“Is he a lousy investigator, or does he have a bias against sexual assault cases?” Macy asked.

Bennett clicked the top of her marker on and off. “For the most part, he was a very effective investigator. He broke up the rural drug labs regularly, his policies cut the drunk driving rate in half, and when Tobi Turner vanished, he was relentless.”

“He had one hell of a blind spot in the summer of 2004,” Macy said. “Was he undergoing personal issues?”

“His wife was ill at the time,” Bennett said. “She died the following year.”

Cops were human, and personal lives got in the way of good police work, but a sick wife didn’t excuse fifteen years of inaction. “Since you established the DNA connection, have you reached out to surrounding localities?”

“I have,” Bennett said. “I sent teletypes to jurisdictions in Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina.”

“Good. It’s important to look beyond your borders,” Macy said.

Law enforcement didn’t always look beyond the boundaries of their community. The phenomenon was called linkage blindness. This limited view of crime allowed some offenders to operate for years between multiple localities.

Bennett appeared cool, but the steady click, click of the dry-erase marker top suggested this discussion put her on edge. The deputy had worked for the former sheriff for nine years. Based on Bennett’s partial defense of Greene, Macy assumed there was some loyalty there.

“I’ve studied and mapped the attack locations of the rapes, as well as the last known locations of Tobi Turner,” Nevada said.

He walked to a large map of Virginia mounted on the wall and ran his finger along I-81, the north-south spine of the Blue Ridge Mountains. “The rapes are comingled into a single area in the west end of the county. The Wyatt barn, where Tobi Turner’s remains were found, is on the opposite side of the county.”

Investigators used geographic profiling and pinged off of crime scene locations hoping to identify patterns. Nevada was one of the best at this technique and had used it to track many wanted criminals.

“Was the assailant a resident of the area, or was he commuting back and forth to a job?” Macy asked.

“Good question,” Nevada said.

Nevada circled his finger around the two target areas. “The houses of the rape victims were off the beaten path, as was the barn. He’s familiar with the county.”

“Offenders typically don’t like to kill too close to home, so I’d say he doesn’t live in the two attack zones,” Macy said.

“He may not live in Deep Run,” Nevada said. “With the interstate, he might not even live in the area. He could be using I-81 as a pipeline to his victims.”

“That’s a logical conclusion,” she said.

“So you’re saying he’s not a local?” Bennett asked. The pen top clicked again and again.

“We’re just throwing out ideas at this point,” Macy said. “Have you had any missing persons cases over the last fifteen years?”

“No. We do have a local girl who is currently missing. Her name is Debbie Roberson. Her mother called us and was worried. I went by her house, but there was no sign of her car. I knocked on the door, but no answer.”

“What’s your assessment?” Macy asked.

“Most likely she’s taken a few days off,” Bennett said.

“Have you checked with her employer?” Macy asked.

“Next on the list if she doesn’t show up in the next hour,” Bennett said.

“Do you have a picture?” Macy asked.

The deputy pulled up Roberson’s DMV picture on her phone. Macy noted the long dark hair, narrow face, and small stature. “She fits our offender’s victim type.”

Bennett looked at the picture. “It’s been fifteen years since the last known case.”

“Known being the operative word.” Macy shifted in her seat. “The discovery of Tobi Turner’s bones would be the kind of stressor that could set him off if he’s still around.”

Bennett frowned. “The majority of murdered women die at the hands of someone they know.”

“Does she have an ex?” Macy asked.

“An ex-husband,” Bennett said. “I have a call in to him. However, Debbie’s mother stated she didn’t believe he was a risk to her daughter.”

“So you haven’t spoken to him,” Macy said.

Bennett folded her arms. “Only to her mother. I’ll drive by the assisted living facility where he works this afternoon.”

“Does Debbie have a drug problem?” Macy asked.

“None that her mother is aware of, and she doesn’t have an arrest warrant.”

“People keep all kinds of secrets,” Macy said softly, more to herself. “Especially from their parents.” She scribbled Debbie’s name on the clean yellow notebook pad and circled it. “Let’s return to the rape cases. Can any of the rape victims describe the assailant? From what I was reading, he wore a mask.”

“In the witness statements, none of the three women saw his face because he always wore a mask,” Nevada said.

“So you haven’t reinterviewed them yet?” Macy asked.

“We were waiting for you,” Nevada said.

“Excellent,” Macy said. “I also want you to consider holding a press conference. Announce that the three rape cases were connected. There could be more rape victims out there who never reported their assault to the police. And one of those women might have gotten a better look at this guy.”

Bennett unfolded her arms, but her stiff posture radiated stress and strain. “We announced the identification of Tobi’s remains this morning.”

“But you didn’t connect Tobi’s murder to the rapes?” Macy asked.

“No.”

“Good. Don’t. If the perpetrator believes we haven’t linked the cases, he might show his hand,” Macy said.

“And if the killer is watching the press conference?” Bennett asked.

“I’m planning on it,” Macy said. “This guy is organized and careful. We’ll rattle his cage and make him realize he’s not invincible.” Macy drew a solid line under her last notation. “What can you tell me about Tobi Turner?”

Bennett reached for a thick folder and set it in front of Macy. “Tobi was seventeen at the time she vanished. She was an honor roll student, and she played the flute in the band. She attended all the football games, debating events, and dances.”

“The kid kept her nose clean,” Macy said. “But somewhere along the way, she trusted the wrong person.” Her own adoptive mother had infused her with a healthy dose of skepticism that had kept her safe and cynical while growing up.

“Sheriff Hank Greene did quite a bit of work himself on this case, and he worked closely with the state police and FBI,” Bennett said carefully. “This file is packed with witness statements, which is the bulk of the information this office had until now.”

“Tobi’s disappearance received a lot of attention,” Macy said. “Makes me think the killer realized he would be captured if he continued.”

“Or he simply hunted elsewhere,” Nevada said.

“People notice when a girl goes missing,” Bennett said. “I searched multiple databases yesterday, and there were no missing persons reports on girls fitting this criteria.”

Macy softened her tone, knowing she could sound harsh. “And you may be right, Deputy Bennett. He may have found a coping mechanism. Perhaps he never intended to kill Tobi, and it freaked him out.”

“Do you believe that?” Nevada asked.

“No,” Macy said.

“Announcing the linked rapes on the heels of our press release about the discovery of Tobi’s remains might set him off. The public won’t know the cases are linked, but he does. Are we kicking a hornet’s nest?” Bennett challenged.

“It’s an acceptable risk,” Macy said. “If you remain silent, then other women who have a story to tell might not ever come forward and possibly identify him.”

“Fifteen years might be enough time for a victim to feel safe enough to open up to the police,” Nevada said.

“Fifteen years is also a long time to keep a secret,” Bennett said.

“High time to talk about it, then,” Macy said.

“You make it sound easy.”

“It’s never going to be easy.”

“Would a press conference expedite this investigation?” Bennett asked.

“It could. Seeing and hearing a sheriff’s appeal for more information can make a powerful impression. However, it can trigger a flood of calls that lead nowhere,” Macy said.

“That’s why they pay me the big bucks, right?” Bennett quipped in a tight voice.

“Set it up,” Macy said. “In the meantime, I want to talk to the rape victims and Tobi Turner’s father.”

“The first rape victim, Susan Oswald, is working today but agreed to speak to you later. The second will be coming by today to talk to you, Agent Crow,” Bennett said.

Macy glanced at her notes. “That would be Ellis Carter.”

Nevada’s jaw clenched and his lips compressed. “That’s correct.”

“Is there a problem with Ms. Carter I should be aware of?” Macy asked. “You stiffened when I mentioned her name.”

“She’s my first cousin,” Nevada said.