Three bodies at once, all with cement blocks tied to their feet with wires to prevent them from floating. This scene looked like a serial murder case no matter how you looked at it. No wonder Danny blurted out at the airport whether he wanted the BAU to return.
"What was the cause of death?" Hannah asked.
Hammerback, the veteran forensic doctor at the CSI lab, rarely went to the scene, but the researchers would conduct preliminary examinations of the bodies and collect any physical evidence that might have been left behind.
"The preliminary diagnosis is strangulation. There's a high probability of sexual assault, but they were underwater for so long, don't count on DNA evidence. The most recent victim died nine to ten days ago, about two to three days before you blew up the sheep meadow."
Mike Taylor handed the evidence bag to his subordinates and walked over to the group.
"Is it because the lake water temperature is lower than the ambient temperature?" Jack said thoughtfully, realizing that his previous assessment of the time of death was incorrect.
"Although Central Park isn't a large forest, it still has its own microclimate, especially at night, where temperatures are much lower than in the city."
Mike Taylor had barely finished his words when Danny, a notepad in hand, approached, stepping over the decaying leaves in the forest.
"It seems likely that the explosion we caused earlier was so loud that the wire attached to one of the bodies came loose. As the body decomposed, it surfaced early this morning and was discovered by workers clearing fallen trees.
The tattoo on that body matches a missing person report of Beatrice Santos from Connecticut, who just crossed the state line. So this case is yours, and of course, the NYPD will assist."
"I'm glad you've regained your enthusiasm for your part-time job as an FBI liaison to the NYPD," Jack said with a hint of meaning.
Kate Joyner was still in the hospital, but she had already submitted her resignation to Dana Moger and was preparing to return to England to recuperate. Jack didn't know if Hotchner had any role in this.
The onlookers speculated that perhaps the woman had chosen to leave the United States because she was heartbroken, though this was primarily the opinion of the women.
A grainy video clip, after repeated review, was ultimately determined to have merely kissed the man on the forehead, a stark departure from mainstream American values.
"True love is supreme" is clear from movies like "The Bridges of Madison County" and "Titanic." Besides, a mere kiss was a far cry from infidelity, especially considering the woman was on the verge of death.
While the women were outraged on Joyner's behalf, the men steadfastly sided with Hotchner. Family responsibilities came before a literal Romantic, and Hotchner and Harley had always had a strong relationship, which they wouldn't tolerate any interference from anyone else. This was also the opinion of Rosie, who had been divorced many times.
Ultimately, the outcome of this incident was a source of worry for her female supervisor, Dana Moger, who was currently struggling to find a suitable replacement for Jubal.
Danny spread his hands helplessly, "It turns out Joyner was right. I even apologized to her when I visited her in the hospital."
"I'm sorry you lost a good partner." Jack made a small sarcasm. Whenever they quarreled before, he always acted as the peacemaker, which really annoyed him.
After that, he shouted to Aubrey, who was about to vomit bile, "You stay here and cooperate with Detective Reagan to coordinate the work. After sorting out the evidence, send it back to the headquarters. We will go back to find Jubal first."
Aubrey waved at them weakly, indicating that he got it.
Back at the operations center, Jubal was already explaining the situation to the analysts and technicians in the operations center.
"The FBI defines serial murder as a case in which one or more murderers kill two or more victims at different times or places."
Seeing Jack and the others enter, he casually waved a hand as a greeting. "Didn't you tell that beautiful Gulfstream to return?"
"..." The two beautiful women responded with a wide eye roll.
"They thought leaving two would be enough," Jack joked. Unexpectedly, he saw a familiar face beside him, and his expression suddenly became a little strange.
"Introductions, this is Isobel Castiel, newly transferred from Washington to replace Joyner. Isobel, this is Agent Jack Tavola, and these are Agents Hannah Stephens and Jennifer Jeaner," Jubal briefly introduced them. She was a beautiful brunette with slightly high cheekbones, but her makeup was a bit too professional, making her features look a bit too hard and old-fashioned.
(See the picture: She looks much better in "Death Dexter").
Female FBI agents, especially those in junior management, seem to favor this makeup look. Conversely, those in Dana Moger's position tend to prefer a more natural look, appearing younger rather than more professional.
Jack really wanted to ask if he knew a medical examiner named Henry Morgan, the kind with a British accent, a dashing, charming dean, and a crowd-pleaser.
He was incredibly familiar with the actress who had been his original incarnation. She'd played a female NYPD detective on the American TV series "Dexter," forming a perfect partnership with an immortal who'd lived for over 200 years.
"Dexter" was another classic American series, similar to "Firefly," that was canceled after a season. Jack loved both the setting and the plot. ABC and Fox were equally nefarious, ugh!
"Okay, even without the BAU, we believe we can still handle a serial killer. The identities of the other two bodies have just been confirmed through tooth marks."
Jubal walked over to the big screen, and three photos and corresponding information appeared on it.
"Our first victim was Beatrice Santos, married, 28 years old. She was reported missing by her husband 10 days ago. Based on the preliminary time of death determined by the CSI, we believe she was murdered shortly after being abducted."
Jubal paused, his expression growing somewhat gloomy, as if sympathizing with the victim's plight. "The CSI suspects she may have been sexually assaulted before her death.
The second victim, Mona Kolber, was married, 29 years old, and reported missing five weeks ago. The third victim, Dean Carlisle, was married, 26 years old, and disappeared eleven weeks ago.
The cause of death in all cases was strangulation, but it's unclear whether Kolber or Carlisle were sexually assaulted, as their bodies were severely decomposed after being submerged for so long."
"But should we assume the other two victims were also sexually assaulted?" Isobel asked thoughtfully, looking at the photos of the three deceased on the screen.
"Of course," Jack thought without hesitation. Although the three deceased in the pictures had different facial features, with different face shapes, hair colors, and even eye colors, they all shared one thing in common: youth and beauty.
"I hope we can solve this case before the media gives the killer a nickname like 'The Housewife Killer.' The CSIs are still busy on the scene, and we need surveillance footage from the area surrounding the crime scene, namely, from the intersections in Central Park.
I know it's going to be a lot of work, but I'll assign you enough people, and the NYPD will also provide assistance."
As he spoke, Jubal pointed his pencil at the IT department's nerds and began to call on them.
(End of Chapter)