C21 Chapter 21

The phone on the floor seemed to mock them, the screen still displaying "Checkmate". The team stared at it, processing the dead end.

Thompson's voice was low. "Bag it. Let's get it to tech."

Jules picked up the phone carefully, her eyes fixed on the screen. As she watched, the display counted down - 3 minutes, 2:59, 2:58...

Suddenly, the screen flickered. A link appeared, and Jules clicked it hesitantly.

A poem appeared on the screen:

They’re not the only ones,

She’s not who you think she is,

They’re watching

and

Never unlove Jules

Jules' eyes widened as she read the words. She felt a chill run down her spine. "Oh no."

Thompson leaned in. "What is it?"

Jules' voice shook slightly. "It's... it's a poem. The killer's poem."

Emily's eyes scanned the words. "What does it mean? 'They're not the only ones'... 'She's not who you think she is'..."

Jules looked up, her expression shaken. "It's a message. To me."

Thompson's face tightened. "What do you mean?"

Jules' voice was barely above a whisper. "The killer knows me. Knows about... about my past."

The team exchanged worried glances. The air was thick with tension.

Thompson's voice was firm. "We need to get you protected, Jules. Now."

Jules shook her head, still staring at the poem. "No. We need to find this guy. Before he..."

The phone buzzed again, making them jump. A new message appeared:

"Next move, Jules. Yours."

Jules' eyes narrowed, determination flashing. "I'll go undercover. Use me to draw him out."

Thompson's face was stern. "No way, Jules. You're too close. We can't risk it."

Jules stood her ground. "I'm doing it, Detective Thompson. This guy's playing games with us. I can stop him."

Thompson sighed, knowing Jules was stubborn. "Fine. But you're going into protective custody until we set up the op."

Jules nodded, her mind racing. "Okay. But let's move. Now."

The team quickly arranged for Jules' protection, and she was whisked away to a safe house.

Meanwhile, Emily dug into Jules' past, searching for connections to the killer.

Hours ticked by, the tension building. The killer was watching, waiting...

Suddenly, Emily burst into the ops room. "Guys! I found something. Jules' past... it's linked to the art project."

Thompson's eyes snapped up. "How?"

Emily's face was grim. "Jules submitted 4 poems in a poem project in junior high.Same theme... same style as the killer's poem."

The team exchanged shocked glances. Was Jules the key?

Detective Thompson's eyes narrowed. "Four poems in junior high? Get me the details. Now."

Emily nodded, scrolling through her notes. "The poems were part of a school competition. Jules won first prize... for a poem about 'darkness within'."

Jules' past flashed before her eyes, memories she'd rather forget. "I wrote that when I was 14."

Detective Thompson's voice was firm. "We need to see those poems. Emily, can you get them?"

Emily nodded. "I'm on it. But... there's something else. The art project... it's still active. Students are still submitting poems."

Jules' eyes widened. "You think the killer's still involved?"

Detective Thompson's face was grim. "We need to shut it down. Now."

The team sprang into action, contacting the project organizers, trying to track down leads.

While they’re on it Emily gets Jules’ poems.