by Shane Crosby
These people have taken great care in covering their tracks. But, when they murdered a woman who was a frequent visitor to the precinct, who had spoken with me about her daughter, they didn’t make any attempt to hide their identities by using a different object to cut them up. They wanted me to know it was them. Okay, now I know and now I’m coming.
Calling Don Cole...
“Cole.”
“Hey Bro. Do you know who you’re talking to?”
“Absolutely! The brother that’s right after me, Trevor Lee.”
“That’s not my name, don’t start.”
Don laughed. Ever since we’ve been kids teasing each other was a favorite past time. I guess with age there are things that never change.
“You calling for an update on this disease of a case you’re spreading all across the world?”
“Actually, I called to give you one.”
“Let me have it.”
“I’m here with Jack.”
“In Germany?”
“Amsterdam. We just landed, but I’m coming to a city near you soon.”
“That’s great! We can catch up!”
“We have some things to do first, then I’ll be your way.”
“That’s fine. Do you remember where you’re going?”
“Come on I’m a SEAL. We had to find our way back to the US from Russia in the dark blindfolded on one leg.”
“I’m not even going to question your memory of that. Or ask how you found your way back drunk.”
“Funny.”
“I’ll be here when you arrive. You’re staying at my house, right? Yeah, you are.”
“Don’t be making me wear a mask in your house.”
“Stop with the drama.”
“You know how you are. All extra neat, germaphobe and all that. Won’t let anyone breath in your place without the proper face covering.”
“Man, we grew up together stop tripping! You know you’re exaggerating.”
“I still don’t know how you made it through basic training. Let alone during war. You have to tell me about that again.”
“Shut up and hurry up. I know you’ll have a lot to tell me.”
“I do, plenty.”
“Okay, I’ll see you when you get here.”
“Love you bro.”
(Click)
“That one of the brothers I always hear about?”
“Yes sir, one of five. Well, we have another one from another mother. You might meet him too.”
“Six of you? My God. No wonder your mother was a praying woman.”
“I think you’re sneaking calls to her behind my back.”
“I need to. I’d be rich.”
“Rich?”
“Yeah, after I market whatever she did to get through raising all six of you.”
I laughed. “Man get your bags let’s go.”
UNEXPECTED
BERLIN
Don
While I was on the phone with Trevor, I noticed Morris was trying to call. I didn’t rush to answer, I figured he’d broken the encryption and was calling to tell me to meet. When I ended the call with my brother, before I called Morris back, I checked my messages. The first one I came to startled me. It was from Private Morris.
“Hello Lou, I’m sorry to bother you, but I don’t know who else to call. I’m in trouble. I’ve stumbled upon some information that I think could be huge. Well, I know it is, sir. The thing is, uh, I think ever since I’ve found it, uh, I think someone’s trying to kill me. They broke into my girlfriend’s apartment and destroyed it. I think they’re looking for it, sir. I don’t know what to do. Please help me. Please call me back. I-I-I’ve hidden it somewhere safe. Please call me back.”
When I hung up the phone the first thing I did was return the Private’s call. I got his voicemail. I left him instructions to return my call immediately upon receiving my message. I told him to come straight to the base and do not detour.
Unsatisfied with taking the wait and see approach, I went to look for Morris. The first place I started my search was his girlfriend’s apartment.
When I arrived, she was a little frantic. The break-in and Morris’ untimely departure and not being able to contact him was weighing heavily on her. She pleaded with me to find him and bring him back safely. I didn’t want to promise her but couldn’t help myself. And, inside, I wanted him to be okay. I believed he was going to turn up in one piece, a little shaken and worse for wear, but all in all he’d be fine.
I went over his movements and if Morris had said anything that might give me an idea of what’s going on and where he might be. She couldn’t think of anything, but said, his car was gone, but the key to her apartment and his bag, the one he carried all the time was still there. I asked for the bag and she allowed me to take it. I told her I’d follow up with her if I found anything.
On my way out, I searched the parking lot and found blood or what looked like blood. I took samples to compare a DNA profile to Morris’. I hoped I was wrong, but with his message and my conversation with Trevor, I was doubtful.
My only thoughts are, where could he be? What did he find? Who took him? People don’t just disappear. Someone or something happens to make them disappear.
AN HOUR LATER
CORONER’S LAB
AMSTERDAM
Trevor & Jack
We dropped our luggage off at the hotel and traveled to the Coroner’s office here in Amsterdam. When we arrived, it didn’t look like anything we had in the states. The parking lot was large and it was clean. When we parked and got out people smiled and said hello. Back in the states, people walk by you with their heads down or they deliberately avoid looking at you because they don’t want to speak. I’d forgotten how it felt to live in a human society. It’s true what they say, you get used to the way you’re living no matter how bad it is.
When walked up to the door and buzzed. A very nice lady came over the loud speaker. She asked for our names and instructed us to put our badges up to the camera. After she verified our credentials, a buzzer sounded, then a click we pulled the handled and walked in.
Once inside, a very nice man approached us and asked us to follow him back to the lab.
Again, Amsterdam had us beat by a long shot. The lab was spic and span. There wasn’t one overworked blurry eyed examiner, there were three men working in a separate rooms. In our coroner’s office, as soon as you walk in it smells like death. I’ve never understood that considering that everything is frozen, but it does. Jack says it’s just my imagination, but I’m not going along with him on that one.
In here, there’s plenty of light and it’s spacious. I’m starting to rethink were I want to do the job. I might ask about job openings before we leave.
We hadn’t entered the office long before I saw a middle aged man coming toward us. His hair was almost all white. He had on glasses and goggles to. Even with the extra eye wear, I can see a few crow’s feet. His eyebrows still have black in them. To be accurate, they’re mostly black. The contrast of the white hair and black eyebrows makes him stand out in a crowd that’s for sure. The face doesn’t look too worn, but it has the wear of a man in his mid-fifties. He looks to be about five ten in height and average weight for a man his age.
“Hello detectives. I hope I did not keep you long.”
He sounds like everyone here, like they haven’t practiced their English much. His Dutch accent is probably going to make this informational session a bit difficult to decipher, but I’m up for the challenge.
“No, not at all. I was admiring your lab.”
“Oh, is it not like the US?”
“Nothing like it doc. I think I’m envious.”
“We share that emotion Jack.”
The doc kid of chuckled.
“Oh, well maybe they can visit here and we can show them a few things, yes?”
“Yes, we’ll suggest that when we get back.”
“No, I’m calling them when we leave here.”
&nb
sp; “I’m doctor Van Dijk.”
“Detective Alvarez, please to meet you.”
“Detective Wykowski nice meeting you.”
“Same here to you both. Shall we get to work?”
“Lead the way.”
“First, please put on the gown. Uh, cover your clothes, yes?”
“Oh, yes, thanks.”
We followed him to the back where they had several tables lined up beside each other. We didn’t walk into the freezer, but the temperature dropped well below what’s comfortable. He continued to follow him to the last table in the lineup. He pulled the sheet back and if I didn’t know any better, I’d believe I was in our coroner’s office. The body looked identical to what we’d been collecting all around Gochian. The condition of the wound, to me, looked like the same type of object was used to remove their limbs.
“See something familiar detective? I see you looking so hard.”
“The wound. It looks like they used the same tool to dismember them.”
“I don’t know, but we believe it was a saw of some kind.”
“Probably electric.”
“Yes, those were our exact decisions.”
“Where did you find this body?”
“Near the red light district.”
“From what I remember, it’s not a pretty place at night.”
“No, you remember correctly. Yes.”
“What number is she?”
“She’s the first.”
“The next one is here. We found her in the shooting gallery. We think she was put there because people are not in their minds right.”
“We get it doc.”
“Good. They are all in order as you see here.”
“Can we see the burned bodies?”
“Oh yes. Here we go.”
“I see they’re already crumbling.”
“We have to do some special moves to get them here.”
“When did you start finding them burned?”
“Oh, I would say a couple of months ago.”
“The same time as the press conference. I guess they spread the word.”
“Looks like it.”
“Do you have any idea about the victims? Who they are? How they lived?”
“Oh yes. Come here. The first two were prostitutes in the district.”
“Window brothel.”
“Yes, good you know. We checked and they positively worked there. They were also addicts. You can see the tracks in their arms and feet. The tattoos here she was shooting in hers.”
“I guess to cover.”
“Before they worked in the brothel, we think they worked elsewhere. They both tested positive for STD’s. One was positive for Hepatitis.”
“Typical for a working girl in the states. Look Jack, they removed the hair.”
“The same for you?”
“Yes, no hair on the bodies.”
“Same for us. Now, I have a surprise here.”
He pulled back the sheet and the looked like the others, except one thing made it stand out.
“A penis?”
“Yes. We were shocked, too.”
I couldn’t believe it. Up to this point in my investigation, we were building our profile around women being murdered. A man thrown in the mix unravels everything.
“How in the hell did that happen?”
“No idea, however, as you can see he is like the others.”
“Yep, head cut off hands too. Same tool used. What do you know about him?”
“He was a worker. Anus is stretched. Signaling to us this area has been penetrated many many times. He’s not a user of drugs, but we suspect he was recovering. He’s positive for hepatitis and he has scars on his arms and groin area.”
“He was a long time user.”
“Yes, good eye.”
“Experienced eye. By the time they start shooting in their groin area the normal veins are worn out. Only way they can get a high.”
“Yes, exactly. The other bodies are destroyed. There’s no way to tell who they are or what they were.”
“Same as us. Doc, so they found one in the red light district. The shooting gallery what about the others?”
“They were all found along that area. The burned bodies were found in another area like many companies.”
“Factories? Like machines? A lot of machines working inside?”
“Not a nice business, but yeah, like factory.”
“What you thinking kid?”
“I’m thinking it’s like Gochian. Wherever they’re based they’re dumping them along the route to their base.”
“But they dumped them all over the city.”
“Yeah, but the expressway system will take you all over the city. It’s the area the direction they went in to dump them, that’s what I was working on. Marlene Crews was the same people but different reason to be murdered.”
“Right. You think the same applies here?”
“I do.”
“Maybe you can speak with police. They can tell you more.”
“I’ll do that, but you’ve told us plenty.”
“Oh, good. Glad I could be of help. Now, what do you plan? Who is doing this?”
“No idea, but every piece we collect helps us put together an awesome image.”
“Don’t take too long to put together, no?”
“You sound like our doctor back in the states.”
“Honored.”
“Doc, thanks for your time. We’ll be in touch with you and the police again. If you don’t mind, could you send me a copy of your report?”
“Leave the name of your hotel and we’ll send it over.”
“Wonderful, thanks again.”
“I’ll walk you out.”
Outside on the way back to the car...
“You still thinking about moving here?”
“It’s tempting. My brothers are here. The people are great.”
“But, the crime is the same.”
“Some things just don’t change.”
“I was thinking the same.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
THE NEXT DAY
READY FOR SOME FAMILY TIME
GERMANY
Trevor
By the time Jack and I finished making our rounds it was close to eight o’clock. Don and my two other brothers had already called me asking me what was the hold up. When we completed our last appointment, we were both relived. I wanted to spend some time with the family and Jack wanted to catch up with his friend. We agreed to meet up at the hotel in the next couple of days, if nothing interrupted our leisure time.
I dropped Jack at his buddies house and I started on my way to spend some time with my brothers Mase, Don and Scott. Before I popped up, I called Don to let him know to be ready when I arrived. There was no answer, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me. I’ll give him a hard time about no answering when I see him.
When I pulled up in front of Don’s house I expected to see him come through the door with a pissed off expression. When that didn’t happen, I breathed a sigh of relief, took my clothes out of the back and started to his door.
I’ve never liked the layout of Don’s house. The front is in the back and the back is in the front; at least that’s the feeling you get whenever you visit. When I got to the door I range the bell. There wasn’t an answer so I rang it again. After a few more tries with no results, I decided to go around to the garage. The garage door was up and his car was parked in the driveway. I thought that odd, considering he rarely if ever uses his driveway for anything but driving into the garage. I’d walked to the door when something caught my attention. I readied my weapon as I went to check it out. I walked out of the garage and as I stepped around Don’s car, I saw it. A large red spot growing larger by the second and my brother laying in the middle of it. I made a mistake that could’ve gotten me killed. I stopped being aware of my surroundings and focused my concern to my brother. I understand why we aren’t allowed to investigate cases that we
have close ties to.
In a rush to administer aid to Don, full of emotion, I didn’t properly assess the situation. When I got near him I slipped in his blood, fell and the momentum almost carried me outside the garage. I got back up ran to him and managed to keep my balance. I kneeled down to check if he was breathing; he wasn’t. CPR was the next action I took to keep my brother here with us. As I was breathing for him, I heard gurgling. I continued to breath for him and mimic his heartbeat. When I breathed through his mouth the third time I stopped. Listened, calmed myself as best as I could and began again. There it was again, that gurgling. I slowly turned to look at his chest. Horror came over me, if I hadn’t realized how dire his situation was before, I surely do now. The bullets holes in his chest were providing a pathway for air to seep out. At that moment, I was no longer in his garage, we weren’t in Germany, we didn’t look as we do now. We were at our kitchen table in Gochian as children. Laugher filled the room. It was so thick you could feel it touching you. We were happy, carefree children just living for that moment. I can’t lose my brother, I thought. I have to do something. When I came back from my grief induced haze, I saw a woman walking her dog. I yelled to her and tried to stand, but I slipped again. She obviously realized the urgency because she turned to someone and told them to call for help.
“I’m a nurse stand back let me assess the situation.”
“He’s been shot three times in the chest. I need you to please cover the holes so the air can stay in.”
She looked at me as if to say it’s a lost cause. Your brother is dead, but my eyes were pleading, begging for her to please do something to save my brother.
“He’s my brother!”
“Okay, okay, calm down.”
She took off her coat and placed it over the holes in Don’s chest and I started to administer CPR again. We’d worked on Don several minutes when help arrived in the form of emergency personnel. Don was in a such bad shape, they started to work on him right there in the garage.
We never think too much about technology. We live with it daily. We’ve watched it evolve and intertwine its capabilities into our lives. We don’t grasp how significant technology is until your waiting on it to give you some sign of life. As they worked on my brother, I watched that machine monitoring his heart and pulse. Nothing around me mattered, it was all about hearing that little beep. Amazing how something so insignificant can become the center of your entire being.
