Page 75 of Losing Control

The phone on Cole’s desk buzzed again. “Yes, Grace.”

“Nita Sanchez is here. Do you want her to wait?”

“No. Send her in. Her timing’s great.” He hung up the phone and looked at Scott. “The coroner’s here with the final autopsy report on the latest victim. I thought you’d like to hear it firsthand.”

“Thanks.” He closed the folder and stood up as the door opened.

Cole made introductions.

Settling into her chair, Nita opened the large envelope in her hand.

“Why don’t I just take it from the top?” She looked from one man to the other. “Stop me any time you have any questions.”

Cole nodded. “Go ahead.”

He noted that, while Scott kept his face deliberately impassive, the shock at the brutality Nita related was evident in his eyes. He was the first to say something when she was finished.

“This is more than an abduction, rape, and murder syndrome.” His voice was cold and hard, and all business. It was impossible to miss the controlled fury behind it as he outlined his perception of the killer. “People who do this are not hitting on all cylinders to begin with, but this guy has some very serious mental problems.”

“Do you think it’s someone who’s been treated by a doctor?” Nita asked. “Maybe has a history of mental illness?”

“Possible, but not likely. It’s more logical that he’s someone you see every day, someone you’d sit down to dinner with or attend a community event with.”

“Jesus.” The word hissed through Cole’s teeth. This was exactly what Dana had said. “You know how scary that is?”

Scott nodded. “I do. Because this is the most dangerous kind of predator to pinpoint. I see a lot of controlled rage in these acts, probably of long standing and an almost pathological desire to cause pain. This isn’t about sexual assault. This is about control. It’s about inflicting as much torture as possible. His gratification is coming from the suffering of the victim, not the sexual act itself.”

“Are you sure?” Cole had to hear it confirmed for his own mind to accept it.

“I think he’s right,” Nita said before Scott could answer. “The things the killer does are not about pleasure, his or theirs. It’s about pain for pain’s sake.”

“Right.” Scott looked to Cole. “And that’s what gets him off. He probably keeps them awake, so he can see the terror in their eyes as he abuses them.”

Cole ran a hand down his face in an attempt to wipe away the filth that suddenly seemed to cling to his skin. “It’s hard to believe someone I maybe see every day is capable of doing these kinds of things.”

“We’ve all said that,” Nita murmured.

Scott nodded. “These two crimes occurred close together, too. Something’s driving him. Almost as if he has a deadline. Does that mean anything to you? Is there anything different going on around here that might be a catalyst?”

Nita and Cole exchanged a look, and Cole cleared his throat.

“Dana Moretti, the true crime novelist, is in town doing research on an old case. She’s been here about a week. Maybe a little more.”

Scott lifted an eyebrow. “Moretti? I’ve read a couple of her books. One of my buddies in the Tampa office worked with her on one of the cases she wrote about.”

“What did he say about her?” Nita was perched on the edge of her chair, every line in her body screaming her skepticism about the woman.

“Actually, he had a lot of very good comments. Said she’s bright, has good ideas and the mind of a researcher. She knew when to step forward and when to stay out of the way.”

Cole relaxed fractionally. “She has a theory,” he began, watching Nita carefully for her reaction.

“And?” Scott prompted.

“She’s researching a crime spree from twenty-five years ago.”

Scott’s eyes narrowed. “How bad?”

Cole shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “Pretty bad.” He looked at Nita’s impassive face again then back at Scott. “For about eighteen months someone was abducting little girls between the ages of five and seven years. He brutally raped each one of them, then killed them.”

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