Chasing Evil (Circle of Evil) by Kylie Brant

vehicle was caught on video surveillance entering a parking garage in Davenport on her way to a doctor’s appointment. She was last seen four hours later when she entered the First National Bank’s main office and withdrew twenty-five thousand dollars in cash. She was never seen alive again.
    “When we added the details surrounding her disappearance to ViCAP, we were able to dramatically narrow the list of possible victims to those who disappeared under similar circumstances. The investigating detectives in each of the missing persons’ cases on this list are contacting the families of victims to ask for DNA samples to provide positive matches and IDs. We have a tentative match on dental records for one other victim so far, Cassie Wright Urban, who disappeared three months ago from Kansas City, Missouri.” The next photo flashed up on the wall, showing an African American woman in her mid-forties beaming for the camera. “I’m going to let Dr. Channing speak about the victimology analysis and offender profile she’s been working on.”
    Sophia rose unselfconsciously, and turned toward the audience that included, she now saw the very senior brass—DCI Director Unger and Department of Public Safety Commissioner Edding. After years spent on faculty at the University of Iowa and as a sought after keynote guest at national forensics conferences, she was no stranger to public speaking. “There are strong similarities between the two identified victims on that list. I’m guessing after we have positive IDs on all of them we’ll be looking at a victimology pattern of single wealthy females, late thirties to early-fifties, attractive and in good shape. They’re low-risk victims, but move about their respective communities freely, increasing their exposure. Both ID’d victims lived in gated neighborhoods, but they were taken outside their homes. The offender reduces his risk by approaching them as they go about their daily lives. He likely stalks them, following them for an extended period of time learning their routines. There doesn’t appear to be any particular physical type he’s targeting. The fact that the victims are single allows them to make bank withdrawals without a co-signer. He appears to select them primarily for their wealth.”
    “And he just happens to also be a sexual sadist in addition to a thief.” There was a quick murmur of agreement from the others in the room at Agent Tommy Frank’s remark. Sophia nodded. “We can switch to the offender profile if you like.” She turned and took copies of the report she’d developed and handed it to Franks to take one and pass the rest down the row. “This is an evolving document, but it gives us a starting point. Our offender is likely male, early-to-late-thirties. He probably suffered some sort of abuse as a child, as the majority of sexual sadists have. He’s threatened by women. He feels the need to subjugate them, sexually and physically. And he’s been at this a while.”
    “Because of the victim numbering?” This from Jenna.
    “That, and because he’s likely been evolving.” It always helped to discuss a deviant like this in objective terms, to keep her mind from lingering too much on the incredible suffering of the victims involved. She had to detach to be able to do the work. It was a skill she was constantly perfecting. “Right now the offender is equally motivated by profit and by the ability to act out sadistic sexual fantasies. I think we’ll find when he began he was motivated primarily by anger, retaliating for acts perpetuated on him as a child by an adult who had control over him. Or he may have begun striking out because of the failure of a trusted adult to protect him.”
    “So what you’re saying is that he got smarter over time.”
    She threw a quick look at Cam.
    “He evolved,” she affirmed. Since Sophia had never been one to stand behind a lectern, she began to pace. “He likely began with violent fantasies as an