WATCHING (11 page)

Chapter
12

****

The rest of that day was a bust. They were able to confirm the flirting theory, but it was taking Carrie and Agent Tompkins
—
Brockman
’
s computer
specialist
—
hours to gather the social service reports from the Dakotas and surrounding states. Hell and Georgia spent most of the day reviewing internet correspondences and weeding through acquaintance interviews taken by Stephenson
’
s team, focused on any with an overtly religious tone.

A call came in around six that evening that galvanized Hell into action. Another body had been found sixty-five miles from Carterville, in Spurgeon Quarry.

Georgia was on her feet before Hell disconnected the call. She had her bag and jacket over her arm and her file in the opposite hand.

They used the drive to review what they had.

“
Did you get anything new from the hospital
?
”
Hell asked. She had called to check on Katherine Montehue shortly before they
’
d left.

“
No. And I don
’
t understand why he raped her
and the third victim
but not the others
—
is he devolving
?
”

“
Devolving from murder to rape? Not likely
.
”
What even a week ago would have come out with derision was now a comment. It had gotten easier, he realized, to be in her company. Despite a reckless streak that he wouldn
’
t have guessed at, Georgia was a
excellent
agent. She
’
d probably earned her spot in PAVAD. He felt like an idiot remembering some of the things he
’
d thought and said about her in the last six months. Not that she
’
d made it easy on him, either. She
’
d irritated him from the first day they
’
d met
—
and she
’
d managed to
annoy
him every day since then.

“
Agreed
.
”
He could hear the hesitation in her voice and he glanced at her.

“
Go on
.
”
He kept his tone as encouraging as possible.
He knew it would take him a while to mend the fences he
’
d broken between himself and this enigma of an agent.
“
You
’
re wanting to say something. I
’
m not going to bite your head off if I don
’
t agree
.
”

“
It wouldn
’
t be the first time
.
”
Her words held no hostility, no rebuke.
Just
factual.

Heat hit the back of his neck, and for the first time he felt acute embarrassment for the way he
’
d acted toward her.
“
No, it wouldn
’
t, would it? How about I promise not to bite your head off for the next little while
?
”

“
I would appreciate it
.
”
She watched him for a moment before continuing.
“
She
’
s older and the injuries aren
’
t as severe, but she was raped. And one of the girls was, too. Add in that she
’
s the same general build and coloring as the younger victims, it
’
s logically the same UNSUB, but a part of me is thinking copycat
.
”

“
Why? Work it out for me
.
”
Hell turned the SUV onto the narrow dirt road that wound partially up the mountain. Their body was located a quarter mile off a remote stretch of a rancher
’
s private drive. In the encroaching shadows of evening, Hell didn
’
t want to miss the final turn-off. They could end up lost out there for hours.

“
The difference in victimology. It
’
s subtle, but there. She
’
s twice the age of all the other victims. And
they were taken in relatively innocuous locations. She was taken from a bar. Big difference and much bigger risk
.
”
Georgia flicked on the small book
light, illuminating the file she held. She made a small chart as she spoke.
“
She was raped, which is new. But she got away. Our UNSUB is now practiced, experienced; I doubt a victim would get away from him without the circumstances being extraordinary. How many of the case details have been leaked to the media
?
”

“
It hasn
’
t exactly been kept quiet
.
”
Hell
’
s mouth twisted.
Locals were watching every move the PAVAD agents made.
“
And so far it doesn
’
t seem to be a sophisticated crime. So copying it with the information already available wouldn
’
t be too difficult
.
”

“
So why do most copycats do it
?
”
Hell asked.

“
Thrills. Curiosity. To hide another crime. To kill someone close to them and deflect suspicion. Glory and attention seeking
.
”
Georgia tapped her pen against the console between them.
“
Who, though
?
”

“
What if it
’
s not a copycat? What if it
’
s the same UNSUB, but victimology is changing
?
”

“
Why would it change
?
”
Georgia paused for a moment, her pen still.
“
Where did the first four disappear from? Movie theater parking lot, sandwich shop parking lot, high school parking lot, and library parking lot. Katherine Montehue was in a bar parking lot
.
”

“
Public places,
”
Hell said.
“
All were out later than they should have been, between the hours of ten and one. All were alone, parking lots were relatively empty
.
”

“
Only one teen could drive. So who was supposed to pick up the other three victims
?
”
Georgia asked.
“
So if a woman was alone in a parking lot, and he happened by? Maybe he
’
s escalating, and any female of the same general build would do
?
”

“
We need to find out why they were waiting alone that late at night
,
”
Hell said.

Georgia flipped open her cell.
“
I
’
ll call Dan and Carrie, have them start on it...No, I won
’
t. No cell reception
.
”

“
As soon as we get home, I
’
m getting those sat phones. This is ridiculous. Our team needs to be in communication at all times
.
”

They met Stanton and his partner Handers, as well as Unit Chief Stephenson, alongside the road ten minutes later.

“
Stephenson, I didn
’
t know you
’
d ridden along with Stanton
,
”
Hell said, once he saw the blonde agent he
’
d worked with off and on for years.

“
I asked to be shown around the area. Figured it would help me get a better handle on things
.
”
Stephenson shrugged. The beam from his flashlight nearly blinded Hell when the other man raised his hand to wipe his brow.
“
I grew up in a place similar to this
.
”

“
Good. So you
’
ll have some insight into what motivates someone from this area
.
”

“
Possibly
.
”
Stephenson turned to Georgia, a strange light entering his green eyes that Hell didn
’
t like.
“
Dr. Dennis
.
”

“
Stephenson
.
”
She didn
’
t use his title and her tone was cool, polite. But what Hell found the most telling was the way she stepped closer to him and away from Stephenson. It was an instinctive move on her part, an indicator that she felt some threat and saw Hell as a source of safety. From Stephenson.

Hell rolled his shoulders back before sheltering her with his body with only a small shift. A small step in her direction would block any threat to her. He
’
d not heard of any disagreements between her and the other unit chief and he made a silent note to keep an eye on the two of them.

“
Unit Chief Hellbrook, sir
.
”
Handers waved up to the path with the flashlight he held.
“
We
’
re pretty sure this is one of yours
.
”

“
Just pretty sure
?
”
Georgia pulled a smaller flashlight from the never-ending depths of her black bag.
“
Why the qualifier
?
”

“
It
’
s not a girl, ma
’
am
.
”
Handers moved a little too much into Georgia
’
s space for Hell
’
s liking, crowding her between the two of them. Her shoulders stiffened.
Was she always like that with men? Why hadn
’
t he noticed before?
Hell straightened, put his left hand on her left shoulder. Handers stepped back.
“
Least, not that we can tell, anyways. Been here for at least a month. But everything looks like the other girls
.
”

“
Georgia, check the perimeter and with the local LEOs, find out who reported it. I will check the body
.
”
Hell knew that often the first to find turned out to be the first suspect. Often the only suspect.
He removed the hand he
’
d placed on Georgia
’
s shoulder.

“
No problem
.
”
Division of labor would make the processing of the scene go by much more quickly.

Hell and Handers hiked the quarter mile to the dump site. He was vaguely aware of Georgia and Stanton coming up slowly behind them, working about three feet apart, Stanton apparently helping her work it out in her mind. He knew Georgia would be running through what must have happened that day, her brain cataloging every minute detail. First from the UNSUB
’
s view point, and then from the victim
’
s.

It took them three hours to profile and process the scene the way Hell wanted, even with the added help of Stephenson, Stanton, and Handers. Hell profiled the body positioning, the dump site, and the distance from town, roads, and other dwellings.

He then set off into the woods, working on what path the man must have taken. Last he
’
d checked, Georgia was talking to the four on-scene local law enforcement officials, looking for a tiny nut of information that would prove probative. Hell could see the beam from her flashlight
—
a more white than yellow like the other agents
—
wave around ever so often.

There wasn
’
t too much they could really do in the dark, not without somehow getting flood lights up there. Which Hell couldn
’
t see happening any time soon. They
’
d have to come back in the morning for a more detailed examination of the scene.