any of the ME’s reports?” Mac sounded surprised at the possibility.
“Only the parts about the knife wounds. I haven’t gotten to the nonfatal injuries yet.” He stepped over to the second victim. “He starts with a shallow cut or two, teasing them with the hope that all he wants is to rape them. The perp likes the power he garners from playing with them. It’s not about sex, and he wouldn’t degrade himself by touching them in that way. With each new slice, he goes a little deeper, and as the blood runs down her body, she realizes she’s not getting out. That’s when she starts struggling.”
He blinked and turned to look at the trio of men sitting there. Billingsley and Mac stared at him, a little stunned by Tanner’s recitation of what probably happened during the murders. MacLaughlin didn’t even blink since he’d seen Tanner work before.
“What else?” He waved at Tanner to continue.
“He cuts until she passes out from blood loss. Once she’s no longer conscious, he slices her throat and leaves her hanging until she bleeds out. After that, he waits until it’s safe to move her. At the dump site, he arranges her in the pentagram display.” Tanner rubbed his chin. “Like I mentioned before, we need to focus on the designs on their chests. That is the important part of his ritual.” Tanner shoved his hands through his hair, tugging on the ends once before he whirled and grabbed the enlarged prints of the carvings. He handed them to the trio.
“I’ve been studying these all day. There’s something inside the design, and I think that’s the most important item at the crime scene. I want to go through all the evidence collected at each scene. It might help me give you more of what to look for in a suspect.”
He went to the window and stared out at the people strolling on the sidewalk below. Most of them were aware of the killer stalking Houston’s streets, but none of them believed they could be victims. As of that moment, any woman in the city could be next.
“Have we figured out how he chooses them?” Billingsley glanced over at Mac.
“Not yet.” Mac growled low in his throat, frustration evident in the sound.
“We know he must follow them for some time before he takes them,” Tanner interjected. “The patterns of the crime scenes and the actual process of the killing speaks of an organized mind. Our killer doesn’t do this on a whim.”
Mac met his gaze with a raised eyebrow, and he smiled.
“I’m sure the investigators will come up with the connecting piece between the women before too long. Unfortunately I must admit I don’t think it’ll be soon enough to save our next victim. He’s already stalking her and will probably take her within the next two days or so.”
“Goddamn!” Billingsley shot to his feet. “We’ve got to get something on this man before we have mass panic and the women start carrying guns. We could have innocent men being shot for nothing more than being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Tanner understood the captain’s anger and worry, but he also knew there was no way without some kind of miracle for them to get the identity of the killer before he took the next woman. It wasn’t optimal, but it was the realistic outlook, though Tanner would have preferred the miracle.
“We will. You just have to give your men and mine time. Very few of these types of cases go unsolved. Something will pop up, and our guy will make a mistake. Trust me, our men are the best at their jobs.” Sam spoke from where he sat in the corner of the room.
“How many more are going to die before we get him?” Billingsley paced Tanner’s office, dodging the other men and the furniture.
Tanner shrugged. “It’s hard to say. He’s gotten a true taste for this, and his need is growing. He killed one a month for four months, but the fifth only came two weeks after the last one. That’s why we’ll have another victim here soon. He’s escalating, and until we
“Only the parts about the knife wounds. I haven’t gotten to the nonfatal injuries yet.” He stepped over to the second victim. “He starts with a shallow cut or two, teasing them with the hope that all he wants is to rape them. The perp likes the power he garners from playing with them. It’s not about sex, and he wouldn’t degrade himself by touching them in that way. With each new slice, he goes a little deeper, and as the blood runs down her body, she realizes she’s not getting out. That’s when she starts struggling.”
He blinked and turned to look at the trio of men sitting there. Billingsley and Mac stared at him, a little stunned by Tanner’s recitation of what probably happened during the murders. MacLaughlin didn’t even blink since he’d seen Tanner work before.
“What else?” He waved at Tanner to continue.
“He cuts until she passes out from blood loss. Once she’s no longer conscious, he slices her throat and leaves her hanging until she bleeds out. After that, he waits until it’s safe to move her. At the dump site, he arranges her in the pentagram display.” Tanner rubbed his chin. “Like I mentioned before, we need to focus on the designs on their chests. That is the important part of his ritual.” Tanner shoved his hands through his hair, tugging on the ends once before he whirled and grabbed the enlarged prints of the carvings. He handed them to the trio.
“I’ve been studying these all day. There’s something inside the design, and I think that’s the most important item at the crime scene. I want to go through all the evidence collected at each scene. It might help me give you more of what to look for in a suspect.”
He went to the window and stared out at the people strolling on the sidewalk below. Most of them were aware of the killer stalking Houston’s streets, but none of them believed they could be victims. As of that moment, any woman in the city could be next.
“Have we figured out how he chooses them?” Billingsley glanced over at Mac.
“Not yet.” Mac growled low in his throat, frustration evident in the sound.
“We know he must follow them for some time before he takes them,” Tanner interjected. “The patterns of the crime scenes and the actual process of the killing speaks of an organized mind. Our killer doesn’t do this on a whim.”
Mac met his gaze with a raised eyebrow, and he smiled.
“I’m sure the investigators will come up with the connecting piece between the women before too long. Unfortunately I must admit I don’t think it’ll be soon enough to save our next victim. He’s already stalking her and will probably take her within the next two days or so.”
“Goddamn!” Billingsley shot to his feet. “We’ve got to get something on this man before we have mass panic and the women start carrying guns. We could have innocent men being shot for nothing more than being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Tanner understood the captain’s anger and worry, but he also knew there was no way without some kind of miracle for them to get the identity of the killer before he took the next woman. It wasn’t optimal, but it was the realistic outlook, though Tanner would have preferred the miracle.
“We will. You just have to give your men and mine time. Very few of these types of cases go unsolved. Something will pop up, and our guy will make a mistake. Trust me, our men are the best at their jobs.” Sam spoke from where he sat in the corner of the room.
“How many more are going to die before we get him?” Billingsley paced Tanner’s office, dodging the other men and the furniture.
Tanner shrugged. “It’s hard to say. He’s gotten a true taste for this, and his need is growing. He killed one a month for four months, but the fifth only came two weeks after the last one. That’s why we’ll have another victim here soon. He’s escalating, and until we
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