Chapter 15
The police officers went over each of the statements, alibis, and evidence for the case in search of a suspect who fit the broad profile. McGill passed Jenny’s to Officer Lee in a weak attempt to avoid conflict of interest. Lee gave him a briefly raised eyebrow but said nothing as he looked the statements over.
After ninety minutes, they had nothing.
“Does anyone see anything to point to a possible suspect or link the victims?” Detective Glass asked.
Heads wobbled while eyes stayed on the table. Glass ran his fingers through his graying hair. Dr. Phelps and Agent Wales stood whispering to themselves at the opposite end of the room.
“We think we may have something.” Phelps announced.
All gazes were glued to the behavior analysts.
“And?” Inquired Detective Glass.
Agent Wales held up some of the crime scene images.
“This last case is the first time we see the killer taking a trophy from the victim. There are a few reasons why they would begin to do this now: it adds to the risk of getting caught and therefore the thrill, the assailant wanted the ring for its value...”
“Which is highly unlikely.” Interrupted Dr. Phelps.
“...or the killer has been taking trophies all along, but they weren’t from the victims; they were from the crime scenes themselves.” Wales continued.
Several of the cops re-examined the photos. They each skimmed the images for signs of anything removed.
Officer Jenkins raised her hand.
“So how does this help us catch the suspect?” She asked.
“It gives us more evidence to look for when we are preparing the case for trial afterwards and it lets us narrow the profile a little.” Phelps replied.
“Look people,” Wales leaned over the table as she spoke. “...this killer has started to develop a ritual. The last two murders have involved a similar mode of execution: the victims were drained from multiple small incisions after being dragged to a more private location.
This tells us our murderer is getting more confident in their ability to get away with the crime. At this point, the victims appear to be chosen for their convenience, not for fitting any sort of type. Our suspect may live or work in the area where they hunt victims.”
Officer McGill held up a hand and Dr. Phelps nodded for him to speak.
“Do you think we’ve come across this guy in our investigation?” McGill asked.
“It’s very likely that this person is somehow insinuated into the investigation to keep tabs on what we know. Our killer is escalating but as they do, they will give us more to work with. Our goal is to limit how much he or she has to give us before we catch them.” Phelps answered.
Detective Glass stood and joined the profilers in the back of the room to talk quietly for a few minutes. McGill tried not to let his anger get too strong a hold on him. This murderer lived near him and was tearing apart his community. The bastard had even made Jenny and others afraid to jog in the park.
The ranking officers returned to the table. Dr. Phelps and Agent Wales gave them the spiel before Detective Glass assigned them in two person teams to canvas the neighborhood.
“Our profile going forward is for a Caucasian male or female in their mid to late twenties. Most of the victims are white, and most serial killers hunt within their own ethnic group. The suspect most likely works in a job where they feel unnoticed and undervalued. They are funneling this frustration into a passion for taking control of their life by choosing to end others’ lives.” Phelps began.
“This person is dangerous because they slip by unnoticed; they are slight of frame and probably of average to short stature. Our killer will have their trophies from the crime scenes in plain view in their home; they don’t believe we are smart enough to see them as evidence. Be cautious as we question people in the vicinity of the murders for anyone who is acting overly tense or panicked.” Agent Wales instructed.
Each team checked their map and set out to do the legwork of the investigation. McGill partnered up with one of the younger officers. They set out to go door to door near the construction site. Eric prayed they would catch the murderer soon; he didn’t like thinking of Jenny being unsafe.
***
Jenny ran into Officers Lee and Jenkins on her way to her car. She dropped her bag in the passenger seat and smiled as they greeted one another.
“Nice to see you again. I gave Eric—I mean Officer McGill—my updated statement the other day.” She said.
“We know, Miss Grand. We are just doing a quick follow up.” Lee replied.
He always seemed so pleasant, she thought as she did her best not to think of her murder weapon sitting in the front of her car. The two police officers went over the profile with her and asked Jenny if she’d noticed anyone fitting that description.
“I’m sorry, no one comes to mind. Like I said before, I am usually in my own little zone when exercising; I don’t notice much of anything.” The killer answered.
“But you noticed Officer McGill?” Officer Lee asked.
Jenny fought to keep her face from twitching too much.
“Well, yes. Eric is very noticeable.” She replied with an unstoppable blush.
Lee nodded and held a tight smile while Jenkins laughed a little.
“I understand.” The rookie said. “Nothing like a man in uniform to catch one’s attention. Thank you for your time, Miss Grand. Please call us if you think of anything else.”
“Or of course you can tell Eric if you happen to see him.” Officer Lee said with a wink as he led his partner away from the killer.
Jenny dropped down into her car and exhaled. She watched the two cops drive away in her rearview. A light pat of her right hand on the bag comforted her that her weapon of choice was still with her.
“That was closer than I’d like. I hope they took my discomfort as a sign that I was nervous about dating Eric and not that I knew more than I was saying.”
She sighed and turned on the engine.
“I need to find a way to get them off this case or to quit my new hobby.”