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"Wait a minute," she whispered, the words barely audible as she chewed the inside of her cheek. The pests... they weren't harmful.
Her heart rate quickened as the realization dawned on her. Roger's ants posed no threat, and the wasps' nests were located in places where they wouldn't hurt anyone. It seemed like a stretch, even to her, and yet the more she thought about it, the more it began to build.
She hurried out of the room and knocked on Jake's door. "Jake!" she called out, her voice rising with excitement. "You need to hear this!"
She could hear his footsteps approaching rapidly, and within moments, Jake appeared in the doorway, concern etched into his features. "What is it, Red?" he asked, breathless. "Did you find something?"
Fiona nodded, her eyes wide with urgency. "I think I may have found a connection between the victims. What if the killer was targeting them because they wanted to get rid of pests that weren't actually harmful? Like some sort of... twisted vigilante."
Jake furrowed his brow, considering her theory, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "It's possible," he admitted slowly. "If the killer views himself as some kind of protector of these insects, it might be enough motivation for him to commit murder."
"Exactly," Fiona replied, her voice filled with determination. "And if we're right, then whoever this person is, they've managed to delay any services being done. The wasps' nests and ants are still there at each victim's house."
Jake's expression grew dark as he processed the implications of Fiona's theory. "So, what are we going to do about it? How do we catch someone like this?"
"I don't know," Fiona said. "We might be looking into a different profile altogether. Maybe this isn't even an exterminator. Maybe it's someone else."
Jake nodded. "Then let's figure out who it could be."
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
Fiona sat at the table in Jake's motel room, listening to the hum of the air conditioner through the walls. Jake sat across from her, his brows pinched, his face looking deep in thought. They'd been quiet for some time, trying to think up their next move based on Fiona's latest theory;
"The victims were all trying to exterminate pests that were essentially harmless," she said, thinking out loud. "What if the killer views them as saviors, rescuing these creatures from senseless destruction?"
"Someone who loves bugs enough to commit murder..." Jake mused, his fingers drumming on the table. "But how would they connect with them? How would they know the victims were targeting these specific insects?
"It must be someone who works at Insect Away Home or another company that all three victims called," Fiona said.
"Alright, so we're looking for someone who loves bugs, has a connection to the pest control world, and is willing to kill those who threaten insects they deem harmless." Jake summarized their theory, his gaze locked on Fiona's as if searching for any signs of doubt.
Fiona nodded, feeling the weight of their words settle upon her, the gravity of what they were proposing sinking in. In that cramped motel room, shadows stretching across their faces, they had taken the first step toward uncovering a killer whose motives were unlike any they had encountered before. The room seemed to close in around them, the air growing heavy with foreboding and unease as together they plunged deeper into the darkness.
The dim glow from Jake's laptop screen cast eerie shadows across his face as he hunched over the keyboard, fingers flying in a flurry of activity. His brow furrowed as he searched for any leads that might connect them to this unusual killer who valued the lives of insects more than those of fellow humans. Fiona paced back and forth behind him, her mind racing with thoughts and theories.
Suddenly, Jake let out a low whistle, pulling Fiona's attention back to him. "I think I found something," he said, turning the laptop around to face her.
He motioned for Fiona to join him, and she leaned in, her eyes scanning the article on the screen. It detailed an incident involving a young man named Teddy Ackerman, who had been harassing a local pest control company in Portland just a few months prior. A shiver ran down Fiona's spine as she took in the information.
The article went on to describe how Teddy had been arrested for vandalizing the company's property and threatening their employees. But the most chilling detail was the reason behind his behavior: he believed that all insects were sacred and that humans had no right to destroy them.
"This has to be our guy," Fiona said, her voice barely above a whisper. "The same ideology, the same fanaticism."
Jake leaned back in his chair, rubbing his eyes wearily. The stress of this case was clearly weighing on him as much as it was Fiona; lead after lead, they'd chased down, and Fiona prayed that Teddy wouldn't be another dead-end. But something about this one felt different.
Fiona looked over to see Jake searching for Teddy's name. An array of results came up, but what stood out to Fiona was a familiar name.
"Hold on," she said, leaning over Jake to confirm she'd seen that right. But she had--Teddy's name was associated with Portland's School of Entomology. Fiona had considered going there until she got her scholarship to Harvard and studied there instead.
"An entomologist," she whispered, her voice tinged with disbelief and curiosity. "Like me. And he's been protesting against pest control services? That fits our profile."
"Let's see what else we can find out about him," Jake suggested, opening up a new tab and typing furiously.
Fiona pulled out her phone, navigating to Teddy Ackerman's social media profiles. What she found there only served to heighten her suspicion. Post after post condemned those who senselessly killed insects, each rant more impassioned than the last. Her heart pounded in her chest as she scrolled through the virtual tirades, feeling as though they were inching closer to the truth with each passing moment.
"Jake, look at this," she said, holding her phone up so he could see the screen. "He's incredibly vocal about protecting insects, even going so far as to say that those who kill them deserve punishment."
"Sounds like we've found our guy," Jake mused, his expression darkening. "We still need to figure out how he's getting access to the poison, though. I'll keep digging."
