SENTIENT

Accountability

At first, AJ was concerned about Larrosa's idea of meeting like this, but the Chevy windows were tinted enough to deter attention. When Larrosa got inside the car, she was in the middle of a call that she couldn't get rid of.

"...and I repeat that we are only prepared for a press conference once we have a conclusive description of the guy we're looking for, which right now, we don't."

The fruity scent of her French perfume filled the interior of the car. She is now looking around to make sure no one saw her getting inside the car.

She continued to speak louder this time, "The best thing for you to do now is let us guide you through this. Yes! I know the city is in under attack. With all due respect, mayor– Fine! We'll see what the director of FBI thinks about this."

AJ didn't ask, but Larrosa told anyways.

"The mayor of Detroit wants to plea for the Blueblood Ripper to surrender and turn themself in," she whined. "What a joke. So, you got something for me?"

"Wow, the FBI is in on this now," AJ eavesdropped out of curiosity. She pulled out a cigarette and gestured if Larrosa would mind her smoking – the lieutenant didn't mind.

"As in 24 hours ago, they sent in an operational team to hopefully expand our criminal database," Larrosa said, wringing her hands and shaking in her boots.

"Based on our reconstruction, we believe the dumping site of the fourth victim is the actual crime scene," AJ confirmed. "Before the victim died, they suffered from circulatory dysfunction, a result from having their liver taken out."

AJ's tablet displayed the reconstruction that shows the killer dragging the victim alive, possibly drugged and tied, and then started chopping her up alive inside the abandoned house.

"But all the other victims were mutilated post-mortem," said Larrosa.

She has now exhausted all of her leads. Between receiving hundreds of calls reporting suspicious doctor malpractice cases in Detroit, she still has no profile or facial composite. Eight victims snatched from the vicinity of local neighborhoods and no witness bats an eye.

"Whoever did this is really changing the M.O., almost as if it's planned by a different killer, but the same purpose," AJ deducted. She stopped the reconstruction footage from repeating and switched off the tablet.

"You're saying there's possibility of an accomplice?" Asked the lieutenant, "But there's never been evidence of two perpetrators on the crime scenes."

AJ blew smoke out through the crack of the window, "More like the doctor harvest the organs and drug the victims, while the handyman chops up and dump the victims."

"That still doesn't explain the random victim selection, not to forget, evolving from high-risk victims to low-risk victims. Moreover, the different methods of disposing the victims. How creative can one guy be?"

"What we know now is that the victims are almost always taken at night. This killer doesn't have the social capacity to lure his victims. He most likely will stalk the victims, learn their routines, and find the right time to overpowered them once they're alone and unguarded."

"How do you know that?"

"Just think about it," said AJ, "If I were you, I'd start looking into deviants with medical experience, maybe they've been fired. They might start incidents at work or they switch workplaces frequently."

Larrosa's smartphone was ringing again, she ignored it the first time. She sighed, "I want to trust you."

"You don't?" AJ asked.