“Okay, everyone, we’ll get to it. I’m Eva Sawyer, ASAC in Cleveland, and we have with us our colleagues with Cleveland PD and the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department. We’ll dispense with introductions—people can identify themselves as they speak, and an attendance list will be circulated afterward. The FBI is leading and coordinating, but I’ll pass this to Cuyahoga for an outline.”

“Thank you. Detective Reese Tiller,” the next person said. “We’ll have accompanying slides and videos as we go, and you will all receive reports. Approximately six months ago, Maylene Marie Siler, age twenty-six of Cleveland, was reported missing by her family and friends after she’d finished her shift as a clothing-store clerk at one of the city’s malls.”

Photos of Siler, smiling and pretty, were displayed.

“Shortly after she went missing, investigators found no activity on her phone or her credit or bank cards. Approximately two months prior to her disappearance, Siler had broken up with a boyfriend—who has been cleared—and begun using online-dating services. In the days leading up to her disappearance, we determined she was in communication with a man named Luther Chase Lycek and had planned to meet him after her shift. Working with the online service, we’ve since confirmed the Lycek identity is fictitious and the phone he used was a burner, untraceable.

“Two weeks ago, a man walking his dog in the wooded edges of Tiffin Field discovered a partially clothed body, in a makeshift grave covered with underbrush. Subsequent investigation and autopsy confirmed the identity of the deceased as that of Maylene Marie Siler of Cleveland.”

Images of the decomposing body were displayed, including those showing investigators in full bio suits processing the scene.

“Cause of death: stabbing with a serrated knife. Key facts: cord and knots used to bind the victim are consistent with those in the previous cases. The victim’s cell phone is missing, and efforts to locate it have so far been unsuccessful. The victim’s wallet with cash and credit and bank cards were found at the scene. Her driver’s license is missing.”

Slides showing the cord, the wallet, financial cards and other crime-scene material were displayed, and Morrow found herself nodding.

The Collector had definitely surfaced again.

“But we found something in one of her shoes,” Tiller said.

Crime-scene photos showed a piece of paper, creased from folds. The next was a full screenshot of the words scrawled on it in black felt-tip pen. I want to stop. Why can’t I stop?

Morrow cupped her face with her hand.

“There were no security cameras anywhere near that area,” Tiller said, “leaving us to speculate that the suspect knew or had researched the area. We’ll discuss other theories before we wrap up.”

More aerial images from a drone of the crime scene were shown.