I arrived early the next morning, well in time for the compulsory staff meeting. As a new victim had turned up, everyone involved in the Origami Killer case were obliged to meet and exchange information to make sure the whole team was up to date. In addition, the FBI agent was to present the killer's profile. I was to present the lab results. Normally that's Jane's job but Gabs wanted me to have a go at it, as it would be valuable experience. The meeting was about to start, and the brief room was quickly filling up with people. Jane, Gabs, Ira, the Captain, Blake and the other officers, that FBI guy...

Captain Perry commenced the meeting precisely at 9 am by wishing everyone welcome and gave a brief overview of the order of presenters. I was last. Blake was the first to speak. With an orotund voice, the middle-aged lieutenant presented an outline of the findings and subsequent investigation at the latest crime scene the day before. An early-bird pedestrian had discovered the body of Jeremy Bowles, aged 12, on a desolated area north of the city center around 6 am. The child had been reported missing five days prior. The crime scene appeared to be no different from previous ones. Victim had been lying on his back, covered with mud, and close to a railroad track with an orchid on his chest and an origami figure in his hand. No witnesses had stepped forward.

Next up was the FBI agent. He was dressed in a plain grey suit, blue shirt and a black tie. I noticed traces of mud at the bottom of his trousers, most likely from yesterday's crime scene investigation. He pressed a couple of buttons on the rims of the augmented reality glasses, and within a few seconds, the projector sparked to life, showcasing a slideshow. The agent placed the hi-tech gadget, the lenses displaying the words data sending, on top of the projector. With a soft-spoken, modulated voice and a thick Boston accent, he presented himself as agent Norman Jayden from the FBI headquarters in Washington D.C., here to present a psychological profile on the Origami Killer as well as his mode of operations. As he started talking, he paced back and forth in front of the crowd.

"The killer is white, aged between 30 and 45. They don't act on impulse, but plans their crimes in a very meticulous fashion. They don't have anything personal against their victims which is why they cover them in mud, to make them anonymous."

"Why does he kill them if he's got nothing against them?" Ash broke in, the interruption earning an approving smirk from Lt. Blake.

"For them, the victims are more of an image, a symbol," the agent patiently explained. "That's probably why they give them an origami figure and an orchid, as gifts to apologize for what they've done to them."

"Very interesting." Blake's tone and body language however, indicated it was anything but. "And where does all that get us?"

"The best way to track a predator is to be familiar with its behavior. By building a profile of the killer - or killers, we can better understand what kind of person or persons we're looking for." Jayden clicked to the next slide, headlined Modus Operandi, which earned a sarcastic snort from Blake.

"That might be true in novels but there are children's life at stake here."

As if we already didn't know.

The comment went ignored and Jayden continued; "One detail attracted my attention. The interval between the time when a victim disappears and the time when the body is found ranges from three to five days, but the rainfall is always at six inches, give or take 10%."

"What on earth does that mean?" Perry inquired.

Jayden went on to clarify. "All the victims were drowned in rainwater. The killer kills only in the fall, when there's plenty of rain. It could be that they put them in some sorts of well or tank that is open to the sky and that fills up with rainwater."

Taking a pause from his until now relentless pacing, the FBI agent leaned against a small table along the front wall, partly blocking the presentation. What followed was a chilling revelation.

"The more it rains, the less time the victim has to live…"

I was baffled as to why this had gone unnoticed until now. Muffled whispers could be heard through the small room. Blake shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

Jayden wasted no time. "Then I studied the geographical distribution of the murders. Generally, a killer commits their first murder near to where they live, so they have a safe place to flee to should any complications arise. The more confident they become, the further they roam from their base."

He clicked to reveal a new slide displaying the dates and locations of when and where the victims had disappeared.

"By analyzing the locations of where the victims disappeared, I was able to isolate a zone where the killer might live."

I was astounded. Within one day, this FBI agent had made significantly more progress than all the local offices working on the Origami Killer case combined since the killings started two years ago.

"And what size is this… 'zone'?" Blake was clearly not as impressed by agent Jayden's work.

"For the moment, about ten square miles."

Blake let out a mocking groan. "Oh, great. There must be ten thousand people living in that sort of area. You gonna question them one by one?"

Jayden rose and started pacing again, his green eyes squinting with disdain. For the first time since the meeting started, he was visibly annoyed by Blake's nonstop mockery but he remained calm.

"The more clues we get, the more we can reduce the zone. We can then crosscheck it with our list of suspects and eventually, identify the killer." He turned to Perry. "There are two suspects who might fit the psychological profile that can be connected to the 'comfort' zone. I'd like to question them."

"Goddamn it, we're wasting our time here with this bullshit," Blake lashed out, clearly having an urge to yet again contribute with his wisdom and insight. "The killer is out there somewhere, and we need to get off our asses and find him before he snatches another kid!"

The hostile lieutenant was acting more and more like that class bully who would harass both the teacher and his fellow students at every opportunity possible. Now Jayden seemed downright angry. Nonetheless, he managed to keep his cool. I was impressed by his composure.

"This killer is no ordinary murderer. They're intelligent, organized and methodical. You won't find them by patrolling the streets!"

"Your so-called 'analysis' is no substitute for getting out there!"

What is it with this guy, didn't his parents hug him enough as a child or something?

Blake turned left and right looking for allies. Ash and a few other officers grinned approvingly at the lieutenant. Most however, just stared at the floor. Relying on analytical work myself, his comments irked me. Blake irked me. I glanced around the small, overcrowded brief room. Despite Captain Perry being the highest-ranking officer present, there was little doubt to who the true alpha was. It was also blatantly obvious that, though he didn't seem happy with Blake's outbursts, loyalty and camaraderie would result in Perry letting Blake's derisive comments slip by. And no one else dared to object. No one but me that was.

"It's meant to be a supplement, not a substitute. Sir. Lieutenant."

Within an instant, all eyes were on me. From the corner of my eye, I could see a faint smile on Jane's lips. Gabs kept a straight face. Her eyes approved, but her stern mouth did not. I didn't dare to look at Captain Perry. Blake merely gave me an empty glare and responded with a taunting smirk.

"Now why don't you be a good little girl and stick to your lab work!"

Perry tried the best he could to brush over the undesirable tense situation.

"Continue, Jayden."

Ignoring the Captain, Blake leaned forward in his chair. "Tell me agent Jayden, did you get your vast experience on the job, or did you just FUCKING read about it in some schoolbook?"

That was the last drop. For a few seconds, Jayden lost his cool and snapped back at the lieutenant.

"Your 'vast' experience hasn't prevented eight victims from being murdered!"

"FUCKING ASSHOLE!" Blake was on his feet quicker than I'd ever seen anyone getting up from a chair. Both men looked furious and for a horrifying moment, I thought they'd break out in a fistfight. Quickly regretting his outburst, the FBI agent turned to Perry and ended his talk with a calm tone.

"Captain Perry, I'm here to catch a killer. And that's exactly what I'm going to do."

Next up was Gabs, presenting the results from the autopsy. Thankfully, without interruption. She sifted through her papers and spoke with a confident, almost dull voice. Fifteen years as the Philadelphia PD's coroner, she'd done this numerous times before. Starting with some initial facts regarding the victim and the area where the body was found, she went on to present the findings from the autopsy.

"Estimated time of death is Monday September 26, between midnight and 2 am. The victim's skin condition indicates prolonged exposure to fresh water and the color of the face and lips correlates with oxygen deprivation. However, there are no signs of strangulation. The organs show no signs of poisoning, and stomach as well as intestines are empty, meaning all sustenance ingested by the victim had already been digested by the time of death. The victim's lungs were filled with fluid, and laboratory tests conducted by Dr. Hathaway confirmed this to be rainwater. Cause of death is the same as for the other victims. Jeremy Bowles was drowned in rainwater. Except for a post mortem laceration on the victim's right thigh, there are no physical injuries on the body. Lack of signs of violence or struggle suggests the victim went with the killer or abductor voluntarily, also the killer has not been holding the victim under water by force."

Finally, it was my turn. I hadn't been feeling nervous, but thanks to Blake's mockery and general unfriendliness I felt a rush of self-consciousness and uneasiness. There was no backing out however, as Captain Perry had already introduced me. I took a deep breath and gave myself a mental pep talk. What I was about to present had already been reviewed and approved by Gabs. Moreover, it was mainly just confirming what my colleagues had already said. It would be a valuable experience, nothing to stress out about. I found my place at the front of the room, gazed over the crowd, glanced quickly at my papers, cleared my throat as discreetly as I could and started speaking.

"The victim's blood analysis shows an extremely low O2-saturation, as well as a low pH-value due to increased levels of CO2 in the blood. This indicates the victim died by asphyxiation."

Cause of death had already been established like, five minutes ago. I felt like an idiot. Blake had a look on his face that was a mix of boredom and annoyance. Perry and most of the remaining audience held a straight, but apathetic face. Besides Jane, the FBI-profiler was the only one who seemed to listen with interest. He was leaning against the wall in a corner, incessantly moving his fingers to fold and unfold his hands. Jane and Gabs both gave me small nods of encouragement. I adjusted my glasses and continued.

"As with the other victims the blood cell counts and low levels of blood glucose and lipids suggest a prolonged state of exhaustion and low, possibly no intake of nutrients from the time of abduction to when the body was found. These findings confirm not only Dr. Mortiz' report, but they also support agent Jayden's hypothesis of the victims being held in a vessel that's slowly filling up with rainwater."

Blake leaned forward, clearly aggravated. "Now why don't you leave this sort of thing to us cops, hm?"

"Excuse me?"

"Your lab-nerds job is to analyze the evidence and bring us the damn results." He pointed at himself, then to Ash and his nearby colleagues. "Then we conduct the investigation, we make the deductions and we come to the conclusions."

Wow, he knew all those words?

"Yes, I know that. I meant - I was just…"

"You were just what? This isn't the bloody Smithsonian. You're not a scientist here, you're a fucking lab rat! Who also happens to dress like a scarecrow."

My mouth dropped. Usually I was able to ignore derogatory comments concerning my appearance, but this time I was in a vulnerable position. The comment hit me like a blow to the stomach.

"Lieutenant Blake, just make sure your men don't compromise every single crime scene by trampling all over it and maybe try to remember that you have an email address at least every once in a blue moon and I'll be more than happy to give you your damn results."

"YOU-"

"That's enough! - Stop it!"

In order to prevent a second almost-disaster, Perry and Gabs simultaneously interjected. Perry had finally had enough. "That's it! I'm calling the meeting off right now!"

"But I'm not fi-"

The Captain cut me off. "It's pointless to continue."

People started clearing the room. I threw up my hands but decided to leave without making a scene. I wasn't going to give Blake the satisfaction of seeing me upset. Fucking asshole!

Out in the lobby, Gabs grabbed me by the arm. "Hey, Lisa – "

"He called me a little girl!" I hissed to the coroner. "Look, I know phrased myself poorly… and I acted unprofessional, but dammit so did he."

Jane's brows shot up. "You were being unprofessional?

"I have no problem with disagreements, objections, or even rebukes as long as the person presenting them is being objective and the criticism is relevant and constructive. Blake's behavior was completely uncalled for. He was condescending and he totally went all ad hominem spewing out insults to me and to that FBI agent just for the heck of it. And no one said anything!"

Gabs sighed. "Blake… has his share of peculiarities, but according to Captain Perry… he's a good cop. He's… eh, well respected here at the station."

"Fine, whatever," I shrugged. I was in no mood to discuss Blake's competence and whether or not it excused his mannerisms.

"I didn't even get a chance to present Jane's and Ira's results. I should've never let that assjerk get to me like he did. Sorry I let you down."

"Don't you worry about it," Gabs reassured. "I'll be meeting with Perry later, and I'll make sure it's all included in the written abstract. You just make sure to inform Blake, ok?"

I rolled my eyes. "Great."

"Hey, let's forget all about Blake, disastrous meetings and creepy serial killers for now and go get some tea."

I appreciated Jane's offer, but if I had to engage in a conversation one more minute I'd burst.

"I'll join you in a few. I just need a timeout and maybe some water."

"You sure?" Jane frowned. Her grey eyes held mine with an anxious look. I chewed on my lip and nodded. She squeezed my shoulder and headed downstairs with Gabs and Ira.

Disheartened, I filled myself a cup of cold water from the cooler and sat down by the vending machines. I rubbed the root of my nose, pushing my glasses upwards. This was not how it was supposed to play out. I'd rehearsed everything in my head, dammit. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot.

"Is everything all right?"

It took me a few seconds to realize they were talking to me. Lifting my gaze, I saw to my surprise agent Jayden standing less than two feet away. He gestured to the nearest empty chair.

"Do you mind if I sit?"

I shrugged. We sat for a few seconds in silence. Jayden looking at me looking at my fingertips. He was the first to speak.

"I'm sorry about what happened in there."

I huffed. "Same to you. I mean… sorry that you got screwed over by Blake too."

"I'm going to talk to Captain Perry. Blake's not getting away with this."

"I doubt that'll do any good." I shifted and turned to face the FBI agent. Despite his quiet and reserved, almost aloof appearance, he nonetheless came off as caring and sympathetic. His face might be expressionless, but his eyes revealed concern.

"I haven't been here for long, but from what I understand; Blake's been acting like a jerk pretty much the entire time he's been here, and he's always gotten away with it."

"And he'll keep on acting like one until someone stop him," Jayden stated in a soft, yet firm and determined tone. "His uncooperativeness and hostility may even jeopardize the investigation."

I agreed. I slumped back in my chair and crossed my legs. My hands fumbled with the empty plastic cup. The conversation had come to a halt. Anyone else sitting beside me and I'd have excused myself at this point, but there was something about agent Jayden's presence that made me want to stay in his company a little longer.

"This was my first presentation in front of Perry and the others as part of the forensic team," I confessed, straining to hide the brittleness in my voice. "And not only did I embarrass both myself and my supervisor in front of everyone, I was also a total idiot and didn't even get to finish presenting the forensic evidence."

Jayden shifted in his chair. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. It's because Blake was being unreasonable."

I shrugged. It didn't do much for encouragement, but I appreciated the effort.

"Look, eh, I promised Dr. Mortiz that I'd go over the remaining lab results with Blake, but I really don't feel like talking to him. Would you mind if I went over it with you instead?"

"Of course not. But I need to get some work done first. You can come by my office later."

A surge of relief shot through me. "Awesome! Eh, … great, thanks! Where's your office?"

For a fraction of a second, a hint of disgruntlement washed over his otherwise neutral expression, but within the blink of an eye, it was gone and he was back to his previous unruffled composure.

"Ask Perry's secretary. She'll point you the way."

Agent Jayden exhibited a cool attitude and had a soothing, gentle voice. His calming demeanor made me feel comfortable in his presence. I gave a faint smile in return.