Early the next morning, Jack was busy in the kitchen, preparing a heartfelt breakfast for the sleeping beauty in bed when both their phones rang simultaneously. The calls were from Rossi and Hotch—another body had been found near the beach. The team was split in two, with Jack, Reid, and Rossi heading to the dump site while the others went to investigate the victim's hotel.
After quickly saying goodbye to JJ, Jack grabbed an Uber to go home and get his car. He had left the Suburban near JJ's place the night before, thinking it was convenient after their visit to the gym. But driving together to work the next day seemed a bit too much, so he decided to swap his car.
Despite having a new car, Jack remained loyal to his old Trans Am and used it for work. After changing into fresh clothes, he sped toward Santa Monica Yacht Harbor. Even though he had been delayed, Jack still arrived first, driving fast and barely touching the brakes. By the time Rossi and Reid finally showed up, Jack had already been in the water for a while.
The body had been stuffed under a wooden pier, with half of it submerged in seawater. Jack had to remove his shoes and wade into the water to examine it.
When Rossi and Reid arrived, Jack waved them off, signaling that they didn't need to get their feet wet.
"The body's almost identical to the previous ones—single gunshot to the head, castrated post-mortem, and this time, it's wrapped in plastic again," Jack said, pulling himself back onto the pier with Reid's help. As he wiped off the sand and water from his feet and put his shoes back on, he continued, "The killer seems to be sticking to the same MO but switching between wrapping and not wrapping the bodies."
"So, our theory holds—the killer wraps the bodies when there's some emotional attachment. We just haven't figured out what that emotional trigger is yet," Reid theorized.
Jack nodded in agreement. "Yes, and while the disposal method has changed, the killer is still choosing beach locations. There's likely some significant meaning to these places—it's like the comfort zone theory you mentioned when drawing the crime map."
Rossi ended a phone call and turned to the pair. "Jack, did you smell alcohol on the body during your examination? Hotch and the others found empty bottles in the hotel room—the minibar was completely emptied."
"Yeah, no need to unwrap the plastic to smell the booze. This guy was absolutely wasted before he died," Jack confirmed as he dialed Garcia.
"Hey, darling, please tell me you have some good news. We're up to five victims now," Jack said, hoping for a breakthrough.
"You might be disappointed, Prince Charming," Garcia sighed. "I have a question for the genius Reid. Sean Taylor, one of the victims, rented a blue Dodge after he landed, but the local police can't find it. The rental company's retrieval system isn't working because the GPS was disabled. How do I find this car?"
Unfortunately, even Reid was stumped for the moment.
"Were there similar issues with the other victims' cars?" Rossi asked from the side.
"Yes, Joseph Krause also rented a car, and it's missing too," Garcia confirmed.
"So, our killer also happens to be skilled at car theft?" Jack mused.
"Not necessarily—he might just be an experienced mechanic," Reid suggested.
With no immediate solution to the missing cars, Jack refocused on his original purpose for calling Garcia.
"By the way, Garcia, can you check the toxicology reports for the victims? What were their blood alcohol levels?" Jack asked.
After a brief pause, Garcia responded, "All four previous victims had fairly high levels of alcohol in their systems."
As soon as Garcia spoke, the trio exchanged glances—this was the common thread they had been searching for.
---
Two hours later, the entire team gathered at the local police station for their first profile meeting.
Rossi started the discussion. "The killer started about two months ago, but the frequency of attacks has increased over the last few weeks. Why is that?"
Jack sipped the bubble tea he had grabbed on the way. He hadn't had time for breakfast, having left it all for JJ.
"It suggests the killer is becoming more agitated, feeling an increasing need to vent. Whether due to financial or emotional reasons, things are getting worse for him," Jack proposed.
"The killer's comfort zone is fairly well established—somewhere between Santa Monica and Redondo Beach. He seems fixated on dumping the bodies near the water, though we don't know why. We've only managed to trace the victims' last known movements up to around 9 PM on the nights they disappeared," Reid noted, his pencil spinning effortlessly in his hand as his mind raced, making Jack a bit envious.
"We still haven't located any of the missing vehicles," Chief Parker added, concerned.
"Could the killer be posing as a hitchhiker and attacking the victims when they offer him a ride?" someone suggested.
Hotch shook his head. "That doesn't explain how the killer knows which victims are emotionally vulnerable. Financial ruin or emotional distress aren't things you can easily gauge from someone's appearance."
JJ nodded. "From the gym footage, Sean Taylor still seemed agitated when he left. He was clearly struggling."
"Joe Krause's wife mentioned he had been in a bad mood lately, dealing with financial problems and often going to the beach to clear his head," Hotch recalled from his conversation with Mrs. Krause.
"So, could the victims have been seeking solace at the beach when the killer found them?" Rossi asked, turning to Jack.
"What do you do when you're feeling down?" Rossi asked Jack, catching him off guard.
"Go on a date? Uh, no," Jack stammered, glancing nervously at JJ before quickly looking away. He then thought of his old friend, John, and what he would do when he was upset—come over to Jack's place, drink, smoke cigars, and rant about his ex-wife and son.
"Find a place to grab a drink?" Jack finally suggested, recalling the strong smell of alcohol on the victims. It seemed like the right answer.
Rossi nodded. "Maybe the victims weren't lured to the beach by the killer. They went there on their own, and the killer was waiting for them."
The fog surrounding the case seemed to lift as everyone's minds started working faster.
Emily murmured, "No one would turn down a free drink at a bar or a party, especially when feeling down. Sure, they might reject someone's romantic advances, but a stranger offering kindness? That's exactly who you'd want to talk to."
Reid, ever the realist, brought them back to the problem. "But we still haven't cracked one critical question. Even if Garcia's background checks show that all the victims were dealing with financial issues, it doesn't explain why some were wrapped in plastic while others weren't. There must be another factor we're missing."
Chief Parker, feeling overwhelmed by the rapid exchange of ideas, asked, "So, can you at least tell me what my officers should be looking for? After today's fifth body, the city council is practically breathing down my neck for a quick resolution."
Hotch took a moment to think before giving a concise summary. "We're looking for a middle-aged man targeting individuals who are emotionally vulnerable and seeking to drown their sorrows near the beach. He appears non-threatening and is good at listening, quickly gaining the victims' trust. Within a short conversation, he convinces them to open up about their troubles.
"We believe the killer himself has recently faced financial ruin or a personal crisis, and he's using his crimes to 'free' his victims from their suffering, seeing it as an act of mercy."
Reid added, "And after the victims are dead, he castrates them, likely due to his own psychological and physical impotence."
"And he's likely skilled in car mechanics or knows how to disable GPS systems," Rossi concluded.
Parker looked troubled but nodded. Although still a needle in a haystack, the profile at least gave him a better idea of what that needle might look like.
"I think I know how Garcia should refocus the investigation," Jack said, drawing everyone's attention.
"Have her look into the victims' spending records, particularly related to alcohol—liquor stores, bars, anywhere they might have bought drinks. We might find a common location," he suggested.
With renewed purpose, the team set off to narrow down the search for their elusive suspect.
-
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