A chaotic scene exploded at Commissioner Hightower's upscale residence. Known for his fine nuances in the art of decit, the cagey Karl Adler remained on the loose. Breaking every speed limit law in existence, Dutton and Ballister raced through town.

The "go" signal given by the Jefe to move in on the house, Dutton had no intention of playing the role of a JAFO and be just another observer. Upon arrival at 412 Christopher Drive, he and Ballister joined a parade of uniforms scurrying through the yard. Efficiently moving, department-issued firearms at the ready, some entered through the front portal. Others dashed in the back.

"I think we're about to finally corner the egnimatic Karl Adler. Maybe we'll get a better grip of his mysteriousness," Ballister said.

Dreary shadows filled the vault. Dark, blackness-enclosed, and tenebrous, Dutton sensed more foreboding than the last time he'd been an invited guest in the Commissioner's home. That was two short weeks ago. Tense, and unsettling, the abode smelled sharply pungent.

An apprehension something bad about to happen, Dutton mentioned to his partner, "Evil lurks."

Dutton tried to recall the last time he wanted a criminal as much as he craved to get his hands on Karl Adler. Dutton knew that would provide him therapy time. He wouldn't be vocalizing, just taking needed action against the treacherous killer.

He heard an agent call out, "Over here. Hurry!"

Dutton led Ballister down three stairs and through the door.

"Holy s--t!" Ballister exclaimed upon spotting Commissionrr Hightower's sprawled cadaver.

Mutilated, the Commissioner lay spread-eagled on the blood-soaked floor. The aroma of skatole permeated the air. Several years of experiences with deceased human bodies hardened Dutton to the nauseating discovery more than most of the others present. Body parts littered the room.

"Who in their right mind would butcher another human being like a hunter guts a deer?" Ballister asked.

"Adler's not in any mind, right, left, or somewhere in between," Dutton replied, He wondered what eradicating the Commissioner meant to the perpetrator? "Adler did this in mere minutes. He's even crazier than I suspected the lunatic to be."

"Everyone of his victims have met a similar fate. Adler's got to be incredibly strong," Ballister commented.

"To perform this heinousness without morgue tools," Dutton finished his thought.

Dutton stared at the Commissioner and contemplated why Adler destroyed the man so viciously? Spectral silence filled the house. Ballister leaned against a wall. He looked like a cross between the middle of pallid and haggard.

"How does Adler keep slipping away?" Ballister wanted to know.

"Because Adler was once one of us. He anticipates everything we do," Dutton responded.

"He used to be your partner," Ballister stated.

"About fifteen years. I've never seen a more dedicated detective," Dutton confirmed.

No matter how gruesome a case grew, Ballister had not seen Dutton so cheerless. He gave him an intentional impassive glance.

"We should have exterminated Adler a long time ago. The department held a governor-approved sanction on him. I talked them out of it," Dutton said.

Ballister shook his head in disbelief.

"The Governor didn't like the notion one of his finest was crossing the line. There's no pattern to his insanity, Mark. At least, nothing to follow. No real way to trace him or where he will attack next," Dutton remarked.

"Adler likes to be superior to everyone else. There's got to be a lot more to this," Ballister commented.

Since the complicated case begun, Dutton had considered the possibilities of some sort of artistic flair behind Adler's kills. Each murder was different and appeared to be arbitrary. That made Adler almost impossible to snag. Dutton knew he could never walk away from the Adler case. He also realized there was no way to predict how the madman would act.

A concerned Ballister stated, "We're not going to nail Adler. He'll be much more careful now. Or, maybe he'll just drop off the face of the earth like some murderers do."

"Not going to happen, Mark. Adler is going down one way or another! Let's roll," Dutton vowed.