Found Obsession

Chapter 15: Unresolved case

Rose's stomach growled, interrupting her focused examination of her unresolved case. She blinked, glancing at her watch. 9:00 PM? A frown creased her forehead.

How did it get so late?

She had been so engrossed in her investigation that she had lost track of time. The room was filled with whiteboards, photos, reports, and scattered notes from her laptop. Her thoughts were entirely consumed by the unresolved case that still taunted her.

From the doorway, Greco broke the silence. "Time flies when you're having fun," he commented, a touch of amusement in his voice, but also a hint of impatience.

Rose barely registered his words, nodding absentmindedly. Her mind was still working through the details of her own case, trying to piece together the elusive connection she kept missing.

Greco, noticing her lack of response, cleared his throat more forcefully. "Miss Hansley, let's put those skills to the test. Profile this:"

Rose was a little lost and tired when she looked back to him he had approached her with a file in his hands.

As Rose glanced over, she saw photographs of crime scenes-three young women, all blonde, aged between 17 and 21.

"They were victims of strangulation, each found in remote areas."

"These women were killed over a two-month span," Greco explained. "The locations vary, but the method is identical-strangulation, no sexual assault, and no defensive wounds. All of them were attacked when they were most vulnerable. We need a profile."

Rose was listening, but only vaguely. Her mind was still preoccupied with the unresolved case in front of her. Greco waited for her to respond, but when she remained silent, a flicker of disappointment crossed his face. He was just about to leave when Rose, almost as if snapping out of a trance, spoke up.

Rose exhaled, turning her attention to the case Greco had just presented.

"You're looking for a man in his 30s, possibly older," she began. "He's physically strong-these women didn't fight back, meaning he either overpowered them quickly or surprised them. No defensive wounds."

Her gaze moved over the photographs again, analyzing. "The fact there's no sexual assault means this isn't sexually motivated. It's personal. He's likely targeting these women because of their appearance-they all resemble someone important in his life. A sister, perhaps, or a mother figure."

She paused briefly, thinking through her next words. "He's probably unassuming, blends into his surroundings. Someone ordinary. He likely has some connection to the areas where the bodies were found, indicating familiarity. This kind of confidence, doing it multiple times without getting caught, suggests he knows these places well."

Then, something clicked for Rose. "He has a troubled history with women, likely starting in childhood. Maybe a strained relationship with a mother or sister. Look for someone who's had difficulty maintaining relationships with women in his life."

Rose finally met Greco's eyes. "He's ordinary, but dangerous. You'll need to dig into his past-look for family conflict, someone who can blend in but has these underlying issues."

Greco stopped, intrigued.

Greco stood still for a moment, taking in her analysis. His expression shifted slightly, a mixture of surprise and something unreadable. Slowly, he nodded. "Not bad, Miss Hansley. Not bad at all."

As Greco turned to leave but stopped once again, Rose noticed something in his expression. She brushed it off, still distracted by her own unresolved case. What she hadn't realized was that the case Greco had asked her to profile was one of the old, solved cases she had been assigned.