Chapter 1181: The Client List

Although Trent Rubb had said the suspect was a girl named Helena, it was clearly just an alias. Aubrey contacted the madam who went by the name "Peyton" again, but the effort turned up nothing.

“Her original standard for choosing victims no longer applies. After tomorrow, we might be dealing with a lunatic who slaughters indiscriminately. That’s really, really bad,” Aubrey said with exaggerated concern—but his expression was surprisingly relaxed.

After all, they were already very close to catching the killer. And if push came to shove…

“We just have JJ call a press conference and take the investigation public,” Jack said without a hint of worry.

He had already spoken with Zoey, the beautiful Congresswoman, who told her dear boyfriend to act as he saw fit.

District Attorney Patrick Jackson only wanted to use the case to boost his re-election campaign. Zoey’s ambitions, on the other hand, were to secure a seat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, primarily to build relationships within the Department of Justice—after all, the DOJ was the FBI’s parent agency, and her lover happened to be an FBI agent.

Jackson’s backers had some sway in that committee, but they weren’t essential. Zoey had alternatives if needed. She had made it clear from the beginning: Jack didn’t need to consider political repercussions.

Even Jackson wasn’t trying to suppress the truth—he just didn’t want the investigation hindered by premature exposure before solid evidence was in hand. Otherwise, as Jack had already said during the phone call, there were plenty of capable people in Texas. Why bring him all the way from New York?

If Jackson decided the heat was too much, they could simply escalate the case to the federal level. It wasn’t difficult—just a matter of having Rossi reach out to a federal prosecutor.

Call it what you want, but in D.C. politics, favors mattered more than friendships.

Jack’s reputation in the public sphere wasn’t widespread, but within the federal justice system, he had already established a solid image. Even Goolsbee, a long-time lab hermit, had heard of him.

“Justice Star.”
“Crimebuster.”
“Case-Cracker Extraordinaire.”

He was quietly becoming a legend.

Of course, the FBI and federal law enforcement had no shortage of legendary figures. Besides Rossi, who led the BAU, there was Mike Taylor of the International Division, D.B. Russell in Las Vegas, and of course, NCIS’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

You didn’t bring people like that into a case unless you were serious. Legends didn’t always solve every case—but they had roots, power, and political insulation. Even members of Congress hesitated to dictate to such people, let alone local political elites.

Jack still had a long way to go before reaching that level—but his foundation was forming. Once Zoey secured her seat on the Judiciary Committee in the next Senate election, Jack’s “invincible” mythos might well become reality.

The team listened to Jack’s phone conversation with the killer multiple times. Jubal was the first to raise a key question. “Who exactly is she targeting? When she says ‘them’… does she mean a specific group, or one individual? It sounds like someone—or some people—powerful enough to bury the truth.”

“Anyone who could cover up what she calls ‘the truth.’ She thinks Jack’s been bought off, just like those lawyers,” Clay said with a shrug.

“So that could be any number of Dallas elites?” Jubal frowned.

Aubrey rubbed his chin, letting his imagination roam. “Jack implied that her killing spree may be rooted in past trauma. What if… what if becoming a call girl was already part of her revenge?”

“Go on,” Jubal prompted.

“I mean, if she used to be a rich girl—as her disguise fooled Jack—maybe she didn’t enter this line of work by accident. Maybe her entire presence in that world was deliberate… a way to get back at someone.”

That theory got everyone nodding.

JJ added, “If we rule out a husband—based on her apparent age and that purity ring—then my money’s on her father.”

Hannah took it further. “Okay, so she has a powerful father—one who abandoned her and her mother, like the rich men she’s been targeting. Makes sense. But how did someone like her become a high-class escort? That’s not a world you just walk into. Wouldn’t she have to start at the bottom?”

As she asked, her gaze zeroed in on a certain someone, clearly expecting him to have an answer. Everyone else followed her lead.

“Why are you all looking at me? I swear I’ve never hired a call girl!” Aubrey protested in panic.

“Cut the crap and start analyzing,” Jack said, pretending to be righteous while secretly egging him on. “You’re the only one here who used to live in that kind of circle.”

“I really didn’t—” Aubrey started to object, then suddenly froze. An idea struck him. He grabbed Jack’s arm. “Wait—you remember that madam, Peyton? She hinted that her girls practically monopolize the high-end market here, right?”

“Did she?” Jack blinked, motioning for him to continue.

“Yeah! I just called her again. She said none of her girls go by the name Helena, so our suspect is probably working solo.”

Hannah’s eyes widened. “Wait—you just straight-up asked her? What if she lies? What if she sends someone to kill you now?”

Jack waved off the concern. “Not a problem. I already contacted DPD Chief David Brown. Peyton is in custody and en route to a safe house as we speak.”

“Keep going,” Jubal said, steering them back on track.

“From what we saw on the bookshelf, the suspect has the social skills to mingle with high society. She wouldn’t need Peyton’s training. But she would need one thing…”

“The client list,” Jack and Aubrey said in unison.

The madam had explained that a client list was like a retirement fund for escorts—a way to cash out safely when they left the business.

Aubrey stood up immediately. “I’m going to bring Peyton in. We need to ask if any girls recently ‘retired.’”

Jack stood too. “Hold up. Let Clay and Hannah handle that. You’re coming with me—we’re going to find that ‘cleaner’ lady. If we only have one person to pressure, it’ll take too long. We don’t have time to waste.”