neither woman was raped, and only the first had semen present on her body or clothes. Which means… Travis believes the killer paid for their services and then killed them?”

David offered a shrug. “I honestly didn’t talk about it much with him. He was, umm… on my nerves. A lot.”

“Because of the ‘dick sucking’ thing?”

“Mostly. That and Travis isn’t exactly a sharer the way you are. He kind of… I don’t know. Treats you a bit like you’re an idiot when he explains his thoughts. I usually try not to bother with it. It’s easier to just read what he types out.”

“Yes, he picked that up from Kathy. I imagine he got pretty used to being spoken to that way when they were sleeping together.”

“Eww. They slept together?”

“Oh, yes. Unfortunately. I caught them in the locker room showers.” Bo glanced up at the ceiling. “Twice. I transferred back out of the West Department pretty quickly after that.”

“At work? I shower down there, Bo.”

Bo laughed, a hand moving to guard his stomach once more. The pain meds were making things pretty tolerable, but it didn’t make the stretch of his skin around the incision any less uncomfortable. “It’s been many, many years, if that makes you feel any better. She was married to Max at the time, not Dallas.”

“Didn’t… Dallas kill Max for being a cheater?”

“Among other things. ‘Cheater’ wasn’t his crime. It was just one of his… sins, I suppose. I don’t… I don’t necessarily remember what official crime Max was, umm, done in for. I try not to think about it as much as I can.” Bo cleared his throat. “Besides, Dallas knew very well who Kathy was. She was still married when they started sleeping together too.”

“Not thinking about it is probably a good thing,” David said after a moment. “The, uh, the second victim. I think Travis is sticking with the sex worker thing because it makes him feel better about not being able to identify them.”

“I suppose that’s a possibility. I’ve certainly heard stranger things.”

“Same. Like Kathy and Travis being an item.”

“Frankly, I believe Kathy was an item with anyone who benefited her. I always heard she married Max because he was already a well-known lawyer and the last name coming pre-known was good for her career.”

“Goddamn. Wonder if she lied to Dallas about the supposed crimes Max committed too. Get him out of the way so the name was hers and only hers.”

Bo lifted his head. “She would’ve had to know Dallas was Hangman long before they fled California.”

“I mean… they were married. Yeah, you shared a house with him when you were younger, but she shared a bed. And unlike you, Hangman was her case. Your husband disappearing from the house on the nights someone was killed and strung up at Hangman’s tree had to ring at least one or two alarm bells. She was a horrendous detective if it didn’t.” A pause. “God, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t talk about her or Dallas or any of that. It’s not… it’s not good to dwell on any of it.”

After a moment, Bo managed to force himself to shake his head. “You have nothing to apologize for. I’m the one who brought her up. I know where the conversation usually goes from there. The ending is… new, but the rest of it is pretty part for the course. That isn’t your fault.”

Still, Bo was incredibly thankful David had called off the Hangman talk before it spiraled further into conspiracy territory. He wasn’t sure he would have been able to request moving on from that on his own.

“Can I… ask you something? Not about Kathy.”

David nodded. “Yeah, whatever you wanna ask. Go for it.”

“Were you? Did you visit me? In the hospital, I mean?”

“No. I wanted to, but I… I couldn’t. I’m sorry.”

Bo shook his head. “I wasn’t asking so you’d feel bad. I just…” He let out a breath, gaze falling back to the case file. “It’s going to make me sound crazy.”

“I could never think you were crazy, Bo. You’re the most logical person I know.”

“I swear I saw… someone in my hospital room. That someone being you was more or less my last hope.”

“Well, uh… who did it look like it?”

“The pretend reporter.” Bo looked back up at David. “I mean, I must be going insane, right? I-it’s not possible for him to have been hiding out in the hospital bathroom. I… I’m genuinely going insane. Right?”

David looked borderline uncomfortable with the question. Or maybe Bo was imagining that too.

“I don’t think you’re insane,” David said. “I think… you were waking up from being sedated. You were medicated. You aren’t crazy for experiencing a side effect of the drugs you were given. It wasn’t your brain malfunctioning. It wasn’t your brain manifesting something because it’s broken. It was the meds.”

“Maybe,” Bo whispered. “But why him? Why envision my stalker there and not… you? Or Dallas? O-or anyone other than him?”

“I don’t know. Umm, what did he do? In the hospital, I mean.”

“Okay, well, umm, to answer that, I’ll have to disclose that I was planning on… fleeing the scene, you might say.”

“Wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”

“I’m not sure if that’s an insult or a compliment.”

David shrugged. “Just a commentary on your predictability.”

“Ha.” Bo cleared his throat. “I was preparing to take the IV out of my hand. He laid a hand over the tubing so I couldn’t remove it, and he stayed there until the nurse came in to sedate me again.”

“Did he ever do anything to call the nurse?”

Bo glanced up before shaking his head. “No, I don’t think so. But my parents had left the room. I… I suppose they grabbed the nurse. They likely knew I would make my escape as soon as they left.”

“So your parents grabbed the nurse. Maybe the vision of this guy… maybe it was just the part of you that knew staying in the hospital was the best thing for you right then. And maybe that part of you was the most influenced by the meds, and so it was strong enough to fight off the part of you that wanted to flee.”

“But why him?”

David shifted a little, lifting a hand to scratch his temple. “He was still probably pretty fresh in your mind. Your brain wouldn’t have wanted to use Bridget’s ex as the guy helping keep you safe in the hospital. And your brain knew I wouldn’t be there and that Dallas couldn’t be there. It knew your parents were in the hallway. So… it chose him.”

“Even though he’s been stalking me?”

“You took him down pretty easily. Maybe he has a… less than evil reason for following you around,” David said.

“Less than evil,” Bo echoed. “Like what?”

“I don’t know. Maybe he feels drawn to you. Not in a creepy way. Like, umm, kindred spirits.”

“Kindred spirits,” Bo echoed. “I don’t understand. I mean, I… I understand the definition of the phrase. But I don’t understand it’s application to the situation.”

“For whatever reason, maybe there’s something about you that makes him feel like only you can relate to him. And although he definitely went about it in the wrong way, maybe that’s why he followed you around. Not because he meant you any harm, but because he feels you guys have something in common.” David cleared his throat. “If he was out to hurt you, he would’ve done it already. He’s had far too many opportunities to strike to just keep wasting them if hurting you was the goal.”

“I suppose you’re right. About the wasted opportunities side of things. Your kindred spirits theory is questionable at best.”

David cracked a smile. “Questionable theories are my specialty.”

“Oh, I am… very much aware.” Bo drew in a long breath, slowly blowing it back out. “Thank you for… talking with me about it. For making me feel less crazy. I know I haven’t been a good friend to you in quite some time now, but I appreciate that you have remained… you.”

“My friendship isn’t contingent upon the state of your mental health. And screening my calls and not going out for a drink when you are doing so…”

“Badly?”

“Well, I was looking for a gentler word.”

“Badly is okay. It’s accurate, at the very least.”

“Screening my calls when you’re in a deep depressive state doesn’t make you a bad friend. Not having the energy or mental bandwidth to tackle human relationships right now doesn’t make you a bad friend. I’d still choose you and your friendship over anyone else at the LAPD any damn day of the week. Okay?”

Bo forced himself to nod. He had spent most of his life accepting just about anyone as a friend, no matter how horrible they were to him. But someone like David, who was friendly and charming and had actual hobbies to bond with people over, who could make as many friends as he wanted, had no damn reason to settle for Bo as his best friend.

But he did. And Bo would never understand it.

It was easier not to think about it too much, not to allow himself to drown in the whirlpool of ‘how’s and ‘why’s. “I’ll run the second victim’s face through my social network algorithm and see if we get a hit on any of her accounts anywhere. Even when their account is privatized, their profile picture is almost always enough to ping it, unless it’s AI or their pet instead of themself.” David, who had put up with Bo for enough years to know the topic switch meant he wasn’t going to accept any discussion about how he wasn’t a terrible person, only nodded. “I’ll leave you to it.”

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