“Are we going to crucify him?” she asked.
“Something like that,” he replied.
Once LaFarge was in place, the man began nailing him to the cross by his hands and feet. LaFarge had already expired and didn’t react. It turned out to be messier work than he had imagined, but he continued. Once LaFarge was secured to the cross, they lifted both the cross and LaFarge off the bed and propped him up against the wall. Next, the man pulled a note from his pocket and used the nail gun to attach it to the victim’s chest.
The man smiled as he inspected their work and turned to leave, but the woman paused. She grabbed the nail gun off the bed and aimed it at the wall to test how it worked. A nail shot out, and the gun jerked in her hand, but she managed to hold on. Then, she went to work on LaFarge. First, she shot a nail into each of his eyes and giggled when they made a squishy sound. Then, she aimed a few times at his chest, hitting his nipples, and pulled the towel off his midsection to go to work on his private parts. The man watched in horror. What had he created?
Finally pulling himself together, he reached over, carefully took the nail gun from her, and set it on the bed. In a stern but quiet voice, he said, “Let’s go. Now!”
He was not pleased by the turn of events. First, the crime scene was much too messy, but he wasn’t too concerned about that. Their gloves, booties, and clothes would be incinerated, destroying any evidence. But what he couldn’t come to grips with was the pleasure his partner took in mutilating the dead body. It was unnerving, and he wondered if he had unleashed something in her that he wouldn’t be able to stop.
Chapter Fifteen
“Suspicion is far more apt to be wrong than right; more often unjust than just. It is no friend to virtue, and always an enemy to happiness.”
—Hosea Ballou
Jackson woke from a fitful sleep and stumbled into the bathroom. He was troubled by a nasty nightmare that had him screaming, but as soon as he awoke, he couldn’t recall any details. What he could remember was blood, lots of blood. He splashed cold water on his face and looked in the mirror to see a tired face with red splotches and droopy eyes. He had not been sleeping well since the news had connected the Consumer Champion to the Revenger murders.
The phone rang, startling him into the moment. He padded over to his cell phone, which was sitting on his nightstand.
“Hello?” he managed.
“Bob. Hi, it’s George. Have you read the morning paper yet?”
“No, I just got up. Why? What’s up?” He knew it wasn’t going to be good.
“Go get it and look at the front page. I’ll wait.”
Jackson put some pants on and stepped out onto the front porch, where two morning papers waited for him. Each one had a similar headline.
Vigilantes Strike Again—Double Murder Hits Denver
The Revengers Strike Again. Denver Shivers with Fear.
Jackson wasn’t surprised. He knew that the goal was to sell papers, and headlines that garnered emotions were the best way to do it. And Denver was in fear. Maybe the killers were targeting contractors now, but the rumor on the street—and, of course, the internet—was that it was just the beginning. Soon, the Revengers would be striking out at anyone they thought deserved punishment. Although neither paper actually accused Jackson or the show of direct involvement, they did touch on the possibility that there indeed was a connection.
“Shit, these guys make us sound like we caused the killings. I’m surprised they didn’t accuse me of murder. Hell, the talk radio idiots have already tried me and found me guilty,” said Jackson, trying hard to hold back his anger. “I wonder if I should keep watch for the posse coming to tar and feather me?”
“People are acting like scared sheep. But, it gets worse. I just got off the phone with Jay.” Jay’s job as station manager meant he was taking the heat—and not just from the owners. Even in the best of times, he was never one to be accused of being patient or having a sense of humor. “He says he wants to have a meeting with us. He said the police talked with him, and he’s getting calls from the owner, and some advertisers are already pulling their ads.”
“Does he think we had something to do with the murders?”
“He didn’t say much. He wants to meet with us, and he said the police want to meet with everyone, as well.”
“Okay,” said Jackson dejectedly. “When?”
“Now, Bob. They want us down there now.”
“Before we go on the air?”
“Yes. Bob, I’m worried we aren’t going on today.”
“What makes you think that?”
“Just the way Jay was talking. He wouldn’t elaborate on the phone. He wants to talk in person.”
“All right. I’ll meet you there in fifteen minutes.”
A sense of doom washed over Jackson as he dressed. If things could get worse, he wasn’t sure how. It was his show, always had been, and it never occurred to him that he could lose it. Since the show had become such a ratings leader a few years ago, Jackson’s entire life revolved around it and the persona he had created. Going off the air, even for a short period, would be devastating.
He dressed quickly and combed his hair haphazardly, barely noticing the man in the mirror, his mind elsewhere. No time for breakfast; he brewed a single cup of coffee and was out the door in five minutes. The drive to the station was brutal. Any minor traffic annoyance threw him into an uncharacteristic rage. It was still early when he arrived, and he easily found a parking space. George was waiting outside the front of the building as he walked up. No one spoke as they entered the building.
Jay met them at the door, clearly anxious.
“Bob, George, thanks for coming right in. The detectives are already here in the conference room. Bob, I wanted to talk to you first, but the detectives would prefer you talk to them first. George and I will wait for you in my office,” said Jay, a doleful look on his face.
Jackson just nodded and slowly made his way to the conference room. He stepped in and saw the two detectives seated at the table. They both stood when he entered. Detective Baird passed by him and shut the door.
“Thanks for coming in early to talk to us, Bob,” said Detective Stein. “I’ll get right to the point. The murderers appear to be targeting people who have been on your show. It’s all over the news.”
“I read the paper this morning,” he replied.
“Okay. So, any idea why?” asked Stein.
“Are you asking why they are picking people from my show?”
“Yes. Do you have any ideas?”
“According to the papers, they are vigilantes who have a thing against contractors with bad reputations. I guess my show would be a good place to find them.”
“Do you have any idea who might be behind these murders?”
“Not a clue. Why would you think I would?”
“It’s possible one of your callers stood out as particularly upset,” suggested Stein.
“All my callers are upset about getting ripped off.”
“Any that sounded capable of murder?”
“Come on, Detective. I do a show where people call in, yelling and screaming about how they have been defrauded and want satisfaction. No one says they want to kill anyone. I’m busy trying to work on their problems, and not only do I not have the time to analyze whether they might be a serial killer or not, but I’m not a psychologist and would have no clue if I was talking to one.”
“Okay. What about your staff? Anyone seem capable of violence?”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Jackson responded quickly.
Stein stayed calm and just waited for an answer.
“No. No one here did this.”
“How can you be so sure?” asked Detective Baird.
“I know my people. No one here is involved in this.”
“You seem pretty sure,” goaded Baird.
“I am. Look, Detectives, I’m not sure if I can help you. I don’t know who is behind this or why.” Jackson stared at
them and crossed his arms.
“Okay,” interjected Baird. “Do you take Trazadone by any chance?”
Stein looked over at the rookie with displeasure. He knew that Baird suspected Jackson and was going to try to corner him, but he wasn’t keen on divulging crime scene details at this time. But now that it was out of the bag, he waited for Jackson’s response.
“That’s an odd question. Why would you ask that?”
“Could you please answer the question?” pressed Baird. Stein watched Jackson’s reaction.
“I think my personal life is irrelevant.”
“I can assure you, it’s important,” answered Baird.
“I think I should have my attorney present.”
“That is your right,” said Baird calmly, “but it’s just a simple question.”
“No, I don’t think it is.”
“I’m guessing you have some trouble sleeping,” said Baird. “Not a big deal. Lots of people take Trazadone to go to sleep.”
“What are you getting at, Detective?” said Jackson suspiciously.
Stein decided to step in and change the subject. He handed Jackson a piece of paper with a list of dates.
“What’s this?”
“Can you look this over and tell us where you were on each of these dates?”
Jackson took the list and looked at Stein with concern.
“Are these the dates of all the murders? Am I a suspect?”
“Bob, at this time, everyone and no one is a suspect,” replied Baird.
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“We are going to ask everyone related to the show the same question,” said Stein. “We need to eliminate people from the list.”
“You mean, do I have an alibi for each murder?”
“Something like that,” responded Baird.
“Bob,” said Stein calmly. “At this point, we need to eliminate possible suspects. Since the Revengers are clearly targeting your show, there is an obvious connection. If we can eliminate you and the members of your staff, it would really help us narrow the list and focus our investigation. How soon could you provide us with your whereabouts for each of those dates?”
“I didn’t kill anyone, and I know that no one on my staff did, either. This is crazy. It has to be some nut who listens to my show and decided to become some kind of vigilante.”
“Homicide is crazy, Bob,” said Baird. “It takes someone with a lot of hate and a strong motive to do this. I’ve listened to your show, and you clearly don’t have any love for contractors who don’t meet your standards.”
“That’s outrageous,” blurted Jackson. “I think I should call an attorney.”
“Bob,” said Stein, struggling to stay calm himself, his anger at his protégé growing by the minute. “It’s certainly up to you if and when you want to speak with an attorney. But if you could provide us with an alibi for each murder, we can eliminate you as a suspect, and you will have no need for an attorney. But that’s up to you.”
Jackson looked at the list again. “I think I will call an attorney.” He stood up.
“Are you unable to provide your whereabouts for each murder?” asked Baird.
“Meeting’s over, guys,” said Jackson as he started for the door without the list. “I’ll have my attorney provide you with the alibis.” The list had rattled him. The dates were going to be an issue.
“Bob,” said Stein, holding up the list. “Please take the list with you. With or without an attorney, we will need your whereabouts for each of those dates… by tomorrow.”
Jackson grabbed the list from the detective’s outstretched hand and stormed out the door. He made a beeline toward Jay’s office. Detective Baird followed Jackson out and signaled for Steve to join him in the conference room. He closed the door behind them.
“So, how long have you been with the show?” asked Baird.
Steve scrunched his face, trying to come up with a date, and finally said, “I started about three years ago. I can’t actually remember the date. Is that important?”
“It’s not important, Steve,” said Stein, letting Steve relax. “Jay said that you and Julia are dating. Is that true?”
“No. Not anymore. We were briefly, but that ended a few weeks ago.”
“Do you spend much time with the rest of the staff outside of work?”
“A little. Mostly, we go our own way.”
“How about Bob and Julia?” asked Baird.
“What about them?”
“Are they an item?” asked Baird with a raised eyebrow.
“I doubt it. Bob has a girlfriend.”
“What can you tell us about her?”
“Nothing, really. She is in sales or something and travels a lot. I’ve only met her a couple of times. She seems very nice.”
The detectives went back and forth, asking more questions about how the show operated and how much information was collected from callers. Of particular curiosity to Stein was information they had about the various contractors who were discussed on the show. Was there ongoing interaction? And did they follow-up to see if the contractors actually remedied the problems they were accused of? Baird took notes and seemed concerned with learning what happened to contractors who didn’t cooperate. As far as Steve knew, any contractors who didn’t fix issues and cooperate were turned over the to the BBB—and, of course, they were added to Jackson’s list of contractors to avoid. He often mentioned these contractors on the air and kept a running list on the Consumer Champion website. Being on the list was almost the kiss of death for a business.
Stein kept pressing Steve for information about Jackson’s private life, but unfortunately, Steve couldn’t speak to that. He just didn’t know that much about Jackson beyond the show.
“I think that’s about all we need from you at this time, Steve. If you think of anything else that might assist us, please call me.” Stein picked up a printed list of each murder date. “Please look over these dates and provide us with your whereabouts for each one. Also, if anyone can corroborate your information, please include that as well.” He handed the list to Steve. “We will need this back tomorrow.”
Steve glanced at the list quickly and proudly said that not only would he comply with their wish, but he could tell them he had proof of his whereabouts for one of the dates right now. It seemed Steve was an avid online game player and was involved in a multiplayer game that took up almost his entire weekend. Logs of the game were available, showing his every move during the weekend. There was no way he could be one of the killers, and being able to prove that to the detectives provided him with a tremendous sense of relief.
“We will need to see those logs,” said Stein. “Otherwise, I think we are done.”
As Steve turned to leave, Detective Bair said, “I have one more question for you, Steve. I’ve listened to the show quite a bit lately and spoke with some people who listen regularly, and it’s been noted that Bob makes some rather threatening and caustic remarks about contractors. Can you see Bob actually following through with those threats?”
Steve appeared disturbed by the reference. “That’s outrageous! Bob is a great guy. Yeah, he gets animated from time to time. I think ‘passionate’ is a better term, but if you are implying Bob did this, then…” Steve tried to find the right words. “Well, I just don’t think he could do something like this. No way.”
Detective Stein weighed in.
“Calm down, Steve. We’re just getting information right now. Detective Baird didn’t accuse Bob of anything. Have you ever had any callers who didn’t get on the air and might have expressed any desire to do harm to these contractors?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone talk like that.”
“How do callers react when Bob threatens them?” asked Baird, not ready to let go of the issue.
“He doesn’t really threaten them,” said Steve, still clearly agitated by the detective’s line of questioning.
“Okay. Thanks, Steve. That’s a
ll for now.” Stein shot a glance toward Baird, warning him to let it go. “Please have Julia come in next.”
Julia joined the detectives in the conference room and sat down quickly. She looked a little nervous and was biting her fingernail.
Detective Baird started the questioning.
“Julia,” said Detective Baird with a smirk. “I understand that you and Steve are an item.”
“Did he tell you that?” she responded defensively.
“We heard from him that you dated in the past. Jay also mentioned it. Is that a problem?”
“No. It was just a couple of dates, and it was a long time ago. What does that have to do with anything?”
“Are you dating anyone else from the show? Maybe Bob or George?”
Julia glared at Detective Baird. “You’re a pig,” she snapped back at him.
He laughed. “Sorry,” he said nonchalantly. “Had to ask.”
“No, I don’t think you did,” she replied, clearly seething. “It’s none of your business, anyway.”
“We are conducting a murder investigation, Julia. The perps are a man and a woman, so it is relevant.”
“So? You’re a man. Maybe you did it.”
Stein held up his hand. “Please, let’s settle down. No one is accusing you of anything, Julia. Julia, can you account for your whereabouts for each of the murders?” asked Jake as he handed her a list.
“Yes I can.” She proceeded to go over the list and told them where she was and who she was with during each murder.
“I’ll be checking those out myself, Julia, so they’d better be right,” said Baird threateningly.
Julia glared at the detective. If looks could kill, he would have dropped dead on the spot. He smiled back at her.
“Julia,” said Stein. “Bob seems to get angry with callers and contractors from time to time. Has he ever done anything violent? Have you ever seen him actually threaten anyone?”
“Are you kidding? He does it all the time. Sometimes, he might say the world would be better off without them. He likes to call them ‘scumbags’ and ‘crooks’, you know, ‘scum of the Earth’, stuff like that. He yells at them quite a bit. I think he really hates them.”
All In A Day's Work Page 16
