Learning from past lessons, Jack had his new truck fitted with a satellite phone. From now on, if he ever found himself in a highway horror scenario again, unless someone blew up his truck, nothing would stop him from calling for backup.
Everyone wanted to experience the thrill of the new truck's powerful engine, including Hotchner, who, for once, didn't insist on driving. In the end, Reid was stuck driving the Suburban, following behind Jack's Mammoth.
After everyone enjoyed the premium leather seats and the exhilarating acceleration, the conversation eventually turned back to the case.
"We've identified four related home invasion robberies and murders so far, spanning around six weeks. The first occurred in early August in Bakersfield, followed by Fresno two weeks later, then Chico eight days after that. In early September, the suspect changed direction and headed south, targeting Sacramento," Jiejie explained.
Since they always traveled in at least two vehicles, everyone was used to chatting over speakerphone during the drive. But today, with Reid driving alone in the Suburban, he had reverted to his usual habit of muttering to himself like when he used to sketch on maps. Rossi raised his voice in response.
"Dr. Reid, focus on driving. Now's not the time to be drawing maps. These crime scenes are spread over 400 miles. We'll have plenty of time to study them when we arrive."
Reid's confident voice came through the phone. "I've been in Los Angeles for almost a year now. I only need to recall California's map from memory."
Rossi was momentarily at a loss for words, but Emily quickly chimed in to ease the tension. "How many serial killers operate like this, moving around to commit crimes?"
"Very few," Rossi replied, shaking his head. "I divide such serial killers into two categories: one is the drifters, homeless wanderers who have no fixed residence. The other is those whose jobs require them to travel, giving them opportunities to kill while on business trips."
"Like truck drivers?" Jiejie asked, contributing more frequently to case discussions now. Both Rossi and Hotchner supported her shift toward specializing in psychological profiling.
"Are you referring to the long-haul trucker Bruce Mendenhall?" Reid interjected. "He killed his victims, transported their bodies across four states, and then dumped them near truck stops."
"But Mendenhall specifically targeted high-risk victims, usually sex workers or female hitchhikers," Jack countered. "If our suspect were a truck driver, he'd need a large vehicle. While these victims lived in remote areas, a big truck would still attract attention. In these four cases, neighbors reported not even seeing an unfamiliar car, let alone a truck."
The type of truck driver serial killer Jiejie mentioned is notoriously hard to catch. In a country like the U.S., where state jurisdictions often don't communicate effectively, and even globally, this is a significant challenge.
In many cases, such killers, who target sex workers and single female travelers, are rarely caught due to the nature of their jobs.
For example, Bruce Mendenhall's capture was a complete coincidence. The truck stop where a body was found was located near the junction of three states. Due to jurisdictional issues, the local police requested FBI assistance.
The FBI's investigation uncovered more similar cases, leading them to suspect a serial killer. However, they had no solid evidence to identify the perpetrator.
One persistent detective, unwilling to let it go, watched the grainy parking lot footage over and over again until he focused on a yellow truck.
While driving back to the truck stop, he happened to see a similar vehicle and decided to pull it over. To his surprise, the cab was filled with blood.
After forensic analysis, blood from eight women was found in the cab, though only three bodies have been recovered to this day.
If they were dealing with that kind of serial killer, Jack genuinely doubted they'd catch the suspect anytime soon. This case might even turn out to be BAU's first major failure.
However, Hotchner agreed with Jack's assessment. "I'm leaning toward a door-to-door salesman. They move around and wouldn't draw much attention."
Rossi added, "Or maybe a computer technician, someone who travels to homes to install software or repair computers."
The group threw out ideas, including real estate agents and property appraisers—jobs that required travel but didn't raise suspicion. The only profession left unmentioned was electricians.
Several hours later, the two vehicles and six agents arrived at the Sacramento Police Department. When they entered the task force's office, they were stunned by the sight before them.
The entire floor was packed with plainclothes officers, badges visible, all busily working. Jack quipped with a grin, "I've worked at LAPD for a whole year and never seen this many detectives."
A burly, bald, Black detective strode toward them, extending his hand warmly. "I'm Detective Lyman. Welcome to the FBI's brilliant profiling experts."
"I'm Agent Jiejie," she replied with a smile, shaking his hand before introducing the rest of the team.
"We've set aside a room just for you. Please follow me," the bald detective led them into a large conference room.
Inside, several other detectives were busy organizing files. What caught the BAU team's attention immediately was the entire wall turned into an evidence board, featuring a massive map alongside numerous crime scene photos.
Beside the large map, an A4 sheet was pinned up with just a few words typed on it: "The 'Highway 99 Killer's' Route."
"Looks like someone beat you to it," Emily nudged Reid playfully with her elbow, exchanging amused glances with Jiejie.
Hotchner, studying the map, turned around and asked, "Who came up with this nickname?"
Detective Lyman stood a bit straighter, tilting his head proudly. "I did."
"Uh, I'm going to go draft a media statement," Jiejie quickly excused herself, sensing the impending storm from Hotchner.
"I'll help you!" Emily, always quick-witted, followed her out. No one wanted to be around for what was about to happen.
"Rossi, want some coffee? I think I spotted a nice bakery nearby. I'll bring you back a treat," Jack volunteered, slapping on his foodie persona as he dragged a clueless Reid out of the office.
Rossi found a seat, pulled out a stack of files from his briefcase, and pretended to focus on research.
The four agents stopped near the door, pretending to discuss something but actually eavesdropping on the conversation inside.
Unaware of the shift in atmosphere, Detective Lyman continued talking excitedly. "I figured, since he's been killing along Highway 99, why not just call him the 'Highway 99 Killer'? I've already notified the California Highway Patrol to step up patrols along that route."
"Hold on, don't rush things," Hotchner's voice remained calm but firm, with an air of finality.
"We'll be sending a memo to all investigators involved, requesting that this nickname be withdrawn."
Lyman's face froze, and he placed his hands on his hips, pulling back his suit jacket. "I don't understand what you mean."
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