C.Q.C. Bingo
If it's correct, then the F.B.I. profiler nailed the guy. A white male, forty to fifty, educated, never married, who has trouble forming relationships with anyone. He most likely
FBI Regional Headquarters, Chelsea, Massachusets
Melanie (Mendocino) Saunderson from Staunton, Virginia, had DNA in her ancestral profile that came back as a "Full Sibling." match with the DNA collected at the murder scene of Hannah Castona-Meyers. This match indicates that the only other person in Hannah's kitchen had to be Melanie's brother.
Tanaka was waiting for a phone call from the Special Agents who had visited her in Staunton, Virginia.
Tanaka laughed to herself at how easy catching this rat would be. She was going to identify him using databases and social media data. Tanaka looked at the clock. It was Saturday morning, and she had a goal of having a complete professional profile package of the individual by 1300.
She punched a food delivery app on her phone and ordered a dozen blueberry muffins and a box of Eve's Best Coffee... from The Cardinal And The Jack. Tanaka laughed aloud as she sent an inter-office text that the muffins and coffee would soon be in the break room. No, she would not eat all the muffins herself even though she felt like she could as she "ate for two". Baby Ben was growing fast.
On a Saturday morning, 12 agents and support staff were working on this case, and Wally, the boss, was on his way in. He let it be known that he has a potential angle about who the killer is and why he is doing what he is doing.
Petra's theory is backed up by his story, which was told to Allston, Eve, and himself.
If it's correct, then the F.B.I. profiler nailed the guy.
A white male, forty to fifty, educated, never married, who has trouble forming relationships with anyone. He most likely has a career that requires a meticulous nature. He's intelligent, white-collar, above-average in height, and possibly a bodybuilder, a martial arts student, or both.
Tanaka started to drill down anything that could be found about the Mendocinos in Virginia.
Melanie had two brothers, one much older than her and one younger than her. Rex Mendocino Mel's younger brother had the best alibi a man could have, and he could not have done the murders. He died of Leukemia three years ago.
Melanie's other brother, Dennis, lived in Connecticut and graduated from Boston University around the same time the five girls graduated from H.F.A.C.. Everything about him screamed, "Here I am," and if you listen closely, you could hear 400 women at the Foxwoods Casino High Stakes Bingo Parlor yelling BINGO simultaneously.
Tanaka chuckled as she pulled up a Connecticut license photo of Dennis.
Not a bad-looking guy, Tanaka thought.
He lives in Stamford, Connecticut, just down the road from Petra Schultz's house.
She opened a Link job profile, and his whole story appeared before her eyes.
Geologist, Boston University graduate, and long-term employee of an oil exploration company.
As the Dennis Mendocino dominoes fell, a photo of the box of muffins and coffee hit Tanaka's phone. They were sitting outside the main entrance.
She got up to go get them.
Epping, New Hampshire - A Gun Range
When Allston pulled his truck into the lot, he saw Strier sitting on the tailgate. "If you are not early, you are late." A saying that Marines swear by came into Allston's head. "Ron, Hooh Rah buddy, how are you?" "Getting it done, Allston?" Strier asked.
"The F.B.I. is about to take down a slime ball, and Eve and I helped. Tango, too."
Strier and Allston were about to traverse a C.Q.C. (Close Quarters Combat) course that is only open to law enforcement types. It's a timed course, the type where cutouts of bad and good guys appear, and rapid decisions are needed about whether to ventilate a target. There is an indoor component with stairs and multiple rooms and an outdoor barbeque setting with a target that stands over a grill with a spatula. After sustaining multiple gunshots, the spatula looks more like a large fork.
Who kills the cook? Allston thought.
Today's run would be a rubber match between Strier and Allston. Today's loser would buy the beers and lunch.
Allston thought about this. Strier was a shitty bowler, but he was still a decisive shooter.
A serious coin flip with a Marine Challenge coin gave Strier the option to decide who goes first.
"You're up; first, you broke dick recruit," Strier said.
The 10-second countdown started, and when it hit zero, I stepped into the barbeque pit. I hit the largest center of mass on the cut-out, holding the spatula because in his non-flipping hand was a raised AK-47.
I shot the cook and moved into the stairwell.