Page 54 of Cold Threat

River’s mouth dropped open. “He bugged our office, Tony. He probably killed David Prescott. Todd is certain some of the people we thought Joseph Baker killed were murdered by someone else. It had to have been him. This guy doesn’t really sound like someone who doesn’t intend to follow through on his threats.”

“We’re not going to let him get to you, River. We’re watching for him. We’re armed. Our homes have alarms. Now there are cameras in our office and in the hall outside our office. The police in St. Louis are aware of the situation and are keeping an eye on us, and your mom. I’m telling you, this man is trying to control you by creating fear. I’m not saying you should ignore the threat. I’m just suggesting that you quit allowing him to rent space in your head. Don’t let him control you.”

Tony had said these same things before, but for some reason, this time, it got through. The man really was controlling her. And it wasn’t just his threats against her. It was knowing that he and Joseph Baker had deceived them. It had attacked her confidence, and she was tired of it. Tired of feeling incompetent. Tired of being afraid. Just tired.

“Okay. I get it. Let’s get back to our profile,” she said. “You’re right. This guy could be getting his kicks by trying to get me to think about him all the time. How long does he intend to keep this up? A year? Two? More? I’m done.”

“Good girl,” Tony said with a smile. “Now, I think we need to make some adjustments to our profile.”

“Tell me you didn’t just call me a ‘good girl,’” River said, glaring at him.

Tony’s surprised look made it impossible for her to keep a straight face. “You’re easy,” she said, laughing. “But seriously, you probably shouldn’t call me a good girl again.”

Tony grinned at her. “You got it. Now, back to the profile....”

“Okay, although I feel like I’m beginning to wonder how many times we have to go over this.”

“We had to redo profiles at the BAU when we got new information,” Tony said.

“I know, but this time it’s bugging me more.”

Tony smiled. “We had a team back then. The weight of helping law enforcement stop a psychopath didn’t lie just on our shoulders.”

“I think you’re right.” River sighed. “Okay, here we go. We’ve learned some things about our UNSUB. He kills his victims first by giving them an overdose of insulin. He doesn’t want to cause his victims pain.”

“And he uses fire for two reasons. To destroy evidence and to express his anger toward his victims,” Tony said. “That’s why we decided he kills for someone else. Avenging someone he cares about. If it wasn’t for this person, he probably wouldn’t be killing.”

“He’s still a psychopath,” River said. “Maybe he doesn’t want to kill, but only because it’s distasteful to him. Not because he really has compassion for people.”

“That makes sense. So, the insulin is a means to an end. It’s easier to sneak into a house and quietly inject someone who’s sleeping. It’s an effective way to kill.” He shook his head. “You know, he probably carries a weapon too. A gun. I mean, if people aren’t asleep or if one of his victims wakes up, he has to have a way to control them. I don’t think he has it in him to stab anyone. He doesn’t like to get his hands dirty.”

“Yeah, I agree,” River said. “Just because no bullets have been retrieved at his crime scenes, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t bring a gun in case he needs it. And as far as using insulin, we can’t completely rule out that he has a modicum of empathy. But as you said, the main reason for his MO is because he’s figured out an efficient and less messy way to murder people.

“Why wrap their hands and feet with wire? Do we still think it’s out of respect for the victims? I mean, posing them as if they were in a coffin?”

“Maybe,” Tony said. “But because he’s organized, he must have studied the effects of fire on the human body. The natural reaction is for the muscles to contract and the joints to flex. So why does he care?”

“You know,” River said slowly, “we know that burning the body is a great way to destroy evidence. And that’s true. But crossing the arms over the chest and securing them—and also keeping the legs in place so that the body stays in place...”

“It’s not because he’s just preparing them for burial, it’s also a sacrifice,” Tony said. River could hear the excitement in his voice. “Abraham tied his son Isaac to an altar as a sacrifice to God.”

“I agree,” River said. “Even though the victim is dead, our UNSUB needs to feel that he’s making a sacrifice for the person he’s trying to avenge. The folded hands are the key.”

“It’s pretty smart. He kills them humanely, because it’s effective, not just because he finds the process distasteful. This way, there’s no fighting back or screaming. Neat and simple. Then he binds the body and sets the fire. This is a sacrifice for the wrong caused to the person he’s killing for. And, of course, he’s destroying evidence.” Tony gazed at River silently. “Notice he doesn’t set the body on fire. Just the area around the bed. The other idea is too graphic for him. He leaves before the body ignites. That was lucky for Sandra Cooper. If he’d waited around, he probably would have finished her off.”

“He’s not just smart,” she said, restating what Tony had just said, “he’s brilliant. He plans his MO down to the last detail.”

“Except in Sandra’s case. He didn’t realize that the insulin might not kill someone who is diabetic.”

“Which begs the question,” River said, “where is he gettingthe insulin? He must not be diabetic, or he would have thought of that.”

“Not necessarily. She was in bed. I doubt she was wearing her medical alert bracelet.”

“You’re right. But if he’s diabetic...”

“Yeah, he’d know that there could be a problem with his MO.”

River frowned at him. “That’s a little careless for someone who’s so precise. And he dropped a syringe. That never happened before.”

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