“Any luck?” asked Ella.
“I talked with the officer who investigated this strange chainsaw incident. It happened back in March of this year. It played out exactly as your eyewitness said it did, but the bad news is that the police never found the attacker.”
Ella slammed her palm against the wall. “Goddamn it.”
“Sorry, ladies,” said the chief. “I’ve jigged up a little interest in the case over there so they’re going through their files on it. They’ll send over what they have.”
Ella thanked Chief Reed and went back her drawing board. “Okay, Ellis, pull up the police database. Has Reed briefed you on that?”
Paige typed away. “Yeah. I’m in. What am I looking for?”
“We’re going to find this son of a bitch. Narrow down the parameters to what we know so far. Male. White. 18 to 25. Lives in….” Ella moved to a map of Lancaster on the far wall. The first two victim locations were already circled. She marked the third, then drew a triangle between the three locations. “He lives within five miles of Terre Hill.”
“Done. Anything else?” asked Paige.
“Unemployed. Someone like this couldn’t hold down a job. His education level would be low too.”
“On it.”
Ella leaned against the wall and tried to envision the world through this unsub’s eyes. His reality was a confusing whirlwind of events he couldn’t comprehend or rationalize. He wouldn’t be able to function in daily society, but at the same time, he understood the need to blend in with the crowd. Based on historical killers who had a fixation with certain body parts – Charles Albright with eyeballs, Jerry Brudos with feet – his obsession would have begun in his teenage years. A troubled teenager might have been forced to see a school counselor.
“History of counseling or therapy sessions, probably during his late school years. Note that down as optional. Try that.”
Paige hammered a single key on the laptop then sat back. Ella didn’t look at her expression. If music was the silence between the notes, then this silence was enough to give her tinnitus.
“Anything?” Ella asked.
Paige exhaled loudly through her nose. “More than anything. Over two-hundred results.”
Reed appeared back at the door. “Coffee anyone?”
“Please,” Paige said.
Ella needed more than just coffee. She needed something to get the cogs whirring. “Can you make mine an Irish?” she asked.
“I wish,” Reed said.
Her similarities to Mia were beginning to concern her. Since Ella had been entrusted with her newfound power, she’d found herself channeling Mia’s expressions more and more, almost like she couldn’t stop herself. Maybe it was some kind of undiagnosed syndrome. Special Agent Tourette’s.
Then she remembered what Mia had told her on the phone.
“Ellis, add military history to the search. See what comes up.”
Paige obliged Ella’s request, but before she could announce the results, Ella’s phone began to vibrate. She glanced over. A number she didn’t recognize was calling.
“Hello? Agent Dark speaking.”
“Hi, Miss Dark. My name’s Karl Anderson. I’ve been given your details by a colleague of mine.”
Anderson. The victim of this faceless attacker. He could have something useful.
“Thank you for contacting me, Mr. Anderson. Do you have a moment to talk?”
“Certainly. I believe this concerns my unusual incident a few months ago?” His voice was calm and eloquent. He spoke with that lecturer’s kind of authority.
“Correct. Your colleague gave me the basic details. A young man broke into your college and threatened you with a chainsaw. Is that right?”
“I’d like to say there was more to it, but yes that’s accurate.”