She hadn’t been in the room when they began the briefing, so she had at some point crept into the conference room without Aidan realizing. She stood by the door, a large file resting in her arms.
“The only fact we know is that he’s hedonistic,” Aidan answered. He scanned the room before finally resting his eyes on Monroe. “He enjoys torturing these women. He doesn't kill for sex. He uses the taser, probably to subdue them at first, possibly as a way to torture them. Then he kidnaps them. I believe he plans the details before the actual abductions. Probably takes the time to study their routines. He's careful. And he craves attention. He wants us to know we can’t get him. This is why I believe he leaves the white carnations trademark on the victims’ bodies.” Aidan swallowed. “And the notes to me.”
“Could it be a copycat?” an agent in the middle of the room asked.
“Highly unlikely. Maya was tased, and we’ve kept that information confidential.”
Aidan set the projection remote on the table, grabbed his water bottle and took another sip.
“The Carnations Killer is known to murder three to seven women within six months’ time before disappearing. It’s vital we work together as quickly and efficiently as we can. I want each of you to look over the information on the intranet. This is our main priority. He must be stopped before he kills again.”
“How do you propose we do that?” one of the female agents asked.
“To start, I want teams to go over the previous victims. Familiarize yourself with them. Find differences, similarities. In both the victims and the autopsy reports. I want you to re-question the previous victims’ families if possible. We’re going to treat this with a new set of eyes.”
After the debriefing was over, Aidan sat at the desk they chartered out to him, staring at the photos of Maya Gibson as though the answers he sought would begin to reveal themselves. He scanned the notes from her crime scene versus the other victims’.
However, nothing new stood at attention, and after a while, his vision began to blur.
Aidan stopped to rub his fingers against his eyelids, trying to erase the sleeplessness and apprehension.
Shaun was at his desk making phone calls, and Aidan wished he’d hurry. They’d planned on a quick lunch before making their way to Maya’s yoga studio. Aidan wasn’t hungry, but he hoped eating something would boost his metabolism. Additionally, he left the apartment before grabbing breakfast, so he knew he’d need to have a little food to fuel his stomach.
Aidan closed the file and snatched the landline from its holder. Punching her number on the keypad, he called Cheyenne.
Aidan imagined she wouldn’t be too appreciative that he’d abandoned her for work when he was supposed to be on vacation. They had hoped to spend a few days together, doing nothing but enjoying each other’s company. It was a rare treat because quite often, something would come up.
Case in point.
“Hey, honey,” Cheyenne answered.
“Hey,” Aidan replied.
“You’re not supposed to be back at work until next week.” He could almost see her lips turning into a frown.
Aidan smiled. “It’s better than hearing that raucous snoring you had going on.”
“I don’t snore,” she asserted.
“I’m sorry, love,” he said. “But they needed me.”
She knew he couldn’t give her specific details on an ongoing investigation even if he wanted to, so she didn’t bother to ask.
“Will you be coming back this weekend?”
“I don’t know,” Aidan admitted after a short pause. “I’ll try. But...”
“I know,” she whispered. She cleared her throat, then added, “You know, my sister lives in Augusta. Maybe I’ll call her and visit.”
“I don’t know about that,” Aidan replied. Although she didn’t fit the profile of the offender, the thought of her being in the same city as a serial killer didn’t appeal to him.
“I’ve been wanting to see her anyway,” Cheyenne said. She already seemed to have made a decision.
“Okay,” Aidan agreed. “I guess that’ll be fine. Let me know when you get to her place, so I know you’re safe.”
“I will.”
“Good. I’ll find time to stop by later today, okay?” he promised.
“You better,” she warned. A pause. “Be careful, Aidan.”
“Always.” Aidan spotted Shaun walking his way, so he told Cheyenne he loved her and ended the call.
“Wife?” Shaun asked him, a smirk playing on his lips.
“Girlfriend.”
“Ah, I see. I’d like to learn more about her. Ready for lunch?”
Aidan grabbed several folders from the desk and rose. “Yeah. Let’s go.”
5
DOWNWARD DOG WAS a small yoga studio tucked in the corner of a strip mall. If it weren’t for the large sign on the side of the road, Aidan would have overlooked it. The parking lot was full, so Shaun parked along the side near their destination, and they climbed out.
Aidan had been staring at his notes for most of the trip, muttering to himself about the information in the federal database.
The offender’s first known victim was a young woman named Sherry Finch. She was thirty-three, married to a law professor from Harvard University. One child. Sherry had long blonde hair that she always kept in a ponytail. She had a pretty face, wore no makeup with the exception of a light-colored lipstick. She had a college degree in English and chose to be a stay-at-home mom rather than pursuing a career.
Originally, the main suspect in Sherry’s murder was a man by the name of Albert Cross. He’d been arrested once for peeping through her bedroom window and watching as she dressed. Other than that, his
