Jack instructed Tim to find a professional sketch artist so the elderly lady could help create a composite of the suspect. Then, he stepped aside to call Rossi. By now, they could almost confirm that the killer was not a federal law enforcement officer.
The spiderweb tattoo was a classic mark of prison culture—normal people wouldn't ink that onto their necks, let alone FBI agents or officers from other federal agencies.
Of course, that didn't mean federal law enforcement officers never had tattoos. Unlike the traditional Chinese belief that tattoos signify delinquency, in the U.S. military, tattoos symbolize unity and resilience, with more than half of service members sporting them.
Many federal law enforcement officers had military backgrounds, making tattoos inevitable. However, military tattoos and prison tattoos were vastly different, with distinct styles depending on the branch of service. Anyone with a bit of experience could tell them apart at a glance.
After hanging up, Jack saw that John and Angela had finished their statements and were walking toward the FBI agents. The sentimental veteran had a somewhat pained expression on his face, as if he had empathized deeply with the case.
"The victim's husband, Bryan Linane, is likely not a suspect. If he hadn't forgotten his external hard drive at home, the body wouldn't have been discovered so soon," John reported.
Jack took the notepad John handed him and quickly flipped through it. The victim's husband claimed he left the house at 8:30 AM and returned before 11 AM to retrieve the hard drive for his meeting, only to discover his wife's still-warm body.
The fresher the body, the more accurate the estimated time of death. John was the first officer on the scene and determined that the victim had been dead for no more than an hour.
Jack trusted John's judgment in this area, meaning they only needed to verify the husband's alibi with his workplace to clear him.
Additionally, the nosy elderly neighbor's testimony essentially ruled out the possibility of a copycat crime.
"So, the husband's sudden return home was completely unexpected, right?" Jack asked.
Angela, an experienced detective, immediately understood why he asked that and responded directly.
"This also makes it unlikely that the perpetrator was someone familiar with the victim. According to the community manager, the Linanes moved into this neighborhood less than two years ago. At the time, they were newlyweds fresh from their honeymoon and always seemed very affectionate.
Bryan Linane is the CEO of a small trading company, with a flexible work schedule. He often comes home in the middle of the day and frequently takes his wife out for lunch."
In other words, if the killer had been someone close to the couple, they wouldn't have chosen this timeframe for a break-in. Had Bryan returned just thirty minutes earlier, he might have walked in on the crime.
Hearing this, Jack glanced at Reid. The young genius had been right—this killer was becoming increasingly reckless. Judging by the rising frequency of his crimes, he likely lacked the time for careful pre-crime surveillance and stalking.
Just then, Tim approached the group and gestured toward the crime scene. "The CSI team has completed their preliminary investigation and is preparing to send the body to the medical examiner's office. Do you want to take a look?"
Jack nodded and signaled Reid to join him inside the apartment.
This time, the body had been found in the bathroom. The two carefully avoided the numbered yellow evidence markers on the floor. The corpse had already been placed in a body bag, and two forensic assistants were loading it onto a stretcher.
Reid stepped forward and conducted a quick examination. The cause of death was once again asphyxiation, with the murder weapon being a plastic shower curtain torn from the bathtub rail. The only difference from the previous three victims was that Mary Linane was the youngest and most attractive among them.
"It looks like this victim was sexually assaulted before she died?" Reid asked in surprise after noticing some abnormalities.
The bald medical examiner, the same one they had met the day before, smirked. "I'd call it an unsuccessful assault. I found traces of condom lubricant on the victim's inner thighs, but nowhere else."
Jack and Reid exchanged a glance. Killers with physiological impairments were often more violent, as their frustration in one aspect of life could intensify their desire to kill. This further supported Reid's previous theory.
By evening, back at the BAU office, crime scene photos of the four victims were neatly arranged on the evidence board. Beside them was a large administrative map of the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
Below the map were two composite sketches of the suspect—one frontal and one in profile—along with a detailed close-up of the half-finished spiderweb tattoo.
Rossi stood before the board in deep thought before finally speaking. "The prison tattoo on the suspect's neck confirms he's not one of ours. He's spent a long time behind bars, learning advanced criminal techniques that allow him to overpower victims despite not being physically imposing."
"But where did he learn to imitate us so well? How does he know how to flash a badge, how to interact with people smoothly? He has to act exactly like us to repeatedly gain his victims' trust without arousing suspicion."
JJ tilted her head in a cute manner, her golden hair cascading to one side. A beautiful girl could make any movement seem captivating.
Lying to the FBI was a federal offense, and impersonating a federal agent was just as serious. If the killer had ever slipped up, someone would have reported it. Yet, despite Emily and Garcia scouring all law enforcement reports across Los Angeles, they found nothing.
Hotchner turned to Emily. "How's the investigation on ex-convicts with spiderweb tattoos going?"
Emily's expression was complicated. "Garcia has found 17,000 former felons on parole with spiderweb tattoos. We're still working through them, but I have to admit—I was looking in the wrong direction before."
"It's time to release the profile to the LAPD and LASD," Jack suggested. "We still don't know how the killer selects his victims, but he has to be out on the streets, scouting and tracking them. Let's hope patrol officers notice something."
"A white male in his forties, posing as a federal agent, using forged or stolen credentials to gain the trust of women home alone before attacking? What a sick bastard."
At the Wilshire Division, Tim muttered as he pinned up the freshly issued FBI wanted poster featuring the suspect's sketches on the precinct's familiar conference room door.
Jack smiled and greeted familiar colleagues while reminding them, "Tell the guys to stay alert. This guy likely served a long sentence for violent crimes."
"How does someone like that pass for harmless?" John asked, bewildered.
Angela, drawing from her detective experience, offered an explanation. "That might be how he survived in prison—he's charismatic, articulate, and can easily persuade strangers, just like Ted Bundy."
Ted Bundy, the so-called 'charismatic serial killer,' was interviewed by Rossi years ago. Even after his arrest, he managed to convince a victim to marry him and bear his child—a true psychopath. (See Chapter 393.)
Jack nodded in agreement. "Like Bundy, our unsub has severe antisocial personality disorder and possibly suffers from 'claustrophilia.'"
Hearing the unfamiliar term, the curious veteran perked up. "What's that?"
"It's an extreme version of claustrophobia. Instead of fearing confinement, the person finds being restrained or bound sexually stimulating. It compensates for their inability to find satisfaction through normal means.
Essentially, it's an extension of erotic asphyxiation, but because of the killer's antisocial tendencies, it's become his method of murder."
John made a startled face, while Angela shot Jack a knowing look, as if to say, "You sure know your stuff."
(End of Chapter)
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