A Criminal's Mind

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Since we have all but closed the case, the guys decide they want to go to the local bar to celebrate. Brassel, the young officer who had helped us in with the files and in the evidence locker, came as well, "can you teach this stuff?"

Ford shrugs, "we should." He looks over to Tench, "Bill, why aren't we teaching profiling at the Academy?"

Tench clears his throat, "because we're still figuring it out." Tench points over to me "you... I didn't know your voice went that high."

I chuckle and shake my head, "what can I say? I played the part."

"You sure did," Ford nods.

Brassel walks over to me and leans against the bar, "do you like bourbon?"

"Haven't tried it," I shake my head.

"Two more," Brassel points to the glass he has in his hand. I shake my head again, "what I can't get over is the rock. He couldn't control his reaction."

I shrug, "everyone has a rock."

"What?"

"Something that makes them sweat."

"What makes you sweat?"

I chuckle softly and shake my head, "uh... well, about a week ago I went to my cousin's wedding. We are getting everything set up and in the middle of the room, all my family and friends around, my dad looks at me and says 'Nancy, have you had intercourse with a man recently'?"

"Jesus no."

"Yeah," I chuckle and shake my head. "I mean, what do you say to that."

Ford chuckles, "yeah, Dad, a few actually."

"Shut up, Ford," I chuckle.

"Oh, last name," Ford holds his chest, "that cuts deep, Nance."

I shake my head, "but all I could do is freeze and if the same thing were to happen a year from now I would react the same way."

Tench chuckles, "let's be clear, all they did was put the killer's murder weapon in front of him."

"Come on, Bill," Ford shakes his head, "we put the weapon and Nancy in front of him."

I play push Ford a bit, "we posited that the killer might feel guilty. And then, just... created a situation where the guilt completely overwhelmed him."

"It wasn't guilt," Tench shakes his head. "It was the pucker of 'oh, shit, I'm going to the electric chair'."

Brassel laughs, "how'd you come up with this stuff?"

"To be honest," I shrug, "most of it was Holden. But we got it from interviewing Richard Speck, Jerry Brudos and Ed Kemper."

"You talked to them firsthand?"

I shake my head, "I've only talked to Brudos."

Ford nods, "and we've got Manson and Berkowitz on the wish list."

"No shit," Brassel smiles. "Unbelievable, I can't believe they'd let a sweet little flower like you in there with those monsters."

Tench chuckles, "don't let her disposition fool you. Nancy is one hell of a fighter."

"Could have fooled me," Brassel shrugs, leaning against the bar, looking toward me, "what was he like?"

"Not to speak out to turn," Ford chuckles, "but they are fucked up."

"Amen," I nod.

As the night goes on Brassel has no end of flirting. Even as the night winds down and the bar begins to clear out, Brassel and I are still talking, but I can see Tench and Ford keeping a watchful eye and I can hear them talking, "what do you think of Brass?" Tench takes a drag off of his cigarette.