The "paradise" reputation of this area was largely due to the fact that nearby communities consisted mainly of upper-middle-class white families, including some influential figures. For instance, in the isolated woods where Jack now stood, there would normally be no signal. Yet here, his phone displayed full bars, a convenience that didn't need much explanation.
Jack called Jubal Valentine, who sounded noticeably excited, as if he'd been itching for action since the last case ended.
"We've identified the girl. Her fingerprints matched a long-term tourist visa under the name Haley Nureyev, 22, a Ukrainian citizen. Records show she flew into JFK from Kyiv two years ago. Sending you her photo now."
Jack put his phone on speaker and opened the email attachment with her photo. "She doesn't look Ukrainian."
Ukrainians and Russians often share similar features, with slightly softer facial structures than Western Europeans. Many Ukrainian girls have round faces, petite chins, and upturned noses, lending to an overall appearance that some people might say aligns more with Asian aesthetics than Western ones.
"Haley's mother was American, from northern California. She studied abroad in the late '90s, fell in love with a Ukrainian man, and ended up moving to Ukraine permanently. She passed away from illness a few years ago."
Jubal's voice came in bursts, interspersed with the sound of papers shuffling, likely from colleagues feeding him the latest information.
Hannah leaned over and asked, "Do we know what Haley was doing in New York? Visiting relatives, maybe?"
"Not clear. It seems she doesn't have any family left in the States. Her mother was an only child, and her grandparents have already passed. Her visa lists her address as the Sutton Suites Hotel, but the hotel staff has no record of her staying there."
"Model or escort?" Jack muttered, already forming a theory.
"My money's on the latter, or maybe both," replied Jubal bluntly.
Just then, Mac Taylor gestured at Jack and Hannah. "Hey Jack, I'm heading back to the lab. Our forensic pathologist has an initial report. Want to tag along?"
Jack checked the time—just past noon—and was impressed by CSI's efficiency. After giving Dana Moger a quick update, he and Hannah left with Mac.
Arriving at the CSI lab, Jack was struck by the array of high-tech equipment. He had thought the CSI lab in Las Vegas was top-tier, but New York's setup matched, if not surpassed, it, with over a dozen different types of advanced mass spectrometers and countless other costly-looking devices.
In the basement-level forensic lab, they met Dr. Sheldon Hawkes, an African American pathologist with a refined, almost scholarly presence, sporting a trim beard and a calm demeanor.
"Dr. Hawkes, thank you for your hard work," Mac said, introducing Jack and Hannah.
"I compared the most decomposed remains with the least decayed body. These victims were killed over the past three years, with the most recent one murdered about a month ago," Dr. Hawkes began. "All had similar wounds—at least thirty stab wounds each, inflicted with a five-inch serrated knife."
He lifted the sheet covering a body on the autopsy table, revealing the latest victim. Despite the frigid early spring temperatures along Long Island's northern shore and the high humidity, the body was not severely decomposed, possibly due to the low temperatures and the fact that it had been buried.
"I also found that the victims exhibited signs of being sex workers."
"Evidence of sexually transmitted diseases?" Hannah asked.
Dr. Hawkes nodded, adding, "They were in poor health overall. Nearly all of them had a history of abortion, and they used very cheap cosmetics."
"Good heavens, most of them were under 20," Hannah murmured, covering her mouth in shock, despite having shown no reaction to the intense odor earlier.
"Serial killers often target sex workers—they're vulnerable, tend to be alone, and their disappearances often go unnoticed," Jack explained, considering whether to involve BAU. Judging by the crime scene, finding enough evidence to drive the investigation might take considerable time, and the case bore clear signs of a serial killer's work.
Mac Taylor noticed something unusual. "What's this? A mark of some kind?" He pointed to a wound on the chest where skin had been removed, exposing darkened fatty tissue and partially healed muscle with what looked like faint remnants of a pattern.
"Good eye," Dr. Hawkes said, putting on gloves and smoothing out the wound. "I noted this in the autopsy report. It seems the killer intentionally removed a mark here. But it's not a tattoo. Tattoos are typically confined to the dermis, whereas this marking goes deeper, even into the muscle."
"Could it be a brand?" Jack asked, before dismissing his own thought. "No, even a brand wouldn't go that deep."
Mac furrowed his brow and answered, "If it were made with a heated knife, it could. I've seen this before in Eastern European trafficking cases. Some criminal groups mark their victims this way, almost like branding slaves."
The room fell silent as they absorbed this revelation.
After a moment, Jack asked, "Is there any chance we can reconstruct the original mark?"
Dr. Hawkes shook his head. "The skin was completely removed, and the decomposition has left little for us to work with. I'd suggest checking with the survivor."
Acting on the suggestion, Jack immediately called Jubal and relayed the findings. After contacting the hospital, Jubal replied with some good news.
"Haley's condition has stabilized, and she's conscious, though she has more surgeries ahead. If you hurry, you'll have a brief window to speak with her."
Jack and Hannah turned to leave, but Dr. Hawkes stopped them. "One more thing—I found that one of the victims had undergone a breast augmentation, using a rare material called polyacrylamide."
"That's odd. Polyacrylamide implants were phased out in the '90s in favor of safer materials. You said most of these victims were under 20, so they'd have been too young to have those implants," Jack noted, his medical knowledge kicking in, even though it had been mostly boosted by his forensic training.
"As far as I know, polyacrylamide is still used in some Eastern European countries as a cheaper option," Dr. Hawkes replied.
Jack and Hannah left the CSI lab, flashing their lights and sirens as they headed to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, one of Manhattan's largest and most respected hospitals.
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