To Solve

Chapter 15: The perfect Storm

It was difficult for Parker to watch the video, but it was part of their job.

The unsub kidnapped the women, raped them and then sent the video to the family.

They watched the video without warning, leaving them expectingly very shocked and confused. In the case of Mr. Clemensen (the most recent victim's father), it was so bad that he died of a heart attack.

"So the music's not added like a regular soundtrack. It's in the background, so if you turn it down, you also turn down the voices."

"Well, can't we get Garcia to separate the audio tracks?"

"She's working on it now."

"Well, the sooner we hear how he talks to the victim, the sooner we'll know what kind of man we're dealing with."

"Tell us about Laura Clemensen."

"She's 20 years old, sophomore at Jacksonville University in Florida, assumed to be the fifth in a series of rapes and murders over the past two years. Some women were abducted in parking lots, others while they were running," reported JJ.

"And when was she reported missing?"

"Technically, she wasn't. Her roommate thought she was visiting family. Family thought she was at school."

"Was she close to her family?", Parker asked.

"Very. She had dinner with them on Sunday."

"That was five days ago, and nobody's seen her until now."

"She wasn't killed on the tape, and, given forensics, other victims were tortured for weeks before they were killed, so I think we should operate as if she's still alive."

"Not for long if the bastard gets his way."

"Okay, I don't get it. This is the fifth abduction and now the second DVD. Why'd they wait to call us in?"

"The last victim's family received this DVD two months ago," said JJ and started a second video.

It had the same background, and it was the same guy.

"– Jacksonville PD thought maybe they'd get some more clues. Instead, it just raised more questions."

"Turn that down, please," Gideon asked.

"There seems to be a natural escalation to the murders. It began as brutal attacks against the victims, and now it's psychological attacks to the families."

"So, if the thrill of the kill isn't enough to satisfy his sadistic needs, he needs to spread panic, and he thrives on that."

"Sadistic killers are typically strangers to their victims. It's easier for the offender to torture and kill someone that they don't know."

"Offenders," Gideon corrected Spencer. "The man on the tape isn't doing this just for himself. He's playing to an audience, not her family."

Gideon grabbed the remote control and started the first video again.

"There's someone watching who can appreciate what he's doing, admire his sadistic skills."

"It is a characteristic of partners to record their crimes so they can relive the fantasy later," said Parker.

"How can we be sure?"

"Right there, the camera moves."

"One guy tortures while the other records it. Master and servant."