Page 82 of Aftermath
She stared at the photos of each victim before shaking her head.
“There’s nothing else connecting them,” she said.
“Are you sure?”
She glanced back to the board, following my line of thought, noticing the purposeful way I’d arranged everything.
“The rings,” she answered, glancing to me for approval.
I nodded.“Those two connections give us a lot more information than it may seem. The pub tells us the unsub has a hunting ground, a place where they feel comfortable enough to stalk their victims and pick them out. It will be someone who frequents the pub; it also tells us the likelihood of it being a tourist is much lower.”
“So it’s someone who lives here year round and is familiar with the town,” Len said, nodding along.
“Exactly, although that still leaves a whole pool of people, so we need more,” I said. “That’s where the ring comes in. It’s their MO, a piece of every single killing. The ring tells us about the demographic of the victims but also about the unsub.”
“How?” Lenny asked.
“The ring symbolizes commitment, a relationship. This tells us the unsub is targeting women they’ve identified as in relationships. It helps us build victimology which is a key piece to the profile. The aggressive and hateful nature of taking the ring off the victim and shoving it down their throat tells us the unsub feels some type of resentment toward those in happy relationships,” I explained.
“So they were probably hurt at some point in a relationship?” Len asked.
I had her full attention.
“It’s highly likely a woman left them or broke their heart. I would be willing to guess the unsub was engaged or in a serious relationship with a woman that ended poorly,” I answered.
There were other possibilities, but this was the one that fit the case the best. I always considered all my options, though.
“Of course, there is also the chance something else triggered them. They could have grown up in a household with an unhealthy relationship. Maybe they witnessed their mother being unfaithful. This is why we don’t rely solely on the profile to make an arrest.”
“I think I get it now,” Len said.
I moved down the wall to other pieces of evidence we’d hung.“You confirmed the theory that the unsub targets those in relationships. You were with Jake that night, you were engaged, the unsub likely saw the pair of you at the bar,” I explained and pointed to the question mark we’d hung to represent Jane Doe, or Len.
“And now, you also know about the drugging,” Len pointed out.
I could see the excitement on her face. She moved along the wall with me, her mind starting to piece together exactly what I saw.
“Which tells us the unsub needs the victims weakened. It could be because they hunt in such a populated area, but it could also mean they’re impaired in some capacity. It also tells us they like the rush of power. I wouldn’t be surprised if they carried this over to their work, put themselves in positions of power in their daily life.”
“I think I’m starting to see what you mean,” Len said, leaning against me as I stopped moving down the wall. “Each of these is like a puzzle piece. We just need to figure out how it all fits, right?”
I nodded.“The sheriff and Ethan from the pub fit the profile we’ve built so far the best, but we don’t want to blind ourselves from other options, since we don’t have all the pieces yet. That’s why we are considering multiple people,” I said, waving at where I’d hung them.
“So you’re pretty much saying we have everything and nothing all at once,” she sighed.
“I’m saying we have a hell of a start, and with you by my side, there is no doubt in my mind we will figure this all out.”
* * *
Blood pooled on the floor around me, the same scene every single time. I held Blythe in my arms and watched the life drain from her. There was nothing I could do but watch in horror as she took her last breath. The red around us grew until it was the only thing that filled my vision.
Red.
The floor around me was a pool of it. My hands and arms were covered. My breathing became shaky at the sight.
“Please,” I begged.
I was trapped in my own horrible nightmare. I couldn’t escape the mistakes of my past.
