by J. R. Martin
Glancing up at the clouds just as a flash of lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a roar of thunder, Ivan thought, I hope it isn’t either, Commander. I hope it isn’t either.
This time when they entered the doctor’s office the receptionist was expecting them. She welcomed them with a smile and said, “Please have a seat. I will let Doctor Williams know you are here.”
The two detectives took a seat in the waiting room and this time barely got a magazine opened before the receptionist called them in. Dr. Williams rose at their entry and offered his hand for a handshake. Both detectives obliged before taking a seat.
“Well, detectives, to what do I owe this visit?”
Ivan spoke up and said, “Doctor Williams, I was visiting with Grace yesterday and she said something that caused me to think, we should have been talking to a psychiatrist before now about the personality makeup of a killer’s mind. Can you help us with that?”
“The makeup of a killer’s mind? You mean what sort of personality might they display etc.?”
“Yes, sir. That type of thing.” Ivan answered.
“Well, you know Garth Simmons, personally. He is one example of a killer. By appearance he looks normal and can on occasion act that way. That’s one example of an insane mind.” Doctor Williams said.
The Commander intruded, “Do you mean someone criminally insane can convince those around them they are normal?”
“Yes, if you didn’t know Garth and he decided he was going to make you think he was normal, he could do that. Finally, he was caught when he let his emotions get the best of him, and he killed his parents. That happened in a moment when his insanity overrode his ability to not act upon it. He lost control. He’d wanted to do that many times, in his past, I’m sure, but this one time he couldn’t control himself.” Doctor Williams explained.
“Very interesting,” the Commander said, “please continue.”
“I’m going to share something with you, Doctor Williams, what Grace shared with me. She said, ‘if someone has insanity in their genetic makeup that person always worries that it might show up in them.’ Is that correct?” Ivan asked.
“Oh, very much so, detective. I know Grace does worry about that. But, I assure you, she is in no way drifting toward insanity. I believe, because it was such a horrendous act that Garth committed Grace is afraid something inside of her might go off track.” Dr. Williams said.
“Yes, I gathered that.” Ivan said.
“Okay, doctor, tell us more.” The Commander asked.
“Well, certain minds of the insane imagine that someone or something is a threat to them. Even though that person or thing may never have given them any reason to think that, in their mental crevices deep in their mind, they imagine that they have to defend themselves. So, they commit murder thinking they are protecting themselves.”
“That’s why some are declared ‘not guilty’ by reason of insanity?” The Commander said.
“You are exactly correct, Commander.” Dr. Williams said. “That’s why Garth Simmons is in the hospital for the criminally insane. Those people must be locked away forever, because they will kill again.”
“Well, don’t you worry that some of those patients will kill a doctor or a nurse?” Ivan asked.
“Oh, indeed, detective, that’s why we keep them sedated. There are drugs that can block some or most of those tendencies.” Doctor Williams answered.
“Tell us about other personalities.” The Commander asked.
“There are those that in the deep, deep depressions of the mind, in a place so dark, they do not know they are committed crimes.” Doctor Williams said.
“Now, what do you mean by that.” Ivan asked.
“I mean that some people are killers, but if you question them about a murder they will not remember doing it. They are so deep in hopelessness, in their mind of blackness, that their normal minds find their actions so deplorable that the brain refuses to believe it did such a horrific act. So, in their mind they think you or their doctor, is the one insane. Not them.” Doctor Williams said.
“That’s a new one on me.” The Commander said.
“Yeah, me too.” Ivan agreed.
“Think about it.” Doctor Williams said. “If something happened to you and it was so bad that your mind could not, or would not, accept that happening, the body, the mind, this beautiful thing that mankind only uses one tenth of in a lifetime, has the ability to shut it out, to not remember. Thus, protecting itself.”
“I’m thinking I’m learning a lot about psychiatry I never knew before.” The Commander commented. “Oh we all have to have the basic psychiatry training one gets in Scotland Yard, law, and other realms that we have to deal with, but you doctor Williams have explained things so differently. You make it quite clear how the mind of a criminally insane person works.”
Ivan didn’t speak, he just sat and continued to listen to Dr. Williams talk and explain the workings of the mind.
“Tell me doctor, is that like the PTSD that many soldiers have?” The Commander asked.
“Similar, in the older wars, some called it “Shell Shock” but it means something similar. It’s the body’s ability to see, and accept certain things, and then to totally shut down and not be able to mentally or physically accept things that the person has experienced. Now, this is not the same as the Criminally Insane, two different things.” Doctor Williams said.
“Well, doctor, Detective Bennet and I certainly do thank you for your time and for your help in explaining to a small degree, I’m sure, the workings of the mind.” The Commander said.
“Yes, doctor, thank you.” Ivan said as he rose to leave with the Commander.
“You’re welcome, Detectives, anyway I can help do not hesitate to call me.” Doctor Williams said as he walked them to the door.
****
After that day spent with Dr. Williams, both the Commander and Ivan had a different outlook on the White Chapel District murders. They knew they were indeed, dealing with a criminally insane person. No one in their right mind would do the things this killer was doing.
Whether Garth Simmons was encouraging or suggesting or maybe doing nothing, they knew they were going to have to find his accomplice, if indeed there was one. If there wasn’t one, then it was someone they had not yet caught.
It was a little scary to think that someone crazy enough to commit the murders was actually running around loose, just striking, if and when, they wanted to.
Ivan decided he was doing another stake out. This time he was going it alone. He went to the Commander and laid out his plan.
The Commander looked at him and said, “Bennet, you know you could be committing suicide? I don’t know how to protect you.” The Commander said. “Everything we’ve done up till this point, has failed. I’m almost out of ideas.”
“Let me suggest something. Put a Granny Cam in my car. Record everything said or done. It may be nothing more than me talking to myself, but if anyone tries to kill me, we are going to have it on tape. If we had had that during the stake out I did with Walt when I was gone across the street, the cam would have recorded the person face to face. I don’t know how that could fail.” Ivan said.
The Commander said, “Let me think about this, Detective. Let me mull this over and see what I can come up with.”
“Very good, sir, I’m going home now. I’ll see you in the morning.” Ivan said and walked out of Scotland Yard headquarters.
The sky was overcast and the moon darted in and out behind the clouds. Every time the lightning flashed Ivan could see the sky line. I wonder if a night like this is the kind of night the killer likes to strike. It certainly has the settings of a forbidding movie. Ivan gave one last look at the ominous sky and then got in his car.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The next day when Ivan reported to work the Commander came out to his desk and said, “Detective, I’ve been thinking about what you said about putting a video cam in the car and recording all th
e events that happen. That’s a great idea, but I’m going to put another car out there with you. I’m not going to let you be the bait and not have back up. So, I’ve assigned Detective Emerson and Detective Hayes to man another car with a cam recorder in their car as well. Maybe between the two we can get a glimpse, at least, of our killer.”
“Aren’t you afraid with two cars on stakeout the killer may spot one of them?” Ivan asked.
“No, I’ll have you far enough apart that it won’t be obvious.” The Commander said.
Ivan went about his business and prepared for the night. He wouldn’t go on stake out until the cover of darkness would shield him from being seen. He packed some cold drinks in his small insulated carrier and added a chicken salad sandwich from the corner deli. That way he wouldn’t have to leave his post.
He drove to the White Chapel District, found a place inside an alley and proceeded to wait and watch. Out of his sight the other Scotland Yard detectives took their post about four blocks away. Everyone settled in for what they felt would be a long night.
About midnight Ivan watched a couple of women, who must be prostitutes, he thought, as they came down the sidewalk. Each one was, without a doubt, inebriated to the point that they weren’t afraid to be alone on the dark midnight street.
The two women walked right in front of Ivan’s car and were too drunk to even realize the car was there. Ivan watched closely as they staggered on down the street. When they turned the corner Ivan got out of the car and followed them. He wanted to be sure the killer did not come out of the shadows and grabbed them. Ivan followed until both women stopped in front of a door and one of them fumbled with the key until she finally got it open and they went inside.
Ivan looked both directions and satisfied himself that no one was around and then he walked back to his squad car. Climbing back inside the car he leaned his head back on the seat a rested for a moment.
Around the corner and down the street the other two detectives remained on high alert. There was no dozing off for them. About three a.m. their vigil was rewarded as they saw a man following two women. As they watched the man ran up behind one of the women, grabbed her purse and took off running in the opposite direction.
Immediately the detectives turned on their headlights and siren and took after the thief. Shocked the law had been on him so quickly, the thief stopped and raised his hands.
The detectives got out of their car and walked up to the thief. Detective Hayes said,
“You got to be one stupid thief. You think you can get away with a snatch and go right here in the most watched and publicized neighborhood in all of London?”
The thief just stood silent as the detectives read him his rights and loaded him up in the squad car. Ivan heard the siren and listened as the radio announced the two detectives were in route to headquarters with the thief in tow. Ivan thought, well, it is a good thing they had caught the thief, at least the night had not been a total waste.
As soon as the eastern sky started taking on tones of pink and gray, signaling the sun would soon be coming up, Ivan started his car and headed to headquarters. It had been an uneventful night. He took the Granny Cam in with him, as the Commander had instructed, and prepared to watch the night’s proceedings that had been captured on the video.
When the Commander came in he invited the three detectives into his office for the four of them to watch the video’s. When the Commander saw Ivan’s video he asked him,
“Where did you go last night? The camera shows plainly that you aren’t in the car.”
“I followed two prostitutes down the street who were so drunk I was afraid the killer would see them and kill them on the spot. However, they got home safe and nothing happened. I just followed them to be sure, because they were too drunk to even know if someone was behind them.”
The Commander didn’t commit, instead he pulled out the other video from the two detectives’ car. The video plainly showed the chase as the detectives ran down the thief and arrested him.
“Well at least our little stake out saw two prostitutes get home safe and a thief arrested and brought in. At least the night wasn’t a total loss. We did fight crime as we saw it.” He laughed.
The three detectives chuckled and went home to get some sleep. The Commander said on their way out, “Maybe tonight will be more rewarding.”
The detectives nodded in agreement and left headquarters.
****
The next night as Ivan prepared, once again to go on his stakeout; he packed his cooler with soft drinks and got another deli sandwich. But, tonight he was going to park on the street, not in the alley. He didn’t know that would make any difference, but maybe he didn’t see everything he could have, if he had been more out in the opening, instead of parked in the backstreet.
He saw the other detectives when they passed him by headed for their on locale. He threw up his hand and waved. They returned his wave and continued on. Ivan had parked facing east. It was a good location, right across the street from a local tavern and the weather was still cool enough that he was comfortable leaving his jacket on.
He rolled down his windows and the sounds of the city came floating through the window. The music from the tavern filled the nighttime with sounds of blues and other melodic tunes. The horns honking and just the night time sounds gave Ivan a feeling of belonging. After all, this was his town and he loved the UK.
As Ivan sit alone with nothing but time his thoughts turned to Eve. He wished they hadn’t for thinking about her made him sad and lonely and lost. Eve had been such a part of his life. He had loved her so. When she died, Ivan felt as though part of him died and it was the part that was called his soul, and it could never be put back together again.
As Ivan thought about the man that had killed Eve he felt anger starting to rise in his chest. Ivan had been suspended, pending the investigation into Eve’s death, because he had shot the man, but when the killer’s body couldn’t be found, Scotland Yard put him back to work with instruction that should he ever see the man on the streets, he was to call it in and not try to arrest him, himself.
Ivan had been able to get a good look at the killer. He was about 6’, brown hair or dark hair and blue eyes. Olive complexion and spoke with a typical British accent. He had walked up to Eve and himself, looked her straight in the face and pulled the trigger. It had all happened so fast that Ivan had not been able to stop him.
First of all, he reasoned, it had been such a total surprise. He and Eve had been talking and laughing and then, all at once this stranger had appeared before them and just walked up and shot Eve. It drove Ivan almost insane because he had not been able to figure, if it was someone he had arrested in the past, or if it was a terrorist. Those that should know these things, didn’t have a clue and neither did he. Time had marched on and with every arrest Ivan would look and see if anyone arrested resembled the man that had killed Eve. So far, no one had.
All these thoughts raced through Ivan’s mind as he sit on stakeout. He wished they would just move on through his mind, but they always hung around just long enough for Ivan to think he should have been able to have stopped the killing. That set the stage for depression and if Ivan didn’t fight, it would soon over shadow his entire being and drag him down into a hole so deep and black that he couldn’t climb back out. So he fought and tried to think about something else.
Mainly, his thoughts now turned to trying to catch this copycat killer, in the White Chapel District. As he sat and watched, thoughts about his partner Walt Graham who had been killed one night as they sit on stake out, wouldn’t leave his mind. Ivan didn’t think he would ever be able to forgive himself for that either. He had run across the street to get them something to eat and just that quickly someone had killed his partner.
Scotland Yard and London’s city police had all joined hands in trying to find this killer or killers, all to no avail. As Ivan sit this night with his windows rolled down, he took in the coolness of the night breeze an
d tried his best to just relax. In his mind he thought why anyone would want to kill these prostitutes and then dismember their bodies. I know these are the acts of a lunatic, but still something terrible and evil had to lurk in anyone’s mind that would do such a thing.
Then Ivan thought about Kate Bost and how she had killed both her husband and her daughter’s fiancé thinking she was protecting Cynthia from harm. So sometimes, though the act itself was hideous, sometimes they thought they were protecting the ones they loved.
Two and three a.m. rolled around without anything eventful happening. Not even a thief to arrest or a prostitute to see home safely. Ivan’s eyes were growing heavy. That was the only bad thing about being on stake out alone; there was no one to talk to.
I think in the morning, when I get off duty, I’m going to go to Eve’s grave. I haven’t been there in quite some time, now, and I liked to go visit her and talk to her.
The next morning, when stake out ended, Ivan drove to headquarters to drop of the Nanny Cam and then he went straight to West Minister Abby’s cemetery. As he walked among the headstones, he noticed all the dates of those who had been buried there so many years before, hundreds of years. Noble men and plain men, king and queens all were equal here in this place of rest. All here were dead. Free from all of life’s torments.
When he came to Eve’s grave he noticed that someone had placed fresh flowers on her grave and he picked them up to see if there might be a card attached, but, there was none. He laid the flowers back down and whispered a prayer of gratitude to whomever it was that thought enough of his beloved Eve to bring her flowers.
He looked around the old cemetery and saw Eve’s parents and grandparents’ graves and then he walked back to Eve’s grave and said, “I want you to know my beloved; I’m trying to find the one who did this to you. And I promise, when I do they will be just as dead as you are. I’m so sorry, Eve, that I wasn’t able to protect you as I should have.”
