Page 76 of Losing Control

“How many?” Scott asked.

“How many?”

“Yes. How many children in all?”

Cole fiddled with the folder on his desk. He knew he was about to get jumped on. “Eleven. No, twelve. There was one who survived.”

Nita’s eyebrows lifted almost to her hairline. “I didn’t know there was a survivor.”

“No one’s really discussed it since then. He kidnapped a pair of sisters. One was killed, the other survived, but barely. After the funeral, the parents picked up and moved away.” Cole looked across the desk at him. “The killings ended when the last little girl survived. I don’t know if he stopped because he feared exposure and identification, but as far as I know, no one was ever named. I don’t think the child even knows who it was. I have a hunch the man wore a disguise.”

“What kind of disguise would induce a child to run off when I’m sure they all had the big lecture about strangers?”

Cole looked at Nita again.

“My lips are sealed,” she told him, “but I’ll leave if you’d feel more comfortable.”

Cole blew out a breath. “No, because I want to ask Scott something that would involve you.”

“Let’s hear it,” Scott said.

A knock sounded at his door before he could begin. Grace opened the door to let Zak and Nick inside then closed it behind her. Cole had been keeping them in the loop, but he gave them a shortened version of where they were.

“Dana found a common thread in the reports as well as the interviews she’s been doing with parents,” he said. “It’s clowns.”

“Clowns?” Nita raised an eyebrow.

Zak nodded. “Makes sense. What kid doesn’t love a clown? Great method of enticement.”

“It seems, in almost every instance, the family was at a community event. Rodeo, picnic, county fair, one of several public events that go on around here all the time. At least two mothers said their daughters were last seen running toward a clown.”

“But no clowns with these latest killings.”

“No, but she still thinks the killings could be connected. The difference is those were small children. These victims are teenagers. I wanted to get your take on having Nita look at all the old autopsy reports for similarities.”

Nick leaned forward in his chair. “Maybe the girls are older because he’s older. Maybe his preference has changed over the years. And we don’t know what he’s been doing all this time, if it is the same perp.”

“Dana brought that up, too. Suggested he might have moved his activities to another county to keep from being identified here.”

“Entirely possible,” Zak agreed, nodding.

Nita looked from one to the other. “But that would mean the perp in the old case wasn’t a transient like everyone said. That it’s someone who lives around here. Has for a long time.”

“That’s right. And we have to accept that possibility.” Cole turned to Scott. “Okay, then. Can you profile this perp for us?”

“As soon as I have more information. I don’t suppose the old files are on computer.”

“Unfortunately, no. But I can have someone scan and email them to you.”

“Nita and I can start with the new cases until they can bring us the old ones.” Scott snatched a pad of paper and pen from Cole’s desk and began making notes.

Cole leaned forward. “Next. Zak, can you reach out to your contacts in the FBI to check for similar crimes during the twenty-five-year interim? We could find out if this guy’s been killing all this time somewhere else or just in hibernation, brought out by some perceived danger. I don’t want any more bodies turning up.”

Zak gave him a piercing look. “You really think Dana Moretti’s the trigger for this, don’t you?”

Cole exhaled slowly. “Yes. I do. I know she’s worried about it, too. He may be creating a situation that will overshadow what she’s trying to do. Keep us all so busy no one has time to talk to her, and she’ll give up and leave.”

“Or he could be working up to her,” Scott pointed out. “She showed up, and now he’s nervous.”

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