The task force meeting was grim. Kat Sokolov, who’d gone to see the body of Genie Gonzales before coming in to the RPD, spoke with them briefly before they got together with the local officers. Matt then took the lead, telling them about the other two women and what they presumed about the killer from what they’d discovered so far.
“We believe the killer is organized, although it seems he’s grown more careless with Ms. Gonzales. The odd thing about these murders is that he doesn’t seem to get off on the torture inflicted. In each case, the victim was drugged—heavily drugged with a pharmaceutical used in surgery—before her throat was slit and any cutting on the body began. There seems little doubt that we’re dealing with the same man, a serial killer. What makes this an all-points alarm is that the first young woman was killed nearly a month ago, the second just a few days ago and now we have Genie Gonzales. We ask that all officers on the case be extremely careful with the media. We need to keep the more gruesome aspects of these murders quiet. We don’t want to end up with copycats or other mentally defective individuals out there trying to take credit for the murders.”
He went on to take questions, and then Will Chan stepped up to inform them that they’d work on nothing but this case until the killer was brought to justice.
By ten o’clock, they’d finished. There was no additional information they could give, other than the fact that, thus far, the killer had chosen three blonde women—one whose hair had been bleached—and they did seem to be a physical type. Five-five to five-seven in height, age around twenty-seven. Young and pretty.
Matt added, “I also believe that he stalks his victims and knows about them. The two women who’ve been identified were new to the areas they were living in. They were currently unattached. They didn’t have family or friends who’d be checking up on them immediately. If it hadn’t been for her dog’s barking, Ms. Gonzales might have gone several more days without a name.” He paused briefly. “As I suggested earlier, it also seems that her murder might have been rushed. Her body wasn’t as carefully weighted with rocks as the first woman.”
“And no one saw or knew anything?” an officer asked.
“So far, we have no witnesses. We assume the killer is able to clean up before being seen. In this corridor, it’s easy enough to drive into wooded areas near the rivers, perform the deed, dump the body and hop back into a car. I’m guessing he might have clothes in his trunk and that he washes up in the river, then changes his clothes. He’s in an isolated area, so he takes the opportunity to do that.”
“We figure he’s stalking them,” another officer began, “but how does he snatch them?”
“I believe he’s watching them—and since he stalks them, he knows their schedules, their routines. He plucks these women right from the streets, after work perhaps, out shopping, wherever, but he obviously avoids heavily trafficked parts of the city and he’s probably using the cover of darkness. It’s important for every patrolman and law enforcement officer to be vigilant and to ask neighborhood groups to keep their eyes open. All information from the centers here and in DC will be continually shared, no matter how minute. Remember, no detail is too small. The go-betweens from this office are Agents Sokolov and Chan.”
Matt waited, looking around at his audience. “We’re also aware of one missing woman from the DC area. Agent Murray and I are on her trail, hoping to find a living woman and not another victim. It’s crucial that we continue looking at missing-persons reports, since we don’t know how long the killer keeps his victims sedated before killing them or if he carries out the murders quickly. We owe justice to the dead, but our first priority is always the living.” When he finished speaking he heard a little bark and glanced down. Killer was at his feet.
Killer was a big hit at the station. But no matter who had him or where he went, he always came back to sit at Matt’s feet.
Hey, go see Meg! She’s the one who wants you.
The dog wagged his tail. Shaking his head, Matt reached down to pick him up. The damned dog even had an underbite. He felt far too skinny.
“So damned ugly you’re cute, huh?” he asked the dog.
He hadn’t noticed that people in the room were still watching him until he heard laughter and a smattering of applause.
Detective Wharton walked over to him, grinning.
“The story’s traveled, and the dog is a hero. And it seems he likes you best. Don’t know about his judgment, though,” Wharton joked. “I’d be sucking up to Agent Murray.”
Matt glanced over at Meg. The officers on the task force were splitting up to begin their day, and one of the RPD men was asking her questions. She was answering him in a low, modulated voice. She was going to be a good agent, he thought, then immediately qualified that. She was new and it would take a while to be certain, but...
He realized that his reaction had been grudging. He wondered why. He had nothing against female agents; he loved the balance within the Krewe.
Maybe he’d never seen himself training a first-time agent.