Gorman scanned the first page of the extensive profile they’d given him. “So this man is older, probably in his late fifties or sixties. He may be connected somehow to the FBI. We need to look for someone who may not have made it into the FBI, or obtained his real goal, which was the BAU. Or he could have been an analyst but was asked to leave. He wants us to know that he’s better than all other behavioral analysts. He’s knowledgeable about technology. He was able to hack into the victims’ apps and cell phones and manipulate them.”
He sighed. “Actually, most people don’t realize how easy it is to hack into a cell phone.” He frowned and looked up from the report. “But aren’t your phones protected by the FBI?”
“Yes,” Logan said. Alex noticed that he ran his hand through his thick dark-blond hair, something he did when he was worried. “That’s why we decided he had more than a basic knowledge of the technology needed to break into our phones. However, we do use them for personal calls sometimes. If he hacks into phones, he’d know how to spoof the numbers of our families and friends and call us, making us think it was one of them.” He shrugged. “I’m not an expert on this. We talked to someone in the Cyber Crimes Unit. He says our UNSUB certainly has enough knowledge to be dangerous.”
“Which reminds me,” Gorman said. “Cyber Crimes couldn’t find anything helpful from the voice on any of the videos. No matches. Harper couldn’t tell me much either, but he did mention someone odd at the convention who particularly wanted to meet Davis. He sat with our sketch artist and came up with this.”
Gorman handed each team member a drawing of an overweight man with a large nose and a long chin. “He wore a cap,” Gorman said, “but Harper thinks he may have been bald. He talked to so many people he can’t remember all the details. Frankly, I’m shocked he came up with this much information. He also warned me that this guy might not have anything to do with what’s happened. Davis was approached by fans quite frequently.”
“The man at Monty’s grandmother’s was overweight too,” Alex said, “but he was wearing a ski mask so we couldn’t see his face.”
“So it could be the same man,” Gorman said. “Harper said the odd guy was of medium height and so was the man with Mrs. Wong.”
“It’s possible,” Logan said, “but that’s a real leap. A lot of people are overweight.”
Gorman sighed and pointed at them. “I know you turned off your phones, but I need to take them. Agent Cole said if he has to speak to you before you get back, he’ll call me and I can relay the message. I’ll send your phones with the agents who pick you up.”
“Will we get new phones when we get to Quantico?” Logan asked.
“Yes. Your tech guys will meet you and give you phones with numbers on a very limited distribution list. This should help keep you safe.”
“Okay,” Alex said slowly. “But what about you?”
Gorman held out the report. “You said he’s after FBI profilers. I’m not one. Why would he come after me? How would he even know who I am?”
“You’re connected to us now,” Kaely said. “I think that puts you in his line of sight. Just be careful. And use your landline phones. Try to stay off your cell phones. At least while we’re still here.”
Gorman frowned. “We’ll try, but if this guy is after analysts, we don’t qualify.”
“It’s your call,” Logan said, “but I agree with Kaely. I know it will be a little difficult, but it will be safer. It’s just temporary.”
“All right, but I doubt that will work for me all the time.” Gorman went back to the report. “So this guy’s anger is focused on John Davis.” The chief sat down in one of the chairs at the table. “Then why didn’t he stop after he caused Davis’s death?”
Alex handed him a paper from one of their files. “Look at this,” she said. “First our UNSUB sends him an email that reads, ‘Those in law enforcement pay a heavy price when they constantly look into the dark minds of evil.’”
Gorman gazed at the information she’d put in front of him. “That’s a quote from Davis’s book Dark Minds, right?”
He nodded. “I think I’ve read every book he’s written. Dark Minds was one of the reasons I went into law enforcement.” He laughed. “Actually, a lot of your profile fits me. I tried to get into the FBI, but I didn’t make it. Several of my officers tried too and weren’t chosen. I took rejection as a sign that I was where I was supposed to be. In the end, I’m glad I did. Not sure I’d be comfortable with some of the things you people have to deal with.”
“My point is that he’s talking about those in law enforcement. If he was just targeting John Davis, why would he refer to them?”
“Then there’s the mention of a heavy price,” Logan added. “We think he feels called to visit this heavy price on anyone who fits that description. But especially those who work with the BAU.”
“Okay. So what about the pages sent to or left with the victims?” Gorman asked.
Alex took another piece of paper from the file. “Here’s the page from the first killing.” Gorman picked it up and read the highlighted words aloud. “‘In those early days, I worked with several great agents. The success we had didn’t belong to one person. We were a team, each agent bringing his special skills to our efforts.’”
He shook his head. “Was he talking about Davis? Or was he hinting at his next victim?”
“The second death was Davis’s ex-friend, Evan Bayne,” Logan said. “I think this was directed toward him.”
“Sounds like Bayne would have made a great suspect,” Gorman said. “Too bad he’s a victim.”
“Except our UNSUB doesn’t seem to care about the feud between Davis and Bayne,” Logan said. “Going after Monty’s grandmother proves that.”
“Let’s look at the book page left at her house,” Alex said. “On the back of the page, he wrote the numeral three.” She picked up the copy of the page and read, “‘After we proved that the Behavioral Science Unit could help law enforcement find UNSUBs faster, agents began to ask if they could join our unit. Evan Bayne and I, along with a couple of other agents working alongside us, developed a list of requirements to join the unit. Over the years, the FBI refined the prerequisites needed to apply. Although the list is strict, it stresses experience over education, which is good. Very few people make it.’”
“I’ve read this several times,” Gorman said. “I don’t understand what he’s saying.”
“We’re not sure either,” Kaely said, “but mentioning the requirements needed to join the BAU might confirm our earlier suspicion that he’s angry about being rejected from the BAU. I think he’s mentioning the prerequisites because he thinks they’re too stringent.” She frowned. “But this can’t be what triggered him. If we’re right about his age, he couldn’t have recently been rejected from the BAU. Most people who ask to join the BAU are younger. Agents who’ve spent several years in the field. In their late twenties or early thirties.”
“So you don’t know what triggered him?”
“No,” Alex said. “Having that knowledge would help a lot, but so far we haven’t been able to find it.”
“But we still think he was rejected by the BAU in some fashion,” Logan added.
“You know, the number of people rejected for the BAU has to be rather large.”
Gorman sighed and put the report he’d been holding on the table. “I’ll go through all of this carefully. Thank you for your hard work.”
“Wait a minute,” Kaely said. She reached for the paper with the message left at Mrs. Wong’s house. She read it slowly, then looked at Logan. “I just realized something.” She pointed at the paper. “This sentence? ‘Evan Bayne and I, along with a couple of other agents working alongside us, developed a list of requirements to join the unit.’”
“So?” Logan asked.
“I’m an idiot. I totally missed something important. When the BAU was in its infancy, Davis not only worked with Bayne but was assisted by another agent. I know him. He was in his early twenties back then. In his late sixties now. He was teaching some classes at the academy for a while, but he left not long ago.”
“Who are you talking about?” Gorman asked.
“Donald Reinhardt. The man who kicked me out of the BAU three years ago.”