Putting the Pieces together with unsteady hands
Miller was even more tired than before now, but he walked down the halls of Lance Security with determined steps. It had been decided to have the debriefing in the Lance Security office because Virginia could actually route resources to them without question – if need be – and they did not want the perp to notice changes at the Blue Serene Security offices.
Blue Serene Security had a different feel to it. It was not the obvious feeling of opulence or that one office was more tech heavy than the other. It was the feeling of family at Blue Serene whereas here it was the sense of war council and an odd detachment. Miller had felt the difference when he first left Lance Security to head up Blue Serene Security. At first he felt it was odd, the sense of family, but now the sterile war council was the oddity to him.
He came to the next security check and was finally led to the room. He tiredly handed files to the female operative and began setting up his laptop as she handed them out. The others read silently as he sat down - ready to begin. He looked to each one and they all had frowns on their faces.
Virginia looked up first. "So you have found two cases?" Her voice was cold and probing. "Is this guy just leading you by the nose?"
Miller shook his head. "Keep reading. Both of the profilers agree. He led us to Iceland as a taunt. He never believed we would figure it out. And before I left my office my team found four more cases that they feel have strong possibilities to be our guy. All of them young, creative women. Most are red heads with green eyes. If they are not highly educated they are innovative and good at what they do. Soot is involved in all cases and one pinky toe is surgically removed from each."
Albert shook his head at the thought that Interpol had not flagged this. It was true the women didn't look connected in anyway but the modus operandi was too clear. He leaned forward as he gazed at Samuel. "I am a selfish man. I will admit that I am a bit pissed that my wedding is being pushed back because of this guy, but Jessica is now fully invested in ensuring Amber is not in danger. I don't like my fiance stressed. Dan truly impressed me with his bunker. I still don't think my people have actually found it, the way he has things bouncing off towers and satellites, but let us be honest here. They can not stay there forever."
He sat back in his seat with a shake of his head, his eyes darting to Vane. The man put a hand onto the file he had just finishing reviewing. "To say the perp is a ghost within the machine is an understatement. It is like he is the architect of the machine and has cloned his ghost to be resident, visitor, interloper, and a myriad more phantom." He shook his head. "He created a symphony and we are just spectators in the audience he created."
There was silence in the room. No one looked at anyone and no one had any suggestions. Virginia was the first to speak up. "I read Vane's report as well." She looked to him. "Are you still feeling that this Montague person is involved."
He nodded slowly. "I can't prove anything. My gut is just telling me that he is involved. We caught a whiff of him and I am not sure if it was something done on purpose on his part or if he is just so good that he has fail-safes and contingencies we can never comprehend. I just know that our perp is extremely slippery and now that I see Miller's discoveries my gut is screaming even louder."
"That's all I need." Virginia nodded in agreeance, as Samuel continued to speak. He scanned the people at the table. "My nephew will not be born in an underground complex. We get eyes on Montague and we figure out this macabre connection to these Interpol cases."
Virginia took out her secure phone. "Dan isn't the only one with resources. Since this has become an international incident I can offer my full support." She stood up and left the room.
Albert set back. "Well if Virginia is going all in so I am."
Samuel nodded. "We all will." He looked to Miller. "We need you to stay on top of the similar cases. Work with the profilers and get us some hows and whys. This may help us to catch him in the end.
The room turned to the projection as one, Virginia re-entered the room and sucked her teeth. "This image is in the file?" Miller nodded. "Good I will have my weapons team find out what was used to sever the digit."
"Interpol has already ruled out several instruments and my team as ruled out more. The profilers agree that he kills them first and then cuts the digit because of findings of no sign of struggle."
Albert nodded as he listened. "And they feel the soot is important to this guy's morphology."
Miller nodded. "They feel the digit and the soot are both a part of his modus operandi. They feel he most likely had a trauma in his formative years that involved fire."
"Okay." Samuel sat forward. "I am looking through their reports but I don't see anything about why he took Calvin's finger and not a toe."
Miller nodded with a sigh. "That is because they are divided." He moved the slides to a projection titled 'Reason behind digit removal'. "Most of them feel it is of no significance, but look here." Miller ran his pointer over a specific notation. "One of them feels that the toe as a trophy stems from that original trauma which the perp connects to women. He feels that Calvin was seen as a threat to Amber's well-being or as a rival for Amber."
Virginia snapped her fingers. "That makes since! He probably thought he killed Calvin as well."
Samuel nodded. "And he sent Amber the brooch to show his devotion to her, not just to track her."
Albert narrowed his eyes. "I felt he was sick. We need to track him like his mind is a bit off kilter. He is not an architect he is a mad man building a house in some image only he sees and understands."
Albert's words sent chills down the others' spines. Internally they all agreed. It was time to stop being led by the nose and show this Montague what it meant to truly be prey.