Sylvie

Almost to the minute, Noah pulled into the parking space beside Ellie’s huge FBI cruiser.  A little rumble from her stomach coaxed her from her car. “Fancy meeting you here.”  Ellie lightly offered and waited for Noah to open the door.

“I think whoever you are tailing in that thing will see you coming a mile away.”  Noah joked and pointed to Ellie’s car. “Someone in Virginia Beach doesn’t like you much.”  Escorting Ellie to the host stand he politely waited for the young woman to return.

“Hey there, Noah.  Your usual table?” The hostess inquired and grabbed a couple menus. “Hello there, Ma’am.”

Patting his own little bag hanging from his side, Noah shook his head and smiled at the hostess. “Not tonight, it is gonna be a long one, I think.”  He saw an odd look cross Ellie’s face before he softly declared, “One of the six tops, I need a long table.”

The hostess started walking towards the rear of the restaurant laughing. “Ma’am, You are in for a long evening.  I have seen that bag before, and I still don’t get what he means half the time.”  She stopped in front of a wide table. “Noah, this is the best I can offer right now.”  She waved her hand and looked across the room, “We are getting busy and need the bigger tables just in case.”  She laid down the menus. “Plus you both need room for plates.  You should be able to spread out regardless.”

“Should I be worried?”  Elle posed with a light chuckle.

“No.”  Noah prompted and pulled out Ellie’s chair for her. “Let’s get situated first.”  He looked to the Hostess, “Thanks Susan, You just made me look like a crazy man.”  Noah winked, “Can you tell Terry that I would love a rum and cola?”

Unwrapping her flatware from the blue cloth, Ellie placed the napkin on her lap and smiled. “Look at you with all the girls taking care of you.  The hostess and the server.”

Happy that Ellie was seemingly relaxed, Noah slipped his bag off his shoulder and onto the table. “Well, Terry is a guy.”  He chuckled, “So I don’t know that I want him for anything else besides fun conversation.”

Joining his light moment, Ellie closed her eyes and nodded while adding in her laughter. “Look at what assuming does, right?”  She looked at her menu and first scanned the healthy options for chicken salads, before her gaze lifted and she patted Noah’s bag. “I am guessing that this isn’t a normal date.”  Ellie flipped the one-page menu over and browsed the main entrees and settled on a blackened chicken pasta and then looked again at Noah.

“Only if I had known.”  Noah nervously added, “I mean I can put this stuff in the car and we just sit here and chat.”  He pulled his utensils out, “I thought I could help you out since those boxes are a mess.”  He looked around carefully at the other patrons before focusing on Ellie once more. “It’s been months since anyone has been interested in that case.”  He reached into his satchel and pulled out an expanding folder and untwisted the black string keeping it closed. “I am sort of an amateur sleuth.”

“Oh here we go with the sleuth stuff.” A tall and lanky man with a light tan and short hair combed to the left, set a drink on the table. “Terry, your humble server.” He patted Noah on the back, “This guy.  Don’t listen to a word he says, you will be in about six different conspiracies before you know it.”

Accustomed to the way that guys treated each other and acted silly in front of women, Ellie took the moment to be a little more casual and play with Terry. “I mean we did meet on hottie-bald-detectives-dot-com, so I was expecting something fun.”  She winked.

Terry walked over to Ellie, laughing as he did so. “Noah, she’s gonna keep you on your toes my friend.” He paused, “What can I get you to drink, miss?”

Sensing a bit of a serious mood coming, Ellie didn’t want to diminish her faculties and opted for a normal diet soda. “I would love to order now if you don’t mind Terry.”  Ellie’s stomach growled and she pointed to the chicken pasta. “I know it’s not listed, but I would prefer broccoli rather than the salad.”

“No problem.”  Terry wrote down the older on an old white pad of paper, “Noah, the same as you always get?”  He watched his friend nod and keep digging through his file. “Miss, don’t let him bore you to death.” Terry added, “If you need anything just flag me down, alright?”  Satisfied with the quick nod Ellie gave him, Terry excused himself.

Downing half of his mixed drink at once, Noah pulled a few newspapers free. “I know this isn’t quite the internet, but I like the paper itself.  Hard to retract these days.  Online articles can be manipulated in seconds.  What you read five minutes ago isn't there.”  He shrugged and showed Ellie an article outlined in red. “The Cross Killer, are you familiar?”

Scanning the article briefly, Ellie handed the paper back to Noah. “Vaguely.  The FBI hasn’t been called in to look at the case yet since it is local, and hasn't crossed state lines yet.”

“Take a look at the date, Agent Miller.”  Noah finished his drink and waved for Terry. “One more, Terry.  I need a bit of courage here.”  

Terry hustled over and laughed, “She’s a cute one buddy, you’re gonna need it.”  He set Ellie’s diet drink on the table and left.

Folding the flimsy paper over on its natural crease, with the headline glaring, ‘The Siege of Petersburg ends’.  Pulling her eyes from the sensational tagline, Ellie looked at Noah. “This is the day after the attack.”

“Right.”  Noah proclaimed while poking at the page. “The killer’s first victim right outside.”  He pointed to the huge bay window and the river beyond. “Page two since the nation was looking at Petersburg like a terrorist attack.”  He shrugged, “I thought it was crazy timing.”

Enjoying the bubbles from the soda as she drank, Ellie thought about what to say. “What, eleven more since then?”  She closed her eyes and thought about the number. “Yes, about one a month until..this month.”  She sputtered slowly.

“How about that?”  Noah pulled free the other articles on the days where the killer struck. “A couple extra so far for Halloween. Always on a crucifix, but killed differently.”  He pointed to the most recent killing, “The killer waited until the police arrived and put a bullet in the woman’s head.”

Once Terry dropped off Noah’s second drink, He continued. “I can’t say with a hundred percent certainty, but I think whatever happened on that farm triggered this killer.  Perhaps the killer is associated with the farm.”  He pulled out a printed-out copy of an article, “This is from Virginia Beach.  Five deaths that were never solved, associated with a missing news woman…Wendy Richards. That’s her name I think.”  He handed Ellie the printout, “Due to the timing of the murders, perhaps it's revenge for killing the farm?”

“What links Richards to the farm, Noah?”  Ellie questioned and looked at the little article. “There were six deaths.  Two of her news crew, Two from an ambulance, a police officer and a student.”  She handed Noah back the article and smiled. “It’s there on the page.”  She chuckled.

Noah smiled and held up his finger. “Just a second, I can give you a tiny link.”  Shuffling through more of his folder, Noah sighed when he found what he was looking for. “It’s weak, so this was never looked into.”  He handed Ellie a map with ping marks on it. “This is the tracker on the news van.  The station keeps tabs for mileage and such.  Also protects the crew in case they are lost or like in this case, something happens.”  He pointed to the stops. “If you look there, one stop was to that farm.”