The Logan Files - Pain Center: The Logan Files

by Marshall Huffman

  “The Cave?” Carson read.

  “What? The Cave,” Sorenson suddenly slapped his knees and stood up.

  “What?” Logan asked.

  “I’ve been to that place. That’s the place where Kinshaw got into it with the owner.”

  “Who is Kinshaw,” Miles asked.

  The room suddenly got quiet. No one said a word for several seconds.

  “Kinshaw was Sorenson’s partner,” Logan said.

  “Was?” Miles said.

  “Yeah. Let’s just leave it at that, okay?” Sorenson said.

  “Sure. No problem. Sorry,” Miles said not sure exactly what was going on.

  “I got to go pee,” Sorenson said suddenly, “When I get caught up in something I usually remember that I haven’t peed in hours.”

  “I think I speak for all of us when I say, we didn’t need to know about your bladder control problems,” Logan said.

  “Wait. There is more.”

  “Ah gross, please don’t go into detail.” Miles said.

  “No, no, not about that. I was thinking about the two girls. The report said that a very sharp saw was used, the kind used in hospitals and morgues. How many places sell an item like that? I think we should check it out.”

  “Good idea. We can start on that tomorrow. Myler said about the only thing that could pass through the holes drilled in Donna’s head was something like an acupuncture needle. We need to look into that as well,” Logan said.

  “Here is another thing…” Miles started to say but Sorenson interrupted him.

  “Hold the thought. I really do have to go,” he said, rushing out the door.

  “Okay,” Logan said and shrugged.

  When Sorenson came back he said to Miles, “So what else were you going to say?”

  “Well, the report said that it was a precision cut. Fairly skilled. Now I don’t know much about cutting someone’s head open to get to the brain but I can’t imagine that it is easy to do,” Miles said.

  “I’m not so sure. Sharp saw, dull head. Zip, zap, and it’s off,” Carson said.

  “Maybe you could ask Myler what kind of training it takes to do a job like the one done on these two girls,” Harold said.

  “Sure. I’ll do one better. I’ll go down to the morgue tomorrow and have him let me try it. If I can do it anyone can.”

  “You’re wasting your time. It’s not easy to do. It takes practice to do a really neat job,” Miles argued.

  “You know this from experience?” Sorenson asked.

  “Actually, I do. My old man was a medical examiner for Ohio for twenty years. I watched him perform that particular operation several times. He even let me try it, with his help of course. It wasn’t easy.”

  “How old were you?”

  “Nineteen at the time.”

  “Okay. I’ll take your word for it. That might mean we are looking for someone in the medical field. They must have had some training,” Sorenson added.

  “It’s one theory we can look into but I don’t want that to be our only focus. Something brought these two girls to the attention of this guy. What is the connection? What did they have in common? Did they belong to the same spa or health club? Have the same doctor? The same cable guy? We need to isolate the common factor and then we will make progress. Don’t get me wrong. I think Miles has very valid observations but I don’t think we should put all our eggs in one basket, as they say,” Carson interjected.

  “Who says that? All your eggs in one basket? You ever hear someone really talk like that?” Harold asked.

  “It’s just a figure of speech,” Logan said.

  “Yeah but who came up with something like that? It’s like new jokes that crop up. Who sits around thinking that stuff up? Did you ever notice that whenever a disaster happens, within hours new jokes are going around? Who does that kind of thing?” Harold replied.

  “People with more time on their hands than we have, that’s for sure,” Logan said.

  “That’s for sure,” Miles added.

  “Look guys, before we can do any of the work on finding a common denominator we need to know who Jane Doe is. Myler still has no ID on the girl. We can do little until we know who she was,” Logan pointed out.

  “This Allen guy. Any chance he knew both girls?” Miles asked.

  “Maybe. I guess we could take another run at him,” Logan said.

  “I think we should visit The Cave. It is a pretty kinky place and fits in with the pictures of Donna,” Sorenson added.

  “What kind of kinky place?” Miles asked.

  “From what I could see, it was all about chains, whips, and bondage. It’s a private club, according to the owner.”

  “Who is the owner?” Logan asked.

  Sorenson pulled out his notebook and flipped through it for several seconds before he located what he was looking for. Guy’s name is Jerome Hanson. We went there because his partner turned up dead. It was ultimately determined to be a suicide. He calls it a club for alternative lifestyles.”

  “Hanson is who Kinshaw got into it with?” Logan asked.

  “Yep.”

  “Let’s go talk to Mr. Hanson. If this girl is into that kind of thing she may have hung out at a place like that,” Logan said.

  “I don’t think I should be the one to go. He is going to remember me for sure,” Sorenson replied.

  “I agree. Miles and I will talk to him. You and Carson pull in Allen Boneing for another chat.”

  “Boneing? Is that his real name?”

  “Seems to get that kind of response whenever it’s brought up. I think I would change my name if it was me,” Logan replied. “Hanson, you start running down the saws and acupuncture supplies. Find out who sells them in the city and then we can go from there.”

  “Want me to check the internet too?”

  “Give it a shot. Hopefully they don’t sell things like that over the internet.”

  “I’ll bet they do. You can buy anything, and I mean anything, on the net today at Amazon or E-Bay.”

  Logan sighed, “I suppose you’re right. Do what you can.”

  They decided to call it a night and get a fresh start in the morning.

  “Wait,” Logan said as they were all filing out of the room.

  “This Hanson guy called it an alternative lifestyle club?”

  “That’s what he said,” Sorenson replied.

  “Hanson, check out websites on alternative lifestyles. See how many are listed for our area.”

  “Get on it first thing,” he said as Logan turned off the light and shut the door behind him.

  He let them all go on ahead of him before he went to his room. He felt like a teenager sneaking off to see his girlfriend after the parents had gone to bed. What in the world was he doing?

  * * *

  JJ loosened the wrist cuffs on Bobby and he fell in a heap on the floor.

  “I am very disappointed in you,” he said to the dead body.

  “The women did better than you. You’re a wimp. You disgust me,” JJ said, kicking the body.

  Bobby had made it through having the holes drilled in his head and even having the needles put into place in his brain. What angered JJ was the fact that he had only gone halfway through the electrical shocks when Bobby suddenly went limp. JJ thought he was faking it at first. He hadn’t even gotten to the really delicate parts of him and he up and died. Bobby wasn’t a big guy but he should have been able to handle more than that, JJ mused.

  He checked the needles that he had stuck into Bobby’s torso. There were over two hundred of them. He found the problem. The one under the left arm pit had gone in too deep and must have punctured his heart. When JJ applied the electrical shock to that area it had caused his heart to stop.

  Damn it. At this rate he would never be able to accomplish what he was after. He kicked the body again and then started removing the acupuncture needles from Bobby’s lifeless body. Next he pulled the electrodes out of his head and dragged him over to the autopsy t
able. Getting him up on it wasn’t as easy as it had been with the two girls. After several tries he got him on the table and was ready to remove his organs.

  Three hours later he placed the jar with Bobby Varner’s brain next to Donna’s and Amy’s. Now he needed to find a place to dump the body. He was determined not to bury any bodies on the property just in case the cops came snooping around.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Logan sat on the loveseat as Carrie slept, curled up in a small ball. He looked at his watch. It was going on 2:00 a.m. Carrie had fallen asleep almost immediately after their lovemaking. He had gone in to take a shower and rather than climbing into bed he sat on the couch trying to figure out where he was going with his life.

  No matter how he laid it out, Carrie was too young for him. He could keep up with her needs now but what about five or ten years from now? She would see him start to deteriorate and then what would she think? He had to watch what he ate now to keep from getting a paunch.

  If he didn’t shave for two or three days, his whiskers further evidenced his age since they were mostly white. Carrie had insisted that the gray was distinguished. Distinguished hell, it was just another sign of impending old age.

  This was entirely his fault. He should never have let her climb into that damn shower with him. He really liked her. Okay, it was more than that, but he was looking down the road and she was just looking at right now. The problem was how to let her go without letting things turn ugly. He admired her spirit and fortitude, and most of all, her friendship. Now he had let the relationship get out of hand, not once but twice. Once you can maybe get away with by rationalizing that it was in the heat of the moment. Twice was planned and he was wrong to let it happen.

  Carrie sighed, rolled over on her side, and felt for him. She sat up and looked around.

  “I’m here,” Logan said, watching her from across the room.

  “What are you doing over there? Come get in bed with me,” she said in a husky sleepy voice.

  “Just thinking.”

  “About us?”

  “Among other things, yes.

  “You’re worried about what happens from here, aren’t you.”

  That was Carrie, always direct and to the point. Just like her questions during her newspaper interviews.

  “John, you worry too much. I know what’s going through your head. What happens when you can’t perform like a raging bull? What happens when your chest becomes your belly? Do you think I’m really that shallow? I have been after you for years. Not for sex but because of who you are. It’s your character that is the real attraction. John, I’m no beauty queen and I have my faults too. My boobs will start to droop, my waistline will thicken and my butt will get broader. It’s part of life. It’s what’s inside that matters. If you don’t like me as a person then you should be worried.”

  “Carrie, do you think I haven’t heard all of that before? What’s inside matters? That’s true but attractive people need attractive people and I am definitely not a stud muffin.”

  She laughed, “John, John. You are such a worry wart. What is really bothering you? It’s more than just that. Everyone loses their beauty. It’s not a matter of if but when. So, give,” she said, pulling her knees up to her chest.

  “Okay. Just suppose for a minute that we start seeing each other on a regular basis. What do you think people will say behind your back?”

  “You mean your back,” Carrie said.

  “No. I mean yours. Don’t you think they will start to question your abilities as a reporter? No wonder she gets the inside information, she is sleeping with a detective. No matter what you have done in the past, it will all be called into question. Your real talent will get swept under the rug,” he said.

  “Screw them. I don’t care about what they think,” she replied.

  “Easy to say but hard to overlook in reality. Everyone will view you differently. You will no longer be Carrie Brown, ace reporter. Best in the City,” Logan said.

  “Oh Crap. Look, I know I do a good job. My boss knows I follow up, follow up and follow up some more. So who the hell else matters? My fellow reporters? I don’t think so. The probably already think I sleep with half the police force to get the stories I have had in the past. Why should I care now?”

  “I just don’t want to be responsible for people talking behind your back and calling your abilities into question.”

  “John, I don’t know what I can say to convince you that what others think about my abilities doesn’t even make a blip on my radar screen.”

  “And what happens if something comes between us? Right now we have two nights of wonderful lovemaking invested. Later, then what? I value you far too much as a friend to lose you because of overactive hormones,” Logan said.

  “I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t. I’ve thought about that off and on but I can’t predict how either of us will really react. But you know what, I don’t dwell on it. I can’t live my life wondering what if. I just know I want to be with you and that’s enough for me,” she said.

  “You are an amazing woman. I mean it.”

  “Come on over here and I’ll show you amazing,” she said seductively.

  He walked over to the bed and she pulled him on top of her.

  “So, do you?” Logan said.

  “Do I what?”

  “You know, sleep with half the force?”

  “That’s it buster. You are not going to be able to stagger out of here in the morning,” she said rolling him over and getting on top of him.

  * * *

  Logan was the last one to arrive. He sat his can of Diet Coke on the desk and dropped into a chair.

  “What the hell happened to you?” Miles asked.

  “Rough night.”

  “Look man, you can’t let this stuff get to you. You need to get some sleep. You look like hell.”

  “Thank you so much. I’ll try to keep that in mind. Okay, everyone knows what to do. The Prophet Miles and I will go visit Hanson. Sorenson and Carter, you guys bring Boneing in. Harold, you get to look for dirty pictures,” Logan said.

  “Here,” Sorenson said, handing Miles a thick file.

  Miles took it and read the name. David Kinshaw. He looked quizzically at him.

  “I figured you need to know if you are going to see Hanson.”

  “Thanks,” Miles said. He decided not to open it right then. He would wait until they were in the car.

  Logan drove and Miles read the file.

  “This Hanson was awfully well prepared it seems. Had a camera set up and running in his car.”

  “Yep. He knew what he was doing. I’ve thought about that a lot. It sure brought a halt to the investigation. If that is what he intended, it worked really slick,” Logan said.

  “The ME ruled it inconclusive. I guess it was the Commissioner who stopped the investigation.”

  “Essentially, if Hanson did do it, he got a get out of jail free card.”

  “We need to be careful with this guy,” Miles said.

  “You can bet your butt he will have the place on surveillance. Anything we say or do will undoubtedly be recorded. That’s why Sorenson gave you the file.”

  “He blames himself for Kinshaw’s suicide.”

  “He did for a while but I think he realizes there was nothing he could have done about it. Kinshaw was carrying a lot of baggage. I think that just put him over the top. Ten pounds of shit in a five pound bag. Something had to give,” Logan said.

  “Man. I hope I have enough sense to get out before I let something like that cause me to go off the deep end,” Miles said.

  “You ever been married?”

  “For a few months. All she wanted was to get married. Bugged me constantly to get married. I finally gave in and six months later she took off with some jerk that dumped her a year later.”

  “Did you see it coming?”

  “Maybe. I don’t know. Six months isn’t long to wait before you start looking around,” Miles said.
>
  “No, it sure the heck ain’t. Here we are,” Logan said, pulling into the lot behind The Cave. The Jaguar was parked next to a door that said ‘EMPLOYEES ONLY’.

  “Nice ride,” Miles said.

  “Nice paint job. Cost the city six grand.”

  “Damn.”

  “That’s what the Commissioner said. ”

  Logan pounded on the door. It took two more times before Hanson opened the door.

  “Employees only,” he said, pointing to the sign.

  “We’re employees. Of the city,” Logan said, showing his badge.

  “Oh. What can I do for you?”

  “Mind if we come in. It’s kind of cold out here,” Miles said opening the door further and stepping inside.

  “Sure. Come on in I guess,” Hanson said.

  “Thanks, I think I will.”

  “So what can I do for the city’s finest?”

  “Just what kind of private club is this?” Logan asked.

  “Alternative lifestyle,” Hanson replied.

  “What does that mean exactly? I’m not sure I understand what alternative means.”

  “You’re pulling my leg, right?”

  “No. I don’t know what that means in this situation and I am hoping you can educate me,” Logan said.

  “Okay. Not mainstream. Different.”

  “What makes that alternative?”

  “It refers to sexual lifestyle.”

  “Like wife swapping?”

  “No. Those are swingers. This is more … physical.”

  Logan shook his head from side to side, “What could be more physical than swapping partners?”

  “Bondage. Discipline. S & M. That sort of thing.”

  “Humm. Just what happens here?” Logan pressed.

  “Well, we have shows. I mean the clients often put on impromptu shows. Look, it is totally legal. Everyone is of legal age and it is private. You have to be a member to even get in this place,” Hanson said.

  “Place looks kind of grungy,” Miles said.

  “All bars look bad in the daylight. People don’t seem to mind at night. Dark rooms cover a multitude of sins,” JJ replied.

  “Do you have a membership list?” Miles asked.