“But, is she stupid?”
“What?” He sneered.
“If she’s actually stupid, then she presents no problem to you. If she’s smart, then perhaps I should deal with it.”
“Then, she’s smart.”
“She is. And I’ve had a conversation with her.” I nodded. “As you agree, she’s smart enough to leave alone.”
“I didn’t say that. I’m saying someone needs to shut her up. If you can’t, then I—”
“No one touches the reporter but me.”
He held out his hands. “Excuse me?”
“Get off the reporter and focus on our present problem.” I gestured at Pedro.
“I see enough dead bodies, Dimitri?” Marcelo frowned. “Why did you call me over for this? You could have just texted me that Pedro was dead.”
I held up one finger. “What do you see?”
“I see a dead Pedro.”
“Look deeper.”
“How deep do I need to look? He’s got on a wig and a fucking dress.”
“But, do you think it’s the same killer?”
Marcelo returned his view to Pedro’s corpse and squinted. “Of course it is the same killer. He murdered Pedro and put him in a dress.”
But it wasn’t the same guy. I didn’t understand how it could be.
I assessed Pedro again. A short black wig topped his head. It resembled something out of a Halloween store for a 1920s flapper costume.
Meanwhile, purple and yellow flower print made up the dress. The killer must’ve yanked the garment out of an old woman's closet. Pedro wore no heels or stockings, no jewelry nor make up.
Additionally, Pedro had been beaten to death. Purplish-black bruises covered both eyes. His nose was broken. Some of his teeth was missing.
There’d been a fight.
I glanced back at Marcelo. “But do you see the differences between Romeo and Pedro?”
“What do you mean?”
“The wig. The lack of makeup. The posing is not even similar to Romeo. Plus, there’s no staging or props.”
Marcelo shrugged. “Maybe, the killer didn’t have time.”
“Our killer always has the time to do it right.” I smiled. “Pedro isn't a queen. He looks like a cheap whore strolling the streets, giving out two dollar blow jobs.”
Disgust covered Marcelo’s face. “Two dollar blow jobs are a thing?”
“Turn your car down the wrong block and you’ll meet up with fifty cent blow jobs.” I pointed back to Pedro. “Never mind that, do you see the differences?”
“Are you seriously judging Pedro’s wig and dress?”
“I am. The wig, makeup, and gown is all significant to Romeo’s killer. Meanwhile, whoever murdered Pedro didn’t care about any of it.”
“Meaning?”
“There’s no style. There's no finesse.”
“I can’t believe I have to deal with you sober. I should be high for this.” Marcelo ran his fingers through his hair. “Finesse and style? Whoever is doing this is crazy there's no method to the madness.”
“That's where you're wrong.” I gestured for Viktor to bring over the files. He did and handed them to Marcelo.
Frowning, Marcelo opened the first folder. “Why the hell am I looking at another dead body?”
“That’s the first victim.”
“What the fuck, man? Is that Johnny Cupcakes?” Marcelo shut the folder. “Why didn’t you tell me he was dead?”
“He’s dead.” I tapped the folder. “But do you see the style and finesse, when it came to Johnny Cupcake’s death?”
“I knew you were psycho, but this takes it to another level. What the hell is wrong with you, Dimitri?”
“A lot is wrong with me. But that's not our biggest problem right now.” I took the folder from him and gave it to Viktor. “Follow me down this path. Are there any differences from Johnny Cupcakes, Romeo, and Pedro?”
“You really want me to play this game with you?”
I placed both hands into a prayer. “Humor me.”
Marcelo let out an exasperated breath. “You have a point. Johnny and Romeo look better than Pedro.”
I leaned in closer. “If all three were alive and dressed this way, which one would you fuck?”
“I’m out of here.” Marcelo walked off. “I don't have time for this. I'm training.”
I called after him, “Marcelo, I need you! Please.”
He stopped walking, turned around, and pointed at me. “You’re supposed to fix this.”
“Romeo’s killer sure, but I’ll need help with Pedro’s killer.”
He sneered. “And that relates to which one I would fuck?”
“I’m just trying to further my point.”
“Your point is furthered. Pedro looks bad compared to Romeo and Johnny.”
“We have two killers. Whoever murdered Johnny and Romeo planned it out. They took their time. They researched famous queens. It was a labor of love."
Marcelo crossed his arms over his chest. “It sounds like you like this killer a lot.”
I ignored that statement. “However, Pedro’s murder was motivated by something else. It was a different emotion. Not love but. . . hate. Maybe even jealousy.”
Something clicked on Marcelo’s face. He walked back to the body and stood a foot in front of it. This time he focused on Pedro’s eyes.
There we go. Do you see it, Marcelo?
I placed my hands in my pocket. “You’re a man of the ring. An artist when it comes to fighting. You can assess the damage done by a fist.”