“Anything surprising?”
Rooney took a shot and the ball swished but came off to the right toward Vail. She snatched it up and threw a bounce pass to Rooney, who caught the ball, dribbled left, then pulled up for a jumper. It hit the side of the rim and Vail again gathered it up, fed Rooney as he moved toward the basket and laid it in.
“Hey, you’re good at this.”
“I’ve played with Robby and Jonathan. They taught me well. Can’t shoot worth shit, but I’m good at rebounding and passing.”
“So, the forensics.” He pulled up and took another shot. “I’ll have to show you everything when you’ve got some time. Getting close to identifying the accelerant.”
“I thought it was Sterno gel.”
“That’s the one we found but I knew he had to have used a more conventional, and effective, accelerant.”
“And?”
“And I should have an answer soon.”
“Keep me posted. Sounds like this is shaping up to be an interesting case.”
“Definitely challenging.” He dribbled once and took another shot. “But that’s not what you came here to discuss, is it?”
“You had a case a couple of years ago. That homosexual serial. Padrova?”
“Yeah, what about him?”
“I wanted to pick your brain. I think Roscoe Lee Marcks might be gay. Something Thomas Underwood missed or overlooked. Or discounted. Nothing in his case file about it.”
“Have you spoken to Tom about it?”
“Left a message. Hasn’t returned my call yet. He could be traveling.”
“Let’s say you’re right. The purpose of our assessment is to help identify the kind of person doing the deed. But we know who it is. He’s not an UNSUB. So is this just curiosity on your part or is there some relevance that I’m missing?”
“If he is gay, then it could impact how the fugitive task force goes about looking for him.”
Rooney nodded. “Okay. So then let’s talk homosexual serial killers. A lot of the well-known serials were gay. But there isn’t necessarily a predominance of gay serials relative to the general population. So it won’t be unusual if he is homosexual.”
“Right. Again, it’s only significant in terms of finding him.”
“If I remember right,” Rooney said, “Marcks excised the male genitalia, right?”
“Correct. I’m thinking that could be his way of making the male body look more feminine. Cut away the penis and testicles, you’ve got a more female body type.”
Rooney took a shot and it clanged off the rim, hit the backboard, and fell through the net. “And why would he do that?”
Vail gathered up the ball and bounced it while she thought. “He’s uncomfortable with his homosexuality and he’s trying to make the men, who he’s attracted to, look more like women, who he feels he should be attracted to.”
He held out his hands and she threw him a chest pass. “Could be. I’ll accept that. But didn’t he kill women also?”
“Yeah. It was one of the things I was going to ask him about. Before he escaped.”
“Two different killers?”
“They found forensics at two crime scenes—one male victim and one female victim—that fingered Marcks.”
“Okay.” Rooney took a shot. “Well, there are some killers who don’t have a preference for a particular type of victim, but most do.”
The rebound caromed to Vail. “Right. So?”
“So for those who do, it’s unusual for them to have more than one victim preference. But they can stray from that preference when their type isn’t available. So if he likes white females and the night he has the urge, he can’t find a white woman, he kills a Hispanic. Then he’ll go back to whites.” He gestured at her. “Go on, take a shot.”
She dribbled and then launched a fifteen-foot jumper. The ball swished the net.
“I thought you said you can’t shoot worth shit.”
“I purposely set low expectations. See how impressed you were?”
“You mean you lied.” Rooney laughed as he gathered up the ball and started walking toward the rack. “So you think that’s what happened with Marcks? His type wasn’t available so he went after a woman those times?”
“Not sure. But I think there’s more to it. Someday soon I hope to ask him about it.” Her Samsung vibrated. It was a text from Hurdle:
another marcks body
need you and curtis here asap
where are you
She replied and asked for the address.
“Problem?”
Vail realized she had suddenly gone quiet, focused on her phone.
“Another Marcks vic. Gotta go.”
Rooney set the ball on the rack. “You want to talk some more tomorrow?”
“I think I’m good for now. Let you know.”
She jogged out of the gymnasium, trying to reach Curtis as she ran. He answered as she hit the door. Ten minutes later, she was driving through the security booth at Quantico, headed for a wooded area near Cub Run.
21
SLEEPY HOLLOW ROAD