“Just do me this one favor.” Kellan said, “If you can avoid it, take this guy into custody. There are a lot of families and friends that want justice. A long list of folks gonna want to ask this fool why. Frankly, I want answers. Let’s let them have the chance to see justice served.”
“So, you don’t want me to kill the guy so that survivors can watch this sucker die on a table?”
“That is justice, Alex. And to be honest, it’s as much for myself now as for the victims and their families. I want to ask this guy why I took a bullet in his name.”
Yeah, Alex thought to himself, that is justice.
How weird that what is right is not always the definition of legal but what is legal is not always just.
Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do Evil, Jesus once asked. Times like these, Alex found himself asking is it lawful to preserve evil so that good can have a day in court? Is a long-term prison sentence what God meant when he said vengeance belonged to Him alone?
Chapter 31
Saturday, October 15
9:17 a.m.
Sitting in his office, Alex updated his team on the situation. With Kellan down, he was forced to bring in Janet Busby, a move he’d resisted based solely on a mixture of chauvinism and a protective instinct toward a friend. Too, he was less than thrilled with the idea of more heavily involving Reggie Brooks, but they were a man down. If nothing else, Reggie could help Kellan with reports, pictures and computer searches once he returned to duty. In the meantime, Alex had a hole to fill.
“Janet, this case is our primary focus, period. I want everybody we can spare working reports, computers and canvassing the area. You’re our ‘go-to guy’ with the online group. I want you to go over there today and introduce yourself. Alyson will be working. I’ll call her and tell her to expect you. She can tell you who you need to get with, but I think his name is Jason. I’m sorry I’m not better prepared. Getting shot at is not how I wanted to start my day.”
A smattering of uncomfortable laughter filled Alex’s office.
Raising his hand, Alex continued, “Reg, I need you with me for now. Where I go, you go. Got that? If I take a pee break, you better use the opportunity. You don’t sleep until I sleep. You don’t eat until I eat. Until Kellan gets back on the job, you are my shadow, you got that?”
“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”
“It’s not a favor, Reg. I’m gonna have to ask you to grow up really fast here. We need to find this guy fast. When you have free time, I want you reading every police manual you’ve been issued since college. I want you studied on procedures and ethics. I want your investigation skills honed, so you watch me and do what I do. From time-to-time, you may actually learn what not to do, truth be told.”
“Alex, if I may?” Josh interrupted.
“Sure, Josh, what’s up?”
“Cade and I can take lead on investigation if you want. I’m offering, not taking control. But it might save you some headaches. And, no offense to Reggie, but it might keep a rookie out of the line of fire for a bit.”
“I understand, Josh. I want you with me and Reg. I want Cade here working all angles with Janet and Karen Mason. The rest of your team can assist where needed. But too many cooks spoil the pot.”
“Which brings me to Uncle Moe.”
“Your uncle is a valuable resource, Josh, but he’s a civilian now and a friend. That friend has recently had a health issue. I don’t want him involved.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
Laughing, Alex said, “No, No you won’t. If your uncle wants in, he’ll find a way in and around both of us. You know it and I know it. Just save your energy and focus on helping me and the rookie here.”
“All due respect, Captain,” Reggie said, a noticeable blush filling his neck, rising to his cheeks, “I understand I don’t have your experience, but I am ready for this. My head’s in the game, Coach. I’m not asking to start. But I got your back when the stuff hits the fan.”
“Alex, I could take Reggie with me,” Janet interrupted. “Might do him some good to make some contacts and see a woman’s touch on this investigation. Just to get a different perspective.”
“No worries, Janet. I think Reggie needs to be with me. Besides, I may need him.”
“Seriously!” Reggie shouted. “Would everybody please quit talking about me like I’m either not here or I’m a child! I’m ready for this!”
Startled silence filling the room, Reggie settled himself but continued.
“Captain, I did my time in the academy. I’ve followed you on a number of investigations and I have read every book you’ve asked me to read a number of times. None of those books are a substitute for real world experience. I may not be seasoned, but I will be with you if and when bullets start flying. I was top three in my class. I’m as ready as I’m gonna be. The only question is if you trust me or not.”
“Reggie,” Alex said, the room still reverberating from his monologue. “That was a passionate, well-intentioned speech. I applaud your confidence, first off. Second, however, if you ever show such insubordination again, I will not hesitate to bench you. Son, there’s a chain of command for a reason and it’s not gutsy to talk to your commanding officer like that. It’s downright stupid. Got it?”
Contrite, Reggie lowered his eyes and nodded.
“That said,” Alex continued, “You’re right. You’re either ready or you’re not. Truth is you’re not ready, but not in the way you think. A rookie is never ready for his first body. He’s never ready for his first gun fight. Heck, most rookies are never ready for their first traffic stop. You’ve dealt with street cop issues effectively in the past. I know. But homicide is different. You still puke at crime scenes, Reg. I’m not saying that to belittle you. I’m just saying it as a point of fact. You say you’re ready, but my question to you is this. Are you trying to convince me or yourself?”
As Reggie started to answer, Alex raised a hand to silence him.
“Son, you’re not ready. But keeping you behind the desk is not going to get you ready any faster. You’ll learn the way every other cop does. By doing. Trial by fire. And you get your scars. And you make your mistakes. But every cop in this room has the same reservations. None of us want to be the one standing next to you when you make your first mistake.”
“I wouldn’t want to be standing next to you if you messed up either, though, Alex.” Josh chimed in.
“Exactly the point I was about to make, Josh. Thank you.”
“So, then,” Reggie began.
“So, then,” Alex interrupted, “You’re no different. You are simply an unknown commodity. You haven’t earned our trust yet and the only way to do that is to hold your feet to the fire and see how you do. Like I said, I’m going to ask you to grow up kind of fast here. But if you follow my lead, you should be fine. Now, can you do that? No cowboy guff? Can you just follow orders and do what you are told, no questions asked?”
“Yes. I can, Sir.”
“Good,” Alex said, “Because if there’s even the slightest doubt, you’re done. Any lip, I’ll have you guarding the garbage cans outside the Texaco. Got me?”
“Loud and clear.”
Turning his attention to the group, Alex continued, “Josh, I want to re-interview that Bella Winters. By the way, let me know if there is any hit on the photograph she gave us. I want her phone lines and computer tapped, for her own safety, nothing else. I want to know if this guy contacts her or if she decides to contact him. Contact Steelman. He’ll get the warrants before you can finish asking him. Janet, the moment you contact Jason, I want you to contact Cade. I’ve brought in Escalante on this. He’ll be your backup. When you leave for the day, he’s you and vice versa. Read him in. I’ve given him an update, but answer anything I may not have addressed, okay? I need him brought up to speed.”
“Done, Boss.”
“If there are no questions, Reggie, Josh, let’s get going. Everybody has their assignments.”
�
��One question,” Janet said.
“Shoot.”
“How’s Kellan? Any idea when he’ll be back at work?”
“He is in good spirits,” Alex confirmed. “I believe he will be released from the hospital tomorrow. From that point, I expect I will ask him to take a day or two off. If he’s feeling up to it, I’ll probably restrict him to desk duty for a bit, but he’ll be back on Monday. Assuming, as I said, that healing schedule holds. That does not mean he’ll be back on full schedule. He may come in for two hours and go home. He may come in for five minutes and go home. I am going to leave that up to his health. But, to answer your question, he is alive and doing very well, considering he got a bullet in the rear.”
“And Greyson?” Josh asked.
“Fine, under the circumstances. She will return to her job soon, I guess. Losing a baby, though. I just don’t know how she’ll react. She may take some time off. But physically she will be fine.”
“Think she knows you and Kellan got shot?”
“If she’s watched any news, I think it’s a bet she knows. I don’t know. I have to stay focused on the investigation at hand.”
“The man who shot him is still at Gregg County, you know.” Janet said.
“I know.” Alex confirmed.
“You planning on paying him a visit?”
“Not at this time,” Alex said, his jaw tightening noticeably.
“Why not?!” Janet asked, a little too loud.
“Because, to be honest, Kellan made but one request of me before I left today and that was to stay focused. We have a killer on the loose and this vigilante idiot does not need to derail our investigation any further. I will testify as needed, but no one died. It’s not the jurisdiction of homicide anyway. Now, everyone focus and do your job. This community is not going to fall apart on my watch, got it?”
Everyone agreed.
Chapter 32
Monday, October 17
10:02 a.m.
Mercifully, Sunday had proven uneventful. Alex had been able to accompany Lisa and the family to a new church they had decided to try out. Try as they might, they had just not found the right fit. This one was nice, he’d told Lisa. Small, but seemingly filled with faith. Still, no presence of a children’s group made for a rather interesting service, especially when Joey decided he’d had enough God for one day, and declared it to the entire congregation.
At least he’d been able to spend the afternoon with his children. It was a rare treat to get to take the kids to the park, but it was better than Christmas to him.
More than once, he’d watched Christina climb the steps of the slide and wonder when did his little girl get so big. He couldn’t help but think of Tara Franks and how she’d grown up in the blink of an eye. The urgency to appreciate every moment of is children in their youth buried Alex. All too often the call of community protector got in the way of being a daddy. There was no role in his life more important than that of father and husband, so he spent much of Monday morning mentally kicking himself for letting the priorities in his life get so out of whack. He had a job to do. A killer was on the loose. But a decision had been made. Danny or no Danny, this was the last case Alex would oversee as head of Homicide.
Sighing, Alex cruised the local news via the internet. Death was everywhere. Car wrecks, dog maulings, cancer, heart disease and what the obits liked to call “natural causes.” Celebrity or common man. It did not matter. Death came for us all. Days like today reminded Alex just how futile his occupation actually was.
Homicide Detective. Officially, he was Captain. The head man. The lead dog. Unofficially, he was – or perhaps he just felt like – a buffer between humanity and the inevitable. Unofficially, he continued a battle that always seemed to rear its ugly head at the most unexpected moments.
Closing out the window where the news gave nothing but death after death, Alex opened another, not sure what he was looking for.
Unaware of the words he’d just typed in the search area, Alex blinked back to reality and saw a search list containing the lyrics to his favorite poem.
As he read the lyrics to Robert Frost’s brilliant musing, Alex felt what could only be described as a kinship with the universe. As if God himself was reaching down from Heaven to let Alex know He understood.
The road ahead was familiar, dark and – so it appeared – long and winding. But, Frost’s words rang true. Alex had promises to keep. The citizenry of Longview, Texas was counting on him to make the world safe while they slept, even if it meant Alex himself was denied the right to slumber himself.
Somehow, as if he’d found answer to a soulful prayer of which he’d not been consciously aware, Alex resolved to find the person intruding on the safety of his world. As he went through each file, he pulled out the pictures of every known victim that had ever been tied to the killer. He looked at the smiling faces that had been originally used to compare victims and he looked at crime scene photos that showed the horrific way in which each victim died.
To each one of these faces, Alex had promises to keep.
A knock on the door made him conscious of a tear that had formed in his eye. Sniffing once, he wiped the tear.
“Yes?” he said, loud enough that the person on the other end slowly crept the door open.
“Hey, Reg.” Alex said, motioning for him to come in. “I’m glad you’re here. Let’s get to work.”
“Ready when you are, Sir.”
“Alex,”
“Sir?”
“Call me Alex. You’re in the big leagues now, kid.”
Try as he might, Reggie Brooks was unable to fight the confident smile that forced its way onto his face. Nodding, he said nothing, handed Alex a bottle of Dr. Pepper.
“Got you this from the machine. Thought it would help start the day.”
“You can also stop kissing my butt, Reg.” Alex laughed, twisting the bottle open. Taking a sip of carbonated ecstasy, Alex let out a happy growl. “On second thought, if this is how you suck up, by all means, don’t let me stop you.”
A wink told Reggie Brooks it was okay for him to laugh.
As they began catching one another up, Alex was less concerned with getting Reggie Brooks’ head in the game and more concerned with the promises he had to keep and the necessity of keeping his own head clear if, in fact, he was going to keep those promises.
Placing each Bible verse side by side, he had noted that none of them repeated. Say what you will about the Bible, he thought to himself, but it definitely spoke against sexual sin. Be it adultery, fornication or any other sexual sin, the list of verses was quite long. Doing a quick internet search, Alex found more than 200 references to some sort of sexual sin.
“It’s people like this that make folks think Christians are nuts,” Reggie said, scanning the verses and pictures over Alex’s shoulder.
“I’m sad to admit you’re right, Reg.” Alex said. “The news doesn’t mention food banks, mission trips and simple good Samaritans. We’ll probably never know half the people who call in on our tip lines that give us workable tips. The news isn’t interested in the priest that goes into prisons and sits down with convicted murderers and tells them about God. They only want to report on some misguided priest who gave in to temptation and touched a child.”
“Well, would you rather the news stay quiet about those kids getting touched? Alex, there are some real sickos in the world.”
“True,” Alex agreed, “But you don’t have to go to church to find them. You go into any restaurant in America. Chances are one of the employees is beating his girlfriend, wife or kids. You go to the bank and, somewhere, one of the people in line next to you may have murdered somebody. Or they could be the very person going to rob the bank you’re in. As I recall, BTK was a church leader. That’s what they covered. But they didn’t give much play to anything else. He had to be a great guy because he went to church. Only he wasn’t a great guy so church must be where perverts go to prey. The media used to serve a purpose, Reg. Hon
estly, I don’t think they do anymore. Too many people in that line of work willing to force a story, even invent one where it doesn’t exist. Case in point, Greyson.”
“So, we shouldn’t ever trust the media?”
Sighing, Alex looked to the blank wall on the opposite side of the room. Without looking back to Reggie, he answered.
“We learn to think for ourselves, Reg. Look at nations like North Korea. I believe the phrase is ‘state run media’? At any given time, all it takes is one smooth-talking tyrant and the media is his mouth piece, selling an agenda nobody in the country voted for, much less wanted.”
“Explain something to me?” Reggie asked.
“Shoot.”
“How’d we go from religious nuts to political ones?”
“Slippery slopes are everywhere, Reg. But you’re right. Let’s get back on track.
A knock at the door startled Alex and Reggie.
“Yes?”
Josh burst through the door, his face green.
“Alex, we need to talk.”
“Okay? Talk.”
“I was going over the case files with Janet and Cade. Do me a favor. Do you have the file on Lydia Hagen?”
Searching the files, he found Lydia’s name near the bottom.
“Here it is.”
“Page 3.” Josh said.
Flipping through the file, Alex opened it to the third page. A report of the investigating officer showed that the murder happened in Joliet, IL.
“What am I missing?” Alex asked.
“Middle paragraph,” Josh said, walking around Alex’s desk, pointing to the fourth line of the paragraph.
It had been so innocuous Alex had skipped it. He must have reviewed these files three or four times by now. How could he have missed it?
Stunned, he merely looked up at Josh, unable to form a thought.
“Wait, what?” Reggie said, finally reading the page. “How is that possible?”
“It’s possible, Reg.” Alex said. “Okay, but this is from 1998. Could be coincidence. Josh, is this the only mention?”
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