Page 44 of Bad Mother

Professor Vitucci offered a smile, but it was fleeting as he got back to business. He turned to the board, looking over the photographs for a moment. “They are often perfectionists and highly meticulous,” he went on. “They plan their murders with great precision, and they are not likely to leave evidence behind, unless on purpose.”

Well, that was one definite they could attest to. And it confirmed what they’d thought about the fact that Mr.Patches’s body made several things easier to investigate. He was leading them somewhere, and so while the addition of clues felt victorious in a way, it also made Sienna feel manipulated. To what end, she couldn’t yet guess.

“Mission-oriented killers will not stop unless they’re apprehended,” Professor Vitucci said. He looked around the room. “Any questions before I move on to the second category?”

There was a general murmuring, but no one raised their hand.

Professor Vitucci nodded once, linking his hands behind his back as he walked in one direction, pivoted, and walked back the other way. “The second category I believe this suspect falls into is the power-oriented killer,” he said, stopping and turning their way. “This type of killer derives gratification from the dominance he exerts over a victim.”

“Does that also go back to the fact that our killer most likely felt inadequate at some point?” Kat asked.

“Inadequate or powerless, yes.” He paused, his gaze moving around the room. “These killers are patient, and they enjoy the process of themurder. It’s him directing you. He derives intense pleasure from that. The cat-and-mouse game is part of the fun for him. This killer seems to find particular enjoyment in making aliteralgame out of the investigation, but other serial killers have done similar things... taunting the police by calling or writing letters to them, drawing maps as to where bodies might be found, leaving clues or notes—even cryptograms—for them at crime scenes.”

“All in an effort to exert the ultimate control,” Ingrid said.

“Precisely,” Professor Vitucci answered.

“The press coverage must thrill him,” Sienna said softly, half to herself.

His gaze hit on her. “Yes, it certainly expands his power reach.”

He gave them a moment, and once the murmuring had quieted, he went on, “Those are the specific things I see when I profile our suspect. But as far as generalities, I have this to give.” He linked his hands behind himself again and paced slowly in front of them, back, forth. “Generally serial killers are white males in their twenties and thirties. They are intelligent, mobile, gainfully employed, long-term residents of the area in which they kill, and their killings typically bring them into close contact with the victim, as with our killer. I would hazard a guess that he fits all of those generalities.”

“So no sharpshooters,” Detective McGee said.

Professor Vitucci’s lips tipped very slightly. “There have been a few of those, actually. There are always exceptions, especially when dealing with the human psyche, but again, in general terms, no, and especially in the two categories I spoke of. No, this killer enjoys the hands-on. Or he’s beginning to.”

Sienna tapped her pen on the pad. Yes, that was true. The ME had guessed that the nature of the second victim’s neck wounds indicated less hesitancy than the first victim’s. If their Danny Boy hadn’t enjoyed the first kill (if itwashis first), then he had enjoyed the second far more. Or at least... he’d gotten better at it.

She went over the other generalities Professor Vitucci had just listed.White male. Twenties or thirties. Drives a car. Has a job.Sienna jotted those things down as she considered the other specifics, her brow dipping. “Professor Vitucci?” He turned, lifting his chin slightly. “You said serial killers tend to kill in areas where they’ve been long-term residents. The two victims live nowhere near each other. What do you attribute that to?”

“I was referring more to the same city than the same neighborhood.” He paused. “But to take it a step further, the place that brought these two victims to the killer’s attention overlaps somehow. This killer chose those two women because he knew their past. He knew their failures. How? Who is he or what does he do that would have brought him into contact with both? Or in what way is he connected to them?”

Sienna gave him a small smile and a nod. Yes, they still needed more information about the two women’s pasts. But they were still sifting through the details of their present.Where did they go on weekends...where did they get coffee...did they use the same gym?She and Kat were buried in lists and didn’t have enough manpower to sift through any of it quickly.

“Can we talk about the letters?” Kat asked.

“Yes. I’ve read through them all once,” Professor Vitucci said. “I’d like to go over them again, since he left clues in the copy. It’s always possible to see something on a second read that wasn’t caught on the first.” The professor frowned. “However, I hesitate to use the letters as a significant part of the profile. Something feels off about them,” he said. “For example, what mother, while doing chores around the home, wears a sexy red vest?”

“So you got the Oedipus vibe too,” Kat said.

He shot her a half smile but paused, seeming to consider that. “Perhaps it is him romanticizing her. Perhaps not. He is playing games, as we already know. To what extent, I’m not entirely sure. I’d keep an open mind. Because as we also know, there is truth mixed in.”

Thetruththat they knew of was the existence of Mr.Patches and likely, considering his verifiable “hobbies,” what he’d done to Danny Boy under the guise of “tutoring sessions.”

“Other than playing games with law enforcement for his own amusement or as a power play,” Sienna said, “do you think there are other reasons for these writings? Kat and I have wondered if he’s trying to explain himself. Do they hint at him feeling remorse?”

“There is likely some of that mixed in there, yes. Or a desire to be understood. He’s telling us something with his writings that he’s not necessarily saying outright. In some sense I’d wager he’s hoping you see through his lies, in order that you understand the truth.”

Sienna worried her lip, not entirely sure she understood that statement, so she wrote it down as Detective Harris asked a question about the forensics of the notes and Kat answered.

Professor Vitucci glanced at his watch. “I’m sorry to say I’ll have to leave in a few minutes as I have an appointment. But please feel free to contact me with any follow-ups. Are there any last questions before I go?”

“Just one,” Sienna said. “The medical examiner confirmed this morning that the first victim, Sheldon Biel, was stabbed to death, as described in the writings. The second two, the recent victims, were strangled. Does this speak to the fact that he’s trying to differentiate himself from his mother? Is there anything to deduce from that?”

“There is definitely differentiation between the killing of Sheldon Biel and the killings of the two recent victims. I would say the main difference, regardless of the two separate killers, is the rage present during the teacher’s murder.”

“Which makes sense since the guy was raping her son on their kitchen table when she walked in the room,” Kat said, and even though Sienna was looking at Professor Vitucci, she heard the grit in Kat’s tone as though her jaw was tight as she said the words.

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