Necessary Evil

by Janelle Taylor

  Dan made a mental note to check Crouch’s file when he got to headquarters. He wondered if there was anyone who was attempting to mete out his or her own brand of justice, since the judicial system had not found David Crouch guilty. But what about this alibi? The same man who had had a fight with Crouch the previous day was the same one who’d claimed they were together on a suspicious night long ago. Coincidental? Had Crouch raped the woman and John lied for him? Or was it a case of mistaken identity? Dan knew that nearly ninety-eight percent of rapists were never convicted of their crime. Had the law arrested the right man, then released him? Dan looked at the victim’s wife as Mory tried to console her. He had a gut feeling that Mary either knew or suspected her husband was guilty and John had lied for him.

  “We’ll do our best to find out who did this to your husband. Do you have a place where you can go until this is cleared up? A family member or friend you would like to call? I’m afraid you can’t stay here until the investigators finish their work. They’ll lock up when they leave.”

  I’m betting our number one reporter is lurking outside so he can snag more pictures, Dan thought to himself. At least the TV reporters and cameramen were keeping their distance as ordered. Or maybe they were gone by now, thinking this was just a simple murder case, just something to give a few words and a shot of the location.

  “I can go to my sister’s house. She lives over on Greene Street. I’m sure she’ll let me crash there for a few days. Let me pack up some stuff from . . .” Mary began, then hesitated as her gaze went towards the bedroom door where Harold and a team member were still bagging evidence.

  “Tell me what you need and I’ll get it for you,” Mory offered. “You can’t go in there right now. Do you have a small suitcase or overnight bag?”

  Mary sniffed and nodded. “It’s in the closet. I only need some underwear and jeans and t-shirts. I can borrow Tina’s bathroom stuff. Oh, except my toothbrush. I ain’t sharing nobody’s toothbrush. Mine’s the pink one.”

  Mory went to the bedroom and asked Harold’s permission to collect the things Mary had listed. He found the tug-along on the floor in the closet. He looked through the drawers to find jeans and wrinkled t-shirts he assumed were clean and belonging to Mary. He gathered several changes of clothes and went into the bathroom. Disgusting, he thought. How could anyone think they were getting themselves clean in this mess? Mory picked up her toothbrush by the end of the handle and held it dangling into the bag. He returned to the living area where Mary was crying and trying to talk to her sister. Mory watched as Dan gently took the phone away from her and identified himself to Tina. He explained what had happened in the apartment tonight and asked if an officer could bring Mary over to stay a couple of days. Satisfied with the answer he got. Dan hung up the phone and turned to him.

  “Would you mind taking her over there? Make sure she’s not stopped along the way,” Dan hinted to Mory about the persistent reporter. “I want to look around a little more here before I head downtown. I’ll meet you there.”

  Mory took the woman gently by the arm and escorted her out of the apartment. As he put Crouch’s widow into the front seat of his unmarked car, he noticed that James Starr was still hanging around the edge of the police tape. Hopefully, he would get tired of waiting, go home and leave Mrs. Crouch alone, like the TV media had done.

  Back inside, Dan walked toward the bedroom and noticed the marks on the floor. “It looks like the victim was dragged to the bedroom from the den. Can you get some pictures of that for me, Harold?”

  “Already took ‘em. One of the first things me and Henri noticed. We’re almost done here. You sure it was safe to let Mory leave with that stripper?”

  The two men laughed, both needing some tension release.

  Dan surmised that whoever killed David Crouch had rendered him unconscious first, then dragged him to the bedroom to begin his torture. He wondered if he would find any suspicious similarities between David Crouch’s murder and the attack of the girl who had fingered him as her rapist years ago. He was glad Harold had remembered and mentioned that possible link. “I’m past done here. I’m heading to HQ. I’ll see you and Henri later today. I’m hoping you two will have something big for me when I get there.”

  Harold smiled and said, “Don’t worry, Dan. I won’t quit or be satisfied until justice has been served. See you later.”

  Chapter Two

  Saturday morning, June 16th

  “Dan, my man. Find our killer yet?” Mory asked as he walked into the office they shared. It was one of the smallest ones on that floor, but it suited their needs. Their desks were pushed together in its center, allowing each to have a small stand to one side for typing their reports. His desk was decorated with two framed photographs of his wife, a legal pad that he doodled on as he pondered a case, a telephone and a short lamp for late nights. Dan had no pictures on his desk; he and his wife had divorced several years ago after she left him for one of his supposed best friends. The only personal thing Dan displayed was a pen set which had been given to him by his old boss in New York. The inscription said, Hope to see you again soon. It didn’t have a name identifying the person who had given it, but Mory knew the history behind that treasured memento. He hoped his friend and partner would be able to let the past go and take good advantage of his new start here, one that had been thrust upon Dan a little less than two years ago.

  Dan looked into his college friend’s face and shook his head. “Too soon, only been pouring over these old files and my notes since five AM. Glad I hit the sack early last night. Something strange is going on here, but I don’t have a theory yet on who’s responsible for last night’s carnage. I’m relieved we have Henri on our team now instead of Ed. If it wasn’t for Harold’s help before she came, we’d have lots of unsolved cases. He’s smart and observant. He put me onto this trail. Just listen to this report.”

  “Maybe I’d better sit down before I get us some coffee. I have the feeling I’m not going to like what you have to say.”

  “Probably not. Let me ask you something first. Did you notice how filthy the apartment was? Looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in months, which is probably an understatement. But the doorknob leading outside had been wiped clean. Henri said they were able to locate fingerprints on almost every surface, except that one. Whoever was in there took the time to wipe it clean so we couldn’t use it to figure out who he was. I’ll bet they don’t find prints anywhere on Crouch’s body. Henri said our assailant ejaculated, so with DNA testing, that’s better than a fingerprint, if we can figure out who did it. Those scuffmarks on the floor means Crouch was dragged to the bedroom. Probably semi-conscious, because he’d be easier to handle than dead weight, then dragged in there. That would explain how this son of a bitch was able to strip him down and tie him to the bed.”

  “Makes sense to me. Did you find out anything from his police file? Was Mrs. Crouch correct in her explanation of the events two years ago?”

  Dan muttered, “Glad that scene was BMT, as Henri would say.” He looked down and read from a piece of paper. “Numerous cuts on the body. S-L-U-T carved into the victim’s left cheek. Beaten severely on the back, buttocks and legs. Extensive swelling and damage. Anal and oral sodomy. You thought I was reading my report for last night’s incident, didn’t you? Except for their different sexes, sounds eerily similar.”

  Mory kept nodding his head as Dan spoke, a grimace on his face.

  “One hundred forty seven stitches necessary for various cuts. Emergency surgery required for a ruptured spleen. Plastic surgery recommended for the victim’s face.” Dan looked up at Mory. “That’s from the file on Lisa Starnes, the girl who accused Crouch of raping her two years ago. After emergency surgery, she was unconscious for several days before she was able to talk to anyone and tell what had happened to her. Unlucky for her, when she was prepped for surgery, nobody thought about doing a rape kit or collecting any evidence on her body that would have nailed her assailant. The only thing th
e prosecuting attorney had was her positive ID of her attacker, but David Crouch had an alibi—the same John who had a fight with him on Thursday night. So, Crouch walked free and clear. Now, do you want to hear the rest of the story?”

  “There’s more?” Mory saw Dan nod and frown. “Does Ms. Starnes have a boyfriend or husband who would try to punish this man?”

  “She had a boyfriend then, but his address has changed to an out of state one. Guess he couldn’t deal with what happened to his girlfriend. The lead on her case did a clear and detailed job, so that’ll be a huge help for us. Seems he took a personal interest in justice for Lisa, even did lots of follow-up notes. But I’m talking about the other murder.”

  “The other one? There’s been two of these? Captain didn’t tell me that when he called. He just said for me to get my butt over there and back you up.”

  “About two months ago, a Ted Silverman was found in his apartment. Bound to his bedposts by ropes that went underneath it, for added strength is my guess. Multiple track marks on arms and legs. Burns on back and buttocks caused by hot wax. If you read the report on Karen Carter, who accused Silverman of assaulting her, you’ll find that she was bound spread eagle, raped and sodomized. Ms. Carter also had burns on her back and rear from hot wax.” Dan paused and looked up from the files. “I don’t know what the hell is going on here, Mory, but my guess is that the same person killed both of these men. From these old files, I can’t find a connection between the two men, and maybe there isn’t one. I hope Henri comes up with something useful today. In the meantime, we’ll talk to Lisa Starnes and Karen Carter to see if they can tell us anything helpful. Neither of the men served any time for their alleged rapes, then they’re given the same treatment, so I’d say somebody out there doesn’t feel our judicial system worked for them or their loved one. Another team caught Silverman’s case, and obviously it wasn’t big news. Least I don’t recall it, and Ms. Carter’s case was also BMT.”

  “Both of the men were tortured and raped in much the same manner as their victims, but they were killed afterwards. I think it would have been a better punishment for them to have lived with what had happened to them, so why were they killed? So they couldn’t identify their attacker? Maybe it was somebody they would recognize?”

  “I don’t know, Mory, but something isn’t fitting into this puzzle yet, and I intend to find out what’s missing.”

  “Do you have the addresses for Lisa Starnes and Karen Carter?”

  “Yes. I’m not looking forward to questioning these two women. If they told the truth years ago and don’t know anything about these murders, talking about these crimes and their pasts may dredge up more nightmares and unwanted publicity for them.”

  “Yeah, I know. This is the part of my job I don’t like. But whoever killed those two scumbags also committed crimes. We’re a lot alike, Dan, so I know you also think Silverman and Crouch were guilty and escaped justice. Just give me a chance to call Janie before we leave and let her know I may not be home for dinner,” Mory sighed and winced.

  “Sure. I want to update the Captain on what we’ve discovered before we leave, so I’ll be back in a few minutes. We’ll grab a bite to eat on the way to our first stop. We can both use some hot food and decompression time. Been on this gory case since 2:30 AM, and we’ve got a long, hard day ahead. Call Janie and give her the bad news. Tell her I’m sorry duty calls.”

  Dan headed to Captain Neal Bolton’s office while Mory placed his call in private, each dreading the next few tasks for their own reasons.

  By 8:30, they were en route to Duke’s for breakfast before going to see if Lisa Starnes was home. Dan hated to do a surprise visit, but he always learned more when he caught a possible suspect or accomplice off guard.

  “I guess it’s time to throw a party, gentlemen. It seems someone finally realized what a sick animal he was and decided to give him a taste of his own medicine. Tell me, did anyone hear him scream? Did he suffer a lot? I wonder if he remembered what he did to me while he was being raped, beaten, tortured and humiliated. I really hope he thought about me.”

  Dan’s clenched jaw slackened as he gazed at the young woman after she was told about David Crouch’s gory demise. Lisa Starnes was wearing a blue flowered t-shirt and jean shorts with matching material sown on the pockets. Her hands trembled in her lap and she spoke with conviction. The depth of her bitterness and anger did not shock him. He had prepared himself for hysterics, at least for tears of relief to be shed hearing the man who had destroyed her previously happy life was now dead and couldn’t hurt her again. Yet, her soulful blue gaze and quavering voice told him it was a fierce struggle to appear strong and cold-hearted. Lisa’s blond hair had been cut and shaped so it fell around her face, no doubt in an effort to mask a lingering scar and partial paralysis. It was difficult for him not to stare at her contorted check where the letters—SLUT—were still legible. God, he ached for her.

  As if she read his mind, she said, “Don’t worry, Lieutenant Mallory, no one can take their eyes off my face. It seems that’s the only thing anyone sees anymore when they look at me.” Lisa glanced at the floor then locked her gaze with his, her stare causing him to visibly flinch from its intensity. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, sir. But I assure you, you can’t imagine what it feels like to be embarrassed about this scar. I hope you’ll never know what it feels like to go out in public with a mutilated face like this. I wouldn’t wish this to happen to anybody. No one deserves this.” Her fingers touched the puckered skin. “I’ve already had one surgery to try to fix my face, but the doctor said it’s going to take several more. The wounds were deep, muscles and nerves were severed. He beat me with a metal rod, broke some bones and ruptured my spleen. I’ve become anemic from the loss of blood during so many surgeries to repair so many injuries. I also suffer from a poor appetite, so I’ll have to wait awhile before it’s considered safe enough to attempt more work.”

  Mory cleared his throat as he searched his troubled mind for the kindest way to phrase the tough questions that had to be asked. He was going to have to let Dan handle this interrogation, because he was struggling with the image of shooting the man who had marred this young woman’s face and soul. Mory looked around the small living room, decorated in crème and mauve prints. Very feminine, he decided, noticing the absence of personal pictures. He wondered if she couldn’t bear to see the way she had looked before she had been cruelly slashed. Judging by the right side of her face, he imagined she must have been beautiful. Her eyes were an incredible deep blue, on which he tried to focus. But he found himself staring at her left cheek and becoming angrier by the second. He took a deep calming breath and stood to wander around the room while Dan talked.

  “Ms. Starnes, I know this is difficult for you—” Dan began, but was cut off quickly by Lisa’s almost hysterical outburst.

  “Difficult? You think this is difficult for me? I can assure you, Lieutenant, this is one of the happiest days of my life. My only regret is that I wasn’t there to see that vile creature suffer. I would’ve enjoyed it. The monster raped me, mutilated my face and then swore he didn’t do it, that I must have been upset because he turned me down earlier that evening. Bullshit! I’ll never forget the face or the voice of the man who did such horrible things to me. Never. Never. Never. But he had a phony alibi; a friend who swore Crouch was with him in a bar at the time he was torturing me. I hope that liar gets his just due! He lied to the court and let his friend get away with what he did, so he deserves to be punished, too.”

  “Ms. Starnes, I’m sorry for what happened to you years ago and for all you’re continuing to endure, but we need to determine what went on last night, so we can find the man who murdered Mr. Crouch.”

  “And you want me to help you? How can you even ask me that, Lieutenant? I don’t know who killed him, but I can assure you of one thing: If I did know who raped and tortured him, who made him feel like I felt two years ago, I would thank the man from the bottom of my heart a
nd protect him with my silence. I turned my life over to the police to do something about that animal. I did everything I was asked to do. Everything I was capable of doing.” Lisa stopped and took a deep breath, then stressed again, “Everything.” She knew it wasn’t like her to be mean and ill-mannered to kind people, but this awful experience felt as if it were tearing her apart and stealing her sanity.

  She put a hand to her stomach and continued, “But unfortunately, I was washed and sterilized before I had emergency surgery and countless repairs after all that bastard did to me. The investigators weren’t able to collect any evidence on me to make a positive identification. I was told I must have been mistaken when I pulled him out of a line-up, because I must have been remembering him from when I had come on to him earlier that night. That wasn’t and isn’t true. He was the one who hit on me in the hallway to the bathroom, and I turned him down flat. Only, nobody saw that, because the hallway was empty and my girlfriends were on the dance floor when I went to the ladies room. We had every right to be at that bar having fun that night. Every right!”

  Dan and Mory remained silent, observant, and respectful as Lisa obviously struggled to calm herself and to catch her breath.

  “We went to have a drink and enjoy the music, to celebrate one of my friends getting a promotion. But Crouch’s lawyer made us sound like sluts and tramps in court. It was true that animal was with his friend earlier, but he followed me home after we left and attacked me. He said I was getting what I deserved, what I had asked for and wanted. I only wish my boyfriend hadn’t been out of town because he would have beaten Crouch senseless. That cowardly beast sneaked up behind me and shoved his way into my apartment after I unlocked my door. He pinned me to the floor face down and beat me with a pipe until I couldn’t scream or move or fight him off. He dragged me to my bedroom and tied me to the bed. He did horrible things to me while I lay there bleeding, hurting like hell. When he was finished, he just snorted this nasty laugh and slashed my face.”