He released her so he could flip through the pages. “Not surprisingly, she says the killer is filled with rage.”
Francesca leaned against him. “What killer isn’t? Anything else?”
He began to read aloud. “‘As you know, rape is about anger, not lust. And beating someone to death is intensely personal. I believe the man you’re looking for has reason to hate his victims and feels justified in violence. That’s why he left April Bonner on the street. Maybe she caused him extra trouble or threatened him in some way. He responded by humiliating her, not necessarily to show off his deeds but to make a statement that those who cross him will get what they deserve. I draw this conclusion from the pictures you sent, in which the victim is nude and posed with her legs splayed and her arms akimbo. It’s almost as if he’s calling her a whore.’”
“That’s so unfair,” Francesca interjected. “April wasn’t even close to being a whore.”
“A killer’s perception is hardly ever the reality,” Jonah responded.
“So do you think it’s Butch, with his threats and cutting my telephone line and hiding a black garbage bag in the middle of the night? He could be punishing the women who threaten his marriage, even though he’s really the one who’s to blame. Or is it Dean, acting out because he hates the women who reject him?”
“Nothing I’ve seen so far rules out one or the other,” he said. “If you haven’t worked with forensic profiles before, I should warn you that they’re pretty general. If profilers get too ambitious, too specific, and they’re wrong, they can throw off an investigation, and I know Winona’s very careful not to do that.”
“I didn’t expect her to name the killer, but it would’ve been nice if she’d been able to recognize some detail or signature that would point to one rather than the other. Even if Finch and Hunsacker managed to dig up a body at the salvage yard, our two main suspects live in the same house. How will we know which one put it there?”
Jonah shifted so he could slip his arm around her again. “Trace evidence, I hope—a hair or a footprint. But…there’s something else troubling me about this case.”
“What’s that?”
“I don’t get the feeling any of the victims were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, you know? I think Winona is right about the perpetrator seeking vengeance against specific individuals.”
“But for what? What could these women have done?”
“You mean, what could Butch or Dean have perceived them as doing? Anything.”
Francesca frowned. Maybe that was true, but it wasn’t very helpful. “Does Winona have anything else to say?”
“Just what I already know. That killers who pose their victims are almost always white and generally older.” He paused. “Here’s something you might like. She also feels the person we’re looking for is small in stature.”
“Small in stature?” Francesca echoed.
“There’s your differentiation between Butch and Dean, huh?”
Except that, even after her skirmish with Dean last night, in her heart she believed it was Butch and not his brother-in-law. “What makes her think so?”
“The killer used a weapon to bludgeon these women to death. She claims that a man who’s already raped a woman and who’s confident in his own strength would most likely resort to strangulation. It’s quieter, it’s not as messy and it takes about the same amount of time.”
“But the reason for the weapon could tie back to the rage she’s mentioned. Bludgeoning is far more violent.”
“True.”
The ring of Jonah’s cell phone interrupted them. “Finch,” he muttered. “Finally.” Setting the profile aside, he turned on the speaker phone and leaned against the desk, still keeping her close. “Hello?”
“We’ve got him,” Finch announced.
Suddenly all business, Jonah came to his feet. “What did you say?”
“We have him.”
“Who?”
“Dean. Who else? He’s in custody.”
Francesca and Jonah exchanged an uncertain look. “They’ve been busy, all right,” she murmured.
“So it’s over?” Jonah asked. “You’re sure he’s the one?”
“He’s the one.”
Francesca joined the conversation. “What physical evidence do you have?”
“The rope he left at your house, for starters. You need more than that?”
“Pardon the pun, but we want to know exactly what ties him to the murders,” Jonah persisted.
“How about an old freezer with traces of blood? And just an hour ago, we came up with human remains.”
Jonah shoved a hand through his hair. “Can you identify them?”
“No, the victim died a year or more ago. What’s left of her is on its way to the morgue. We should know more tomorrow, once the coroner’s had a chance to take a look. But what do you want to bet it’s Julia?”
“How’d you find Dean?” Francesca asked.
“He called home, and Butch got in touch with Hunsacker.”
Jonah massaged his left temple. “Butch is the one who turned him in?”
“After we found that blood, he realized what his brother-in-law was and became very cooperative.”
“I…see,” Jonah said.
“You don’t sound too excited,” Finch complained.
“I’m not convinced he’s the killer we’re looking for.”
“What?” Irritation suffused the investigator’s voice.
“None of the evidence conclusively rules out Butch.”
“Because we’re still processing it all. Give us time.”
“Does that mean you’ll keep an eye on him in the interim?”
“Come on! We have a lot less on him than Dean!”
Hands in his pockets, Jonah began to pace. “A freezer showing traces of blood was found on his property.”
“Because of Dean.”
“You sure about that? If Dean’s the one killing women, how’s he getting their bodies to Dead Mule Canyon? And how did he dig up and move April Bonner’s body without a vehicle? I doubt he took her corpse on the bus.”
“Stranger things have happened,” Finch replied. “For all we know, he stole Butch’s truck.”
“Without Butch being aware of it?”