"Harrelson and Kay?"
"Yes. I'm Harrelson, this is Sergeant Kay. I hope you'll be able help us."
"As best I can. I looked again at the first victim's report. I can almost recite the others by heart. Come in."
They entered a small office, almost filled with a desk, two visitor chairs, and a bookshelf. In addition to the computer on the table, there was a screen on the wall. "Have a seat," Woodrow said. They dropped into the visitor chairs, he went around the desk. Next to them the monitor on the wall switched on. The photo of a woman appeared.
"Gina Lucas. She was the first victim. He tortured her for two days and then strangled her with his bare hands. No traces of DNA. He crushed her larynx, she choked. I can't say more about that." The picture on the monitor changed. "Eileen Duven. Also two days. Strangled with a string. You see two skin marks, he has started over, according to the marks one attempt close to the other. She also suffocated. When doing this, it's also possible that the blood supply to the brain is cut off, which can cause severe brain damage or death. That's the rarer way." The next photo made Hondo swallow hard. He could hear Deacon felt the same way. "Lara Ivens. You probably know the pictures of the knot art that the perp invented for her. He's used the year to work on his 'skills'," the doctor explained ironically. "He strangled her several times. She must have passed out in between. She had both cartilage injuries in the larynx and contusions in the neck arteries."
"What did she die of?" Hondo asked quietly.
"As I said, he strangled and choked her several times. Her hands were cuffed around her neck, an attempt to fight back would have cut off her breath. She suffocated. As a result of the neck injury, her windpipe swelled up more and more until she was no longer able to breathe."
"You're sure about that?"
"Yes. I've studied it very carefully to make sure that when you have get him, he'll never get out again."
"Dr. Woodrow, for the first time we have a solid lead to the man. A bunch of colleagues are working to find his latest victim alive. We don't know when or where, but we want to be sure we can help her as best we can," explained Deac.
Woodrow nodded.
Hondo intervened. "And there's your hunch ..."
The person opposite looked from one to the other. "Yes?"
"The woman switched from coffee to tea a few weeks ago."
"I understand. Well, you and your colleagues are trained in first aid by default. It all depends on her condition when you have her. Hydration. Possibly cool packs to delay further swelling of the neck. In the worst case, you have to consider a tracheal puncture, which may be impossible depending on the injuries on the neck. I can't really give you any general advice. You are in situations where you need to listen to your gut instincts often enough. Do that here too. Whatever you do, if the injury pattern even remotely resembles this, you have to get her to a hospital with a trauma center as soon as possible, preferably level I. I wish you luck. And I really hope we won't see each other here in two days. "
"Thanks, Doc."
They said goodbye and went back to the car. Hondo checked his cell phone, but he hadn't missed anything, the phone was still silent.
"A dozen cops are looking for cameras. Dozens are looking in the streets, Hondo."
"The needle in the haystack."
He took a look at the clock and calculated twelve hours.
Deac obviously didn't seem to think of anything more with which he could appease him, instead his partner was silent on the way back and kept his eyes open. The tension in headquarters was palpable. As they passed by, they saw a lot of people in the operations center. The tech room was also full. He raised an eyebrow when he saw a clock on one of the monitors that matched his calculations.
"Do you have something?"
"Two plates. A patrol discovered the Impala abandoned in a parking lot. They found traces of Christina in it, but no fingerprints. The man makes fun of hanging out in places where there are no cameras," Luca scolded.
"We found an old address for him. Mumford's team was there. Apparently East wasn't for a long time. Rocker said they all needed a disinfectant shower. They found food which was expired for months. We don't have another address, "reported Chris.
"Do we have access to Rose's program?"
"We have now," answered Commander Hicks and hurried into the room. "Rose is on vacation, his replacement doesn't like us very much. Street, you're good with computer technology, someone who'll be working with you is about to call. We all know what this is about. Thank you for your efforts. "
"That doesn't help us," Hondo muttered.
"That's right. I want to encourage you not to give up. If you want to stay put tonight, you can build a camp in the training area or in the locker room. Food has been ordered and will soon be available for everyone in the kitchen. We won't give up on Christina Brown. Thank you."
The commander slapped him on the shoulder and left.

A few minutes passed before Hondo saw a man in uniform leading the pizza delivery man into the kitchen.
"Anyone who's hungry can go," he ordered. He watched as his colleagues agreed on who should go first. After a look around, he took a tablet PC and found a quiet corner where he looked at the footage from the mini market's surveillance camera again. Then he went through the recordings that the colleagues had marked as possible clues.
Luca's voice tore him from his concentration. He held out a plate to him. "I can understand that it's too loud for you in there. But you have to eat, too. It's not your mom's, but the best pizza in town Hicks ordered."
Hondo took the plate with some pizza slices. "Thank you. What's new? "
"Street is on the line with the tech guy from RHD. They program the search for the license plates we have. Retrospectively for several weeks, as far back as their data offers."
"Help him as best you can."
"We do. The boy is getting better and better technically. Eat, boss. Otherwise I'll get someone who's in the place to give you an order."
"Okay." Hondo tried to smile and patted Luca on the shoulder. Then he put the tablet down so he could continue working and took the first slice of pizza. He watched video after video but found no new details until getting interrupted again.
"Sergeant Harrelson?"
He looked up. In front of him was a man in his thirties, he wore a police badge and a gun holster on his belt, otherwise civvies, and he didn't recognize him. Hondo got up.