Patrice stood at the window, looking at nothing in particular when Lloyd entered her office. A young mom pushing a stroller along the sidewalk caught her eye and raised a modest smile. The mother stopped, took a knee, and attended to her irritable toddler. Occasionally, Patrice needed to remind herself that there were normal people living regular lives in this world. People whose only brush with the law might be a parking ticket.

Lloyd ambled to the window, giving her some time to collect her thoughts. "Making any headway?" he said slowly, watching the street.

Patrice shrugged and retreated to the desk chair at her computer.

He turned to face her, leaning his big body against the wall. "So, according to the report," he said, "No semen. No signs of penetration to the decedent."

She answered with a faint nod. "They got a few hair follicles. That's it for DNA evidence. Maybe we get something from the fingernail clippings."

It got quiet in the room, both of them running scenarios through their minds. Finally, Lloyd said, "Since I quit smoking I don't know what to do with my hands." He didn't expect a reply and he didn't get one. He clasped his hands behind his back.

She scrolled through the report on her computer. "Oh, and did I mention traces of Ketamine?"

"Yeah. You did."

Orion sighed, tilted her head back, and stared at the ceiling.

"How long was this girl missing?" he asked.

"Five days."

He crossed to the chair in front of her desk and sat down. "So he keeps her captive for five days before he assaults her?" He let out a soft sigh as he tried to make sense of it. "A family member might keep a girl for five days but a complete stranger? Five days is a long time."

"I ran the family members, even a few of the neighbors. No flags."

"She's not the kind to maybe meet an online friend and make plans to sneak away?"

She shook her head. "Doesn't fit the profile. She was active in youth ministry at her church. Did volunteer work at the local animal shelter. At school, she was involved..."

Lloyd raised his hand. He'd heard enough.

"There were a lot of people out looking for her. Including the police." Patrice read from the report. "The victim's mother said when she came home from picking up her son from soccer practice, the girl was gone. They found her cell phone on the front lawn."

"He abducts her right out of her home in broad daylight. Jesus."

"He knew she was alone. He knew her family's routines."

Lloyd rubbed his tired eyes. "No signs of sexual assault. What was he doing with her for five days?" He hung his head. "I don't even want to think about it."

"She had multiple bruises," said Patrice. "Obviously, there was a struggle. Probably several. But after going to all that trouble, why kill her before sexually assaulting her?"

Lloyd shrugged. "Maybe he changed his mind. Or maybe it was never about having sex with her."

The quick glance she gave him when their eyes met briefly suggested she wasn't buying it.

He felt his phone vibrate, took a quick look, and slipped it back into his pocket. He'd get back to it later.

"The single blow to the back of the head," she said. "That says rage to me."

He raised his eyebrows.

"Something really pissed him off," she said. "And he snapped. He struck her just once but with enough force to crack her head open."

"Maybe she taunts him. Insults him. Maybe he can't get it up and she mocks him."

"Yeah, maybe. Something like that."

"What're you thinking, Treece?"

She leaned closer to her computer screen. "That little tattoo. At the top of her ribcage. That's a strange place to get your first tattoo."

"That's a bony area. Probably hurt like hell. My kid got tattooed on his ankle, said he almost passed out from the pain. This from a college football player."

"She was young. Like you said, young for a tattoo. Maybe she was afraid her parents would see it." The detective ran her fingers along the top of her ribcage covered by the band of her bra. "The band would probably cover it."

"The what?"

"This part of the bra. The part that wraps around underneath."

"Hmmmm."

"Maybe that's what she was thinking. She could hide the tattoo from her parents there."

"Yeah. Could be."

"Maybe her abductor undresses her and he sees it. And for one reason or another, it sets him off. Maybe it triggers an association with a similar tattoo."

"Maybe her tattoo ruins it for him. Ruins the little girl appeal."

"Right. The hairband. The scrunchie, or whatever," said Orion. "Could be he wants her to look younger."

"But then why doesn't he just grab up a little kid? Be a helluva lot easier than fighting with a teenager." He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs. "I guess that's where the Ketamine comes in."

"So let's say he goes off when he sees her tattoo. He snaps. He kills her before he even gets her underwear off." Her features tightened like she just swallowed a mouthful of raw chicken.

"He's gone to all that trouble for nothing. He doesn't get to play out some warped fantasy."

"Now he needs a replacement." She looked at the floor. "And so he's on to the next one."