Page 41 of All He Takes
"Well, that's the thing about narcissists. That's why they feel the need to be better than everyone else. It could be that he feels the need to be on top, better than everyone else, to be worthy of anything," Dr. Graham said. "It's sad that he feels that way, but it's also a weakness. It means you can use it against him. But Nicky, don't start to empathize with him too much. This is a person with no conscience, based on what you've described to me."
"I know," Nicky said. She was silent for a few moments more, and Dr. Graham remained quiet and calm. He knew that she needed time to think.
"He's been killing for a while, because he's smart," Nicky said. "He doesn't leave any evidence behind, and he's careful about everything he does. He's a perfectionist, and he must be very organized. He's had to plan this for a long time before he started, because he's smart enough to know that he's leaving a lot of evidence that could be found, even evidence he can't control." Nicky bit her lip. "I don't really know what to think of this guy. It's like he thinks he's a movie star, or something, doing these murders to get attention."
"Yeah, that could be. It's strange... but it's not strange if he's a narcissist. They will do anything to make sure they're seen. In this case, it's probably because he's not getting the attention he needs. Being a murderer isn't strange in the slightest to him. He's probably done it to others in the past, as well."
"You know, you're probably right about that," Nicky said. "I'm going to have to look back at the other cases... but I'm also going to have to figure out where he'd go from here. I mean, he's already done all this, so what's the next step for him? How does he get his victims?"
"Well, narcissists usually don't like to follow the rules of society. They feel like the rules don't apply to them because they're so special," Dr. Graham said. "So it might be that he chooses a conventional way to meet victims, like in a bar or at an event or the grocery store. If he thinks he's so good that he won't get caught, he's probably bold enough to go in public."
"Yeah, that makes sense," Nicky said.
"It's sad that he has low self-esteem, but it's good to know how he thinks. It can help you catch him," Dr. Graham said. "But Nicky, the most important thing, is that you have to take care of yourself. You have to focus on your own mental health. If you don't, you're useless to all these girls. You can't help if you're not capable of helping yourself first."
"I know. I know," Nicky said. "I'm just sorry that I've been so bad at it."
"Well, that's why you have me," Dr. Graham said. "And you can always come back to me. I'm always here for you."
"Thanks, Dr. Graham." Nicky smiled, feeling warm inside. "It was good talking again. I promise I've made progress in other aspects of my life, and I'll come see you in person soon to talk it out."
"I look forward to it. Good luck, Nicky."
With that, the call ended. But Nicky was feeling more confident and motivated now. The idea that this guy was a narcissistic artist leaving his mark on these antique stores seemed to be the right track. And Nicky realized that she'd been focusing so much on the details of the poses, and the equipment the killer used, that she did let one crucial detail slip by her: the actual stores in which they were found.
Yes, they were all antique shops. But what if it was more than that? Each photo was found at a different antique store, which showed them that the killer, most likely, was a fan of antiques. Harriet's Antiques. Olden's Antiques. And at last, Smithson's. Harriet, Olden, Smithson.
Nicky paused, the gears in her mind turning. A thought came to her: What if the names of the stores are a clue?
This could be it. She rushed into the motel room to tell Ken.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
"The names?" Ken asked, lifting a brow. "How do you figure?"
Nicky sat across from him in the motel room. She hadn't fully figured it out yet--but something told her this was the ticket.
"Well, first, there was Harriet's Antiques. Then Olden's. Then Smithson's," Nicky said. "It could be a longshot, but maybe there's some sort of code in the names."
"Maybe," Ken said, "but what makes you think that?"
"Because this guy wants to be known," Nicky said. "He's not doing this for fun. It's more personal to him. He wants to leave his personal mark, and I don't believe he hasn't put his name on this thing. If we look closer, we might find something."
Ken nodded. "I see where you're going. Let's see what we can find."
Nicky sat up a little taller in her chair. "This could be it. I'm sure of it."
"Okay, then," Ken said. "Let's look closer. The first store was Harriet's."
"Harriet," Nicky said, thinking. "Harriet. Harriet..." She scribbled the name down on a sheet of paper.
"Alright, the next store was Olden's," Ken said. "Olden. Olden... Olden... "
"Olden," Nicky said. "Olden... Olden..."
When she wrote it down, she noticed something interesting. Harriet was a woman's name, and Nicky felt sure they weren't looking for a woman in this case. It was possible, but she doubted it, especially with the footage of the man with the car.
But could it be part of the name?
