"Judging from the livor mortis and rigor mortis, the time of death is approximately ten hours ago. She was likely killed shortly after being abducted yesterday.
The heavy makeup smeared on her face matches the description you provided from the previous scene. The knife wound on her left leg corresponds to the marks found in the dining room, and the fatal stab wound to the chest... She endured multiple assaults before her death, but I can't—"
Alice couldn't finish her sentence. Overcome with nausea and emotion, she rushed to a corner and began vomiting uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face as she cried.
Aubrey started to approach her, but Jubal shot him a stern glare, stopping him in his tracks. He quietly returned to his position.
Jack took control of the situation, assigning tasks to the group. "Start questioning the nearby businesses. Focus on yesterday between 2 and 3 p.m. See if anyone spotted Ronnie and Raylene. Raylene's distinctive limp should make her easier to remember.
Check the cameras at the mall entrance, parking lot, bank, and dance studio. Collect all the surveillance footage you can."
After issuing the orders, Jack called Hannah to bring the mobile command vehicle to the scene. With plenty of space and a connection to the main road, the command vehicle could finally be used as intended.
An hour later, as the FBI's ERT team arrived, the black command vehicle—emblazoned with the FBI insignia—was already set up. Its stabilizers were deployed, and the side compartments expanded.
The team gathered in the spacious onboard conference room. Alice, clutching a cup of hot tea, sat quietly, her red-rimmed eyes betraying her earlier ordeal. JJ stood behind her, hands on her shoulders, offering comfort.
Hannah, now operating the computer in Alice's place, handed the team a tablet. "I've found footage of Ronnie and Raylene ditching the car."
"Sorry," Alice murmured as she stood, realizing Hannah had taken over her responsibilities.
"It's fine. Everyone has a first time. You've done well so far," Hannah reassured her, recalling her own early days as an LAPD officer, when she had once been cornered by armed criminals and barely managed to hold it together.
Determined, Alice returned to the computer. As she resumed her duties, Hannah gave Jack a playful jab on the arm, perhaps equal parts praise and critique for throwing Alice into the deep end.
Jack focused intently on the footage, adjusting the progress bar on the tablet. It showed the Chevrolet Malibu pulling into the parking lot at 2:02 p.m. the previous day—around the time the fugitive task force was en route to Greensburg.
Ronnie exited the car first, hands in his pockets, strolling leisurely toward the camera. The camera captured his face clearly. Raylene followed behind him, limping like a subordinate more than a companion.
"Did any other cameras capture them leaving?" Jack asked. "The parking lot has three exits; all of them should have surveillance."
Hannah shook her head. "Nothing. Either they deliberately avoided the cameras, or they entered the mall and left through another exit.
They picked the perfect spot. It's crowded, and they could easily blend into the crowd."
Jack frowned. "Remember Ronnie's arrogant display at the Hargrove house? He's not afraid of being caught. This is a game to him—a race to see if we can catch him before he finds more victims."
The room fell silent as the weight of Jack's words sank in. Clay rubbed the back of his neck in frustration. "We've questioned everyone nearby, and no one remembers seeing them."
"Maybe I've got something," Alice said, her voice still tinged with emotion. "This Subaru seems suspicious."
Everyone crowded around her screen as she explained. "This footage is from the bank's camera. See the Subaru XV?
Earlier, we saw Ronnie and Raylene walking past it in the parking lot. The driver appears to be a young woman."
Alice switched to footage from another angle. "This is from two minutes later, at the bank entrance. There are now three people in the car."
The image quality wasn't great, but with the context, they could make out Ronnie in the front passenger seat and Raylene in the back.
"Did the dance studio camera catch them getting into the car?" Jubal asked urgently.
"It's a dummy camera—completely non-functional," Clay muttered in frustration.
"Can we get the license plate?" Jack's stomach sank, suspecting the Subaru's driver was their next victim. Considering the footage was from the previous afternoon, the odds weren't good.
Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania
Located 50 kilometers east of Greensburg, Mount Pleasant was a small, relatively unknown town. By the time the team arrived, the sky was overcast, and torrential rain poured down.
"Are you sure we don't need SWAT?" Jubal checked his Maxim Defense rifle, inspecting the chamber as the rain thundered on the vehicle's roof, muffling his voice.
"It's been nearly 24 hours," Jack replied as he opened the car door, his words lost in the roar of the storm.
Stepping out, he pressed his earpiece and spoke clearly. "Aubrey, Jubal, go around back. Everyone else, follow me to the front door."
The house was a typical wooden structure common in the area, with a steep roof and a small attic designed for snowy winters.
Despite the summer heat, the storm brought a stifling humidity that couldn't dispel the team's mounting tension.
Through cross-referencing the license plate with interviews at the dance studio, they identified the Subaru's owner as Jackie Vogel, the house's resident. Jackie was a 24-year-old dance instructor at a local high school and also taught at the studio.
Jack signaled Clay to knock. Clay pounded on the door, shouting, "Ms. Vogel, this is the FBI! Please open the door!"
Only silence responded, broken by the rhythmic drumming of rain on the roof. Jack caught the faint scent of blood and cautiously turned the door handle. It opened without resistance.
Clay started to step inside, but Jack stopped him, pointing to a long trail of blood leading from the door into the living room.
Jack stepped carefully over the bloodstains and gestured for JJ and Hannah to check the side rooms while Clay followed him.
The trail led to the bedroom, where the stench of blood grew stronger. A battered body lay face-down on the bed, surrounded by blood spatter on the sheets and walls.
Jack slung his weapon over his back and knelt by the bed. He looked directly into the lifeless blue eyes of Jackie Vogel.
Even the garish makeup smeared on her face couldn't hide her sweet features. Combined with the blood-soaked scene, the sight ignited a fury that simmered beneath the surface.
"Dammit," Clay muttered before storming out of the room. A loud thud followed as his fist connected with the wall.
JJ, Hannah, Jubal, and Aubrey entered quietly, their expressions heavy. They stood in silence, as if mourning the victim or silently vowing justice for her.
(End of Chapter)
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