by J. C. Fields
Bishop directed his eyes to the photo in front of him, but remained quiet.
“Here’s your third problem. We know Randolph Bishop murdered four women in St. Louis over the course of ten years.”
“My brother confessed to those murders. I had nothing to do with them.”
Kruger smiled again. “So you’re admitting you’re Randolph Bishop?”
“I’m not admitting anything.”
“Your brother did leave a note at the scene of his suicide confessing to the murders. But there’s a problem with this confession.”
“There is no problem. My brother killed those women. You’re throwing mud against the wall hoping something will stick. It won’t because I didn’t kill those women.”
“Trace DNA was found on one of the victims.”
Bishop remained silent.
“Apparently, the killer used a condom when he raped the women. But semen was found in one of the victims. Small amount, the condom had a leak, but it was enough to send to our FBI lab. The DNA was tested against Paul Bishop’s profile. It was close, but not a match. In fact, it was so close, it could only be a sibling. You are Paul’s only sibling.”
Bishop laughed. “You’re grasping at straws, you have no proof it was my DNA.”
“Not yet.”
“I’m done talking to you.”
“Suit yourself. But the story gets better. I’ll let you think about it some more.”
“I have to piss.”
Kruger nodded, stood, and opened the door. He said something as he stepped out and was replaced by Sandy Knoll. Knoll was accompanied by two of the largest men Bishop had ever seen. The two large men were dressed in sheriff deputy uniforms and stood behind Knoll.
Kruger spoke from outside the room loud enough for Bishop to hear. “These three gentlemen will escort you to a holding cell where you can relieve yourself and contemplate your future. Or the complete lack of one. They outweigh you by at least five hundred pounds, so try not to do anything stupid.”
***
An hour later, Bishop was escorted back into the interrogation room. Kruger was already sitting at the table with three thick files next to him. He ignored Bishop as he sat down and one of the deputies secured his shackles to the ring on the floor.
Kruger continued to disregard Bishop as he sat reading the open file in front of him. Bishop cleared his throat several times, but Kruger remained silent. After ten minutes, he looked up from the file. “Tell me about the man you call in Thailand.”
“Thailand? I don’t know anyone in Thailand.”
Kruger nodded and went back to reading the file.
Another ten minutes went by before he looked at Bishop again. “We haven’t decided where to send you yet. Guantanamo Bay is out; it’s going to close soon. The CIA has a few really special hell holes we’re thinking about. There’s one in Turkmenistan, or a particularly nasty one in Uzbekistan that would work. Do you have a preference?”
Bishop stared at Kruger, his eyes narrow and his brow furrowed.
“Probably best not to pick. We’d send you to the one you don’t want.”
Kruger went back to reading.
“Okay, Kruger, what do you want?”
Looking up he smiled. “So you do know who I am. Good. I want to know about your contact in Thailand.”
“I told you I don’t know anyone in Thailand.”
Pulling his cell phone out of his jacket pocket, he touched an icon and sat it down. The recording of Bishop’s conversation on the previous day played. After it concluded, Kruger picked up the phone, ended the app. “This phone call was intercepted by the NSA yesterday. The voice without an accent has been confirmed to be yours. The phone making the call is owned by Mandy Bryant. She was found brutally murdered last night. Care to make a comment?”
Bishop shook his head.
“Now, again, who is your contact in Thailand?”
Bishop’s eyes narrowed and he leaned toward Kruger. “You can’t prove anything.”
“We know more than you think we do. Do the names Brenda Bishop, Judith Day, Thomas Zimmerman, Stephen Blair, Christine Daniels, Rosie Singleton and Anna Rhodes mean anything to you?”
Bishop continued to stare at Kruger, his expression defiant.
“The only one you probably don’t recognize is Anna Rhodes. She was shot in the head with a CZ 9mm while sitting in a car in her driveway. She never knew what happened or why. I doubt you even knew her name.”
Bishop snorted. “You can’t prove anything.”
“On the contrary. Ballistics indicate the bullet that killed Anna Rhodes was fired from the CZ found in your possession.”
Bishop’s expression softened and he studied the top of the table were they sat.
“The Attorney General of Missouri is already filing charges against you and wants to pursue the death penalty. Unless…”
Bishop looked up, his eyes narrow. “Unless what?”
“You tell me about the man in Thailand.”
Bishop grinned and shook his head. “Not a chance.”
Kruger’s cell phone vibrated, he glanced at the sender, kept his expression neutral and stood up. “Think about it for a while. Consider this: if you don’t answer, you might never see the sun again.”
He returned Bishop’s grin and walked out of the room.
***
JR smiled as Bishop’s laptop spilled its secrets.
It had taken two hours to crack the log-in code, a long time by his standards, until he realized he was dealing with a professional, well-constructed firewall. Once this was established, he made rapid progress.
One of the files contained a list of addresses in a PDF file of scanned documents. As he worked through the documents, one address stood out.
Once he realized what it was, he picked up his cell phone and sent a text message.
JR sat in a small conference room down the hall from the Cole County Sheriff’s Office. He was the only occupant of the room as he waited for his friend to join him.
When Kruger walked in he saw JR staring at his computer screen.
“What was the urgent summons about?” Kruger threw the files he held on the conference table, his tone unhappy about being interrupted.
“Found something of concern on Bishop’s laptop.”
Kruger exhaled and nodded slightly. “Sorry, what’d you find?”
“Take a look at this.” JR pointed to the scanned page on his laptop screen.
Silence was his answer as Kruger looked at the information. “So? Looks like a bunch of addresses.”
JR pointed to one particular address. “Recognize this?”
Kruger shook his head.
“It’s the home address of the man who kidnapped Stephanie and Kristin.”
Kruger’s eyes widened and he straightened in his chair. “You’re kidding?”
“Nope.”
“What does it mean?”
“Think about it for a moment.”
Kruger was silent for several minutes as pieces of the puzzle fell into place.
“Ahhh…. shit.”
“Yeah, I would agree.”
***
It took thirty minutes for everyone needed on the conference call to find a suitable location to talk unencumbered. In the sheriff’s office conference room sat Knoll, JR, Allen Boone, with instructions to remain quiet, and Kruger. Joseph was at the safe house where Brian and Michelle were now located. Seltzer and Director Stumpf were at FBI headquarters and could connect the call to the President if needed.
Stumpf started the meeting. “Okay, Sean, what’ve you found?”
“Our friend found the information. I didn’t.”
“Fine, go on.”
Kruger looked at JR and nodded. “We have a recording we need you to listen to.” JR touched a key on his laptop and Bishop’s phone call to Thailand was heard. After it was finished, Kruger continued.
“The call was intercepted yesterday by our friends over at NSA. It was from a phone
in Columbia, Missouri to a phone in Thailand. The voice of the caller from the US was identified as Randolph Bishop. Voice print match.”
“What are the plans mentioned in the call? Do you have details?” The question was asked with growing concern by Seltzer.
“No, but a document was found on Bishop’s laptop. It’s a handwritten document with numerous addresses all over the US. The document appears to have been scanned in a hurry, it’s not centered. To me, this indicates it was scanned clandestinely. We have zero proof, but we think Bishop scanned it as insurance.”
“Insurance against what?” It was Stumpf’s voice.
“Bishop indicated on the phone call he was aware of a plan being organized by the man in Thailand.” Kruger paused, but no one spoke. He continued. “The document found on Bishop’s computer is a list of addresses in the United States. One of those addresses was the home of the man who kidnapped my wife and daughter.”
“What kidnapping?” Stumpf tone was harsh.
“I kept it quiet; they’re safe.”
Joseph spoke up. “Paul, I’ll explain later. It was deemed necessary to keep it out of the media.”
Stumpf responded with silence. After several moments they heard, “Fine. Next time inform me.”
Kruger smiled slightly. “The kidnapper was a known associate of the man in Thailand.”
Seltzer spoke next. “Was?”
Joseph interjected, “Terminated.”
The reaction was silence. Stumpf said, “Got it. Keep going.”
Kruger took a deep breath and looked at JR, who smiled slightly. “It’s our assumption the list of addresses may be locations of men who are waiting for a call to conduct a series of preplanned and coordinated terrorist attacks.”
“What’s your proof?” Stumpf voice was less confrontational.
“We don’t have proof. We have a lot of data points, a lot of assumptions and conjecture, a list of addresses, and a gut feeling. That’s all.”
“How many addresses?”
Knoll spoke up, “Over twenty in different cities.”
A slight whistle could be heard over the phone connection. Stumpf voice sounded concerned. “Any indication of when they might attack?”
“None.” Kruger’s voice was louder than he meant it to be.
Silence returned to the conference call. Finally, they heard Stumpf say, “Joseph, what do you suggest?”
“We have to check each address and see if our assessment is correct.”
“Do you have enough manpower?”
“I’ll defer the question to Major Knoll.”
“Major, what are your suggestions?”
Knoll smiled, “We’ve been planning for this possibility.”
“Meaning?”
“My team will assess a number of the locations. If we deem it necessary, we will use FBI Rapid Response Teams or local SWAT.”
Everyone in the conference room heard Stumpf take a deep breath. After letting it out slowly, he spoke, “Gentlemen, if your suspicions about these addresses are correct, we have a potential crisis on our hands. Proceed with your assessment. I will brief the President.” He paused briefly. “Next time anything of importance happens, Sean, inform me.”
Kruger gave a slight smile. “Yes, sir.”
The call ended, but no one stood. The silence was deafening as each man dealt with his own thoughts. After a minute, Kruger looked at the big man. “Sandy, where do you want to start?”
Knoll looked at a copy of the file JR had printed for him. He was quiet for several moments. He looked up. “Dallas.”
Chapter 39
Jefferson City, MO
After the conference call, Kruger realized he was going on twenty-four hours without sleep or a meal. It was almost noon, and he left the sheriff’s office to walk down the street to a small café. Knoll had left for the airport, and JR was busy with Bishop’s laptop. They seated him at a two-top table, and the waitress left to get his iced tea. After she was gone, he placed his elbows on the table and pressed the palms of his hands against his weary eyes.
He felt someone sit down across from him.
“You look about as bad as I feel.”
Kruger looked up and smiled. Allen Boone sat there, his eyes bloodshot with dark circles highlighting his weariness.
“Have you looked in a mirror lately?”
Boone chuckled. He kept quiet as the waitress placed Kruger’s drink in front of him. Boone pointed to Kruger’s tea. “I’ll take one of those, too.” He watched as she walked away. “What can I do to assist, Sean?”
Kruger shook his head. “I don’t really know at this point. We need to see what Sandy finds in Dallas. There’s an address in St. Louis; why don’t you start there and put it under surveillance.”
Boone nodded. “What about Bishop?”
Kruger took a sip of his tea. “I’m going to take one more shot at him and then turn him over to you. I don’t trust myself around him. During my last interview, I struggled not to strangle him. I think it would be a good idea for you to be in the room with me. But I want to wait until we hear something from Sandy. Maybe tomorrow. Let Bishop cool his heels for a day.”
Boone smiled. “Sounds good.”
***
Bishop shuffled into the interrogation room and his shackles were secured before Kruger and Boone entered. After getting a good night’s sleep and an update from Knoll in Dallas. He was ready to talk to Bishop.
They watched Bishop on the video monitor for five minutes before going in. Kruger entered first, holding a file folder. Boone closed the door and leaned against the door frame behind Kruger, his arms folded across his chest.
Bishop looked up. “Who’s he?”
Kruger glared at Bishop. “I ask the questions. You don’t.”
“Fuck you, Kruger.”
“Yeah, well, get used to it, Bishop. Where you’re going, you may find someone doing it to you daily.”
Snorting, Bishop sat back in his chair.
Kruger extracted the printed sheet of the PDF file from the file folder and slid it across the table for Bishop to see. He remained quiet as he watched Bishop’s eyes momentarily grow wide and his lips pull back against his teeth. Then the expression went back to his normal scowl.
“What’s that?”
“I’m surprised you don’t recognize it. It’s from your laptop.” Kruger pointed at one address in particular. “Your friend who kidnapped my wife and daughter lived at this address.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Kruger took a deep breath as he thought of what Stephanie and Kristin endured because of this man. He took a few moments to calm himself. “Sure you do. These addresses are the reason you came back to the United States, Randy.”
Bishop shook his head.
“I’m not stupid, Randy.” Kruger watched Bishop tense when he said “Randy.” “You, don’t like being called Randy, do you, Randy? Not sophisticated enough for you?”
Glaring at Kruger, Bishop started breathing hard.
“Back to the piece of paper. We know what it is, and we’re shutting it down as we speak.”
“You have no idea of what this piece of paper means, Kruger. You’re stumbling in the dark.”
“Good, so you do know. Now we’re getting somewhere.”
“Do you think I’m stupid, Kruger? I know how the game is played.”
“No, Randy, I don’t think you’re stupid. I think you’re a manipulative psychopath who thinks he’s invincible. You’re not.” Kruger pointed at the chains. “Your presence here proves it.” He paused for a few seconds. “I thought you would have had a better escape plan than the one you tried. Really lame.”
Bishop’s face grew red as he tried to stand up. The shackles stopped him before he could rise three inches. Boone stopped leaning against the door frame and uncrossed his arms.
“Sit down, Randy.” Kruger put the piece of paper back into the file. “Let me tell you what’s going to happen next. Wit
h the knowledge of the addresses and information gleaned from various intercepted phone calls, the FBI is going to shut down the operations of the man from Thailand.” Smiling, Kruger looked straight into Bishop’s eyes. “I haven’t forgot about the man from Thailand. Have you?”
Continuing to glare at Kruger, Bishop remained silent.
Kruger continued, “Once all the individuals on this list are compromised, your friends overseas will think you told us. How else would we have found all of the addresses?”
Bishop’s confident smirk changed immediately. His brow furrowed, and his breath suddenly grew short.
“My guess is, once we have you in a state penitentiary, your friend in Thailand will find some way to get to you. We don’t like it, but, you know, shit happens.” He stared at Bishop.
“You have no idea what is going on, Kruger. There is no way you can stop it.”
“Actually, there is.” Kruger stood, smiled and turned toward the door. Just before exiting the interrogation room, he turned. “We’ve already shut it down in Dallas. Fortunately one of the suspects was taken alive, and he was more than happy to tell us what he knows.”
***
The drive back to Springfield seemed longer than the trip to Columbia. JR’s seat was tilted back and he was trying to sleep. It wasn’t working. “Where do we go from here, Sean?”
“With the information you found on the laptop and what Sandy found in Dallas, the raids on the addresses will take place sometime early tomorrow morning. Probably around 3.”
“You’re not going to one of them?”
Kruger shook his head. “I’m not interested. Sandy can handle it.”
JR straightened his seat and looked over at his friend. “That doesn’t sound like you, Sean. You always want to be in the middle of things.”
Watching the road in front of them, Kruger did not respond right away. After trying to understand his feelings, he exhaled. “Yeah, I know. Not this time. I need to get back to Stephanie and Kristin. I’ve been gone too long.”
