Old Detective Meet the New Detective

Detective Jaya Reese agreed to meet with Marco Castillo, a retired homicide detective. Reese's partner, Verga, told her Castillo bad-mouthed the current group of homicide detectives. The recent rash of public murders in Hillsford makes everyone an expert on solving complex murders. They agreed to meet at the coffee shop closest to the police station.

Reese entered the coffee shop, and Castillo called out for her. She saw him waving to her.

Wow. He retired four years ago, and he looks 20 years older. 

Reese walked over to his table and shook hands with Castillo. “We meet again, Detective Castillo,” Reese said.

“Please, call me Marco. No need for formalities,” Castillo said.

“You can call me Jaya, Marco. I agreed to meet you because you have issues with the way we are solving the public murders.”

“Thank you for meeting with me. My first complaint is you are relying too much on technology. The current detectives don’t know what to do if the cameras reveal nothing?”

“Didn’t you have cameras in your day?”

“Yes, But today’s cameras are pervasive. Walk anywhere in this city, and they take your picture on every other block.”

“You don’t think we should use all the pictures taken today?”

“No. What I want to address happens when the picture shows a suspect dressed in armor with a helmet on, and you can’t tell who it is. When a suspect wears armor and a helmet, it becomes difficult to identify them in a picture. Many criminals dress this way to avoid being caught on camera.”

“What is your recommendation for that case?”

“Use the pictures to figure out who made the armor and the suspect's height and weight, and visit any store that sells it. You might find a lead.”

“I like the idea. The cameras have focused us on trying to figure out the suspect's race.”

“That is what I am talking about. When a suspect wears armor, no place shows his or her race. It is a waste of time. Focus on the more obvious things the cameras pick up, like the brand and the picture's location.”

“This sounds like you want us to simplify what we are doing?”

“Technology forces people to think about complex ideas. Thinking simpler can speed up your investigations. You can test simple ideas five to eight times daily, while you may only work on one complex idea daily. Think simple vs complex or quantity vs quality.”

“If we test 50 simple ideas per week and only 10 introduce value to the investigation, we are better off than focusing on the perfect solution.”

“Correct. Multiply the simple pace per each detective, and you will jump ahead of the suspects by the second or third murder.”

“We have only one murder. Are you predicting more?”

“Yes. The first murder happened in public. The killer wants attention. He/she will keep doing this until you catch them.”

“Do you think our killer could be a woman?”

“Of course, Women have the same stresses in life as men. That can produce more murders by women. Don’t think only men can kill this way.”

“Do you have any recommendations on handling a car you can’t find on the cameras?”

“Use the first picture you grab to figure out the car's maker and model. You can check DMV neighborhoods for statistics on those models, and then you can go door to door in the neighborhoods that have a lot of them.”

“If they burned the car?”

“The only hope you have is if they did not scratch the VIN off it. I believe you are dealing with experienced murderers.”

“You think we are dealing with multiple murderers?”

“Yes. Four murderers live in Hillsford. All four murderers have escaped arrest so far.”

“How do you know they are murderers, then?”

“I talk to other police departments, and they tell me four have moved to Hillsford. They suspect they have murdered people in their area but never proved it.”

“Thank you, Marco. I am happy we met today.”

“Jaya, I have one question. Would it be possible for me to help you out on a part-time basis?”

“It's not my call. I will mention it to LT, and she can take it up with the captain. My sense is that the sophistication of these murders means we won’t be hiring people outside our group.”

(This story is a work of fiction. Some of these characters will appear in my next novel – The Chameleon Killer.)