Evolution of a Killer

by Robert Ullrich

  “Thank you, Father,” Mademoiselle Durand replied as she rose and left the confessional.

  Father Dominique looked at his watch: 8:05pm. It looked like he would be out of there by 8:15 or 8:30 at the latest, depending on the length of the waiting man’s confession. After 5 minutes, the priest began to wonder if he had gotten cold feet, and simply left the church or perhaps had only come to pray.

  Then the door to the confessional was jerked open. There stood the gray-haired man. He put a straight razor to the priest’s throat and his finger to his own lips. “Not a sound priest,” he growled with a thick German accent. “I will slit your throat from ear to ear.” The priest could barely manage a nod. The pressure of the razor against his throat was enough to convince him the man was serious. The stranger pulled him from the confessional by the front of his shirt. Father Dominique’s eyes scanned the sanctuary for help.

  “I can assure you priest, we are alone. I took the liberty of locking the doors after the elderly lady departed, Mademoiselle Durand, I believe?” He continued, “I wanted to be certain we had some quality time together.” The smile that formed on the stranger’s face was anything but consoling. In fact, it was bone-chilling. The priest shuddered.

  “Go to the wine cellar,” the man ordered. Father Dominique began shuffling towards the door leading to the basement. “Do as I say priest. If you are honest with me, you will get out of this alive.” The comment had the intended effect on Father Dominique, and he relaxed just a bit, hoping this was nothing more than a robbery. Maybe he was just a desperate man come to steal the wine and perhaps the offering. The priest nodded and began to walk a bit more steadily. When they entered the cellar, the man removed the razor from his throat. The priest turned to see him pulling the door shut and his hope wavered.

  Father Dominique spoke for the first time. “Please, tell me what it is you want, and I will provide it. If it is wine you desire, or money for that matter, I will gladly surrender it to you. There is no need for violence. I will do as you ask.”

  The stranger stood there for a minute staring the priest in the eyes. “You don’t recognize me, Father?” Lazarus asked in his normal voice.

  The priest froze at the question and the familiar sound of the voice. It was a surreal moment. He heard the voice of a young man coming from someone who appeared to be in his 50’s. Father Dominique looked closely, particularly at the eyes and it hit him like a hammer to the head. They were the eyes of Lazarus Solaris. Not even the brown contact lenses he wore could hide that from the priest. He was filled with dread as he recalled Lazarus parting words, “I will never forget you, or what you have done for me. In time, I will find a proper way to truly repay you your kindness.” A cold chill ran up the priest’s spine, so scared he didn’t even realize he had pissed himself.

  *****

  They didn’t find the priest’s body until shortly after noon the following day. The word had gone out the priest was missing when the housekeeper showed up at 8:00 that morning. It was Christmas day, and she couldn’t possibly imagine where Father Dominique might be.

  At 11:00, under the direction of the Bishop, a priest by the name of Porteur Alargent was dispatched from Avignon to handle Christmas services. The mass had to be performed, whether Father Dominique was located in time or not.

  It was by chance they found the priest. Father Alargent sent an altar boy down to the cellar to get a bottle for Mass. It would be many years before the boy ever returned to Church. What he saw there no child should ever see. It wrenched his stomach and he vomited until there was nothing left. The boy then stumbled back to Father Alargent, telling him through tears what he had found.

  Word flew quickly through Chateaurenard of the priest’s horrific murder. As grisly as the crime scene was, it wasn’t until they performed an autopsy that they discovered the priest’s testicles in his stomach; his dismembered penis deeply embedded in his colon. It was as though cutting out the priest’s eyes and tongue and laying them on his forehead wasn’t enough for the killer. It was clear to some in Chateaurenard the significance of the actions. Rumors abounded of the priest’s fondness for young boys. That was in the age the Church turned a blind eye towards molesters, protecting, rather than removing them.

  Lazarus attended the funeral on December 30th with his Aunt Ziva. He graciously accepted the position of pall-bearer at the request of the Bishop. Everyone knew Lazarus had been close to the priest for years, and as far as anyone knew, he loved the priest like a father.

  The murder of Father Dominique went unsolved, just as every murder Lazarus committed in the years to come. The only suspect was based on the sketchy information provided by Mlle. Durand. She described the man in his mid to late 50’s, short at maybe 5’6, with brown eyes and a thick German accent. She knew that because he wished her a Merry Christmas as she passed him on her way out. The irony that Lazarus, the killer of Father Dominique, was one of the pall-bearers was not wasted on him. The fact he felt no remorse or guilt for killing the priest didn’t bother him. He’d come to see death as a part of life. He was convinced that removing an evil person from this world wasn’t wrong. In fact, it was a moral solution.

  *****

  Darnell interrupted the reminiscing with a phone call at 11:15pm. “I’m at the hotel in Ingleside, Spike. What’s up?”

  Lazarus forced the memory back and replied, “I’ll fill you in tomorrow morning after HH arrives, that way I can cover everything at once with both of you.”

  “By the way,” asked Darnell, “how in the hell did you get her to come down?”

  “I didn’t,” he answered flatly. “She volunteered. You know how she is. When she heard I needed you, she was already packing for a flight to San Antonio. If all goes as planned, she should be there in about 2 hours.”

  “This must be some serious shit you got goin’ on, man,” Darnell said somberly.

  “It will be, I’ll be straight up about that,” said Lazarus. “I don’t want to put you and HH in harm’s way if I can avoid it. Yours will be a rescue mission.”

  “Who are we rescuin’?” asked Darnell.

  “I’ll fill you in tomorrow as I said; if that’s okay.”

  “Shit. No worries,” said Darnell with a laugh. “Whatever it is, I know you got this worked out. Your OCD ass don’t leave much to chance and that makes for some pretty good plans.”

  “Thanks for understanding, D. I’ll give you a call in the morning when I’m headed your way.”

  “That works for me. Catch ya in the mornin’, Spike. Peace.”

  “Peace,” responded Lazarus and ended the call.

  Lazarus, true to his nature, spent the rest of the night reviewing and revising the plan of action in his head. There would be no notes. Not this time. There almost never were with Lazarus. When he did write things down, he burned the draft when he finished. He never wrote on a pad that could leave impressions behind.

  At a little after 3 in the morning, he spent an hour doing Tai Chi to center his thoughts and calm the rage the memories had reawakened within. It wasn’t time for that. Not yet. He turned in at 4:30 with a clear plan and everything he needed to carry it out. There could always be something unexpected, but Lazarus was rarely unprepared for every possible contingency, especially when he had a good team around him. It was more a family than team. Family was a concept foreign to Lazarus’ way of thinking. Dr. Helen and Darnell considered him family, so did Katsumi and there was nothing they wouldn’t do for the man called the Chameleon.

  Chapter Thirty

  Lazarus woke to the sound of his phone. He glanced at the number, “Mornin’, Doc.”

  “Mornin’, Spike,” she replied. “We’re at the hotel. What’s next?”

  “Meet me at the People’s Street T-Head in Corpus Christi at 1:00 this afternoon,” said Lazarus. “It’s off shoreline drive at the end of IH37. You’ll be heading south out of Portland. Stay to the left when you cross the Harbor Bridge. When you hit the bay, take a right. I’ll meet you there
for lunch at Landry’s. It’s a floating restaurant on the T-Head.”

  “I’ll find it. I actually know how to use the map app on my phone.” Lazarus could picture the grin on her face. “Attire?” she asked.

  “Business casual to shorts and a tee-shirt work around here. Business casual would be best to blend in.”

  “Works for me,” said Helen. “I’ll have to make a run somewhere to get something for D. He doesn’t do ‘business casual’, as you very well know,” she added laughing.

  “There’s a Walmart in Portland, just off 181 and maybe a K-mart, too.”

  “No worries, I’ll have him looking presentable, as presentable as a 6’7” bald black thug lookin’ man like mine can be, that is.” Lazarus could hear Darnell laughing in the background.

  “Come to think of it,” said Lazarus, “there’s an Academy Sporting goods store I forgot about. It would work better for D’s tastes. They have Under Armor, Addidas and Nike as well as Columbia and Magellan fishing attire.”

  “Academy it is. See you at 1:00.” Helen ended the call.

  Lazarus went to the kitchen, made coffee and checked his email. Katsumi had arrived in Corpus Christi a little before 10:00 last night and was checked into the suite Lazarus reserved for her on the 16th floor. It was adjacent to the room Lazarus had secured for himself. Torano was in the Ambassador suite on the 18th floor, with two connecting rooms, one for 4 of his body guards and the other for Schultz. Knowing Torano, he would have two bodyguards with him at all times.

  He emailed Katsumi instructions to be in front of the Shoreline at 12:45 for lunch. He added that he had a little surprise for her. “That’ll keep her going,” said Lazarus to Langston who was casually ignoring his master by the patio door. “I’m coming,” said Lazarus and went to let him out.

  He was picking up his sat-phone to put it in his briefcase when it rang. Dan Grimsrud was calling.

  “Good morning, Dan,” he answered.

  “Good morning, Lazarus,” replied Dan. “I’ll get to the point. Our mutual acquaintance has booked a flight to the Caymans for tomorrow morning. It’s a private charter secured through one of his shell corporations.”

  “Good to know, Dan. Thanks for the info,” Lazarus replied.

  “I thought you’d want to know, in case it might interfere with your plans.”

  “I appreciate it, but that isn’t an issue, at least not yet,” said Lazarus. “It doesn’t conflict with anything I have on my plate for today or tomorrow.”

  “10-4, that’s good to know. I’m pretty sure that’s all I NEED to know, too,” Dan added with a chuckle.

  “Plausible deniability, my friend; works every time,” laughed Lazarus. “I’ll let you go then.”

  “Talk to you soon,” Dan said as he ended the call.

  “Timing is everything,” he said to Langston as he wandered back in through the open patio door. The dog headed to the kitchen and sat down by the pantry, waiting for his breakfast. “Good call, buddy boy, so let’s eat.”

  *****

  The package from Katsumi arrived via Fed-Ex a little before 11:00. Lazarus put the electronics in the Rover along with two suitcases and a cane. He called the Shoreline and made a reservation for Richard Long for one night. He was on the road by 11:45.

  Kat was waiting out front when Lazarus pulled up, even though he was 15 minutes early. He knew she would be. Katsumi never kept him waiting. She would think it impolite. Katsumi was dressed in blue jeans, a bright blue short-sleeve western shirt and a black pair of lace-up Tony Lama boots. Her face lit up when she saw Lazarus getting out of the Rover and ran to meet him; hitting him with a hug that warmed his very soul.

  “Hey, baby girl,” he laughed. “It’s good to see you, too.”

  She looked up grinning, “I missed you, what can I say?”

  “I missed you too, sweetie. I’m glad you’re here.” He gave Katsumi another hug and with his arm around her, walked her to the truck.

  “So…” she asked, with one raised eyebrow. “Where’s my surprise?”

  Lazarus laughed. “Get in the truck Kat, its close by.”

  Katsumi ran around and jumped inside. Her happiness at seeing Lazarus was infectious. Several people in the area smiled at the sight of her; not knowing why she was happy, and it didn’t matter. As Lazarus got behind the wheel, Katsumi said in her sternest voice, “Let’s get this show on the road, Mister. We ain’t got all day ya know!” She immediately turned bright red as she realized she’d just bossed the boss. Lazarus tried his best not to laugh, failing miserably. They were laughing so loud they could be heard all the way to the entry doors.

  It was a short drive from the Shoreline Hotel to the T-Head. Lazarus spotted Darnel and Helen walking along the sea wall on the bay side as he neared the stop sign at the end of Peoples Street. He distracted Katsumi by pointing out a large sailboat that caught his eye. “What do you think of that one, Kat?” Lazarus asked. “Do you think you could get used to something like that at home?”

  “Oh my,” she replied, “it’s huge. Do you know how to sail one of those?”

  Lazarus reminded her of his tri-hull at the compound. “It’s different sailing a boat like that, but the principles are the same.” He kept talking to her about it, pulling to the curb parallel to the boat while Helen and Darnell snuck up from behind.

  Katsumi screamed when Darnell jerked open the door. She screamed louder when she saw who it was. “D!” she exclaimed, as she jumped straight from the truck into his arms. Darnell caught her in the air and swung her around in circles like a ragdoll, grinning from ear to ear. “Surprise!” he shouted back at her and they both started laughing, Katsumi with tears running down her face. Lazarus sat in the Rover, watching them with a wistful smile on his face. Katsumi jumped down off of Darnell and ran to give Dr. Helen a hug, her tears still streaming happily down her face. Lazarus had all but forgotten just how important those two were to Katsumi and how much they loved that girl. It’d been far too long between visits. He swore that would change. He climbed out of the truck to join them as they headed to the restaurant.

  Lazarus requested and got a table in a back corner by slipping a fifty to the hostess. They ordered and ate while Katsumi talked almost non-stop, getting caught up with Helen and Darnell on life in Chicago. The only break she took was to eat desert: a slice of key lime pie, her favorite.

  Lazarus paid the bill and said, “Let’s take a walk around the park and I’ll fill you in on the plans for this evening.”

  Darnell and Katsumi walked ahead of Lazarus and Helen, knowing that whatever was being discussed would be explained to them later. They made quite the pair; 6’7” Darnell, who looked like he was chiseled out of black marble, and the 5’7” Katsumi, a porcelain doll walking beside him. They drew a lot of looks as they strolled around the T-Head.

  “They do make quite the pair, Spike,” said Helen, as though she was reading his thoughts.

  Lazarus laughed. “Indeed, they do. It’s good to see them together again, very good indeed.”

  As they followed the obviously very happy looking “odd couple”, Lazarus laid out the plans for the coming evening. He focused primarily on what he needed from Helen and Darnell, with only a Cliff Note version of what he’d be doing. Helen asked questions about timing and expectations, adding a suggestion that Lazarus agreed to. They went over it until both were in complete agreement.

  “l assume you have a boat available?” asked Helen.

  “I do,” answered Lazarus. “There’s one at the house I’m leasing. It’s a 32-foot Sea Ray Sundancer with a range of about 200 nautical miles at full throttle.”

  “Well la-de-dah,” quipped Helen. “Ain’t you just livin’ the damn dream out here?”

  Lazarus had to grin. “Hey, someone’s got to do it and it might as well be me.”

  He looked at his watch: 2:05. “It’s time for us to get moving. Thank you for coming, Helen, and for putting yourselves at risk to help me out.”

  “You�
�re family, Spike. I keep telling you that. Someday you’ll understand just what that means to us and it’ll change you forever.” She smiled as she spoke, knowing that Lazarus didn’t get the concept. That didn’t stop her from hoping. “Okay then,” she said with a toothy grin, “Let’s do this.”

  Katsumi hugged both D and Dr. H when they got back to the Rover, garnering assurances they would do their best to see her again before returning to Chicago, but no guarantees. Helen and Darnell left for Ingleside; Lazarus and Katsumi drove back to the Shoreline.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Lazarus checked into his room while Katsumi got busy interfacing the electronics with the hotel system. Lazarus had no doubts she’d be able to hack into the hotel camera and phone systems, as well as security. Lazarus was overly cautious when using Katsumi on a job. He made sure she wore gloves and put her hair in a net to avoid leaving prints or DNA behind. Katsumi was in the system, thanks to the Tongs and a massage parlor raid when she was 15. It took about two hours to get all the equipment set up and connected. Thirty minutes later she was plugged into the phone system, security cameras, alarms and card key systems. Katsumi could make a key for any room using one of the two they gave her when she checked in, and Lazarus’ spare. She had some generic blanks which were harder to program, but if need be, she could still make more. She was impressed with the suite, thanking Lazarus for putting her in such a nice room.

  “Nothing but the best for my baby girl,” smiled Lazarus. “Even though this isn’t one of the premier rooms, I gotta admit, it’s pretty damn nice.”

  In 5 minutes, Katsumi had a key to Torano’s suite and the lawyer’s room. Lazarus decided he needed one to all three of Torano’s rooms, so Katsumi used one of her generics. It took about 3 times as long, but the result would work in the room to the left of the Ambassador Suite - the room the guards were staying in. The rest of the 18th floor was unoccupied. All the other rooms had been reserved by Gulf Coast Bank and Trust. The premise was there’d be additional clients checking in over the next two to three days. That would work to Lazarus’ advantage. The fewer people on the floor, the better the odds for success. He had Katsumi make a key for one of the empty rooms, in the event he needed a rabbit hole.