Campbell didn’t know how much of this to believe. How could Joe get someone to confess to a crime in their sleep? It was so farfetched. “How does this Brian Butler’s father have chloroform?” Agent Campbell asked, interrupting her.
“His father is a dentist.” Alice looked at her notes and then went on, finding it difficult to hide her excitement. “Alfred Cohen told them it would be better to find a different red-haired girl away from campus—they didn’t want to run the risk of being recognized. They would hire a van under a false name and keep a sack over the girl’s head. Then the four of them could have their way with her before dumping her where she would be found, or could walk back home. He told them the police don’t start looking for missing persons until after 48 hours. And, with a bit of luck, she would be too embarrassed to tell the police she had been gang raped. So with that intent in mind, they went and found their first victim. Their fantasy turned into reality.”
Alice stopped and sighed. “Scott told Joe it was so easy. Brian walked up behind the chosen target, put a rag over her mouth and in seconds she went limp. Scott grabbed her legs and they both carried her into the van. Before she came round, they had stripped her naked, gagged and hooded her, tied her hands to the driver and passenger seats, and took turns raping her. When they had finished, they dressed her, and dumped her in an isolated spot.”
“That’s how the girl more or less told us it happened. Carry on.”
“Well, Jessica, the third young woman, was different; the boys didn’t like to hide the girl’s face, so they blindfolded her with an old scarf. But when Jessica managed to get a peep of them, Alfred and Brian wanted to kill her while Scott and Chris said, no way. Scott said that Brian gave Jessica a dose of chloroform, and it was Alfred who jabbed his knife into her eyes.”
“I don’t suppose Joe got the false names they used to rent the vans?”
“Indeed, he did. Scott boasted how easy it was. He said they made up false drivers’ licenses on the computer and used their photos, and the guy in the car lot just glanced at them.” Alice was feeling quite pleased with herself. “Before I give the names, I’d better tell you the good news. I don’t know if they did it for the girls’ comfort or their own. I guess they thought it would be a good idea to put a mattress, covered by a blanket, in the back of the van. That way, they wouldn’t leave any DNA in the vans in case the police ever found them. Joe has found out where that mattress and blanket is hidden. I guess it’s there waiting for the next time.”
“Mrs. Timberlake,” Agent Campbell was too excited for words, “this is brilliant news. Where is this place?”
“Scott doesn’t know the name of the place, but he told Joe how to get there.”
Alice went on to tell Agent Campbell where to find the blanket and mattress, and gave him the false names and the car rental companies they used.
“Mrs. Timberlake, I think you’d better start writing your story. If we find DNA of any of the girls on the blanket, mattress, or vehicles, then we’ve got them. I’m going to check up on these leads you’ve given me, and I’ll let you know how I got on … thanks again.” He was just about to hang up when he had a second thought: “Oh … and thank Joe for me. I still can’t believe he got all this information out of Scott’s dream.”
Agent Campbell had his team out checking the van rental companies to see if the customer service reps remembered renting out a van to any of the four boys in the photos. Three of the firms picked out three of the boys. And, the agents located the mattress and blanket hidden in an old warehouse. There were loads of fingerprints on the doors, and on the locker where they found the blanket. Campbell was hoping they would match the boys’ prints.
DNA testing took the better part of the week. There were patches on the blanket that looked like dried semen and hair fibers that matched Jessica’s. Agent Campbell had his case ready, and was just waiting for the Legal team to give him the go-ahead to arrest the four boys, fingerprint them, and hope to God they matched the ones from the warehouse.
Chapter34
That night Joe decided to visit Special Agent Rosemary Burrows’ dreams. His main excuse was to see what her boyfriend Henry was like. He had promised Burrows he
wouldn’t get into any of her team’s thoughts or dreams, but he hadn’t promised to stay out of hers. Anyway, thought Joe, she doesn’t need to know unless I want her to.
When Joe entered Burrows’ dream, she was studying the wall map of California, wondering where the killer she was dreaming of would strike next. Joe told her to forget that case— she was due a holiday—and to go look at the world map to see where she would like to go. By doing this, he brought her out of her dream and into his fantasy.
“Rosemary love, there’s no need to look for somewhere to go on holidays.”
Rosemary spun around and was shocked to see Henry waving two flight tickets at her. “Henry, what are you doing here?”
“I’ve got us two tickets to Peru, all expenses paid by my company.”
“Peru? I was thinking more Miami, or Venice Beach, California.” Burrows was under Joe’s spell, as easy as that.
“Darling, I know it’s work, but I’d like you to come with me; it will be great, honest. We can make it a working holiday.”
“Oh great, you study a plant for hours, while I get bitten by insects.”
“I’m not studying a plant this time, it’s an animal—a gargoyle. There’s a tribe of them living up in the mountains of Peru.”
“There’s no such creature as a gargoyle,” laughed Rosemary. “They are just old carvings done hundreds of years ago.”
“Yes, but what if gargoyle sculptures were modeled after these animals?” Henry wrapped his arms around Rosemary and hugged her with excitement. “They are more than likely going to be identified as a new species of ape.” Henry gave her the tickets to hold as he led her out of the room. “The report I’ve had is that they are ape-like in size; with pointed ears like a cat, a small nose, and a sad looking face. They have never been studied before; we may be the first from the outside world to see them. Well, since the Spanish soldiers ordered them all killed, that is.”
“Why would the Spanish want the gargoyles killed?” Rosemary noticed she was now in her apartment, and Henry was packing her suitcase. Her interest was sparked, and she helped him to finish packing.
“They didn’t kill the gargoyles because they were violent; supposedly, they were inordinately friendly—that was the trouble—they were too welcoming.”
“Why kill them, then?” She was now boarding a plane. “Where is it we’re going?” She put her hand in the air: “Don’t tell me. I remember––Peru.”
“We’ve got to meet our guide, Joseph Lopez, he’ll answer all our questions. I’m so excited—I can’t wait to get up that mountain. Oh, Rosemary darling, we are going to have a great time!” Henry kissed her long and hard.
Rosemary felt happy for him, and when they broke away from his passionate kiss, they were outside the plane in the airport. An old man was smiling at them. “Who are you?” a shocked looking Rosemary asked.
“I’m your guide, Joseph Lopez. Welcome to Peru.”
Henry stepped forward. “Hi, I’m Henry, and this is my girlfriend, Miss Burrows. Do you have a car for us?”
“No sir, there’s a helicopter waiting to take us to the village on the mountain.”
“Hear that, love? We’ll be in camp in no time.”
“Did you say camp?––as in a tent outside with creepycrawlies?” Rosemary shuddered as Henry helped her into the helicopter.
“I’m sure our guide will pick a spot away from anything nasty,” Henry shouted over the noise of the helicopter, and then gave her another kiss.
“This is as close as we can get to the gargoyles without disturbing them,” Joseph said with a smile as he looked at Rosemary. “Trust me, Miss Burrows, you don’t want to get any closer until you know what they are like.”
Rosemary looked around and saw they were on the mountains
ide, looking down into a jungle. Henry was holding her hand. She didn’t remember getting out of the helicopter, or seeing it leave. It was as if someone was fast-forwarding her life. She felt happy because Henry was happy, though, and he was dragging her along with his enthusiasm. She looked at the tent that had suddenly appeared. Joseph was carrying their belongings and putting them inside, and she noticed it was a four-person tent. “Where are you sleeping, Joseph?”
“Never mind about that,” interrupted Henry. “Let’s hear about these gargoyles ... how many are there … how intelligent are they … everything you know.”
Suddenly, Rosemary was sitting with Henry on a rolled out bed. Joseph was sitting on the bed opposite them, telling them all about the gargoyles. She was hanging on to every word he said and asked as many questions as Henry did.
“The village is just below us, down the mountain.” Joseph pointed his thumb over his shoulder: “This clearing is between the villagers and the gargoyles.”
“Why did the Spanish soldiers want to kill the tribe off?” Rosemary asked in a whisper.
“Because of the gargoyles’ love song.” Joseph shook his head: “It drove some of the soldiers crazy for the love of a woman.” Joe could feel Burrows’ concern, and he knew he had her where he wanted her—under his spell while he played the role of Joseph. “Some soldiers even mated with the female gargoyles––so the stories tell.”
“Didn’t the male gargoyles try to stop them?” asked Henry.
“I don’t know … it was 400 years or more ago … who knows exactly what happened back then?”
“But some must have survived?” Rosemary was shaking her head in disbelief, but she wanted to know more. “You mentioned these gargoyles can sing?”
Joseph nodded. “The villagers call them love songs, but it’s more like a humming chant, than a song,” Joseph explained. “When the alpha male decides it’s time to mate, he starts his chanting and the other males join in––like a chorus. Then, the females start humming in response, until it builds to a frenzy and turns into an orgy. The alpha, usually the old man of the tribe, picks his partner and mates with her, and then it’s everyone for themselves, young and old. And, they don’t stick to one partner … it’s more than likely they’ll mate with three or four different ones. That could go on for a few hours, day or night; it’s up to the alpha male to decide when and how long the orgies last. The chanting affects humans, as well. If we listen to them for too long, we fall under the song’s trance. I expect that’s what happened to the Spanish soldiers … they listened too long and took part in the orgy. They were lulled in without expecting it.”
“When can you take us to see these gargoyles?” Henry asked eagerly. “I want to film them and study them as soon as possible.”
“It wouldn’t be a good idea for them to see your camera, or your binoculars. They are like magpies––they’ll take them from you to play with.” Joseph was shaking his head. “Take a small recorder and keep it in your pocket, out of sight, and take your notepad, and if they come up to you, hide it in your pocket, as well.”
“Okay. What else should we know about these gargoyles?” Henry squeezed Rosemary’s hand: “Other than they are thieves, and sex crazed?”
Joseph pulled three packets of earplugs out of his pocket. “You’ll want to use these, just in case the alpha male starts singing his love song to Miss Burrows when he sees her.”
“We can’t put those in,” Henry took one and put it in his pocket. “The idea of studying these creatures is to listen and observe.”
“If you hear their chanting, you and Miss Burrows may be seduced into their orgy.”
Rosemary took the ear plugs and shoved them in the pocket of her shorts. “I’m sure Henry knows what he’s doing.”
“So did many of the villagers, but they got carried away with the love song and ended up having sex with the gargoyles.”
Henry took his pocket recorder out. “You’ve heard these stories from the villagers up here, so tell us, what we can expect?” he asked.
Joseph smiled mysteriously, and made himself comfortable. “Just over the other side of this mountain there’s a steep slope where berry bushes are chest high. The villagers often go there to pick them. So do the gargoyles. As long as you’ve got earplugs in, you’ll be safe. The gargoyles just eat the berries and most of the time they’ll leave you alone, they are not in heat all the time.” He lowered his tone as if he were afraid of being overheard. Henry and Rosemary leaned closer, intrigued to hear more.
“The story the villagers love to tell is about a young married couple. The young man got his wife pregnant and they had to live with his mother-in-law, whom he hated––the feeling was mutual.” Joe could see and feel the fantasy was starting to arouse Rosemary. Joseph smiled at her and went on: “Anyway, the three of them went to pick berries, and the young man left his wife and mother-in-law to pick the lower bushes, while he climbed the slope to the higher ones. Suddenly, he heard his mother-in-law shouting: ‘Shoo, go away!’ He looked down to see two gargoyles sitting, eating berries, not far from his mother-inlaw and they were grunting to her in a friendly way. They normally leave you alone when you shout at them, so he thought no more about it.
“His wife was about twenty yards away and wasn’t taking any notice of her mother. The husband carried on picking. Then, he heard the grunt again, only quieter, and sounding more like a chant. He looked down. The gargoyles were a little closer to his mother-in-law, and she was still trying to shoo them away. He carried on picking. When he heard the chanting, he looked down again, but couldn’t see the gargoyles, or his mother-in-law.” Joseph took a deep breath. “The young man thought he’d better go and see if his mother-in-law was okay. As he drew closer, he could hear her trying to sing with the gargoyles. He couldn’t believe his eyes when he looked through the bushes; his mother-in-law was naked, and the gargoyle was mating with her. He stood frozen to the spot as he watched her hold out her hand to him, smiling, as if she wanted him to join her. He could see how much she was enjoying herself and he couldn’t stop himself from kneeling down beside her. He stroked her head and asked her if she was okay—the mother-in-law that until that moment he had hated. She hummed her answer: ‘Ohhhhh yessss.’ He massaged her breast, wanting to join in as he watched the gargoyle slowly pumping away between her legs.
“Then it occurred to him there had been two gargoyles— where was the other one? He tore himself away from his motherin-law and, by following the chanting, he easily found the other gargoyle. As he made his way through the bushes, he knew what he was going to find. He wasn’t surprised to see his wife naked, on her knees, with the gargoyle mounting her from behind––both of them singing in harmony. He wasn’t angry with her. He thought their singing was heavenly. He knelt down and kissed his wife. She told him she felt wonderful and she was glad he could join them. When the gargoyle finally reached his climax, she rolled over for her husband to make love to her, with her and the gargoyle still singing to keep them all in the mood.
“All the time he was making love to his wife, the gargoyle sat next to her, stroking her hair. The husband rolled off in a trance and out of breath as he watched the gargoyle stroking his wife’s breasts with the back of his hand, as if he were getting her ready to make love again. The other gargoyle came through the bushes, chanting, and he went straight to the wife’s feet and opened her legs gently, singing to her as he knelt between them, stroking her thighs. She smiled and sang back to him. The husband even tried to sing a welcome to him as he watched the gargoyle take hold of his big cock and slip it between her open legs. The husband didn’t feel jealous at all; he knew it was what his wife wanted; it all seemed magical and so natural. He continued chanting along with the rhythm of their lovemaking. He watched them for quite a while until he felt he should go and see how his mother-in-law was doing with the other gargoyle, which had slipped away chanting his love song. His mother-inlaw was in the same state as his wife, if not more aroused. The young man
stayed there, and when the gargoyle finished, the young man couldn’t resist his mother-in-law. He made love to her over and over, forgetting all about his wife, and didn’t notice when the gargoyles returned to the jungle.” Joseph gave a sigh of satisfaction as he looked at Rosemary.
Chapter35
“W
ow, what a story!” Rosemary said, carried away with the excitement of meeting these gargoyles. “Do you believe the villagers?”
“Yes, for they still talk about that incident to this day—
how the three of them came down the mountain, the two women carrying their tattered clothes, which had been ripped off them in their moments of wild passion,” Joseph laughed. “The young man and his mother-in-law became good friends after that. They say he spent as much time in his mother-in-law’s bed as he did in his wife’s.”
“You say these gargoyles have big cocks?” Henry was grinning at Rosemary as he raised his eyebrows. “And, they like having sex with our women?”
“So the villagers say. That’s why I brought those earplugs for you and Miss Burrows. If that mother-in-law and the wife had earplugs in when they tried to shoo them away, then those gargoyles would have given up singing to the two women.”
Rosemary smiled back at Henry, suspecting he wanted her to mate with one of these gargoyles. The idea had crossed her mind, too, when she heard how much the women enjoyed it. She was about to tell him there was no way she was going to mate with a wild animal, so he could write it up in his journal, when Henry squeezed her hand again, as if to encourage her.
“What other stories do you know?” Henry asked hopefully.
Joseph nodded. “There was this other one I heard. A young girl went up the mountain and fell under the charm of one of the gargoyles. She seemed to have fallen in love with him.” Joseph inched forward. “She lived with her parents at the edge of the village near the mountain forest, and would sneak off to meet her love in secret.” Henry was nodding expectantly, and licking his lips.
Get Out Of My Dreams (Joe the Magic Man Series Book 1) Page 24
