Hide and Seek (Criminal Profiler #1)(16)

“Is he a lousy investigator, or does he have a bias against sexual assault cases?” Macy asked.

Bennett clicked the top of her marker on and off. “For the most part, he was a very effective investigator. He broke up the rural drug labs regularly, his policies cut the drunk driving rate in half, and when Tobi Turner vanished, he was relentless.”

“He had one hell of a blind spot in the summer of 2004,” Macy said. “Was he undergoing personal issues?”

“His wife was ill at the time,” Bennett said. “She died the following year.”

Cops were human, and personal lives got in the way of good police work, but a sick wife didn’t excuse fifteen years of inaction. “Since you established the DNA connection, have you reached out to surrounding localities?”

“I have,” Bennett said. “I sent teletypes to jurisdictions in Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina.”

“Good. It’s important to look beyond your borders,” Macy said.

Law enforcement didn’t always look beyond the boundaries of their community. The phenomenon was called linkage blindness. This limited view of crime allowed some offenders to operate for years between multiple localities.

Bennett appeared cool, but the steady click, click of the dry-erase marker top suggested this discussion put her on edge. The deputy had worked for the former sheriff for nine years. Based on Bennett’s partial defense of Greene, Macy assumed there was some loyalty there.

“I’ve studied and mapped the attack locations of the rapes, as well as the last known locations of Tobi Turner,” Nevada said.

He walked to a large map of Virginia mounted on the wall and ran his finger along I-81, the north-south spine of the Blue Ridge Mountains. “The rapes are comingled into a single area in the west end of the county. The Wyatt barn, where Tobi Turner’s remains were found, is on the opposite side of the county.”

Investigators used geographic profiling and pinged off of crime scene locations hoping to identify patterns. Nevada was one of the best at this technique and had used it to track many wanted criminals.

“Was the assailant a resident of the area, or was he commuting back and forth to a job?” Macy asked.

“Good question,” Nevada said.

Nevada circled his finger around the two target areas. “The houses of the rape victims were off the beaten path, as was the barn. He’s familiar with the county.”

“Offenders typically don’t like to kill too close to home, so I’d say he doesn’t live in the two attack zones,” Macy said.

“He may not live in Deep Run,” Nevada said. “With the interstate, he might not even live in the area. He could be using I-81 as a pipeline to his victims.”

“That’s a logical conclusion,” she said.

“So you’re saying he’s not a local?” Bennett asked. The pen top clicked again and again.

“We’re just throwing out ideas at this point,” Macy said. “Have you had any missing persons cases over the last fifteen years?”

“No. We do have a local girl who is currently missing. Her name is Debbie Roberson. Her mother called us and was worried. I went by her house, but there was no sign of her car. I knocked on the door, but no answer.”

“What’s your assessment?” Macy asked.

“Most likely she’s taken a few days off,” Bennett said.

“Have you checked with her employer?” Macy asked.

“Next on the list if she doesn’t show up in the next hour,” Bennett said.

“Do you have a picture?” Macy asked.

The deputy pulled up Roberson’s DMV picture on her phone. Macy noted the long dark hair, narrow face, and small stature. “She fits our offender’s victim type.”

Bennett looked at the picture. “It’s been fifteen years since the last known case.”

“Known being the operative word.” Macy shifted in her seat. “The discovery of Tobi Turner’s bones would be the kind of stressor that could set him off if he’s still around.”

Bennett frowned. “The majority of murdered women die at the hands of someone they know.”

“Does she have an ex?” Macy asked.

“An ex-husband,” Bennett said. “I have a call in to him. However, Debbie’s mother stated she didn’t believe he was a risk to her daughter.”

“So you haven’t spoken to him,” Macy said.

Bennett folded her arms. “Only to her mother. I’ll drive by the assisted living facility where he works this afternoon.”

“Does Debbie have a drug problem?” Macy asked.

“None that her mother is aware of, and she doesn’t have an arrest warrant.”

“People keep all kinds of secrets,” Macy said softly, more to herself. “Especially from their parents.” She scribbled Debbie’s name on the clean yellow notebook pad and circled it. “Let’s return to the rape cases. Can any of the rape victims describe the assailant? From what I was reading, he wore a mask.”

“In the witness statements, none of the three women saw his face because he always wore a mask,” Nevada said.

“So you haven’t reinterviewed them yet?” Macy asked.

“We were waiting for you,” Nevada said.