Rosary girls

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The white board was divided into five columns. At the top of each was a Sorrowful Mystery. AGONY, SCOURGE, CROWN, CARRY, CRUCIFIXION. Beneath each heading, except for the last, was a photograph of the respective victim.

Jessica briefed the team on what she had learned from her research, from Eddie Kasalonis as well as what Father Corrio had told her and Byrne.

"The Sorrowful Mysteries are the last week in Christ's life," Jessica said. "And, although the victims were discovered out of order, our doer seems to be following the strict order of the mysteries.

"As I'm sure you all know, today is Good Friday, the day Christ was crucified. There is only one mystery left. The crucifixion."

A sector car had been assigned to every Catholic church in the city. By three twenty-five, incident reports had come in from all corners. The three o'clock hour-noon to three were the hours it is believed that Christ hung upon the cross-had passed at all Catholic churches without episode.

By four o'clock they had gotten in contact with all the families of the girls on the list found in Brian Parkhurst's car. All the remaining girls were accounted for and, without causing undue panic, the families were told to be on guard. A car was dispatched to each of the girls' houses for protection detail.

Why these girls were on the list, and what they had in common to get on the list was still unknown. The task force had tried to cross-reference the girls based on the clubs they belonged to, the churches they attended, eye and hair color, ethnicity; nothing leapt off the page.

Each of the six detectives on the task force would visit one of the six girls left on the list. The answer to the riddle of these horrors, they were certain, would be found with them.