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dressed like one. If the same guy did that killing, then there is a definite arrow pointing
south. And, Rod Steiger, in that movie, often used a homosexual act and a southern drawl
to disguise his true identity. It can t all be a coincidence.
Cam stopped eating and stared at Jake with a stunned look on his face. You
mean, all that stuff is just window dressing? Planted to show us he lived in the south at
one time? Why? I don t understand.
Brian pushed his fork moodily around his plate. Because a sociopath doesn t
think anybody is smart enough to figure them out, to find them or to stop them. They play
games but they never leave any real evidence because they really don t want to be
caught. He leaned forward and stared into Jake s eyes. Why would he deliberately
leave clues that would lead to him? That s not how they operate Jake.
It is if, according to Marti s profile, he s a classic sociopath who believes he s
untouchable, unstoppable and smarter than we are. Her profile states that this killer
should be between 30 and 40, experienced at killing, with a past criminal record to prove
it. He s white, of southern extraction, drives a van or truck, because he kills in one place
and dumps the bodies in another, is highly intelligent with some high-level education and
lives alone. He always kills after midnight. She also predicted that because of his highly
organized and well-planned kills, he d be almost impossible to catch. He doesn t leave
evidence we can use, but, what he does leave, tells us about his fantasy and the ritual he
must perform to fulfill that fantasy. In other words, Marti is convinced that, sooner or
later, the fantasy he s playing out will be his downfall. She thinks he ll carry it so far that
we ll nail him, just like it did others. Either that, or we ll chase him for years until he
makes a stupid mistake, like Ted Bundy did. Jake sighed with frustration. By leaving
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more and more props at his kills, he s taunting us, challenging us to find him and stop
him. Jake banged the table with a fist, rattling the dishes. I wish to hell he d make a big
mistake, any mistake, right now.
Cam, still eating quietly but listening intently as well, wiped his mouth with a
napkin and asked, What about the bloke killed in the park? How does he fit into all
this?
Jake moved his hand through air as if to wipe out the invisible words. The chief
has assigned that to the local cops. Russell says it s a copycat killing, not one of ours. I
think the chief is happy to finally have something he can legitimately take credit for with
that killing.
Brian took a small bite of his food then picked up his cup of coffee before
commenting. I heard downtown that they ve already ID d him anyway. He s just some
poor slob who stopped over for the night. They found a witness who saw the guy walking
up the street between his motel and a nightclub late the night before. Evidently, he
decided to have his own holiday party and picked up a hooker. The witness had no
trouble identifying him because he had that unusual shade of red hair. The woman who
saw him approach and eventually leave with the hooker said they walked off toward his
motel. What happened to him after that, is debatable.
At least its one killing we don t have to take the fall for, Cam quipped. He
scratched at the healing gouges on top of his hand where Glock had treated him to a
swipe a few days before. Can we see Marti s profile? Maybe it will help us to fix on
what kind of guy to look for.
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Sure. It s at my office, on the desk. Just make copies of it when you get the
chance to check in. Jake fixed both men with an icy stare. I don t care what it takes, we
have got to find this bastard and fast.
Hey, Jake, calm down man. I think Marti s right, we ll find him, Brian pushed
his almost untouched dinner away. But, for now, I m going to go check on some things
Quigley dug up. Where is he, anyway?
He called in on my cell phone and I told him to check into that killing in the city.
He s down there now, Jake replied. Brian, would you mind dropping over to the
morgue and seeing if Russell has anything concrete yet? I want to go over all this in
detail tonight. He played absent-mindedly with his moustache. There s an itch niggling
in the back of my mind and I can t get rid of the feeling that I ve missed something
important.
Brian nodded and squeezed over Cam s unmoving body and left the booth. He
slipped on his long, wool blend overcoat and pulled a pair of black gloves out of the
pocket. I ll go over later tonight. I know Russell is usually there most of the night. He
hesitated. I gotta stop off and see a friend first. He blushed and hurriedly added,
Where you going tonight Cam? Home, or do you have something you re going to check
up on?
Cam leaned back in the booth with an empty platter in front of him. I have a date
with a lady tonight, thank you very much. He grinned up at Brian.
Jake left the booth and reached for his coat as well while Brian slipped on the
gloves and moved toward the door. Both of you come to my office tomorrow after
lunch. Quigley will have something by then and I ve asked Marti to come too. We can
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discuss her profile then. The five of us need to brainstorm and figure out where we want
to go from here.
Brian answered, Sure Jake, and left the caf. His tall figure, hunched over
against the icy wind that was still blowing, moved slowly down the street.
Cam stood, slid out of the booth and slipped on his own coat and gloves. Talk to
you tomorrow boss, he said with a gleam in his eyes.
But, by the time Cam s parting words were leaving his mouth, Jake had left and
was making his way toward his apartment. His entire concentration was turned inward,
mulling over facts, scenes, bits and pieces and conjuring up images of crime scenes with
their weird litter of toys the killer had used to dress the bodies up with.
What the hell am I missing here? he thought as his foot stepped on the first stair
leading up to his building. While he fitted his key to the outside door, his mind began
rumbling and roaring, like a dam with too much water pushing against its walls, ready to
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