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These anger-motivatedserial killers sought control. They ruminate on their pasts, feel mistreated,and minimize their roles while exaggerating blame on others. It was never theirfault they killed, always someone else’s.
‘And our guy isalready two bodies deep,’ Ella said.
‘Yup.’
‘Pretty soon, theexperimental stage is going to begin. That’s when he’ll become volatile.’
Ripley nodded and tooka deep breath. ‘Our unsub definitely has his next target scouted, and weshouldn’t be surprised if this one is explosive.’
As rage-motivatedkillers racked up more bodies, they began to feel frustrated that the source oftheir anger wasn't disappearing. That's when they upped the violence to try andscratch an unscratchable itch.
‘Getting inside hishead is our best bet,’ Ella said. ‘We need to figure out as much as we canabout this guy, because forensics and surveillance aren’t looking good for us.’
Before Mia couldrespond, the door creaked open, and Chief Caldwell appeared, his face drawnwith fatigue and the strain of a case too grisly for his peaceful fishing town
He caught Ella's eye,beckoning with a nod.
‘Agents,' he called.‘The receptionist who found Miss. Holden is ready to speak with you both. Hername’s Jade Hancock. She's waiting outside.’
Ella exchanged aglance with her partner. Every witness was a potential goldmine of information,and this receptionist might just hold the clue they needed to delve deeper intothe mind of a killer desperate to be understood on his own terms.
With a final look atthe chaos around her, Ella stepped toward the door, ready to unravel the nextthread of a mystery that was as intricate as it was deadly.
CHAPTER SIX
Ella Dark stepped outof the precinct’s glass doors into the crisp afternoon, her breath visible inthe air as she approached the bench where Jade Hancock sat, huddled in a coatmuch too thin for the weather.
The youngreceptionist's eyes, rimmed with red, darted up to meet Ella's beforeskittering away, settling on the gray concrete at her feet.
‘Jade?’ Ella's voicewas softer than usual. ‘I'm Agent Dark with the FBI. Could I talk to you amoment?’
Jade nodded, her handsfumbling in her lap. ‘Of course, detective,’ she said, her voice a brittlewhisper carried off by the wind. ‘I'll tell you... what I can remember.’
Ella observed Jade'sposture—shoulders hunched, as if carrying the weight of the world. ‘I can'teven start to understand what you're going through, but I need your help. Couldyou talk us through what you found?’
The young woman held abreath. ‘Okay. Where should I start?’
‘Let’s take it slow,’Ella replied, placing a gentle hand on Jade's shoulder. ‘Start from when youleft for lunch.’
‘It was just aftertwelve when I went out... I never saw him, the man who came in. He paid incash, wanted no records of his visit.’
‘Is that normal? Didhe say why he wanted such privacy?’
‘Rebekah didn't sharethose details—privacy was important to her. She said everyone deserved a place tospeak freely.’ Jade shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself. ‘I found herwhen I came back... lying there, so still.’
Ella let the silencestretch between them, giving Jade the space to breathe, to brace herselfagainst the memory. She noted the tremor in Jade's hands, the way her gazenever quite settled, as if afraid of what it might land upon.
‘Did anything seem outof place when you returned? Anything at all?’
‘At the front desk? Nothing,’Jade murmured, shaking her head. ‘It was quiet... too quiet. And then I wentinto the office and saw Rebekah on the floor. The whole place is in chaos.'
‘Take your time,’ Ellaencouraged, her own mind working over the scant details, trying to piecetogether the image of a killer hidden behind anonymity. She thought of thecrumpled bills that would bear no fingerprints but his, the voice that demandedconfidentiality—tools of a trade marked by cold calculation.
‘Did Rebekah have anyenemies? Old clients? Other therapists? Anything like that?’
The question lingeredin the air, and for a moment, Jade seemed to search the past, her eyes cloudingwith doubt. Finally, she shook her head, her blonde locks swaying slightly. ‘No,I don't think so,’ she said,. ‘She only got her license recently. She'd beenpracticing for just a few months.’
Ella nodded,processing this new shard of information. It didn't quite fit the image ofsomeone who could inspire lethal hatred, someone entrenched enough in theirprofession to create deep-seated grudges. The lack of history meant the motivewasn't buried in the past—it was recent.
