Tracking the Butcher

by William Joiner

  “I see,” Lieutenant Gray said. “Does this mean that my family is in danger?”

  “I wouldn’t say immediate danger,” Doctor Brooks said. “But the chances are if his psyche continues to become diseased by a need for increased violence he may come after you and your family.”

  “Is that likely, Doctor Connors?” Lieutenant Gray asked.

  “In my opinion, as he disengages from reality he is unlikely to possess the cleverness required to attack you in your home. However, if he could perpetrate a surprise attack on you between your place of employment and your domicile, he may take aggressive action against you. He may also attack your family when you’re not present. Either way, it would be an unexpected or astonishing event like that perpetrated on Lieutenant Reynolds.”

  “I see,” Lieutenant Gray said. “I think I’ll move my family to a safer place until the Butcher’s caught to be safe. With that out of the way the ball’s coming to right field, Doctor Brooks. Can you tell us about the hair and the potential DNA matches?”

  “Sure, the hairs recovered from today’s crime scene are microscopically similar to the hair recovered in the burial location of the victim discovered in Griffith Park. We have received the epithelial cells from the inside of the suspects’ cheeks, and they are being tested. The results should be available in a couple of days. I’ll perform the tests myself.”

  “Good,” Lieutenant Gray said. “Elgie, you haven’t met our two new detectives. This is Detective Marie Harkness—we needed another female—and this is Detective Matthew Weinberg. That’s it for this meeting—Elgie, wait a minute I need to speak to you.”

  Elgie went into Lieutenant Gray’s office in the back of the task force room and took a seat in the typical police station green Naugahyde and metal frame chairs.

  “Elgie, why didn’t you call me about the murder this morning? Better yet, why did you talk to the press without clearing it with me? I’m the coach of this team, and I assign the designated hitter, and you’re not it. What do you have to say?”

  “I got the call and reported to the scene. I didn’t call you because you weren’t needed. I talked to Geraldo because I needed to get the word out about the killing and find a witness. I’m sure someone must have seen something with all the traffic on Sunset even in the early morning hours.”

  “Alright, Elgie, no need to get upset. I just need to make sure that you remember who’s in charge of the Butcher Investigation. You’re in charge of the tip line.”

  “Yeah, I get that. But if I get a call, I’m answering it. And I have every intention of catching the Butcher with you or without you.” Elgie took a breath. “Now, I’m sure Captain Greer wants to see me?”

  “Yes, she does.”

  “Well, I guess I’ll go now.”

  When Elgie arrived in Captain Greer’s office, she didn’t tell him to sit, so he stood ready to take the consequences of his actions as he had expected when he took the steps he did. Her raspy voice wouldn’t help the situation.

  “Elgie, in case you’re confused you are not lead investigator on the Butcher Case anymore. You are to report to Lieutenant Gray, and you will not talk to the media period. The only way is with Gray, and that’s only standing by his side when he has a press conference. Is that clear?”

  Yeah, like that shit’s gonna fly. Is what Elgie thought. “Yes, I understand. It’s perfectly clear.” Is what he said. “Are you finished with me now, ma’am?”

  “Yes, I’m finished with you. Return to the tip line office and stay there. No more field for you unless Lieutenant Gray takes you with him. Also, since you did it already are there any results from your unscheduled TV appearance?”

  “I’m not sure, I haven’t been to the tip line office yet.”

  “Let me know if there is anything to follow up on. I’ll have Lieutenant Gray assign someone to do the follow up if an in-person interview is required. You can do phone follow ups.”

  “Right, Captain. Are you going to rotate the clerks like I asked?”

  “Yes, and I told Lieutenant Gray why you wanted that change. Even though I think your suspicions about the task force are unfounded, I told Lieutenant Gray to keep an eye on them anyway. I’d rather err on the side of caution.”

  Back in the tip line office, Elgie asked Sergeant Johnson about the incoming calls, especially those regarding the body found earlier in the morning.

  “The graveyard shift supervisor left sixteen tips that they received in less than ten minutes after Geraldo Lopez made the report and interviewed you. There were a lot of calls just commending you on doing a good job and a couple saying you should stay off TV.”

  “What about since you’ve been here?”

  “We’ve only gotten the typical calls,” Johnson said, “but I expect that to change when Lopez announces that murder on the morning news. He is supposed to interview Lieutenant Gray. I don’t know what he’s going to say since he wasn’t there.”

  “Call those sixteen people and interview them. If one on one interviews are required, call the task force office. Lieutenant Gray will assign someone to take care of them.”

  “That’s silly, Lieutenant,” Sergeant Pool said, “we’re capable of following up on in-person interviews.”

  “I know,” Elgie said, “that’s my fault, they’re all bent out of shape about me going to the murder scene this morning rather than calling Lieutenant Gray.”

  “I see. For what it’s worth I’m glad you went out on the call. You should be in charge of the investigation. You’re the most qualified and most knowledgeable.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Elgie said, “but we have our orders, and we need to follow them.” He lied.

  “About an hour into his exile, Elgie’s personal cell rang. He looked at the caller ID and saw “Los Angeles,” a generic ID that his HMO used along with robot scam calls claiming his computer’s been breached. He answered.

  “Hello, this is Elgie.”

  “Hi, Elgie,” said a familiar voice.

  Elgie quickly activated his voice mail to record the call and put his hand over the mouthpiece and told Johnson to get a trace on the call.

  “Yes, this is Elgie, who’s calling?”

  “You already know who it is, so don’t play games. You’re trying to keep me on the line to get a trace. You already know that doesn’t work out for you.”

  “Fine, why are you calling?”

  “I just wanted to say that I caught you on the news this morning and I’m glad you saw my new method of killing. I think I like it. I’m going to do it again. It combines my two favorite ways of killing. I also want to tell you I’m glad you’re back on the case. I need a challenge, and Gray is just a common cop. He’ll never catch me—neither will you. But at least you’ll get close and keep me on my toes. I also want to tell you I plan to kill fifty people then quit cold turkey.

  “The only thing is you don’t know how many are left to reach that goal because you don’t know how many bodies I’ve hidden. Fear not, I’ll tell you where they are and how many after I reach my goal. Bye for now, and have a wonderful day.”

  “Did you get a trace on the call?” Elgie asked

  “No, Lieutenant, the call wasn’t long enough,” Sergeant Johnson replied.

  “Alright, just continue with what you were doing.”

  “Right, Lieutenant.”

  Elgie went to his office and transferred the voice mail recording to his digital recorder to give a copy to Lieutenant Gray. Then he thought about the DNA sample and called Quinn.

  “Butcher Task Force Office this is Detective Kim, may I help you?”

  “Quinn, this is Elgie. Can you come to my office right away?”

  “Sure, Boss. I’ll be there in a minute.” Quinn arrived within a minute.

  “Quinn, is McBean at his desk?”

  “No, he’s out on an interview, why?”

  “I need you to do something for me.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I want you
to swab his coffee cup and make sure no one sees you and bring the swab back to me.”

  “What do you want a swab for, Boss?”

  “I think McBean may be the Butcher, but I want to at least rule him out without making a big mess of it. I don’t want to hurt his career if he’s innocent.”

  “I see. Okay, I’ll do it, but what are you going to do with the swab once you get it?”

  “I’m going to give it to Doctor Brooks, and he’s going to do an anonymous DNA test comparing what we believe is the Butcher’s DNA profile derived from that hair from the Griffith Park grave. Doctor Brooks doesn’t know who the DNA belongs to and he won’t know unless it’s a match. The only ones that’ll know are you and me.”

  “Okay, give me the swab, and I’ll be right back.”

  Five tense minutes went by, and Quinn returned.

  “Here’s your sample, Boss. I sure hope you’re wrong about McBean.”

  “So do I, but I doubt it. I think he’s the Butcher. It’s just a hunch, but the way he talks about him and defends him anytime someone says something disparaging about him. He keeps saying how he’s so smart and clever. If he’s not the Butcher, then he should start a Butcher fan club.”

  “Okay, Boss, if you say it’s a good chance he’s the Butcher I have to go along with you.”

  “Thanks, Quinn. Now go back to the task force office before Gray misses you. I’m coming over to talk to Gray about a call I just received from the Butcher right before I called you. When McBean wasn’t at his desk, it just made me more suspicious.”

  “I understand. I’ll see you when you come over to the task force office. I assume you’re going to the SID lab after that?”

  “Oh yeah.”

  Elgie took his time putting together the digital copy of the phone call for Lieutenant Gray, then headed over to the dugout. As usual, Elgie just walked into the task force office and straight back to Lieutenant Gray’s office.

  “Lieutenant Gray, I just received another call from the Butcher. I have the call recorded on my digital recorder. Do you have something I can transfer the recording to?”

  “There’s no need for that, everyone is here for the next few minutes except McBean, he’s out on a follow up interview. I’ll just play the recording for those that are here.”

  Lieutenant Gray played the recording. Maybe he shouldn’t have played it for his staff since it was unflattering to him and there was no useable information. The claim the Butcher made about killing fifty Lieutenant Gray said was an unfounded boast, and he wouldn’t be able to avoid capture long enough to make his threat a reality. Then Lieutenant Gray assigned all the staff except Quinn and Lucas to conduct the in-person interviews with the sixteen identified supposed witnesses to the placement of Anita Danby’s body.

  “Lucas, why do you think he chose fifty people as his goal?” Elgie asked.

  “I can’t ascertain what his reasoning is for choosing that number. I am, however, aware of his reasoning for making this boast, as Lieutenant Gray so astutely put it, he wishes to challenge you, Lieutenant. That’s why he calls you with this information. He also wants to give you a deadline to capture him.”

  “I think I know why fifty,” Elgie said, “the Green River Killer had forty-nine verified victims and is recognized as the most prolific serial killer in U.S. history. Fifty would, in the Butcher’s mind, put him in first place.”

  “How do you plan to catch him, Lieutenant?” Lucas asked.

  “You mean how do I plan to catch him, Doctor Connors,” Lieutenant Gray said.

  “Yes, of course, sir,” Lucas said. “How do you plan to capture our would be most prolific serial killer?”

  “I think we ought to follow up on Elgie’s lineup,” Lieutenant Gray said. “Which of the opposing team is your pick for best hitter, Elgie?”

  “I think Alan Reader is a likely suspect,” Elgie said. “He pulled a knife on a prostitute, although he talked his way out of it, he is still a good suspect. Then there’s Alexander Deorader, he pulled a knife on Quinn. Although he plays this knife game, he may use that as a cover. The Butcher was able to get Audrey Simpson into an alley and kill her without her trying to run or fight him off before the attack.

  “Ms. Simpson was an experienced prostitute, and I doubt she would have let someone get her into an alley and behind a dumpster. It just doesn’t make sense unless she believed it was part of the game. He’s a likely suspect, and he was identified as being at the club Barbara McMullen was taken from but not the same night. However, he placed himself at the club by trying to implicate Paul Rodson. And last, of course, there’s Paul Rodson. He has a history of extreme violence against woman, but he didn’t use a knife, and he didn’t beat them on one side of their face.”

  “I think I’ll put an umpire on Alexander Deorader,” Lieutenant Gray said. “Follow him everywhere he goes. Maybe he’ll go to one of the clubs, and we’ve got him.”

  “May I suggest that you have a decoy from vice to try to pick him up if he goes to one of the clubs,” Elgie said. “That’s the only way to actually catch him in the act short of waiting for someone else to get killed and then arresting him afterward. You can also get a warrant to put a tracking device on his car and track him from the office. Just have him followed at night since we know the Butcher does his hunting at night and in the early morning hours.”

  “That sounds like a good play,” Lieutenant Gray said. “We have to keep in mind that it’s two strikes with bases loaded. We have one chance at bat to win or lose the game. We’ve got to win.”

  “Forgive me, Father for I have sinned. Before I go on, Father Timothy, I want to be sure that the confessional is sacrosanct. Whatever I say in here stays in here, right?”

  “Yes, my son, that is correct.”

  “So, it would be a violation of your vows if you told anyone what I’m about to tell you?”

  “Yes, the sanctity of the confessional cannot be violated.”

  “Father, I am the man they are calling the Butcher. I have killed many people, Father, but I did it with a good heart. The families of this country are dying and with it our morals. I was inspired to stop these people who are destroying families by any means necessary. It became clear to me that freeing their souls would save them and their families. The family is better off without a cheating whore in its home.

  “That’s why I sent that letter first to warn people to turn from their wicked ways, repent, and sin no more. But some women thought they were above God’s law and continued to violate the sanctity of marriage. They had to be stopped. But before I killed them, I told them why, and I gave them a chance to repent. Now all I have to do is tell them I’m the Butcher, and they know exactly why I’m there.”

  “Have you had these feelings for long, my son?”

  “I’ve always wanted to kill whores ever since I was a kid. I saw my mother cheat on my father, and the coward didn’t do anything about it. That’s why they have to die too. They are just as guilty of destroying the family as the cheating whore.”

  “My son, you are in need of help. Turn your life over to our Heavenly Father and let him guide you. You must do the right thing and turn yourself in. Ask God to take this unholy obsession from you and face the laws of man. That is your only act of contrition.”

  Suddenly the Butcher’s voice changed to the evil persona that his victims encountered. “I have no need for contrition, Father, I am doing God’s work. No one is going to stop me. If you violate your vows and tell the police about our conversation, I’ll start killing your parishioners, Father. Don’t try to stop me because I know there is at least one cheating whore sitting on your pews. She could easily get her just desserts, and I’ll be doing the serving.” He then turned back to his regular voice. “That’s all I have for today. I’ll see you in Mass Sunday, Father. Have a wonderful day.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Elgie sat in the tip line office, waiting for something to happen. That had become his daily chore, just waiting for somethin
g to happen, anything, since the real work was being done in the task force office. As he was thinking the phone on his desk rang.

  “Hello, this is Lieutenant Reynolds.”

  “Lieutenant, there’s a priest here to see you. He says his name is Father Timothy, and he wants to talk to you about the Butcher.”

  “Send him up.”

  Elgie wondered what a priest could want with him. Could it be that he had information about the Butcher, or was he just there to save his soul? Well, he would find out in a minute. Elgie went to the elevator to meet the priest.

  “Hello, Lieutenant Reynolds.”

  “Have we met before?”

  “No, I’ve just seen you on TV. Your suits look more expensive in person than they do on television.”

  “I didn’t know priests were allowed to watch television. It’s so corrupting.”

  “No, I’m not corrupted by it.”

  “So, what can I do for you, Father?”

  “I have some information for you. Not actually information, but a tip—the Butcher is one of my parishioners.”

  “Are you sure, Father Timothy?”

  “Yes, I’m sure. He’s told me some things that make me believe he is who he says he is.”

  “Do you know who he is, what he looks like?” Elgie asked.

  “No, he comes to confession, and of course I don’t see him. But even if I did know who he was, I couldn’t tell you. I shouldn’t be telling you this, but I prayed for guidance, and I believe this is the right thing to do.”

  “Well, thank you for coming, but I don’t know what good that information is going to do me or the investigation. How many parishioners do you have, Father, hundreds?”

  “Perhaps, I just thought you could use the information. I decided to share what information I can. I hope it does some good.”