𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖 ━━ 𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐤 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧

『29』

"1996. The rib cage of a male was found in the Desert Rose National Park. It was never identified." JJ showed us the black and white image. "This morning, the remains of two victims were found in almost exactly the same area." She turned around.

"Well, one year later is cause for concern, but ten years?" Emily questioned. "That could be a coincidence." She shrugged her shoulders.

"It would be...if the unidentified male wasn't missing a right rib bone." Spencer set down the file in front of me.

"And the torso found this morning is missing exactly the same bone." Aaron handed the picture to Emily.

"Both of them seem to be surgically removed, and the advanced rate of decomposition on the male means that he died far before the male." Spencer paced around the table.

"Oh, uh, Katherine Hale. They found a bracelet on her wrist." JJ pulled up a picture of the woman. "She ran away about two weeks ago from her small Colorado town." She informed us.

"UnSub's crossing state lines. He's mobile." I sank back into the comfy chair.

"If the remains are related to the same killer, where's he been for ten years?" Derek looked at the different pictures when Gideon came in with a box.

"Killing." Gideon set the box down and took off the lid. "Unsolved case files going back thirty years." He tossed a stack of files onto the table. "Every case, the victimology is the same. The unwanted." We each took a file and opened them up. "This box is just the tip of the iceberg. Thirteen cases spanning thirty years. Same MO. Right rib bone is missing." He leaned against the table. "It's him, Aaron. It's the same killer." He stared ahead blankly.

"All the remains were dumped in remote areas and always near Interstate 80. And up till now, no remains this intact or this close to the actual time of kill have been found." Aaron looked over at Gideon.

"Never two victims dumped at the same time in the same place." He went over to the screen.

"All of these killings are the work of just one man?" Emily closed up her file.

"The most prolific serial killer ever." Gideon declared. Right after, we left for Nevada, the scene of the crime. Well, multiple crimes. Gideon, Derek, and Aaron headed to the area. Emily, Spencer, and I got set up at the Golconda Police Station.

"Is it just me, or do you get the feeling that we're not welcome here?" Spencer muttered to us in question.

"No need to feel upset. It's not directly us." I assured him.

"It's what we represent. Government's not all the popular out here." Emily clipped on her visitor's pass.

"No! No, you can't make me go! I know what my rights are!" We heard a woman scream. "No, I don't want to go home! I know my rights! Come on!" She yelled at the sheriff dragging her out from the back. "What are you looking at, princesse?" She saw me watching her.

"If that's what you want, Jane." The sheriff struggled with her. "Back to jail." He loosened his grip on her.

"Okay, okay, okay." She calmed down before pushing him away from her. "He's coming. He's coming back. And there's nothing you can do about it!" She grasped Spencer's sweater in her hand. "Do you hear me? Nothing! Nothing!" She finally let go.

"Come on, Jane. Come on." The sheriff pulled her away. Then, something dropped out of her jacket.

"Excuse me, sir" I picked it up. "Pretty sure she dropped this." I tried to give it back to her, but the sheriff stopped me. "Oh, come on. It's harmless." I gave him a look, and the woman grabbed it along with my hand.