In the hallway, he hitched her up on his hip and turned right. He moved as quickly as possible past the laundry room. The two women chatting loudly over the sound of the dryers did not even see him dragging her. At the end of the hall, he shoved Jane through a door. She fell in a heap on the floor. Taking one last look down the hall, he slipped into the room.
Preston stood, leaning against the door, trying to catch his breath. He wiped the sweat from his face and adjusted his glasses. When he could finally stand straight, he took a deep breath and removed a rubber wedge from his pocket. Preston kicked it under the door. He tugged hard on the door, pulling with all his weight. When he was satisfied that nobody could get in, he turned to the crumpled figure on the floor. She was beginning to come around.
Before she became fully conscious, he caught her left wrist in a slipknot in one end of the rope. Dragging her across the room, he propped her against a metal storage shelf. He looped the rope around the storage shelf and tied the other end to her right wrist, stretching her arms out straight with her back pressed tight against the shelves. The pain brought her around. Before she could scream, he tore off a piece of duct tape from the roll in his pocket and slapped it across her mouth. She thrashed and tried to trip him with her legs.
Preston kicked her in the ribs without hesitation.
Tears formed in her once defiant eyes and she pulled her knees up to protect herself.
“Don’t do that again or I will really hurt you,” he said, stepping back.
He stared between her legs, disappointed that she was wearing panties under the skirt. But it was more than he had seen in High School.
Staring down at the tears running down her face, he remembered his date with Jane.
“Guess you didn’t think you’d see me again, did you Jane?” he asked.
She tried to say something, shaking her head violently. He almost thought she looked puzzled.
“Don’t you recognize me, Jane? Well, I know you, Jane. Everybody knows Easy Jane.”
He kicked at her legs suddenly back in his living room all those years ago, everything still fresh in his memory. “I just wanted what everyone else wanted. All I did was try to kiss you. You said you thought I was ‘different’. Couldn’t even be honest, could you? Why didn’t you just say the truth? Call me different. Different? Weird is what you meant. I was too weird for you. Was a kiss and a feel too much? I only tried to touch your big boobs.”
When she freaked, slapping him hard and running for the front door, he had lost control. Why shouldn’t he have what every other guy in school had been given so freely and easily? Suddenly, he had been screaming at her, telling her he knew all about her reputation. He wanted to do it right then and there just like she had done it with all the other boys.
She had cried but he knew fake tears when he saw them. She had run from his house screaming so loud that the biddy next door had heard. The old broad ratted him out and his father had beaten him when he got home. But during the beating, he had figured it all out.
In a flash of pain-induced brilliance, it all made sense. And now, he could finally expose her secret to the world.
He pulled up his pant leg. Strapped to his calf was an eight inch hunting knife. He pulled it from the sheath. “Well, I guess we should see what I was missing all these years and see if what I guessed was right. I’ll show you, you little slut. I’m not good enough for you, huh? Let’s see what you really look like.”
He grabbed her top and started to cut as she screamed against the duct tape.
*
He stepped carefully around the blood on the floor.
“You know what Jane?” he asked. “The say dead bodies don’t bleed, but they sure leak like hell if the cuts are big enough.”
He pulled the bra tight and snapped it together at the back. He had to be careful not to smear his signature. Then, he tried to pull her back over. He had to struggle. The large hole that used to be her stomach created a suction that held her to the floor. When she finally pulled away, he thought it was an interesting sucking noise.
He was no dummy and she had realized that. She wanted him but she knew he was too smart. She was afraid that he would discover her secret if he touched her. She just never suspected he was smart enough to discover her secret without even touching her.
Now, everyone would know her secret.
He reached in his pockets for the rest of the display.
Chapter 20
“Definitely the same mark,” Kydd confirmed.
“Son of a bitch,” was Mann’s only response. CSU was still processing the scene and the constant flash of the camera hurt Mann’s eyes, adding to his headache. As he rolled the body back over, he looked up at Tetrault. “What about the weapon?”
“No sign of it, sir. ME guesses a long bladed knife.”
The door to the hallway opened and Brant Davis’ wide shoulders filled the opening. He took a half step through and stopped. “Holy Lord.”
“What do you have?” Mann asked.
Davis stepped carefully into the room and shut the door. “Jeanne McIntosh. She lives on the seventh floor. Keys fit the apartment door. CSU is going through it now but nothing. However, it doesn’t look like she made it up there after work.”
He paused when saw the body. Assigned the ID check and securing the victim’s apartment, he had not had the pleasure of viewing the murder scene yet. He took one look at the scattered body parts and swallowed hard. Then, he picked up the incongruity of the slashed woman, naked except for the white bra, now stained red with blood that had run from her mutilated throat. “Christ!”
Davis, for all his size and bluster, hated the really bloody kills.
“Sorry, Davis. I should have warned you.”
“We talking Captain Crunch?”
Mann shrugged. “That’s where I’m putting my money. You and I will be heading straight for The Hill from here.”
Davis nodded, not wanting to sit in on that meeting at all.
“That,” he said, pointing down at the floor, “used to be a thirty-five year old nurse named Jeanne McIntosh. She worked at Mercy. She worked yesterday and left somewhere around three thirty in the afternoon. She was off today.”
“Anything from anybody she knows? Do they know what she was doing last night?”
“A girlfriend at the hospital had sent about a dozen texts to her phone. We caller ID’d her and we sent a squad to pick her up. I did get the name of a doctor who was supposed to have dinner with her. We’re checking him out.”
Mann looked down at the mutilated girl. “A doctor?”
Kydd looked up from where she was kneeling by the girl’s body. “Lou? You need to check this out.”
Mann stooped down and watched as one of the CSU techs pulled up the victim’s bra to show blood soaked tissues.
“What the hell?” Mann said.
“You gotta be kidding? She stuffed herself?”
“Nope,” said the CSU tech. “Nobody is that concerned about their breast size. The bra was put on postmortem or at least after he carved that design in her back.”
“So the killer stuffed her bra full of Kleenex?”
“More than that,” Davis said, holding up what was left of another bra from the pile of clothing shoved off to the side. “Looks like our boy brought his own bra with him.”
Mann stood staring at the scene and everyone waited for his response.
“OK, lock this place down. Nothing to the media. Nothing. Especially about the mark. Kydd and Tetrault, you finish here. Get a canvas going, find out about security cameras, the works. Talk to everybody. And no access to this room until it has been cleaned. Use our crews.”
“We are going to need some guys,” Tetrault said.
“You’ll have them in half an hour. I want somebody backtracking her from here to the hospital. Find out where she went, what she did from the second her shift ended. I’ll get Greer on a canvas of the hospital and he can find someone to bring in this doctor.”
<
br /> Mann’s cell rang and he had a short conversation. He clicked his cell phone shut and looked over at Davis. “It’s confirmed, we’re going straight to The Hill.”
“And?”
“Walsh didn’t say much but looks like the Mayor is already involved. We have an interrupt on arrival appointment with the Commissioner. Walsh is already there.”
Mann looked at his watch. Rush hour would be over for the morning but it would still take close to half an hour to get to The Hill.
“We gonna get pulled on this one, Lou?” Kydd asked.
Mann shook his head, a determined look on his face. “Whoever is doing this is getting worse. I’m pushing for a task force – out of Southfield. This guy is ours!”
Chapter 21
Police Headquarters was located on the old site of Kesle’s first luxury hotel. When the under-insured hotel had burned to the ground, the city had snapped up the land. The powers fought over the use for the prime property for years until a particularly pushy Commissioner all but forced the city to use the land for a new headquarters. He pulled several skeletons out of some pretty exclusive closets before the ink was dry on the new contracts. Because the building was set on a hill overlooking most of the surrounding area, the Kesle Police Department Headquarters simply became “The Hill”.
By the time he and Davis had run up the steps of the building, Mann was beginning to feel winded. Blaak was right, he was out of shape. If the force ever implemented the fitness requirements for its lieutenants as it should, he would have some major work ahead of him. Somehow, he still hadn’t seen Blaak about his workout routine. He would have to think about his diet too. Maybe even give up the Pepsi?
However, not if this was the psycho case he thought it was. He’d never survive a psycho without Pepsi.
After going through security, they took the elevator to the top floor. The elevator was full and the ride long. The Commissioner’s office was to the left but when they got out, a young woman met them and motioned to the right. “This way please.”
“Damn,” Davis mumbled.
“Looks like we aren’t alone.”
The young woman smiled and led them to the hallway entrance of a conference room. The other entrance came from a well-camouflaged doorway in the Commissioner’s office.
Mann was shocked to see his old Captain waiting outside the door. “Andy, what are you doing here?”
“Beats the hell out of me. I just got the official summons from on high about fifteen minutes ago,” Captain Keough replied, shaking Mann’s hand. Taking Davis’ hand next, Keough greeted him. “He bring you into this snake pit?”
“Misery loves company,” Davis replied.
“Well,” Keough said, “let’s get this over with. Got to admit, I’m pretty interested in why I’m here.”
Inside the room, Mann wasn’t surprised to see the usual suspects gathered. Along with Captain Walsh was the mayor’s chief of staff, Don Parkside – no doubt to cover His Honor’s ass.
As they were about to sit down at the long highly polished table, Commissioner James walked through the connecting door from his office. Mann caught a glimpse of someone sitting in front of the Commissioner’s desk. All Mann could see was a pair of crossed legs in expensive men’s slacks before the door closed quickly.
Before he even reached his chair, the Commissioner started the meeting. “Captain Walsh has been briefing us on the investigation. So, Lieutenant, do we have a serial killer on our hands?”
“Whoa, I’m sure it is too early in the investigation to jump to those conclusions,” the mayor’s chief of staff said. “God help us if the press gets a hold of something like this. We do not want to feed the fires of panic in the city.”
Ignoring Parkside, Mann answered the Commissioner’s question. “We have three murders with strong indications that they are the work of the same killer or killers. We don’t have any indication at this point that there is more than one person involved so I am betting on just one killer.”
“You are linking three killings?” asked James.
“I am. The tie to the first killing of the boy is weak but the knife definitely makes a trail.”
“It isn’t as if it is the only switchblade in the city. We know of at least three more like it,” Parkside said, revealing how much he had read about the case. “There is nothing to definitively tie the knife to the boy.”
“Actually, we can. Luis Gabel's crew identified it by a knick on the blade. There is no other logical explanation that puts the knife in the hands of a second killer so we have to assume one killer. The next two have a clear signature that absolutely connects them.”
“OK,” the Commissioner said, looking pointedly at Parkside, “let’s accept three linked killings for now. Where does that put us? Captain Walsh said that this one was worse than the others?”
“The violence is escalating. This latest victim was mutilated – ripper kind of mutilation. He spread the organs all around the floor. We will have to wait on the autopsy to know about rape.”
The Commissioner looked over at Parkside. The Mayor had just announced his candidacy in the coming election. Politically, this would be a landmine. As though completing the thought, the chief of staff spoke again. “Kesle does not need a serial killer at this point in time.”
Mann opened his mouth to ask when it would be convenient and felt Captain Keogh’s hand on his arm.
“As soon as this hits the press, the city will panic,” Parkside continued. “I have been on the phone to the Mayor. He wants this guy caught before the press even knows he exists.”
“Sir, given the frequency of the murders, we don’t have much time,” Mann said. “I would recommend a task force be formed immediately.”
“A task force?” Parkside asked, the pleading clear in his voice. “That is definitely premature.”
“The Lieutenant is correct,” Keough cut in, beginning to fear he understood his role in all this. “The violence and frequency are escalating. And, if the Mayor wants the job done quickly, that is going to take organization and man power.”
“Given the nature of the crimes and the current political climate,” Parkside said, looking directly at the Commissioner and ignoring Keough, “I imagine the Mayor would agree with your decision to run the task force out of The Hill.”
If he hadn’t already turned to look at James, Mann would have missed the Commissioner’s quick glace at the connecting door. It made Mann wonder whose legs he had seen in the office.
“No,” said James, “Captain Keough will head the task force out of Southfield. Lieutenant Mann will continue to act as point on the investigation. I want some continuity if we are going to hit the ground running.”
Mann wasn’t sure if he, Keough or Parkside was more surprised.
“Lieutenant Mann, you are officially relieved of your duties on the Southfield squad,” the Commissioner continued. “Captain Walsh will adjust the squad in your absence. The task force will operate out of Southfield for the time being. Get this nut case before I see him on television. That is all gentlemen.”
The Commissioner got up and disappeared through the door into his office. Parkside already had his Blackberry to his ear as he left. The remaining four kept their seats and stared at each other in silence.
“Is he kidding? Do they really expect to keep this quiet?” Mann finally asked.
“Don’t worry about them, Gregg,” Keough said. “You continue to run the investigation. I’ll run interference with the Commissioner and the Mayor’s office as well as with the press, when they tumble to the case. I suspect that is what whoever dreamed up this idea had in mind. You concentrate on finding the killer.”
“Thank you, sir.” Mann turned to Walsh. “What happens at the squad?”
“Davis will handle the squad for the time being. Temporary pay raise, the works. I’m not bringing in anybody new if I don’t have to.”
“How many do I get?” Mann asked.
“For now, you can have four detec
tives and three Uniforms.”
“I’ve got that now,” Mann sighed. He stared up at the ceiling and thought aloud. “I want Kydd, Greer and Blaak. And I guess I had better take Tetrault so I don’t have to bring anybody else up to speed. Just give me any uniforms you think deserve the duty. I’ll need eight lines and at least four cars. But I’ll need more guys to help with the canvass.”
“We will be pulling in more uniforms from other divisions to fill the ranks,” Keough said. “James will gladly reassign them.”
“He’s right,” Walsh agreed, standing. “Well, I’ve got a Division to reorganize. Andy, you want to come with me and we’ll get you set?”
“Gonna miss you, Mann, but I’ll take the bump,” Davis said, after they left. “But I gotta admit, I’m surprised you got the nod for this thing.”
Mann knew what Davis meant and took no offense. “You and me both.”
“But we always knew you had an angel out there somewhere,” Davis said, motioning with his head at the connecting door.
“You saw?”
“Just expensive shoes.”
“Damn,” Mann said, glancing at the connecting door again. “I would have given good money to know who was in there.”
Chapter 22
“Alf Buchanan, you know Captain Keough?”
“Sure. How are you doing Andy? Who’d you piss off?”
“I apparently wasn’t doing anything worthwhile at the moment.” Keough waved Buchanan to an empty chair. He had commandeered a cramped office but that was the way Keough liked it because it kept people out of his office and anyone who did venture in never stayed long.
“You’re going to love this one,” the coroner said, tossing photos on the desk. “I didn’t do Yeck but I reviewed the notes. This is the same guy. But he went several steps farther this time. In fact, he really ratcheted it up.”
“Holy Mother of Christ!”
“My thoughts exactly. He did a real job on the girl.”
Two Graves (A Kesle City Homicide Novel) Page 8
