"There!" Jack exclaimed, pointing to the computer playing the security footage. "That's him."
"Let's see where he went." The security guard said, changing the camera angles as he followed the perp into a department store near the mall's main entrance.
"And that's why we couldn't see him." Bobby surmised as he watched the perp disappear just as they watched themselves enter the mall.
"Can we see where he went in the store?" Jack asked.
The guard nodded, clicking a few buttons, continuing to follow the perp as he quickly walked to the men's department, hastily grabbed a few articles of clothing, then walked to the changing rooms.
"Oh no." Bobby groaned. "He changed his clothes."
His friend nodded as he watched the guard fast forward the camera until the perp showed up again. "Yep."
The two agents shuttered as they watched the perp exit the changing room, walk to another part of the store, then nonchalantly walk out an exit. Mere seconds later, they watched as security guards lock down the door, barring anyone from entering or exiting.
"And he gets off scot-free." Jack frustratedly said, slapping the counter.
"Not exactly." The security guard said.
"I guess. We know what clothes he's wearing now." Bobby replied.
"And maybe we could get some DNA off the clothes he left in the changing room." Jack suggested. "Though that will take too long."
"So you don't want to know what car he stole?" The guard asked, looking at the two agents, security footage of the parking lot paused on the screen.
"Car?" Jack asked. "What car?"
?-?
"Uh-huh, thank you." Dustin said into his phone just as Jack and Bobby were walking up to him outside of the mall. "Yes, I will see you soon." With that he hung up his phone and turned to the agents. "I have news."
"We do too." Jack excitedly replied. "He changed clothes and-"
"No time." Dustin interrupted. "While we were here dilly-dallying, he was out robbing another bank."
"What?" Bobby exclaimed.
He nodded. "We're needed there now."
Jack turned towards his friend. "You go. I'll go collect his old clothes and get someone started on testing them, along with talking to the victim of the stolen car and trying to get a picture put through facial recognition."
"He nodded. "Good idea." He said, quickening his pace to catch up to Dustin, who was already halfway to his car. "See you later!" He called.
Sighing, Jack watched as most of the team drove away in a fury. Once they were out of sight, he turned towards the mall. "Well, here goes nothing." With that, he started on his work.
?-?
"I think I figured it out!" Sarah excitedly said, literally skipping to Myles' desk.
"You have, have you?" He replied, looking up from his work.
She nodded. "It's a revenge crime."
"Revenge? Who's revenge?" He asked.
Frowning, she paused. His comment put a dent in her near-perfect theory. "I don't know, yet. But will you just go with me for a second?"
Reluctantly nodding, he urged her to go on.
Smiling, she continued. "Jack just called me. He struck another bank while they were trying to track his whereabouts in the mall. That makes 2 banks today, and it's barely even lunchtime."
"So? I'm sure he wanted the money he was going to get if Jack and Bobby didn't stop him."
Sarah shook her head, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "No, that's not the point. He doesn't actually want the money. Think about this case from the beginning."
"Well, he robbed a bank in Maine overnight." He replied, looking away to think.
"Then?" She asked, prodding him on.
"Then two in New Hampshire, one like the one in Maine, the other showing his masked face." He continued.
"And now?"
"Now two in Vermont, both with no face coverings."
Sarah shook her head. "Nope. 3. Or at least there will be 3 if we don't catch him in time. Then there will be 4 in Massachusetts tomorrow, 5 in Rhode Island the next day, and on and on! Just like his MO is increasing in overtness, he's increasing in number!"
"It'll be hard to find 5 banks in Rhode Island, I'll tell you." Myles grumbled. When he looked back at Sarah, he saw her frown. "Sorry. Your theory is interesting, but why would he go through all this trouble?"
She shrugged. "That's my next project. It would help if we knew who he was."
"You might find that out soon." He replied, looking at his computer, which just dinged.
"Oh?" She excitedly asked. "Did they catch him?"
"No, he distractedly said, reading the email. "Jack just sent in some clothes for DNA testing. Hopefully that will give us some insight on who he is when the results come back."
"That's great, but it doesn't help right now. By the time we get the results, he will be 5 states and, uh, 30 banks away!" She exclaimed, calculating in her head.
"Well, let's hope we find him before then, huh?"
She nodded, suspiciously looking at his computer. "Let's hope."
