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“Peter is a unisex name—although much less common for females—but I believe the killer is a man. Statistically, men are more likely to kill in this manner. Also, all the victims are female, right?” she asked, realizing she hadn’t confirmed that.
Mitch nodded.
“I think the killer is male, of a reasonable level of fitness, probably between the age of thirty to fifty, working in a medical profession, or a closely related profession. Once you identify the other victims I can narrow this hypothesis down, but given the known victims are all from the Midwest, the killer would also be living in this region. He is organized, meticulous, and likely very charming and charismatic—certainly enough to lure intelligent, professional women to their deaths.”
She nodded, confident in the assessment. “Without knowing the other victims, it’s hard to conclude this—but given the multiple stab wounds for each victim it’s possible the killer had a difficult relationship with his mother or another significant female figure during his childhood. There is a level of rage that needs to be explained, but it might not have anything to do with his mother or significant other. The killings may just be an outlet for his rage at any number of things.”
She took one last look at the photographs, then looked to Mitch. “Is any of that helpful?”
He nodded without hesitation. “Extremely. Thank you. Can we repeat this once the remaining victims are identified—if we haven’t caught the killer by then?”
“Sure,” Zoe said. “Any questions, any time, please call me.”
Mitch looked past her to Jackson. “You can stop the recording. Thank you.”
He gestured toward the door and Zoe walked toward him. He walked with her through the station and out to the parking lot.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, searching her eyes. “As much as I know you wanted to do that, it must’ve been hard. It was very brave.”
Her heart warmed and she gave a small smile. It was easier with him there in the room, but she didn’t tell him that. “I didn’t fight for Lana. I always thought she’d run off and she’d come home. This is my chance to fight for her now.”
He nodded, understanding.
“What are you doing now?” he asked.
“I’m going to go home and have a nap between some potted plants,” she joked with an easy smile.
He tilted his head back. “Thank you for making me laugh—it’ll almost certainly be my only one for the day. I need to get back into the station, but I’ll call you later.”
“I’ll speak to you then,” she said with a smile before she unlocked her car and pulled out of the parking lot.
She looked in the rearview mirror to see Mitch watching her drive away.
CHAPTER23
MITCH
“Thoughts?” he asked Jackson as they sat in the room Zoe had performed the criminal profile in.
“I think she’s right. The problem is that none of it matches Graham Laube. He’s a farmer, hardly sophisticated, has lived in Redwater all his life, and has no business being in hospitals...” Jackson gave an odd smile. “Also, he’s not the least bit charming and charismatic. Quiet and reserved would be a better description. Look at these women—he’s not luring them anywhere.”
Mitch nodded. He completely agreed. “But could he have been blackmailed to assist the killer?”
Jackson rocked back and forth on his heels, his arms crossing over his body as he looked at the whiteboard of evidence. “What would someone blackmail him with?”
“His wife is dead,” Mitch said. “Maybe he killed her... then our killer found out. Perhaps he hung Ellen’s body even though it wasn’t his kill, but for additional ammunition against Graham.”
Jackson rubbed his jaw. “Possible.”
The two men stood, looking at the board.
“We need the coroner to identify the other victims. How many staff does she have working on it? Can we bring in staff from Oradale?” Jackson asked.
“They’re already assisting her. I’ll ask for more help from Marion; they should be able to help,” Mitch said.
Jackson nodded.
“What about the access to hospitals?” Mitch asked, as much to himself as Jackson. “Besides dealing drugs, Thomas Laube might have a real job that we need to know about. He’s not the most charming and charismatic guy, but he might be capable of turning it on when he needs to. He lives in the right area and has a connection to the crime scene. He’s also relatively fit and would be capable of lifting the bodies.”
