There were nods from all the investigators.

“I bet that ticked him off,” Mason speculated with a grimace.

“So he designed and rigged a system to lift the victim on his own,” Zander stated. “Just like we’d thought. Euzent was right that he isn’t the type to work with a helper. I assume there’s some sort of pulley system he could install in his van?”

“I think so,” answered Ray. “Anyone who has a bit of mechanical handiness and has time to do a little research could figure out a way. We already know this unsub is extremely meticulous and prepared.”

“Except when it came to doing the actual lifting,” added Mason.

“But he had duct tape handy,” answered Ray. “So he’s the type who’s prepared for emergencies.”

“A regular Boy Scout,” quipped Mason.

“Could he hire someone to install the pulley in his van?” Ava asked.

“That depends.” Ray shrugged. “He’s got a utility-type van. If he didn’t care about drilling holes in it or some other cosmetic damage, I’ll bet he spent some time on Google and figured out how to install a system himself. Give me ten minutes on the Internet, and I can find several solutions for his problem.”

“It also points to how deliberate his choice of the victim is,” Zander added. “He wanted this guy. He went to a lot of extra work to hang this particular victim off a bridge. He wasn’t grabbing men at random; his list is precise.”

“I bet he was hating every moment of extra work this victim created,” Mason said, enjoying the image of their frustrated unsub. “He probably wished he had to hang any other guy but this one. You’re right, Zander, he has certain people on his list, just like Euzent said.”

“Three very different victims,” murmured Ava. “We need to find out what ties them together. What else can you tell us about him?” she asked Dr. Rutledge.

“That his weight would have eventually killed him. His organs were covered in fat and his diaphragm was pushed up into his chest cavity, pressing on his heart and lungs. His liver was storing fat instead of dealing with it, making the liver hard instead of a healthy, spongy tissue. And he had the remains of a burger, fries, and a shake in his stomach. So he was killed within a few hours of a meal, which lines up with my time-of-death estimate of noon to three on Wednesday.”

Mason swore he felt last night’s takeout burger swirl in his gut.

“His hands were extremely calloused, and he had several old scars and healing injuries to his forearms that make me think he does some sort of manual labor. His hands were pretty clear, so possibly he wears gloves when he works.” A few clicks of the mouse brought up photos that corresponded to the ME’s descriptions.

Mason eyed the healing scrapes and old scars. “It does look like manual labor. Maybe scrapes from wood.” He pointed at a rough-looking scrape on the screen. “I used to get marked like that when I worked in the plywood mill during college summers and pulled a board wrong. Or maybe he works in construction. Did he have slivers in some of those abrasions?”

“I was just about to mention that,” answered Dr. Rutledge. “I pulled out several old slivers of wood. So maybe he works at a lumber mill or for a builder.”

“So he’s blue-collar. A far cry from a politician like Carson Scott. Maybe he runs in the same circles as Aaron King?” Zander suggested.

“I gave a general description of our John Doe when I spoke to Aaron’s manager this morning,” Ava said. “I had him run it by the guys who knew Aaron best, but none of them had seen Aaron with a man who looked like this. I emailed a description to his ex-wife yesterday, but she had the same answer. Aaron didn’t have any friends or acquaintances of this size that she knew of.”

“Somebody will notice he’s missing,” Ray asserted. “Obviously he’s a working man. His boss will speak up at some point and then we’ll have a better trail to follow.”

“I wish we could tell the media we don’t have a serial killer running loose in the city,” Ava commented. “The press is fostering fear. The public are getting nervous to the point where they’re going to start shooting at shadows.”

“There is one running loose,” said Mason. “But I know what you mean. He’s got a list. He’s probably not interested in Joe Blow who’s making a late run to the grocery store. But I don’t think that’s something we can share with confidence. With our luck, our killer would change tactics because we state we believe he has a plan.”

Zander nodded. “I talked to Euzent a little more about motivation after his briefing last night. He pointed out that the approach our unsub is taking says a lot about his motive. Everyone’s heard the old saying ‘Killers don’t call and callers don’t kill,’ right? Did our killer warn these guys? No, because their friends weren’t aware of it, and at least one of the victims would have reported a death threat to the police. Right?

“Did the killer warn the city that deaths were about to take place? No. If he had, Euzent says his motive could have been financial and not to cause death. But because this killer has started out silently and methodically, it shows the mission is very personal to him. I don’t think he would target other victims just to be contrary if he thought we had insight into his actions. He’s not a crazy killer. He’s a hunter with a very specific prey.”