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Brook had used the photographs of the victims that had been taken during their time in bootcamp, also including smaller pictures of their fathers in uniform. Details would be added through the course of the investigation, but she found that this type of organization was easier to study and help form ideas as a group.
"The victims were all in their twenties, and they each had a father who either currently holds a high rank in one of the branches or retired with a high rank." Brook motioned toward Graham, who had finally turned around to take a seat at the table. He didn't even glance toward the main whiteboard where his daughter's picture had been slotted number six out of seven. "General. Elliott served as Commanding General Marine Forces Special Operations Command at MCB Camp Lejeune, North Carolina before retiring, better known as a MARSOC. MARSOC is a component of SOCOM, the United States Special Operation Command. I do not believe that we are dealing with a stereotypical serial killer. Not textbook, anyway."
Brook unbuttoned her suit jacket as she gave them a bit more time to review the information before them. Well, with the exception of Bit. He was glancing at everyone else to monitor their reactions to the case. His hacking skills hadn't been used to track down serial killers before, so this was all new to him. Jacob didn't count, because Bit had no idea that her personal request a few months back had been in regard to her brother.
"While the unsub has a type of victim that he prefers, I believe he's using their fathers as a principle motive to kill their daughters. He enjoys the aftermath left behind by his actions, from witnessing the fathers' grief to the lives ruined of those convicted for his crimes."
"He takes great pleasure in others' pain," Sylvie said softly as she glanced at Graham, who was now seated with his back toward the whiteboards. He was facing the group, which meant that he'd more than likely met Sylvie's gaze. "I'm sorry for your loss, sir."
"I appreciate the sentiment, Ms. Deering."
"Please, call me Sylvie."
Brook took one of the markers and made a notation underneath one of the victims while the others made small talk, allowing them all to get to know one another better. Graham might want to remain a silent partner to the outside world, but he was the sole reason their consulting firm had opened its doors.
"…spoke highly about all of you," Graham said of Brook as he began to pour both of them some coffee. The others all had their preferred beverages close to them. "Cream?"
Brook nodded, not ready to sit down quite yet. Everyone had agreed to be on a first name basis, though she doubted that any of her team members would refer to Graham as anything other than General or Mr. Elliott. Still, the casual conversation had helped ease the tension.
At least, for everyone except her.
She still needed to address the situation with her brother, but she wanted to make sure that everyone had an understanding of what their assignments would be for their current case. Graham had waited long enough to receive closure for his daughter.
"I knew you liked me, Boss," Bit said, directing his quip toward Brook. He'd been referring to Graham's pervious statement. Theo hid his smirk behind his mug in response. "Seeing as I've never done this before, what is it that you want me to do? You know that this is like that TV show, right?"
"I want you to comb through the victims' digital footprints, which means social media, financials, calls, texts, and anything else you feel can offer us insight into the days or weeks leading up to their deaths. As you collect all the information, I want you to then provide everything you find to Sylvie, no matter how small. She will sort through the data to determine what is and is not relevant, putting together timelines and looking for any connections between the victims."
"I'm assuming we are doing the same with everyone involved, including the fathers and the men who were convicted of the various crimes?" Sylvie inquired as she continued to jot down notes on the pad of paper in front of her. "I think we should also expand to other immediate family members, just in case."
"I'll let you run with that part of the investigation then," Brook replied, pleased that Sylvie was taking to her position so well. "Theo, I want you to speak with everyone involved from family members, friends, anyone else included in the case files, and those incarcerated in prisons. Ask them to go back over their original statements. See if there are any discrepancies. You know the drill."
"Expenses?"
"Each of you will be given a corporate credit card," Brook explained, casting a warning glance toward Bit. He was the only one who would try to rationalize some enormous amount for some electronic device or computer component that she couldn't even pronounce. "There is a monthly limit that will be monitored by the accounting firm who will oversee our expenses. You will need to fill out a monthly expense report in which all receipts are to be attached. Be prudent, please."
"Understood, Boss."
This time, it was Graham who found humor in Bit's reaction.
"I also put in a request for the court transcripts from each trial," Brook continued, ignoring the two of them. "Since these cases seem random—domestic abuse, stalking, a mugging, a drive by shooting, and even a carjacking—it has been difficult to find other investigations that might be related to any of our unsub's initial forays, but I'm a firm believer that the first kill is always the one that reveals the most and will help us in apprehending our target. Once I can pinpoint that particular murder, we'll have a case to concentrate on. Until then, we'll divvy up the work accordingly and continue to narrow our focus until we catch a break."
Brook picked up the coffee mug that Graham had placed in front of her, relishing the warmth from the porcelain. She'd yet to really chase the cold away from her earlier walk into work, although it probably had more to do with what had happened afterward that had a chill lingering in her soul.
"You mentioned that Melanie Harlock was the first known victim associated with the unsub. I'll start with her family and then work my way onward from there." Theo switched his focus from the whiteboard to those around the table. "Bit, is there a way to see if there is a pattern to the locations of the murders? Or even a timeframe? It looks to be random, some six or seven months apart, and one even a year apart. I see the unsub concentrates around three military bases, so maybe we can establish a pattern. Is there any indication that we are dealing with someone currently serving in an active-duty capacity in the military?"
"I've given that a lot of thought, and I believe we are looking for a civilian," Brook responded as she shifted to get a better look at the whiteboard containing the names of those men who were convicted of crimes they didn't commit. They hadn't been chosen at random. "The unsub spent a lot of time doing the groundwork, which means he would have made contact with them at some point, or at least people that the men had associated with at the time."
Brook expanded on her statement.
"It takes a lot of effort for someone to stage a crime in a way that the blame shifts to someone else. Our unsub had to pick out two targets, make sure that they were in the same areas of the individual crimes, and that they didn't have alibis at the times of the murders. That is not an easy feat, and someone in the military wouldn't have that much disposable time on their hands. As I said, I'm still working up a profile, but my initial impression is that we're dealing with a civilian."
Brook took a sip of her coffee as the others began to talk about the case, each giving their opinions on the unsub, the victims, and those found guilty of the crimes. She'd only ever been in the role of a profiler when consulting with the FBI. While she'd given suggestions to the agents assigned to cases on where to begin, who to start questioning, and what was pertinent information related to the unsub, she'd never been lead on an investigation. That had been a federal agent's task.
What Brook had learned from the Bureau was that choosing the right team members could mean the difference between success and failure. Listening to all of them share ideas, even Bit, had a sense of satisfaction washing over her.
Unfortunately, the leak to the media regarding her personal life had put a damper on this new endeavor.
"…and it was Brook who thought you would want to question me directly about my daughter." Graham had replied to something that Theo had asked him, appearing to be more relaxed now that he'd gotten to witness the ease of which the group seemed to communicate with one another. "I was out of the country at the time."
