by Tom Heaven
Frank, who had returned to the tenth floor said, “No.”
“Shit, we’ll have to go room to room. Frank, you start at that end, Jerry and I will start at this end.”
Nine floors below them, the sniper carefully packed his rifle back in its case. He picked up the spent shell casing and put it in his pocket as he walked to the door of his room.
As Sweeney stepped into the hallway, the door across from him swung open, and there was Dan standing in the hall with his glock aimed directly at the sniper’s head.
Sweeny gasped loudly, and his eyes couldn’t have gotten any bigger.
Standing right in front of Dan, was the man police all over the world had been looking for. He didn’t look like much in person. He was only about four feet, nine inches tall with gray hair and a permanent scowl. A previously broken nose had not healed right and did not improve his appearance.
“Hello, Bill. Where you headed? Nowhere in a hurry, I hope. I thought we might have a little chat first. I wanted to talk to you about a friend of mine. Her name was Karen. Karen Kretzke. Name ring a bell? She was more than a friend, actually. She was a fellow detective and an ex-lover. Now drop the case and put your hands on your head”
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t my good friend detective Dan Carter, and he is standing on his own two feet. I guess miracles do happen.”
“No not a miracle. I think it was just that you are not as good a shot as you think you are. You needed to aim a little higher. Having to take that second shot to finish Karen proves that you are getting a little rusty.”
The Assassin’s voice got a little higher and a lot louder when he yelled, “Don’t be ridiculous! I am still just as good. Go look at that dummy you must have put in your wheelchair by the pool. You’ll see I put my shot in the back of its head, just like always. I hit you in the back right where I wanted, and that bitch must have moved just as I squeezed the trigger.”
“No Bill, I think you are just getting too old. I believe I read somewhere that being quick to anger was a sign of aging. Something to do with early onset of dementia.”
Dan saw the almost imperceptible movement of the killer’s elbow as he slowly moved his right hand behind him. Dan’s prayers were being answered. He had prayed he would get the chance to kill The Assassin. He waited until he could see the gun clearly, before pulling the trigger.
Dan was so focused on the watching Sweeney’s right arm, he hadn’t noticed his left arm swinging the case until he felt it hit him in the head and saw a brief flash of white light.
Dan fell backwards into the hallway and the door slammed shut. Just then, Frank and Jerry came running down the hall with their weapons at the ready.
“Oh Jesus, we thought you were dead.”
“Here comes the chief.”
“Okay Dan, what the hell is going on here? Who was in that wheelchair that got shot? How did you know he would be on the ground floor? Where is he? Why are you out of your wheelchair?”
“Chief, if you’ll just slow down and ask your questions one at a time, you’ll get some answers. Otherwise, the rest of us can go home and leave you babbling to yourself here in the hotel.”
“Right. Who was in the wheelchair at the pool?”
“No one. That was Annika’s idea. She and her friend walked between the chair and The Ambassador, so no one could tell it was a manikin. They made sure the back was facing the right way and the fedora was on tight before they left. Next question?”
“How did you know that The Assassin would change floors?”
“I didn’t. After an hour of no show, I talked to the desk clerk and asked him to call me whenever anyone else checked in. When he called, he told me that the latest person to register had requested room 126. I knew that had to be him.”
“Looks like he got the better of you.”
“Yep! When I told him to drop the case and put his hands behind his head, he reached behind his back and started to pull a gun from his waistband. I was focused on the gun when he clocked me with the gun case.”
“Where is he now?”
Dan nodded his head toward the hotel room door. The chief tried the door and when he found it to be locked, said, “On three… one, two, three!
The door to room 126 crashed open, but the window was open and there was no one there.
The Assassin did not have a history of experiencing emotion. He had never felt fear, excitement, sadness, or depression. He occasionally felt amused by how stupid people could be, but the only intense emotion he was capable of feeling was anger and he had never been angrier than when he slipped into the shadow of the trees behind The Ambassador.
“That bastard Carter. Thinks he can outsmart me, does he? Well, who got the last laugh? I am still free, and he is still number one on my hit list! The only difference is that now, it gets up close and personal. I am not going to allow him to leave this world with the dignity of instant death at a distance with my rifle. Now he gets to feel every second of his life leaving his body in the most painful way I can devise. I will capture them together and he will watch her experience the worst possible torture before she dies, and only then will I start on him.”
Slowly his frown was replaced by a smile that suggested he could also include a little happiness with his limited emotional experience.
Chapter 57
Annika and Dan greeted Benji at the front door. Benji looked at Dan but didn’t say anything as he went directly to his room.
Annika watched him go and said, “He’s still hurting, isn’t he?”
“Yes, I know he misses Sean’s company, but I also think he feels some guilt for telling The Assassin’s informant what we were doing. I told Benji that it was not his fault. He thought he could trust Sean.”
To give Benji a break, Dan cooked dinner that evening. When it was finished, they called to Benji, and told him it was time to eat.
Other than Dan telling Benji how hard Annika worked to get him up on his feet, they ate quietly until they were finished. Benji automatically stood up to begin cleaning up.
Annika grabbed his arm and said, “No Benji, please sit down and talk to us. You know how unhealthy it is to keep your feelings bottled up. You, Dan and I are more than friends, we are family.”
“Yes, I understand that, but it is my naiveté that allowed that madman to kill Karen, and I will never forgive myself for that.”
Dan said, “Your allowing Sean into our lives was not naïve, Benji, it was trusting. You are an honest person and you expect others to be the same. That trust is what makes you such a great person and friend. Sean took advantage of your trust. That’s not your fault. He knew The Assassin would use that information to kill people. That makes him the guilty one. You are innocent in all of this and should look forward and forgive yourself. Annika and I know that you can’t do that overnight. Just know that we will always be here to support you.”
Benji stood up and said, “Thanks to both of you. Now I have to get this kitchen cleaned up or I will be feeling guilty about that.”
Later, during their pillow talk, Annika asked Dan how he had felt when she told Benji that they were “family.”
“Why? We are family, aren’t we?”
“Sorta,’ in a family of friends way. But I didn’t want you to think I was being presumptive by insinuating that you and I are anything more than friends.”
“Are you kidding me? Don’t you know how much I care for you? I would give my life for you.”
“Well, it’s just that we have never actually spoken the words, have we?”
“Oh, so that’s what this is about. Annika, I am so sorry. Like most men, I guess I just figured you could read my mind. Honey…I love you, now and forever!”
She kissed him and said, “I was beginning to wonder if I would ever hear those words. I love you too, with all my heart.”
“Well, now that
we have that settled. I think we should set some ground rules for this love of ours.”
“What do you mean?” She could tell by his tone he was serious.
“I have always wanted any relationship that I might have, to be an equal partnership. Other than the minor, personal, day-to-day decisions, we would make all major decisions together, with one exception. If I need you to do something to keep you safe, you will do it without question. Is that going to be something you can live with?
“Yes, The Assassin made that very clear for me.”
“Good. Now the other major issue is children. Are you going to be happy without having any?”
Annika’s eyes got big and the volume of her voice went up several notches, “You must be joking now! Of course, we will have children! I know you want them as much as I do.
“Okay, okay, I am glad you feel so strongly about that. You are right, I do want children, I just wanted to know for sure that you felt the same way.”
“Now that issue is settled, do you have any more ‘rules of the road’ for us to follow?”
“No, do you have any that you would like me to know about?”
“Nope, I’m more of a ‘cross that bridge when we get to it’ kind of girl. Now let’s see if we can find a way to ‘seal the deal’.” as she rolled over on top of him.
Case IV – The Vengeance Killer
Chapter 58
Yelling “Thanks Babe” to Carmen, the bar maid, as he walked out the back door of the ‘Bobcat Bar and Grill,’ Jacob Dolans noted that he slurred his farewell. He knew that he’d had one too many drinks.
Although a smart cop, and knowing when too much was enough, he still thought it would be okay to drive the few blocks home.
He staggered a little on his way out the door but regained his composure while walking to his car. The moon could be seen as only a hazy glow through the dark clouds overhead. The noise from the bar shut off abruptly as the door closed behind him but the smell of stale beer and vomit reminded him of having been in this parking lot many times before.
He heard another set of footsteps in the gravel behind him as he arrived at his car and began removing his keys from his pocket.
The knife was so sharp that he barely felt it slide between his ribs from the back. He did feel the next six stab wounds as they penetrated his sides and between his shoulders. He never felt the last fifteen… He was dead by the time his body hit the ground.
Chapter 59
As Dan walked into the squad room for morning brief he heard numerous gasps from those officers that didn’t know he had parked his wheelchair for good. The room was silent while he found an empty chair. Suddenly loud applause erupted and there were shouts of “Way to go Dan,” and “Congratulations!”
The Chief waited for him to sit down, and quiet to return in the room, before he began.
“As all of you know, a police officer was viciously murdered last night as he was getting in his car. The victim was Jacob Dolans, a rookie from Eastern Division. He was stabbed a bunch of times. This was obviously a rage killing.
The forensics team are still out there combing the scene for any possible trace of evidence. The latest word from them, is that they have found the murder weapon, but not a single other clue. A slide then went up on the screen in the front of the room showing a picture of the knife that was used in the killing. The M.E. says our victim was stabbed with this knife twenty-one times; fifteen were post mortem.”
Dan said, “Chief, I know that knife. I carried one just like it when I was with the Seals. It is a KA-BAR fighting utility knife used by the Army and Marine Corps as well as Navy Seals.”
“Good,” said the chief. “That gives us at least something to start with. There is a chance then, that whoever we are looking for might have some connection with the military, but it’s not for certain by any means. These days anyone can get anything off the internet.
There are three questions we have to ask as we get started with this investigation. We need to find out if the killer targeted a random person, a random cop, or this specific cop. We will be working with Eastern on this investigation. They will be looking at the possibility that Jacob knew his killer.
Dan and Frank, Officer Dolans was married and had a six-year-old son. You two interview the wife. If she can’t give you any leads, proceed as if this was a crime of opportunity and the killer just happened to find a victim in that parking lot.
Bonnie and Jerry, you check in with all San Diego precincts to see if any officer has been threatened or followed.
All of you are to feed whatever information you find to me, and I will coordinate with the chief of Eastern division. I also need everyone to be super cautious right now. Remember that The Assassin has promised to kill anyone of us at any time, and now, we may have a cop killer just waiting to strike. Keep your weapon with you at all times, always travel in pairs, and, conduct frequent visual scans behind you and of locations above street level where a sniper might be set up.”
While Jerry and Bonnie headed towards their squad car, Bonnie said, “Jerry, let’s you and I start with the precinct I just transferred from. I know all the guys there and which ones are most likely to have info on any threats.
“Sounds good, but I’m driving.”
“No! you drove last time.”
“Surely, you don’t think that matters, do you? I outrank you by time at this station, so I get to say who drives, every time.”
“You know that doesn’t mean squat.”
“O.K., we’ll flip a coin. Call it.”
“Heads.”
Jerry took a quarter out of his pocket and flipped it into the air. When he tried to catch it, it fell on the ground and rolled away. He went after it, and Bonnie quietly slipped into the driver’s seat and said. “When you are done playing, hop in. We don’t have all day.”
Jerry got in the passenger seat quietly, not saying a word about having been out-maneuvered.
Chapter 60
Although they had read Officer Dolan’s file, when Dan and Frank rang the doorbell at Jacob’s home they were surprised to see a child open the door.
“Hello,” said Dan. “Is your mommy home?”
Without answering, the child ran into the house yelling, “Mommy there are two strange men at the door.”
A woman, of slight build and blond hair came to the door, drying her hands on a towel. When she looked up at the detectives, they could see her red eyes and puffy face. She opened the door and said, “Please come in. Barney go play in your room for mommy.”
Showing his badge while entering the house, Dan said, “Ma’am, first let me say how profoundly sorry we are for your loss. I am detective Dan Carter, and this is detective Frank Rawlings. We are from the San Diego Police Department.
Although we didn’t know Jacob personally, as we’re from a different division, I do know that he has an exemplary record and was a highly valued member of the Department.”
“Thank you, officers. Members from his division have already been by this morning and they have been very helpful in sorting out how I am going to deal with this.”
Dan said, “Mrs. Dolans, we regret disturbing you right now, but would it be alright to ask you a couple questions? We want to find who did this to your husband and you may know something that might help.”
“Yes detective. Please sit,” as she gestured toward chairs in the living room. Dan started with, “Do you know anyone who might have wanted to hurt your husband?”
“No, he doesn’t… didn’t discuss his work that much. Jake didn’t want to upset our son, Danny, with stories about the violence that goes along with being a police officer. He wouldn’t even put his gun in his holster until he was out of the house. He kept it in a locked briefcase when at home.”
“Did he have any enemies not associated with his job? Maybe someone from his past.”
&n
bsp; “No, Jacob was liked by everyone he met. He had that kind of personality, you know; always smiling, always ready to help anyone who needed it.”
Frank said, “He was attacked outside ‘The Bobcat’ bar, did he go there often?”
“Yes, we both agreed that he needed a little time to unwind after a shift, so he would stop there and have a couple drinks with his friends before coming home… he won’t be coming home anymore, though, will he?”
Jacob’s wife started crying and sobbing again so Dan handed her his card, put his hand on her shoulder and said, “That’s enough for now. If there is anything you need, I’m sure the guys at his precinct would jump at the chance to help you. If you think of anything that might help us catch his killer, call them or myself.
Thank you, you have been very helpful. Don’t get up, we can show ourselves out.”
***
Back at precinct headquarters, Bonnie and Jerry were already briefing the chief when Dan and Frank returned.
Chief said, “Hey Dan, Frank, these two were just telling me that they got zilch. Apparently, everyone liked Jacob, and nobody received any threats recently, or noticed anything suspicious at any of the divisions.
It’s beginning to look like we can rule out a personal motive against our victim. That leaves us with someone who is targeting police in general or is picking victims at random.
Forensics weren’t all that helpful. No prints on the knife and not another scrap of evidence in the parking lot.”
Dan said, “Let’s take that list of the bar patrons and talk to them again. Maybe one of them has remembered something that’ll help since their first interview.”
Chapter 61
It was two a.m. when fifteen-year veteran, officer Arnold Baker was sitting in his patrol car, waiting for his rookie partner to fetch his coffee and pastry from the donut shop. He was trying to decide which donut he liked best. Sometimes it was hard to decide. His robust figure suggested he often solved the dilemma by getting more than one.
