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Wolfe nodded. Having a cybercrime expert was an advantage. “You know, if you need any assistance, Jo Wells and Ty Carter are close by and they have a superb IT whiz kid working with them. It only takes a phone call.”
“Yeah, we’ve been thinking about asking Jo about her thoughts on the profile of this killer, but I believe we’ve figured him out.” Styles cleared his throat. “Not his motive. It’s not money, and we don’t know why he’s killing, but we figure he’s using the holdups as a cover to abduct the girls.”
The idea made sense, but to find a psychopath they’d need more. Wolfe frowned. “Okay, so the murdering bravado is for the benefit of the women. He’s showing off or trying to dominate them.” He sighed. “You really need to talk to Jo. She’ll be able to help you establish his pattern. We’ve caught many killers by preempting what they’re planning next.”
“That sounds like a plan.” Styles nodded. “We’ll head home and get at it.”
Wolfe stared after them. “Good luck.”
SIXTEEN
Rattlesnake Creek
It was after one by the time Styles put the chopper down on the top of the FBI building. The intense morning had dragged on. He’d given verbal and written reports to the local sheriffs in each county and suggested they work together. They needed to find suspects and he gave them a list of the killer’s possible employment. They’d assumed the Convenience Store Killer, the name the media had given him, lived in Roaring Creek and that place was his home base, but without a name to go on, finding him would be difficult. Locating where he took the women seemed impossible as it could be in any one of three counties. He removed his headset and placed it on the hook and looked at Beth as the chopper blades slowed. She’d been different the past few days. He’d seen the angry flash in her eyes at crime scenes, as if she took each victim’s death personally. This time, she seemed preoccupied, drifting off and not speaking for ages, when during their flights she usually never stopped discussing cases. Maybe the long hours were getting to her. Unlike the city, where crime was on the doorstep, here it was often countiesaway. The traveling, although by chopper, was tiring on top of a difficult investigation. If he asked her if she was tired and wanted a break, she’d tear him a new one. He’d become accustomed, well almost, to know how to phrase things so he didn’t upset the status quo. “I need a break. I’m gonna drop my stuff in the office and then go over to Tommy Joe’s Bar and Grill. You coming?”
When Beth blinked a few times like an AI robot coming back online, Styles repeated the question.
“Ah, yeah sure.” She removed her headset and hurriedly gathered her things. “Sorry. I was miles away. Mind if we walk? I need some fresh air.”
Styles pulled their bags out of the back of the chopper and dropped them on the ground. Bear bounced out, sniffing around as if making sure no other dog had dared to invade his space. “Sure.”
He headed for the entry, used his retina scan to enter, and headed for his apartment. He dumped his bag inside and used the bathroom and then waited outside by the elevator for her. She came out a few moments later, hair brushed and wearing a different coat. He pressed the button on the elevator and they walked into the car. “You seem distracted. Anything I can help you with?”
“Oh, I have a number of things spinning around inside my head at the moment.” She strolled along Main beside him, the cool wind tossing her hair out behind her like a silken scarf. “Nothing specific, just yet.”
He buttoned up his coat and then pulled gloves from his pocket. “This is why we have a partner, so we can discuss things. Looking at evidence from different angles often solves a case.”
“It’s not this case I’ve been pondering over.” Beth stared straight ahead. “I have an alert on my computer that gives me the latest information about serial killers or suspicious deathsin the country.” She flicked him a gaze. “I blame Jo Wells. Her books have given me this new interest in psychopaths and how they hide in plain sight, so I’ve become hungry for information. Any case that suggests psychopathic behavior is of interest to me.”
Nodding, Styles shortened his step to walk beside her. “I do much the same when we’re not working intense cases. Any information is good information. So what did you find?” He pushed open the door to TJ’s and inhaled the aroma of barbecue pork and sighed.
“I’ll explain after we’ve ordered.” Beth led the way to the counter and ordered the pork and a slice of cherry pie.
Styles placed his order, joked a little with TJ about flying miles just to eat lunch, and then followed Beth to a table. He removed his coat, gloves, and hat and sat down. “Okay what did you find that’s doing your head in? Don’t tell me it isn’t, because you haven’t said two words to me since we left Roaring Creek.”
“I’m sorry, it’s just my mind’s been on this other case.” Beth drummed her fingers on the table. “Do you know a county around here called Mischief?”
Leaning back in his chair and stretching out his legs, Styles nodded. “Yeah. Follow the line of the mountain range and you’ll run right into it. Why?”
“It may be nothing, but they’ve been having murders there too.” Beth raised her gaze to him. “Girls go missing and end up dumped all over the place. There are many mining towns in that area with small communities all run under the same sheriff’s department. If it’s not that far from here. I’ve been wondering if the murders are connected.”
Unconvinced, Styles frowned, not wanting to get involved. Right now, he had enough killings in his caseload. “How so?”
“There was a rash of killings over six weeks or so. They stopped and then the ones started around Roaring Creek.”Beth smiled as TJ delivered their meals and filled coffee cups. “Thanks, TJ. This looks delicious.”
“My pleasure.” TJ added silverware and headed back to serve another customer.
“Now we’re on scene and prominent. Our guy will likely slow down some or move to a different location.” Beth sipped her coffee and lifted her fork. “I figure if the crimes are connected, the next kill will be somewhere around Mischief. If it is, I figure we need to take a look at the body.”
Sighing as he enjoyed his first bite of the pork, he nodded. “Okay, that makes sense. What headway has the local sheriff made in the case?”
“Nothing of interest. The police work is sketchy. It’s as if they don’t have the experience to handle murders. They have a serial killer in their county and the sheriff is trying to work the case with two deputies. I could say they’re incompetent, but maybe some would say we are too, considering that we don’t have a clue who is killing the women hereabouts either.” Beth dabbed at her mouth with a paper napkin.
Barking a laugh, Styles shook his head slowly. “We’ve been on the case for one day, Beth. I figure we’ve moved mountains in a very short time. How far has the sheriff got in his investigation? Does he have any suspects?”
“Yeah, he’s interviewed a few suspects, but all of them seem to have alibis at the time of the murders.” Beth stared at him from across the table, her intent expression boring into him. “This is what interests me. It’s as if we’re chasing the same ghost. If they find another body in the next few days, I figure it’s worth taking a look.”
Impressed by the way she looked outside the box, Styles nodded. “That works for me.”
