Chapter 1166: Aubrey and JJ’s Mission

“That’s outright slander! No, wait—that’s prejudice! You’ve got a vendetta against the rich!”

Upon hearing Jack’s assessment of him, Aubrey sprang up from the couch like a faulty spring. But he was quickly “pressed back down” by Jack’s offhand remark.

“Relax, Alice isn’t here.”

“Oh—well, in that case…” Aubrey let out a huge sigh of relief, but then immediately, as if trying to cover up his reaction, emphasized, “Still, I want to officially state that I’ve already turned over a new leaf.

Uh… that sounds weird. Okay, to be precise: ever since I got together with Alice, I’ve changed my ways.”

Apparently dissatisfied with even that phrasing, Aubrey was about to continue clarifying when Jack, already running out of patience, cut him off.

“Alright, alright—I’m not interested in your formerly degenerate lifestyle. What I do need is your experience in that area. The victim files are still being compiled, and so far I only have two names for you: Michael Stanton and Hoyt Asift.

Asift was found dead in a suite on the 22nd floor of this hotel.”

Judging by Aubrey’s expression upon hearing those names, it was clear that even by national standards, these two victims were well-known, wealthy individuals.

“I need you to use your old connections and find out who the ‘cleaner’ is cleaning up after these two perverts.”

As Jack spoke, he placed two newspapers—one new, one old—on the table in front of Aubrey. Both local papers published nearly identical obituaries, describing how the deceased had passed peacefully at home from illness.

In the West, there’s a shadowy profession known as “cleaners,” people who handle messy, often unreportable problems for celebrities, public figures, and the wealthy elite.

These individuals typically don’t hold official power but have incredible reach and networks that span all walks of life. Their methods range from bribery to intimidation, and they use any means necessary.

They often pose as lawyers or PR managers. Jack knew from past cases—such as when Braxton, the younger of the Wolf brothers, was still a mercenary—he’d once worked for such a “cleaner.”

And when all else fails, eliminating the problem is still an option.

Two high-profile men died in scandalous circumstances involving escorts, yet not a single rumor had leaked. A quick Google search turned up only uniform statements and nearly identical obituaries. Clearly, their lawyers had employed the same cleaner.

Texas has the second-largest economy in the U.S., right after California, and Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas—eighth in the country.

It’s a hub for elite figures, and the “industries” that flourish around them are correspondingly well-developed. With the clout Aubrey once held on Wall Street, Jack was confident he’d get results quickly.

Because they’d been ordered to keep the investigation low-key, Jack had only summoned two team members so far.

Aside from needing Aubrey’s particular “skills,” JJ’s exceptional communication abilities were equally important.

“JJ, both victims were wealthy men in their early fifties with significant public profiles. That means we’re dealing with their entire social circles—their families and interest groups will do everything they can to keep the truth hidden.

So I need you to open a crack in that wall. Try to contact someone close to the victims and find a way to make them talk. That’s the only way we’ll get useful information.”

The difficulty of JJ’s task was no less than Aubrey’s, but Jack had full confidence in her.

He forwarded the downtown office address provided by the Prosecutor General to both of them, and the three split up temporarily. Jack returned to his hotel room and placed a call to his all-knowing encyclopedia, Dr. Spencer Reid.

This was his second encounter with a female serial killer. The previous one, in Itaewon, Korea, had involved a woman who had almost completely lost touch with reality—a true lunatic (see Chapter 862)—and didn’t offer many useful reference points.

Female serial killers were extremely rare. Even Jack knew very little, which is why he turned to Reid for help, hoping for some insight.

But Reid’s first response left him somewhat disappointed.

“Female serial killers are a fascinating area of research. We know very little about them.”

“Then let’s talk about what we do know.”

Jack sighed. From the few cases he had seen, the women were usually mothers who murdered their children, nurses who poisoned patients, or accomplices to their husbands—helping them rape and kill other innocent women.

Those scenarios didn’t offer much insight into what he was facing now.

Reid’s unhurried voice continued, with background noise suggesting he’d also found a private room for the call.

“First, we can’t use conventional thinking to predict their behavior.”

“You mean because women are more… changeable?” With no one around, Jack wasn’t too worried about being politically correct.

“More accurately, they tend to be more emotional than rational,” Reid clarified, continuing calmly.

“In terms of characteristics, they rarely torture their victims deliberately, nor do they take trophies. Their motives typically aren’t driven by sexual gratification.”

“You’re saying they kill with a clear purpose—not like some sadists who derive sexual pleasure from the act of killing.”

Jack’s interpretation seemed to satisfy Reid. It was always easier talking with someone smart.

“Exactly. During the crime, they tend not to do anything unnecessary. In other words, they’re more efficient.”

“So what about this case specifically? There are plenty of cases where johns kill escorts—but the reverse is much rarer. Apart from money, drugs, or PTSD, are there any other likely motives?”

Reid quickly offered a theory. “Have you considered predatory killing? Aileen Wuornos, during her time as a sex worker, killed eight men. Her justification was that those ‘clients’ made excessive demands during their transactions.”

Jack thought back to the crime scene he’d visited last night. “But Wuornos had classic antisocial traits. She didn’t premeditate her attacks.

Whereas this suspect clearly poisoned her victims before having sex with them. The method was clean and efficient—no spur-of-the-moment rage. It looks like it was well-prepared in advance. She probably even practiced beforehand.”