***
SchoolOffice.
"You''''''''resayingyou''''''''readetective?"
Shayfrowned,givingthemaninfrontofhimaonce-over,makingnoefforttohidehisskepticism.
Theceilingfanrattledinthefacultyofficewithasteadyda-da-da.Severalteacherspreparinglessonsgncedup,curiosityandfusionwrittenacrosstheirfaces.
Junadjustedhisgssesandtuckedawayhisbadge.Thiswasn''''''''tthefirsttimehisauthorityhadbeeionedduringanassigheexcitementhehadfeltwhenhefirstjoihehomicideunitlikeacrueljoke,repcedayearterbyfrustrationanddisillusio.
Hehadgoneagainsthisfamily''''''''swishes,givingupabusinessdegreetopursuecriminalpsychology—adecisionhehadoncewornwithpride.
Hehadimaginedhimselfpredigcriminals''''''''move,breakingdowntheirdefenses,ffessions,andseeingjustie—justlikethebrilliaivesfromtheshowsandanimehehadidolizedasachild.
Reality,however,wasfarmorebrutalthanhisidealism.
Hisminddidn''''''''tmovefastenough.Maybehetrulywasn''''''''tcutoutforthis.Nomatterhowmanybookshe''''''''dread,criminalsneverfollowedtextbookpatterns.
Heknewheckedtheexperieheseasonediigatorsi.Itmadeseheylookeddownonhim—butdidtheyreallyhavetodismisshiseffortssopletely?
Theyhimjoinrealiigations.Howwashesupposedtogainexperienceifalltheyeverallowedhimtodowassortthroughmustyoldcasefiles?
Whenhewasfinallygiveospeak,itturtheywerejustwaitingtotearhimdownforhisso-calledignorance.Assigogatherbackgroundinformationoims,hehadn''''''''tevenbeenprovidedformaldotationtosupporthisauthority.Nowonderpeoplequestionedhim.
Hebelievedtheywerejealousofhim—jealousofhisyouth,jealousofhiseducation.Thoseiigatorswithlittleformaltrainingwouldnevermeetthenewpromotioncriteria.Theyweredestioremainfieldiigatorsforlife.
Buthim?Oneday,hewouldriseabovethemall.
"I''''''''mtheteamleaderoftheBehavioralAnalysisUnit,"Junsaid.
Teicallytrue—ifoneighatthe"unit"sistedsolelyofhimself.Butteamleadersouterthanloneanalyst.
Shay''''''''sreasurprisedhim."Ohhh!YoumeaheBAUinCriminalMinds?That''''''''ssocool!"
Leaninginspiratorially,Shaywhispered,"Isthisaboutaserialkiller?Apsychopath?HowIhelp?"
Junsteppedback,eyeinghimwarily.
Shaywasthehomeroomteaadelihefirstvictimidentifiedonthediscrecoveredfromthecrimese.Junhadstartedtheiigationwithhimbecause,inthiscssofjustthirty-fivestudents,fivegirls''''''''namesappearedoimlist.
Notigthegrowingcuriosityfromotherteachers,Juntiltedhishead."wetalksomewheremoreprivate?"
"Ofcourse,ofcourse!"Shaywinked,asifshari."MycsshasP.E.thisperiod.Wetalkinthe."
Junfollowedhimdownthehallway.
Shaywasashort,slightlyfrailmanwithshoulder-lengthhair.Frombehind,hecouldeasilybemistakenforohefemalestudents.
Coulditbehim?Jun''''''''smindraced.Couldthevictimshavemistakenamanfirl?
AtShay''''''''sdesk,JunnoticedaphotoshowinghimreceivingabckbeltinTaekwondo.Hewasn''''''''tasdelicateasheappeared.
ButasMoxi''''''''sreporthadstated,thedeathsweren''''''''tcausedbybluntforcetrauma.Theyhaddiedfromextremesexualeuphoria.
Jun''''''''sgazeinvoluntarilydippedtoShay''''''''sbacksidebeforehecaughthimself,swallowinghardandtuggingathispants.
***
The
Thewaslyarranged,filledwithsoftpasteldecorations.Itradiatedthesweet,youthfulenergyofteenagegirls.
Aseatingchartedtothele.Ju,pointingtoaname."Madelinewascssmonitor?"
"Ah,that''''''''sfromthestartofterm.Sheisn''''''''tanymore."
"Why?"
"Shewasalwayswell-behaved,butforsomereasoartedagalittle...differentthissemester."
"Differenthow?"
"Well,youknowhowteenagegirlsare—proooverthinking,overlysensitive."Shayflippedthroughthecsslogbook."Lastweek,shegotintoafightonthefieldtriployeeattheamusementpark.Shereceivedaminordemeritbecauseofthat."
Juntookthelogbook.WhehenameofMadeline''''''''soppo,hispupilstracted.
HecopieddowriesretedtoMadelinefromthecsslogbookandquicklybegantonoticeapattern.
ThetimestamponMadeline''''''''sfirstvideomatchedthestdayofmidterms,whenschoolhaddismissedearlyatnoon.Thegirlhadlikelytakeowasideforawhileinsteadofgoingstraighthome—anopportunitythatunfortunatelyputherinthesightsofthosetwomen.
Thisexpinedwhyherparents,wheninterviewed,recallednothingunusuaboutthatday.Aftertheassault,Madelinehadstillmaoreturherusualtime.Threatehesetwomen,shehadn''''''''ttoldherparentsthetruth.Heremotionaldownturnhadbeeninterpretedasdisappoioverpoorexamresults.Theyhadofferedhersomefortbuthadn''''''''tprobedanyfurther.
Followingthat,Madeliookaweekofffromschoolduetoillness.Uptoschool,shecshedwithCssmateA.AcctoShay,Madelinehadneverhadflictswithanyoneincssbefore.Theargumentwasattributedtostressfrompoorexamresultsortheaftereffectsofherillness,anditwasn''''''''ttakenseriouslyatthetime.
Juood.Asixteen-year-oldgirl,viotedandterrified,yetuelnyone.Fear,shame,repression,fusion,andackofsafetywouldhadcausedheremotionstospiralintoanever-deepeningpit.
Fromthationward,thecsslogbeganrecvariousfrisbetweenMadelineandhercssmates.Asaresult,Shaytemporarilyremovedherfromthepositionofcssmonitor.
JunaskedShayaboutthecauseoftheargumeweenMadelineandCssmateA,butdidn''''''''tgetaclearanswer.
Atthetime,onlythetwogirlswerepresent.Wheeacherfollowedupter,herwouldtalkaboutit.Teenagersoftensquabbleovertrivialthings,aeachersdismisseditasaminorspat,payinglittleattention.
ButJuncouldn''''''''tig.BecauseCssmateAwasfirstassaultedbythosetwomenjustthreedaysafterthatargumentwithMadeline.
TherewerefourvideosofCssmateA,spanningroughlyamonth.JustwhenMadelinehadstartedtobelieveshehadescapedandthenightmarewasover,thosetwomen"summoned"heragain.
ThepatternwaschilliimeMadelinewasassaulted,shewouldhavesomeinexplicableflictwithacssmatewithinadayortwo.ThethreeirlswhounwittinglytriggeredMadeline''''''''s"ndmiuallybecamethethird,fourth,andfifthvictimsiobeharassedbythetwodeceasedmen.
MaybeCssmateAwasn''''''''tsomeoneMadelinedeliberatelyledintothattrap,butthatmonth-longgaphadgivenherabrieftasteofrelief.Shehopedthatifanirlcouldsatisfythosetwomen,shemightfinallybefreefromhumiliatioimeanewgirlwasvictimized,Madeliobreathealittleeasier—untiltheydraggedherbacktothatsmall,grimroom.
AndtheamusementparkemployeeMadelinehadfoughtwithstweek?Shemighthavebee.
Juntookadeepbreath,feelingacoldchillcreepthroughhischest.
Hekhatemployee.Ifshehadtrulyfallenvictimtothosemonsters,CaptainLumightneveragainbeabletoleadwiththesamesteadyposure.Hemighthaveleftafewmoremarksonthosecorpseswithhisownhands.
EveryoheteamknewhowmuchLucaredaboutReya.Whentheyfirstsawthevideoatthecrimese,Lu—normallyunshakableinanysituation—haddispyedrare,intensefury.Throughoutthisiigation,hisfirlsfaroutweighedhisfotheprimaryobjective:tragdownthekiller.
Junstoodatthedoor,eyesfixedontheendofthecorridor.MadelinewaswalkingbackwithhercssmatesafterP.E.,herfaceflushedfromexercise,glowingwithyouthfulvitalityandjoy.
Thankheaventhosetwometotheirgraves.
Yettheidentityoftheirfinalvictimremainedagapingwoundinthecase.