Jubal then pointed his pencil at the analysts. "All three victims are from roughly the same area, from northern Manhattan to the Connecticut border. That area must be the killer's hunting ground, but why did he choose them?
We need to find commonalities, so we need all the victims' background information: friends, relatives, husbands, and relevant criminal records. Jiejie, can you compile and analyze this information?
I heard you've completed the behavioral analysis course at the BAU."
Jiejie nodded, indicating a clear yes. This was similar to her previous work sifting through case files at the BAU.
"Okay, Jack, can you share your perspective as a psychologist? What kind of opponent are we dealing with? Do you have a preliminary analysis?"
Jubal finished arranging the work and walked over to Jack, whispering.
Perhaps the BAU's performance sparked his interest in tracking serial killers through behavioral analysis, as Jack had heard him rambling on about the definition of a serial killer the moment he entered the room.
"There's a small detail that might help." Jack opened his phone and showed Jubal the detailed photos of the three bodies he had just taken at the scene.
"You said all three victims were married, right?"
Jubal frowned at the gruesome photos of the bodies. "Yes, that's right. What are you saying?"
Isobel, who was beside him, also saw the photos of the scene. Her expression was grim, but her eyes were filled with anger, a sympathetic expression born of empathy as a woman.
Jack scrolled through the screen, pausing briefly on several close-ups of the hands of the three bodies and zooming in on the details. "I don't see any wedding rings on their fingers."
"Not a single one?" Jubal was surprised, taking the phone and carefully flipping through it.
"So there's a possibility the killer took the rings as trophies." Jack began to analyze the situation purely from the perspective of a psychopath. Generally speaking, someone who robbed women and money wouldn't go to such lengths to dispose of the bodies, at least not without leaving any clothing behind.
"So what does this mean?" Isobel, standing beside him, was curious. She was also an ASAC (Assistant Assistant Director), but she didn't have the same domineering demeanor as Georgina.
After all, the previous attempted terrorist attack had spread like wildfire throughout federal law enforcement agencies, and even within the FBI itself, rumors were rife. Besides the BAU, the New York field operations center, a crucial supporting role, had also gained considerable notoriety. This meant that Jack and his team would soon be separated into their own independent task force. A regular transfer would likely be somewhat apprehensive, fearing they wouldn't be able to control the situation.
"On the surface, a ring represents love and marriage, but from another perspective, it's also a declaration of attachment and ownership."
Jack recalled the BAU's first case: a psychopathic killer who preyed on couples and whose hobby was collecting the women's underwear.
"So there are two possibilities: the killer took the ring as a trophy, something to cherish for later. Secondly, under what circumstances would someone voluntarily remove their wedding ring?"
"During pleasure," Hannah, who had been listening nearby, responded quickly.
"Indeed, whatever the case, given that the three victims were all attractive, married women under 30, we can tentatively assume the perpetrator is a thief. Uh... I mean, the killer might be obsessed with young, beautiful wives.
So how did he pinpoint these victims? I think we could start by talking to the victims' husbands and asking if their wives have been acting strangely lately, or if anyone has been harassing them."
Jack reached for his phone, but found Jubal staring blankly at the photos on it.
"Jubal?"
"Huh? What?" Jubal, waking up from a dream, quickly handed the phone back to Jack.
"Oh, okay. Aubrey's coming back from the scene. You can go talk to the husband of the most recent victim, Beatrice Santos, first. I'll assign another agent to go with him and talk to the husbands of the other two victims."
"Just assign me. I can get to know everyone while I'm there," Isobel volunteered, her demeanor clearly humble.
"Okay, I'll send you Aubrey's number." Jubal looked perplexed, his thoughts unclear. Just as Jack and Hannah were about to leave, he stopped Jack.
"Did you notice the type of wire and the knotting style used to tie the victims? Was it 14-gauge wire with square knots?"
Jack raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Yeah, don't tell me you guessed it."
In AWG (American wire gauge), the larger the wire gauge, the smaller the diameter. A 14-gauge wire has a diameter of 1.63 mm and a cross-sectional area of 2.075 square millimeters. Based on rounding, this translates to two square meters of wire.
The square knot is commonly known as a knot of knots, the kind that clumsy shoemakers often accidentally tie when tying a bow.
Jubal looked uneasy. "I need to check some things and may have to make a few phone calls. Go ahead and do your work. I'll explain this to you later."
"Okay, call me if you have any questions." Jack felt that he was a little distracted. It seemed like he hadn't seen that expression in a while since he'd secretly helped him with his eldest daughter's illness.
But now was clearly not the time to pry into details. Since he'd said so, Jack stopped asking and turned to catch up with Hannah.
About 60 kilometers northeast of New York City lies a small city called Stanford. Of course, this Stanford has nothing to do with the famous university in California on the West Coast of the United States.
Administratively, Stanford belongs to the state of Connecticut, but in reality, it should be considered a satellite city of New York City, given its proximity.
It took Jack and Hannah an hour to leave New York City, and less than 40 minutes to find the address of one of the victims, Beatrice Santos.
Beatrice Santos' husband is a brown Latino, and the family appears to be well-off, as the house is meticulously maintained.
Most New Yorkers of modest means rent in the city, while the truly wealthy tend to buy in the suburbs or small towns surrounding New York City, leading to high housing prices in areas surrounding the city, especially in these wealthy areas.
Information indicates that Beatrice Santos' husband is a well-paid senior IT engineer. He arrived at Jack's home early after receiving his call.
Apparently, he had learned from the local police that his missing wife's body had been found and was currently experiencing the second stage of grief: anger.
In her book On Death and Dying, American psychologist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross proposed the "Five Stages of Grief":
denial/isolation, anger, self-blame and reflection, frustration/depression, and ultimately, acceptance.
The husband was clearly in the second stage—anger. As pain slowly surfaces, it's natural to project grief, anger at oneself or others, and to hold someone responsible for the loss of a loved one.
"I'm going crazy! Why was Beatrice found in the lake in Central Park? Why did she come into town? Why was she there?"
Looking at the man spinning around in front of him, Jack knew he'd be pissed if he continued, but he still had to speak.
"Everything is still under investigation, Mr. Santos. We need you to tell us again, in detail, what happened the night your wife disappeared."
(End of chapter)