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“I can easily understand how someone could plan such an elaborate project. It would be someone with a strong moral center, and because of circumstances—probably a traumatic event—they’ve twisted that morality to justify murder.”
“The vigilante syndrome.”
Dillon nodded. “When the system fails, someone has to uphold justice.”
“So someone is killing for what they consider noble reasons,” Sean said.
“And they’re smart—they’re not targeting all parolees, but they’ve selected a choice few. That takes restraint, intelligence, premeditation…but who they’re picking is important.”
Sean asked, “What about opportunity?”
Dillon shook his head. “I don’t think so. It’s premeditated. Vigilantes have a strong sense of right and wrong, but what they think is right and wrong is viewed through distorted lenses.”
Lucy added, “They think the world is in anarchy, law enforcement and the criminal justice system ineffective. They justify their actions—they are simply doing what the government can’t or won’t do.”
“They justify murder,” Kate said. She rubbed her eyes. “Damn, I can almost understand that. I would have killed Trask to stop him.”
“That’s not the same thing,” Dillon said, “and you know it. Trask was a killer evading authorities.”
Lucy said, “There are many law-abiding citizens who aren’t violent, though they have some traits in common with vigilantes. They fight nonstop for tougher laws, swift penalties, strengthening of the death penalty, more resources for law enforcement.”
Dillon concurred. “They strongly support restrictions on freedom in the name of public safety, and often report friends and neighbors who they think are breaking the law. They don’t have the psyche to kill.”
“But,” Lucy said, “those with a strong sense of vigilante justice coupled with the ability or psyche to take a human life, usually because of violence in their past, can cross the line.”
Did that make Lucy more likely to kill in cold blood? She’d killed Adam Scott because he’d hurt her, he would have killed her, and he would not have stopped with her. She tracked parolees because they should stay in prison for their crimes. Was she on the path of developing such a twisted sense of justice that she could justify cold-blooded murder?
A chill ran through her body, cold goose-bumps rose on her flesh. Sean looked at her, but didn’t say anything.
Dillon leaned forward, his expression intense, so wrapped up in his own analysis he didn’t notice Lucy’s discomfort and self-appraisal.
“They have taken their crusade beyond the law, and almost to the people themselves. Because really, would most people shed a tear for a child molester who’s killed in a hit-and-run? Or a rapist who’s shot to death in an alley?”
Sean said, “Then why not just declare war on the worst of the lot and kill them all?”
Dillon said, “Public relations. Motive. Opportunity. Vigilantes don’t want to be stopped. Also, the targets have some meaning for them personally. They may be targeting an area—for example, criminals who get off on a technicality in one jurisdiction—or they may be targeting individuals who committed a specific crime, like child molesters.”
Lucy cleared her throat. “I ran all eight victims, and I can’t see a commonality.”
“Do you mind if I look?”
Lucy handed over her files. “I used my program; maybe there’s a flaw in extrapolating the data. I thought—”
Dillon glanced at the files. “Your program is brilliant, Lucy. It’s the best thing I’ve seen that melds science with psychology.” He tapped the first page. “I already see the problem.”
“What?”
“Take out Prenter.” He handed her back the files.
She stared. At first she didn’t see anything because the report had been run with Prenter’s data and stats. She’d need to rerun everything without Prenter, and then…
“Oh!”
“You see it, too.”
“Yes. All seven were convicted of molesting a minor female they knew.”
“It’s more than that. The rapist had authority over their victim. A pastor. A stepfather. A father. Two uncles. A teacher. Prenter doesn’t fit the profile. When you take him out, it creates a pattern.”
