The Ghost

by H. Berkeley Rourke

  The oleanders were nearby the site where Billie and Marilyn had been attacked. He hunkered down in the area underneath the oleanders, totally in the dark, and waited. It was relatively early for him to be there. They all wanted to make sure the Ghost Rapist didn’t get to the oleanders or some other dark spot before them.

  Tom Leivas did the same thing as Bret. But he went to an area where he had cover from shrubbery and trees that would permit him to follow Wells if the boy left his home. Tom was in place by about eight thirty. It was full dark. He was dressed all in black as well. He also wore matte webbing, matte shoes, and face coloring which made his face completely black.

  The lights were on in the Wells' apartment. Music wafted through the air from an open window on the first floor of the apartment. Tom Leivas waited in the gloom, watching and waiting for any movement from the apartment.

  Around nine thirty the lights went out in the Wells' apartment, but the music continued. Tom thought the music, with some discordant riffs, might be the band Black Sabbath. He remained very still because he had the feeling that Wells was watching, looking to see if any movements were made outside the apartment, watching the dark to see if anyone was there. Tom was correct. Wells was watching. But Wells was not very observant. His angry mantra kept running through his mind.

  fuck her, kill her, fuck her…

  fuck her, kill her, kill her…

  fuck her, kill her, enjoy…

  kill her, enjoy…

  After about half an hour after the lights went off in the Wells' apartment a dark shadow came out the window. If Tom had not seen the guy come out, he would not have believed it had happened. The kid was quick. And he was careful. Wells went right into the trees and stayed close to the trees and brush. Wells moved slowly, Tom moved slowly with him. Wells stopped, Tom stopped and waited until Wells moved again. It was a game of cat and mouse. Tom was wondering a little who the mouse was when he heard some humming from the area in which Bret had to be located.

  Jeanne went all out to prepare herself for the potential of meeting up with Wells. She did not wear a gun on her hip but did have a small .38 pistol in an ankle holster. She wore a pair of pants that were very tight around the waist area and butt while loosening as they went down her legs, almost blousing at the bottom. She wore regular shoes knowing they would make noise on the concrete of the sidewalk (she would walk). She waited until after the nine o' clock hour had passed and then walked from the campus police station, along the rear access road, to the library. It was not far.By the time she reached the library her heart was hammering in her chest.

  this is going to be good...

  oh, i want to fuck her...

  oh, i want to kill her...

  he readied his bag ...

  he readied his knife...

  he readied his twist ties...

  fuck her, kill her, fuck...

  oh the killing, oh good...

  kill, fuck, kill, fuck, kill...

  There were lights on in front of the library. She wanted them on as a background so she would have at least a little bit of light reference. She walked through the library, and about ten o' clock, when there were only a few students moving around the campus, she walked out of the library. She went out on the same route as had been taken by Marilyn Cummings and Billie James. She felt a sense of irony in doing so. Wells also took himself into the area where he had done the Cummings and Chambers girls. He saw the cop. She walked slowly, provocatively, seemingly not paying attention to much of anything. He didn't really look her over closely except he looked at her breasts and her buttocks, and her hips swinging as she walked.

  Bret, fully concealed, thought to himself, Jesus she is really putting on the dog. I haven't ever seen her be provocative. Damn, he thought, she looks good. He did not see the rapist yet but he sensed another presence in the darkness. Bret stayed very still, watched for any movement at all. He saw none. Neither did Wells. But his attention was riveted on that butt and how it was moving as she neared.

  oh good, gonna get her tonight...

  damn she looks good...

  the light behind her, nice butt...

  he was hard already...

  she began to walk...

  she stopped, rubbed herself...

  oh man, that butt...

  can hardly wait, damn...

  he took out the bag...

  he took out his knife, a K-bar...

  he rubbed himself a little...

  he was so still now, the Ghost...

  she was coming, close...

  she passed him, he stepped out...

  She saw him out of the corner of her eye as she began to go past the oleanders. He came out of the dark. She could see he was holding the bag in his right hand, the knife in his left. Dammit, she might have prepared to deal with the wrong hand. He was on top of her, the bag went over her head. As he was putting it over her head he stuck her in the back, mid range, up high, not too deep, just a warning, but it hurt like hell. He yelled at her, "Don't move you bitch, don't move or I will kill you. Don't yell, don't do anything or I will kill you." Bret heard it all. Tom heard it all.

  As he pulled the bag over her head she put her left hand up inside the edge of the bag. He didn't see. She cut the bag. She could feel the blood going down her back. She took her left hand out of the bag as she cut it, slipped it down so she could use the knife if she had to. He said to her in a really disgusting voice, "I have a knife, I will kill you if you do not do as I say. Take your pants and your panties down now bitch because I am going to fuck you like you have never been fucked before."

  Tom had followed quietly. His army training came back to him. He slipped behind the oleanders as Wells hid in the gloom of the night next to them. Tom knew that Bret was there as well. He just didn't know exactly where Bret was. As Wells made his move Tom watched the glint of the blade in the night light. He saw Wells cut Jeanne, heard what Wells was saying to Jeanne.

  Tom stepped out of the darkness. He had his baton open. He could see Wells' arm extended toward Jeanne as Wells said, "Take your pants and panties down now. . ." He hit Wells' right arm with everything he had, screaming "No, you son-of-a-bitch, no, she is not going to do anything of the kind." Tom heard the arm snap as the humerus broke in half with the blow.

  Wells squealed like a little baby as his arm was broken by Tom's baton. A second strike of a baton hit him in the shoulder area as he started to turn. But he never made the turn. He saw the woman cop turning from left to right and saw something in her hand, something shiny. But it didn't touch him, just whizzed by his face as her right hand impacted his jaw and he began to fall, not seeing anything for the moment.

  Tom very carefully bagged the knife, took off the scabbard in which Wells had worn it and bagged it separately. He bagged the plastic bag which Wells had slipped over Jeanne's head as well and bagged each of Wells' hands as he handcuffed Wells and leg ironed him. The handcuffs and leg irons were tied tightly together by a length of chain. As Wells began to awaken they dragged him to his feet and took him to one of the two ambulances which were waiting behind the Campus Police Office. Jeanne's shirt was removed and the cut on her back was dressed. It did not appear to need stitches to the paramedics though they wanted her to go to the hospital with them. She declined. They gave her a tetanus shot as a preventative and she dressed.

  It was clear that Wells' arm was broken. His jaw was swollen as well. It too might be broken. She had really unloaded on the rapist bastard. Bret, standing next to her at one point as the paramedics worked on her, said to her, "Damn lady, I don't ever want to get in a punch out with you. That was one helluva right hook you gave the kid. The only thing which surprised me about it was he woke up as quickly as he did."

  One of the paramedics, who had also worked on Wells said, smiling as he spoke to Bret, "He's not really awake detective. He is very groggy. I think he probably has a concussion." Jeanne did nothing except smile wryly as the paramedic was talking to Bret.

  As she w
alked away from the paramedics she asked one of them if Wells was going to need surgery. The guy told her he didn't think so but couldn't tell how bad the arm break was. She said, "He is mine when he comes out of it, do you understand?"

  They loaded Wells in the ambulance and took him to the hospital. Tom, Jeanne and Bret took the knife, scabbard and bag to the DPS lab. Tom awakened an old friend to come and meet them at the lab. Frank Campos was there when they arrived. Tom told Frank, "I am not looking for DNA results right now Frank. What I want right now are blood types. I want to know if the knife, under the handle, and the scabbard has any different blood types in or on it aside from Wells’ blood type. You already have Wells blood type here I believe as a result of DNA testing on semen he left at one crime scene. If you do not, I can get it to you within a matter of a half an hour or so. Can you do this for me?"

  "Hell yes. This is the cop killer, isn't it?"

  "Yes, it is Frank. I will come back in about half an hour or you can call me on the phone at the homicide office if you wish."

  "You bet Tom, either way is fine with me. Whatever works for you is fine my friend."

  Tom, Bret and Jeanne went back to the office. Jim Wilson was waiting for them there. Jeanne said to him, "The guy is in custody. We will know more in a little while." Jim just nodded and sat back down in the lobby as the three cops went into the conference room. She said to Tom, "Were you present when Josie Du Puy made her deal with the killer who was using Fentanyl all the time?"

  "No. The only people who were there were Josie, the lawyer and the asshole. Why?"

  "I have heard rumors she put a deal to the guy which he couldn't refuse. He is in prison, isn't he?"

  "Yeah. He is in the max prison down in Florence. He cannot ever see the light of day again. It was the deal I think."

  "I am thinking about doing the same thing with this puke, Tom."

  "Don't you think we have a good enough case now to take him down and get a death penalty?"

  "I don't know boss. I just want to make sure this bastard never sees the light of day again."

  As the two of them were discussing the issue the call from the lab came in. Tom answered the phone. "What have you found Frank?"

  "We have several different blood types Tom. There are at least six, maybe seven. I will know more when I complete the DNA analysis with each of the samples. Does this help?"

  "It sure does Frank, and thank you so much for coming in late and making this effort. I really do appreciate it. I think this may make the entire difference between us taking him all the way down or just getting some kind of rape case against him. At any rate we will await the DNA tests with great anticipation." A call came in while Tom was talking with Campos. Jeanne took it.

  "How many blood types, boss?" asked Jeanne.

  "At least six and maybe seven after the completion of the DNA analysis he says."

  "Wells is ready to go to the jail boss. I am going down there now and arrest him. I want to scare the living shit out of him. I want him to confess to all these murders and rapes. I want the victims of all these crimes to be able to throw shit in his face. But we will never get all of I want will we?"

  "Probably not."

  "Okay. I am going to try something with him and see what happens. I will let you know when I get back how it goes."

  As Jeanne arrived at the hospital there was a gathering of upper echelon majors and captains taking place in the Emergency Room lobby, and a news conference was about to be held, or so it seemed. Apparently they thought there was good publicity to be obtained in response to the arrest of the cop killer. She skirted the whole thing and went to the nurse's station where she asked whether he was ready to be transported.

  The head nurse assured Jeanne that Wells could be taken and she went into his room. There were two patrol officers there at the time. She told them to stand by the door. She told Wells to stand up. She said to him, "You know who I am don't you, Wells?"

  "Yes."

  "Good. I am arresting you sir. Put your hands behind your back now. I know your arm is broken sir. I don't care. Hands behind your back or I will put them there myself and you will not enjoy me doing so." She handcuffed him tightly as he moaned and complained it hurt, and then using the same leg restraints and chains he had worn to the hospital she readied him for transport. He could take a step no longer than about four inches. She took him by the hands, lifting them up, and "perp-walked" him out the side door of the hospital to avoid any contact with the menagerie at the Emergency Room doors.

  "What are the charges?" he asked her as they walked to the car.

  "Murder committed in the course of a felony, five counts, murder in the first degree, five counts, five counts of sexual assault, five counts of aggravated assault with a weapon. Mr. Wells by the time the charges are all written down on the complaint which will be filed against you it will take up several pages."

  "You'll never get me on all those charges."

  "We'll see, Mr. Wells, we'll see. Were you aware this state has the death penalty Mr. Wells? I hope so because otherwise you chose the wrong state in which to commit these crimes."

  Wells just snorted. She escorted him to her vehicle and put him in the back seat. When she got him in the seat she said to him. "We are going to make a little stop before we go to the jail Mr. Wells. I have something I want to say to you."

  "I don't give a shit what you say to me. It means nothing you cop bitch. I wish I could have fucked you and cut your throat like a chicken at the slaughter house. Fuck you."

  "Okay. But you will listen you little puke." She drove to a side street which was not too far from the jail entrance. She stopped and parked alongside the street. She turned toward him and said, "You are going to listen whether you give a shit or not Mr. Wells. And I suggest you listen closely you bag of shit." She stared at him. He was full of himself, full of his "status" at the moment. He was the Ghost Rapist and he was going to be in all the papers, on television, the whole nine yards.

  "Here it is Mr. Wells. Ten of the counts of the indictment which will be issued against you will carry the death penalty as the maximum punishment. If we get you on one of them, we get you on all of them. After conviction you will sit in a solitary cell, on death row, from the day the judge bangs the gavel on the sentence of the jury, Mr. Wells. You will not be permitted exercise. You will have no contact with any prisoners other than those on death row and they too will all be awaiting execution. Your parents, at least one of them and maybe both of them, will be in prison for at least five years. Your father is likely to be in prison by my reckoning, since he is an accomplice to your crimes, for the rest of his life. You will never see him again. You are not likely to ever see your mother again." She paused, thought about the rest of it for a moment and then said, "Ah fuck it. I would rather throw the switch on your ass anyway."

  "You have no case against me."

  "Mr. Wells you are not the careful criminal you thought you were. We have your spunk, your dna, on two victims. We have your knife. It has their blood on it and their DNA will show up on it as well. Your scabbard for your knife will have the same DNA in it and on it. We cannot identify you as the Ghost Rapist with someone who saw your face Mr. Wells. But we have your body fluids and the body fluids of the victims to do a better job of identification than a picture or a sighting in dim light could ever do. You are going to get the fucking needle Mr. Wells and I am going to be there to push the final switch."

  "That's bullshit."

  "No Mr. Wells, it is the truth of your situation. So fuck you."

  "Wait a minute." Here it comes she thought. "What do you want from me then?"

  "Okay. Here it is. I will say this once only. If you confess and give complete details of all the rapes and murders you have committed I will recommend to the District Attorney's Office that you be given a sentence of life in prison without benefit of parole. You will have to make your confession within 24 hours though Mr. Wells. Your initial appearance will be before the court to
morrow afternoon. I have already set it up. You will have an attorney appointed tomorrow morning who will come to the jail and talk to you. The man who is going to be appointed is really good. He wins a lot of cases. You can talk to him tomorrow morning and when you are done, no later than eleven tomorrow morning, you will start your confessions. After you confess to all five murders and the rapes of at least twenty girls (I know of) you will then be taken to the court. You will have one appearance, one only sir. As your appearance takes place you will plead guilty to all charges. Once you have plead guilty to all charges the court will sentence you to Life in Prison without the benefit of parole. You will never get out of prison sir. But you will live. If you want to live you let us know no later than eleven o' clock tomorrow morning. Is that quite clear to you sir?"

  "Yes."

  The defense attorney who was appointed for Wells III was slick. He was really good. Everyone knew that, even the attorney. He met Wells at 9:00 a.m. in an interview room. At 10:45 a.m. the attorney called homicide from the interview room and told them his client wanted to accept the plea agreement which had been discussed with Sgt. de Leon.

  A court reporter was sent to the room and the little asshole confessed to everything. He had kept a description of each girl he had raped, and a detailed description of each he had murdered. He had journaled his entire pathway into the sociopathic state he had entered. He gave up the location of the journal and it was obtained immediately. It would be used in part, by the probation officer who appeared to give an opinion on sentencing. He appeared before the court in the afternoon and plead guilty to all charges. He was sentenced immediately pursuant to a written agreement to Life in prison without benefit of parole. He was in the Alhambra unit of the Department of Corrections of the State of Arizona by mid afternoon.

  Jefferson Wells III was raped the first time in prison on his second day on a cell block in Florence. He asked to be isolated. It was denied initially. He was raped every night thereafter for the two weeks it took for him to get moved to an isolation cell where he would spend the rest of his natural life.