Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 114820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 574(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 574(@200wpm)___ 459(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
“Okay, first, allow me a moment to shiver that there might be random bombs anywhere in the US this guy can detonate on a whim,” McGill remarked.
Rus was right there with him on that, he lived that shit every day.
“So okay, now how do you know he’ll be pissed someone is using his MO?” McGill asked.
At that, Bohannan entered the conversation.
“Because, among other things, he’s a malignant narcissist. The world revolves around him. He’s never wrong. He’s the best at everything. He feels he has carte blanche to live his life as he sees fit without question. He’s extremely proud of his crimes, and because he is, someone copying them will infuriate him. Not only does he get off on the fear, control and pain his victims feel, and the physical acts of violation, this is his art. Someone usurping that is going to threaten his dominion. He probably spent years on sexual assaults his victims were too terrified to report before he ratcheted that shit up and began bludgeoning. He can’t have just anyone making it look easy.”
McGill nodded to express he took that in while Rus marveled at the fact Bohannan had such a close bead on the guy after only an afternoon with the file.
Bohannan kept going.
“Rus is his victim too. He knows Rus is frustrated. He knows Rus wants to stop him. And by threatening to cause even more harm, he knows he’s controlling Rus and forcing him to experience fear. This guy turns Rus’s eye with a crime the Crystal Killer didn’t commit, he’ll take it as a violation. He feels like he owns Rus. No one takes what’s his until he’s done playing with it.”
Bohannan looked to Rus, and when he did, he didn’t appear happy.
“They should have pulled you off the case on the first note. This guy should never have had anyone to manipulate.”
Rus was surprised Bohannan had this reaction. He knew that wasn’t the way they rolled.
“So an agent has to start from scratch with each new victim?” Rus asked, watching Bohannan carefully. “It stymies an investigation and gives him what he wants because, if every new agent has to take time to get up to speed, he has more time to get away.”
Rus then told him what he had to already know.
“Plus, as uncomfortable as it is, it’s good he thinks he has a relationship with me. He’s communicating, and in doing it, could give something away.”
“It’s too much pressure on you,” Bohannan returned.
There was something else there. Something Bohannan was getting from the file that he wasn’t sharing.
However, Rus sensed it wasn’t the time, or maybe they weren’t in the company, to press it.
“You know the job, if you can’t take the pressure, you get out of the game,” Rus replied.
“Yeah, I know the job, which is why I got the fuck out of the game,” Bohannan retorted.
“And this is why, once we find who killed Brittanie, I am too,” Rus shared. “The problem with that is, I know the Crystal Killer isn’t going to let me go easy. And I have a daughter.”
The room went dead silent.
“So, yeah,” Rus said into the void.
“Right,” Moran started then moved them past something no one in that room had any power to do anything about that evening. “Let’s deal with what we can deal with. The press.”
“Stick with limited information released,” Bohannan declared.
“I got that, Cade, but how do I keep the maid, and the desk clerk, and Brittanie’s own mother quiet if someone offers them their thirty-second interview of fame?” Moran asked.
Rus reached to a piece of paper and shook it, reciting the details of the report written on it. “The maid, Gentry Anderson, found the body, exited the room, and called 911. Your deputies were there within ten minutes and entered next. The owner arrived after some time and wasn’t allowed to enter the room. There’s no indication in this report anyone entered except the maid.”
He looked direct to Moran before he concluded.
“And you yourself made the excellent decision to order the exterior cordoned and shielded so no one could see in while the scene was investigated. Is that not true?”
Moran nodded his head. “It’s true. The maid went to the desk clerk after she called it in. He wasn’t there and she was flipping out, couldn’t find him. Even though she knew he had a habit of being at the vending machines getting cookies because, apparently, he’s prone to taking random breaks that included eating cookies, which could be a result of the fact he also took random breaks to smoke weed.”
“So we only have to keep the maid quiet,” Rus said.
“And Melanie and Dakota Iverson,” Bohannan added.
“They don’t need to know the specifics,” Rus stated.
“No, they don’t,” Moran agreed.
“So it’s the maid,” McGill finished it.
Moran pulled out his phone in order to get someone on making sure the maid kept to herself.