Heartbeats of a Killer

by Michael Merson

  “Ok, I’ll do my best, Dick,” Gary yelled from his table after waiting for Lambert to get close to the door and far enough away so that he would have to yell it out loud.

  Chapter 8

  Axel was walking up to the elevator when his cell phone rang. He quickly recognized Gary’s number and was eager to learn what Lambert had told him.

  During a lengthy phone call, the two detectives exchanged information concerning their interviews with the two witnesses. Gary told him what was said during his meeting with Richard Lambert, and what he thought of him, and in turn, Axel shared what he had learned from Juan Garcia. At the end of their conversation, they both decided that they needed to speak to Sharon Douglas, especially if there was a chance that she may have seen something or someone in the woods.

  They also decided that Richard Lambert should be the one to call her and arrange the meeting. It was actually Gary’s suggestion to have Lambert call her. He knew she would give Lambert hell for bringing her name up during the interview after he told her he wouldn’t mention her by name.

  Gary made a quick call and spoke to Lambert once more, who, just as Gary thought earlier, was very reluctant to call Sharon Douglas. He finally agreed to the detectives’ request after a few more comments about how the media was thirsty for a suspect.

  Axel was walking to his cubicle, carrying a new three-ring binder and was looking it over when he came across DJ Thompson, sitting in Lt. Wilson’s office.

  “Hey buddy,” Axel said as he walked in.

  “Hey yourself,” a familiar voice hiding behind DJ announced. Axel recognized the voice, and he tilted his head and peered behind DJ at his old friend and sector partner Jacob Mean.

  “Well, what brings the two of you up to the fourth floor?”

  “I wanted to come by to say good-bye to you and Gary. DJ here told Commander Williams yesterday that he’d escort me up here and then promised him that he’d make sure that I wouldn’t misbehave or touch anything.”

  The word ‘escort’ lingered a second. Axel knew that active-duty police officers did not need an escort, but civilians did. So did police officers who were no longer police officers.

  “So, this is it? You’re done?” Axel asked, even though he already knew the answer.

  “Yes. After everything that’s happened over the past few months, there’s just too much to deal with in my own personal life. Honestly, the department isn’t pleased with me. Don’t get me wrong. I think they would’ve allowed me to stay and keep my job after a lengthy suspension of course, but right now I just need to figure out what’s really next for me,” Jacob explained.

  “Are you leaving town?”

  “Yes, but not immediately.”

  “Can we get together and have a few beers or something?”

  “Of course, we can. You still have my number. Just call me and let me know when.”

  “Sounds good. Where you off to now?” Axel asked, already knowing the answer.

  “I’m going downstairs to clean my locker out, and that’s why I brought DJ here with me. I need some help with the heavy lifting,” Jacob said as he reached up and patted DJ on the shoulder.

  “You know I really enjoyed the time we spent getting into it on the streets together. I wish I could’ve done more to help you,” Axel said as he reached out to shake Jacob’s hand.

  “I enjoyed it too, and I always knew, and I still know that you have my back,” Jacob said.

  Axel stood there for a moment wishing he could have done more for Jacob after his pregnant wife was killed about a year ago. Jacob was a great cop, but when Miranda was killed by a group of bikers, he couldn’t handle it.

  Jacob went to the town of Grand Junction, Colorado and questioned a small-town police chief about the case, who in turn called the police chief in Colorado Springs and told him to get a handle on one of his cops. Even after being warned, Jacob couldn’t leave it alone. In the end, he found the killers, but the case was thrown out of court. Jacob had collected the evidence against them in a questionable manner.

  The brief distraction from an old friend was a welcomed one, but Axel soon found himself back at his desk sitting down where he looked over the case files again. He then dictated his continuation report to Tammy’s case concerning the interview with Juan Garcia and left the office early. He decided that he wanted to get plenty of rest for his early morning appointment with Dr. Ryan, the pathologist at the medical examiner’s office.

  Chapter 9

  Tuesday, July 3rd

  After Axel got home the previous day, he made his way to his bedroom and laid down for a few minutes to relax. Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep to the sound of an old western movie playing on the television. He awoke to the sound of the alarm, got up, showered, and drove down to Derby’s Diner for a quick breakfast before driving over to the medical examiner’s office.

  Axel always gave himself ample time for his breakfast to digest before attending an autopsy. In the past few years he had observed many autopsies as a homicide detective, but for reasons unknown to him he still felt uncomfortable, and he usually couldn’t eat after attending one.

  He arrived at the medical examiner’s office, and once again he felt that it was cold in both temperature and atmosphere. He was permitted access to the examination room by the front desk receptionist. He found Dr. Ryan standing over the body of Tammy Johnson, speaking into a microphone that hung down from the ceiling. His hands were gloved, and he wore a green surgical scrub that was covered in the front with a white surgical apron.

  Dr. Ryan was a large man in both shape and height. He had been a pathologist for over thirty years, and he was recognized by many as a leading expert in the field of forensic pathology.

  “Nice to see you again, Detective Frost.”

  “Nice to see you as well,” Axel responded.

  “Wally, will you please get a new bag for the stomach contents?”

  “Yes, Doctor,” Wally, Dr. Ryan’s assistant, answered as he walked over to a counter and retrieved another plastic bag.

  “I think you already know, but I’ll say it out loud for your report. Based on my medical examination of the body and on my experience as a medical pathologist I’ve determined that the victim’s manner of death is a homicide,” Dr. Ryan stated as he removed the contents of Tammy’s stomach and placed them into the plastic bag that Wally had opened and held out toward the doctor.

  “Wally, please place this in the scale and turn it so I can see the weight,” Dr. Ryan instructed.

  Axel was always amazed at how Dr. Ryan never seemed affected by the sheer violence he saw daily. He watched and listened as the doctor looked at the scale and spoke his findings into the microphone.

  “Based on my postmortem examination, I’ve determined that the cause of death was a deep laceration across the victim’s throat that started approximately two inches below the right ear of the victim and moved horizontally across the throat to the left side, stopping approximately two and a half inches below the left ear. Both the left and right carotid arteries were severed. The right carotid artery was completely severed, and the left was partially severed. The cut started deep on the right side and finished shallower, which resulted in the left carotid artery, only being partially severed.”

  Axel listened and took the notes he needed as Dr. Ryan continued with his examination. When he was finished, he reached up and turned the microphone off and looked at Wally.

  “Wally, will you please go into the cooler and start prepping the next autopsy?” Dr. Ryan asked his assistant and then turned and looked at Axel.

  “I know that look. What else do you got?” Axel asked.

  “Nothing what do you got?” Dr. Ryan asked and then turned back to the body of Tammy Johnson.

  “I think the deep cut is from him sitting on top of her pushing her head back into the ground below. When we found her, we noticed a void where there should have been blood. There wasn’t any around her mid-section, and just under her chest. We think
he straddled her, held her head down, and cut her throat from right to left. The blood from her carotid artery spurted out onto her chest, shoulders, and onto him, which left the void under her chest and around her abdominal area,” Axel explained as he held a stack of photos from the crime scene of Tammy’s body for Dr. Ryan to examine.

  “I agree with your theory. The blood from her right carotid artery would have been shooting out with each heartbeat. The left would have spurted too but not as much as the right. But, how do you explain the blood on her lower legs and feet?” Dr. Ryan asked as he looked at another photo from the scene.

  “We think that she somehow stood up after he cut her throat and moved around. The ground was disturbed in a few places at the crime scene. We also think we found the spot where he sexually assaulted her, cut her throat, and then stood up to watch her die. In this photo, you can see where we found her, and in this next photo, you can see the different areas that Beck identified. Where she was sexually assaulted, where she stood, and then where she fell to die,” Axel explained as he moved through the different photos with Dr. Ryan.

  “I’ll call a friend of mine who’s an expert in blood spatter analysis, and we’ll get him involved when you finally catch this guy,” Dr. Ryan said while emphasizing the last six words.

  “I’m working on it,” Axel responded.

  “I know you are. Call me if you need anything,” Dr. Ryan said as he walked over to the next body that Wally had brought in.

  “I will,” Axel said and then left the building.

  ***

  Jaxson made it to the airport early and grabbed a bite of breakfast in the terminal before heading over to the boarding gate. He arrived just as the plane was boarding and he handed the airline gate attendant his boarding pass and stepped onto the boarding ramp. Once inside, he stopped and looked around and discovered that the plane was nearly empty of passengers. The attractive flight attendant standing at the cabin door smiled at the six foot one, blue-eyed, and slightly dark-skinned passenger as he approached her.

  "Sit in any seat that you’d like," she instructed with a friendly smile.

  Jaxson consciously looked her over before speaking. He liked her long blonde hair and green eyes.

  “Does that include first class?” He asked.

  “I think that’ll be all right too,” She answered and smiled flirtatiously at him.

  “Great,” Jaxson said as he walked down the aisle and found an empty row in first class.

  Jaxson was tall, and he always hoped for either aisle seats or emergency exit rows when traveling by plane so that his six-foot-one body fit more comfortably. He placed his carry-on in the overhead bin and made himself comfortable in the aisle seat. He took his cell phone out, switched it to airplane mode, selected the right music, and placed his earphones into his ears. He then rested his head on the headrest and closed his eyes.

  Jaxson was sound asleep when he felt someone tapping him on the shoulder. He opened his eyes and found the attractive blonde flight attendant standing over him. He quickly removed his earphones and sat up straighter in the seat.

  “Yes,” Jaxson said.

  “Would you like a beverage or a snack?” She asked.

  “No, thank you.”

  “Are you sure? About ninety percent of passengers want something. Trust me, I know. Are you sure you don’t want anything?” She asked as she tilted her head to the side and smiled flirtatiously once more.

  “How about some company?” Jaxson heard himself saying out loud. “What I meant is…”

  “Sure. Let me put my cart away, and I’ll come back and sit with you. There are only about eight people on the flight and Sara the other flight attendant can take care of them,” She answered before he could finish his comment.

  Jaxson watched her walk toward the front of the plane, and he, like most men, was focused on one specific asset of hers.

  Nice! Stop being an idiot! He thought. I should move over and let her have the aisle seat.

  Jaxson took his own advice and quickly moved over into the center seat. He sat there for what he thought was an eternity. He tried to look himself over without the advantage of a mirror. He wiped his eyes and mouth, and then he covered his mouth and blew into his hand to check his breath.

  “Can I sit next to you?” She asked.

  “Of course.”

  “I’m Brandi,” she said with another smile as she extended her hand toward Jaxson.

  “I’m Jaxson. It’s nice to meet you,” Jaxson replied nervously in return as he shook her hand.

  “Business or pleasure?” she asked.

  “Business,” Jaxson answered.

  “Me too, but every flight is business for me,” she responded and then laughed. Jaxson liked the sound of her laugh.

  “I imagine it is,” he said in agreement.

  “What kind of business are you in?” She asked.

  “I work for the department of treasury.” Jaxson, like other agents, had been told to tell strangers who asked about his profession to say that he was a treasury employee and not an FBI agent.

  “Are we really going to start our friendship off with a lie?” Brandi asked.

  “What do you mean?” Jaxson asked, surprisingly.

  “I work for the airline. I know about every passenger that comes on this plane with a gun. They tell the pilots and me. So, Agent Locke, can we try once more?”

  “Yes. I’m sorry. It’s just that the bureau has instructed us not to identify ourselves as agents of the FBI unless it’s in an official capacity. I forgot that I had to declare my firearm when I checked my luggage,” Jaxson explained.

  “Now see, that’s better. How long are you going to be in Colorado Springs?” She asked.

  “I don’t know for sure. Are you laying over or continuing on to someplace exotic?”

  “I’m actually visiting my sister and her husband for two weeks. I’m celebrating the 4th of July with them. And then I’m off to the Bahamas for a week,” Brandi said enthusiastically.

  “That sounds like fun,” Jaxson responded.

  “What about you?”

  “Mostly work, unfortunately,” Jaxson answered.

  Chapter 10

  Sharon drove slowly north on Nevada Avenue, being cautious of the many families crossing the street in front of her as they made their way toward Acacia Park. There they were preparing their children to march in the annual parade on Tejon Street. After seeing all the families, Sharon was slightly annoyed with herself for choosing this location to speak to the police department.

  The park is too crowded, she thought to herself.

  She had known very well it would be overflowing this time of year. The parade itself was an annual event for the city. The many underprivileged families with whom she worked and volunteered for had children, and there was a good chance one or some of them would be here today.

  Turning right onto Bijou, she spotted a blue van pulling out of the parking space close to the park. The driver of the van slowly made her way out of the space, being careful of the many kids running around unsupervised. Sharon waited patiently and guessed that the van belonged to a soccer mom, who made good use of the van, carrying multiple kids back and forth to games and other activities in it.

  After what seemed an eternity, Sharon pulled her luxury car in between two other vans. She was ten minutes early, according to her watch, and decided to wait in the comfort of her car with the air conditioner on to keep her cool.

  She turned the radio up and watched as a group of boys in one corner of the park lit firecrackers and kept busy by throwing them at one another. A local band was playing in another corner of the park. She turned and watched as children ran through the Uncle Wilber Water Fountain located at another corner of the park. She smiled as water shot into the sky and then down upon the children. All of them scrambled for cover when it finally flew from Wilber’s mouth into the blue sky. Sharon contemplated for a moment the decision she and her husband had made many years ago about not h
aving children. For her, there would be no games, no minivans, and most of all, no children calling her Mommy.

  A tapping on her window surprised her. She turned and smiled at the friendly face staring back. She reached over and pressed the automatic window button. With the window down the aroma of hot dogs, hamburgers, and firecrackers filtered inside the car.

  “Hello,” Sharon said just as her attention was drawn back to the boys lighting firecrackers in the corner. The bangs seemed to be louder now that her window was down. She watched as one boy used a lighter to ignite a fuse. At the same time, she caught a flash of light in the corner of her left eye. She heard no bang but felt her head growing heavy as her body slowly slumped forward. As her head rested on the steering wheel, she noticed that the outside lights around her slowly grew darker.

  Sharon’s killer put the gun away, walked toward the sidewalk, and then quickly blended into the crowd. The band continued, and children still screamed and ran away from the water. No one realized what had just happened until a few minutes later when a mother walking her son to the park passed by the idling car.

  The mother covered her mouth and her child’s eyes. She gasped and tried to speak but could not. As she backed away, she pointed at the car, and it drew the attention of others. The news spread quickly, and people started gathering around the car, hoping to catch a glimpse of what was inside. Officers ran over and promptly set up a perimeter protecting the crime scene.

  ***

  Axel drove from the medical examiner’s office to Acacia Park located in the center of downtown Colorado Springs and waited for Gary. He had called him earlier and informed him that Richard Lambert had gotten in touch with Sharon Douglas and that Sharon had agreed to meet them in the park, away from the police station.

  Children were running around the park like a swarm of bees around a hive. Tejon was closed off at both intersections with bright yellow police tape to stop traffic from entering the parade route. Police officers, on their day off, collected overtime pay to guard the barricades and intersections. Axel found an empty picnic table and sat down.