'They're pretty good. I took an amateur photography class last year. You should see what I can do with a zoom lens.'
'Maybe some other time.'
'Yeah. Call me. I'll have some slides made up. Is that all you needed?'
'How did she come to you?'
'Walk-in, I think. Saw my ad in the phone book. Pays to advertise.'
'What was your impression of the boyfriend?'
'He had the endurance, but came up short in the size department, if you know what I mean. That's why I needed the zoom.'
'What kind of person was Johnny?' I rephrased, a temple of infinite patience.
'Besides a cheater? He seemed okay. Worked for some mutual fund company. Good dresser. Ritzy apartment. Up-and-comer yuppie type. Met with the bimbo on his lunch breaks. She worked in his office.'
'What did he drive?' I was hoping for a Jeep.
Harry checked his sheet.
'White Lexus. About four years old.'
'Do you recognize her?' I showed him the photo of our first Jane Doe.
'I don't think so. Kind of looks like an aunt I had. But she had a mustache. You gonna give me the skinny on these two?'
'They were both kidnapped, tortured, and had their stab wounds raped.'
'Yuck. It's a sick world. I had a case once, jealous wife took a needle and thread...'
'Did you get any impression at all from Johnny Tashing that he could be a killer?'
'Naw. He was a typical preppie type, probably piss himself if he saw blood. No connection between the vics?'
'Can't find one. They're both young, pretty. Maybe that's the only criteria the killer needs.'
'Look harder. Raping stab wounds seems like a punishment thing. Almost like revenge. Maybe he's going after every girl that ever dumped him. Anyway, this woman's husband was passed out on the couch, drunk. So she took a needle and thread and sewed...'
I tuned him out. In his limitless stupidity, Harry had said something smart. What if these women had offended the killer personally in some way and he was out for revenge? Could he have been a customer that Theresa snubbed, or an old ex-boyfriend?
'...so when the guy tried to take a leak...'
I got up to leave.
'Don't you want to hear what happened?'
I walked out the door, my head swimming with ideas. We'd been dwelling on the who, what, where, when, and how. But maybe the why needed further attention.
'Don't be a stranger, Jackie,' he called out after me. 'Maybe we can do lunch sometime.'
I was convinced now that the killer knew these girls. That he was out for revenge. People like Bundy and Gacy, they killed for pleasure. For sex. Our perp was using sex as a form of punishment. These vics had something in common.
But what?
Before I knew it, I'd reached the bottom of the stairs. I hadn't even broken a sweat.
Mind over matter.
Chapter 26
IN HIS LIFETIME, HE'S KILLED TWENTY-THREE people. He did two stretches in prison, totaling eight years. Neither was for murder. If he hadn't been behind bars, he believes his body count would be double.
He has a knack for it. The fact that he's never been caught is proof. There are several tricks he uses, so suspicion never falls on him. Never leave evidence. Never establish a pattern. Keep a respectable cover and have an alibi ready. And always plan ahead.
Hookers are easy. No one misses hookers. Murder is an occupational hazard.
Or kids. It's simple to grab kids. Tell them their mommy was hurt, they'll always come with you. Or dress up like a cop. Or in a big dinosaur costume. Or as Batman.
But the most fun is grabbing a normal girl. To do that you need to take your time. Find out about her. Stalk her. Abduct her. Bring her someplace private, where no one will hear.
It's tougher than picking up a whore or a little kid. It's also more rewarding.
The best screamers are the twenty-something bimbos who think they're too good for you. Like these bitches he's working on now. Like his ex-wife.
Soon he'll be finished. Then he'll move on. Fade into the background. Do his killing on a more private level. Maybe in a few years he can resurface, terrify an entire city one more time, but this performance is a strictly limited engagement.
The question is, what to do with Jack? After the comments she made on the news, she's proven herself no better than the other whores. What Jack needs is a nice long session in his basement.
