that way. And you guys all be as careful as a virgin in a whorehouse.” He eyed them grimly. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be readin’ about any more of us in the paper.”
Chapter 10
The UNSUB is almost assuredly motivated by revenge. The victims determined because of their occupations. He stalks them first, likely more than one at a time. The offender is probably following a random sequence. After the initial selection, the victims are chosen according to opportunity and taken to a deserted area that has already been scouted and prepared in advance.
The UNSUB is male, age undetermined. Leaving the victims’ IDs nearby can be construed as an insult to the police force in general, a reminder of the offender’s power and their vulnerability.
Risa stopped there, the cursor blinking questioningly. There was still too much undetermined. Not enough facts to stop with what was known without reaching into conjecture.
Her boss had never been a big fan of conjecture.
But if she were relying on her gut to fill in the holes between facts, she might guess that the IDs were a message. A taunt to the next victims, guaranteed to strike fear. I’m coming for you next.
She frowned. That possibility meant the victims knew each other. Were connected in some way. And the one thing they had failed singularly at so far was finding a link between them.
And what about the kiddy police badges left at the scene? She made a note to ask Nate more about them. Some departments’ public relations officers gave out something similar when visiting schools.
She shifted her position against the pillows she had propped against the wall at the end of her bed. The laptop lay on her outstretched legs. Not exactly a position guaranteed for longterm comfort.
The badges weren’t left as insults. She’d bet on that. They meant something personal to the offender. She just couldn’t quite get an angle on what.
Serial offenders typically fell within a given age range, but she wasn’t willing to add it to the profile just yet. If she were right about these being revenge killings, the UNSUB may have served time after being put away by one of the victims. The prison stretch could put him outside the normal age boundaries.
And given him a whole a lot of time to plan his revenge.
She pressed Save and set the computer aside. She’d come full circle. Because they’d gotten very few hits on individuals who’d been arrested by more than one of the victims, and nothing had turned up on that end yet.
Her cell rang then and she reached for it, intent on answering before it could wake Hannah. She checked the caller ID before answering. “Adam.”
“We’re on your back porch. Let us in.” The terse message, followed by a dial tone was typical Raiker.
What was atypical was having him drop by at—she checked the alarm clock as she swung her feet over the bed and stood. Eleven o’clock P.M.
Yanking on a pair of shorts to go with the oversized tee she wore to bed, Risa hurried to the back door, unlocked it, and swung it wide to allow Adam and his companion inside. “Paulie.” Her smile was genuine. “How have you been?”
“Gimme a hug, kid.” She was hauled against his stout body with one long arm while his pudgy hand clapped her on the back. Then he set her apart a bit and grinned at her. “You’re looking good. You been sandbagging it? I didn’t figure a little knife wound would keep you down. What was it, again? A little Boy Scout number, wasn’t it?”
“Close,” she responded dryly, shutting the door behind them. “A bowie with an eight-inch blade.” The last time she’d seen him, he’d been hanging over the side of her hospital bed entertaining her with card tricks. “New tie?”
He was renowned for his neckwear, each of them depicting his love affair with gambling of all forms. This one was pale blue watered silk embellished with a sly-looking cat dressed as a riverboat gambler, holding a pawful of cards with a stack of flattened mice nearby to use as poker chips.
Smoothing the tie with one hand, he beamed. “Like it? Treated myself when I had a good weekend on the Riviera last month.”
“If the gossip fest is over,” Adam said dryly. Moving past them into the kitchen, he set his cane against the counter and began opening cupboards. “What do you have to drink in this place?”