A Clamour of Rooks (The Birdwatcher Series Book 4)

by European P. Douglas

  “You didn’t obey the rules, Megan, you have brought this on yourself,” Spalding replied like a father trying to make sure his kid had learned a lesson from one of their missteps.

  “You’re the only one who knows the rules,” Megan protested through her tears. Melissa arrived at the top of the stairs and lay down to take hold of her.

  “You knew the rule not to tell anyone,” Spalding said, “and you broke it so now there are consequences.”

  “Ellie didn’t do anything,” Megan said, she felt lightheaded like she was going to pass out. Suddenly it felt like she was in a dream, that this was a conversation happening a long way away and she was able to hear it somehow.

  “Didn’t she?” he replied.

  “Come off the phone Meg,” Melissa's voice came to her and Megan was aware of a lightness in her hands- had she been holding something that was now taken away from her? Her eyes dropped shut but she fought them open and black spots began to show in her vision.

  “We didn’t do anything,” she said, though who she was saying this to she wasn't sure.

  “I know, I know,” a voice returned to her, but it was far away, and her eyes closed again and then there was nothing.

  Chapter 26

  Delgado woke on the sofa again. It was getting to be too much of a habit, he was going to have to make an effort to get to his actual bed from now. It had been hard to go in there since Angela had left. He sat up and looked around the room aware that something had woken him up. He stood up, stretched, and went to the hallway and saw the postal carrier had been, the tell-tale muffle of a neighbours mail slot rattling confirmed he’d just been here. He bent to take up the three envelopes and made his way to the kitchen.

  Two of the letters were bills, he could see that right off, but the last was addressed in a handwriting he did not recognise. He thought for a moment as he flicked on the coffee maker but couldn't come up with any ideas as to who it might be from. He lived day in day out with the fears of a letter from a divorce lawyer that truly sealed the end of his life with Angela, but he didn’t think that would come in a handwritten envelope like this.

  Delgado opened the letter; he was letting fear get the better of him and that was not a good way to start the day. He glanced at the clock on the oven door as he tore open the envelope- 7.55AM. He was usually on his way to the office by now.

  The letter was a single sheet written in the same neat hand as the address had been. Delgado read:

  Dear Mr Delgado,

  I recall your kindness and dedication during the investigations of the child murders here in Edgarton. (Delgado gasped at the sudden re-entering of this case in his life.) Though the case didn't go the way any of us would have liked, we know that you cannot be faulted for that. (That wasn’t how Delgado himself felt about it. They had never caught the guy, nor even come close as far as he knew.)

  The reason I am writing is that I have just come across some information that I feel is crucial to the investigation. I recently found out about a man who had been in Edgarton during the murders but who left around that same time. As far as I know he was never questioned by police. His name is Lou - I don’t have his surname- but he now works as a mechanic in a small town called Tempus in South Carolina. Finding this out was pure chance, a friend of mine who lives here was passing through on her way to her grandmother’s and her car broke down. She recalled him and mentioned it to me.

  The reason I came to you with this- Apologies for sending this to your home address too- but the police here have given up on that case and I know if you bring this new information to them it will have more weight behind it. Can you please help us?

  The letter was unsigned, but all the way through reading it, Delgado had been trying to put a name or a face to who might have written it. He assumed it was one of the parents, he felt a woman but couldn't be sure of that. Perhaps he felt there was more pleading or persuasion that would be in a letter written by a man? The harrowed faces of the mothers of lost children came to him one by one. Their tear-streaked cheeks, pallid faces and eyes shrunken into their head from lack of sleep and terrible weight loss due to the stress and sorrow.

  Tempus in South Carolina, he’d never heard of that place. He took out his phone and looked for it on a map. It was so small he had to zoom right into see its streets at all. Delgado looked at the letter again. Though he didn’t know who’d sent it he knew why they had sent it to him. It was rewarding to know that even now after he’d failed them so poorly the parents of the children killed still trusted him to do whatever he could for then. It didn’t matter who had sent it, Delgado was going to make sure this lead was followed up on.

  Pouring himself a coffee and putting some toast on he went to his PC and turned it on. When the toast was ready he sat there and looked through news stories about child murders in South Carolina and the surrounding states since the time his case had run cold. There had been murders in a couple of states, four children in all but they didn't look to be from the same guy as Delgado was looking for. Still, that was media stories, he would have to see the proper police files or at least talk to someone in each of the jurisdictions to get the real information and check for any possible links.

  It would take up some time to do all of this, and he didn’t know if he had it right now with all the other work going on. But this case had stuck with him; it was the one case he knew he could never get past. Out of curiosity he entered Tempus into his phone navigation system. It wasn’t all that far away. Delgado stood up and paced the room, poured himself another cup of coffee and paced some more. Occasionally looking back at both the computer screen and the screen of his phone with the driving instruction on it.

  He had to go; there was nothing else for it. Delgado knew that if this Lou was his man, he would know as soon as he laid eyes on him and heard the first word utter from his mouth. He was sure of it; the case could be solved today if he just went up there to talk to the guy. He was going to do it. Putting this case behind him would free his mind in so many ways. This had been a chain around his neck since he failed to find the suspect all those years ago. Now he was going to take down the child killer and free his conscience. Surely that was something that would benefit all of his own cases he was working on right now. He knew that if he didn’t do this right now, it would be on his mind until he did something about it.

  Chapter 27

  The town of Tempus woke to another sunny morning and the old mechanic, Dan Lotts, opened up the garage and started moving the cars that had been kept inside overnight out into the dusty yard area. Dwight Spalding, donned in what he called his ‘Lou’ outfit, saw this enterprise before him as he pulled up on his motorcycle. The old man was always eager to get going every morning. Spalding smiled, by lunchtime the old guy would be beat, and ‘Lou’ would mostly be working alone while Dan ‘Looked over the books’.

  The morning moved along and when Dan wasn’t around to see, Spalding checked in on the news on his phone. He wasn’t thrilled that one of his dungeons had been found but he was very happy with the aftermath of the attempted rescue operation. They wouldn’t be trying that again in a hurry. His one concern, however, was as to how they had found this one. The fact that none of his other places had been surrounded or raided led him to believe that this was a one off find. Megan Stanver had been to this place before, and Spalding wondered had she perhaps seen something one time that had led the FBI to it? He couldn't think what, but the only other explanation was a random find. They had been searching for his places since Megan and Ellie escaped, he knew that, but he hadn’t been too worried as he was rarely at any of them anymore and each find would only result in more deaths and make him even more notorious than he already was.

  “You hear about that explosion that killed all the FBI?” Dan asked towards lunch time. Spalding was surprised, Dan rarely mentioned anything from the outside world.

  “Yeah, some mess there,” Spalding replied.

  “Lots of different stories going around,” Da
n said, shaking his head as he looked under the hood of an old VW.

  “I heard they were looking for a bomb,” Spalding said, enjoying the tease, “I guess they found it.” he chuckled a little and Dan looked up at him.

  “I don’t know why every generation after my own finds death and bombs so funny,” he said. Spalding guessed it was supposed to be some kind of reprimand, but it didn’t sound or feel like one. “Well, whatever it was, they’re all dead now and they’ve each left people in their lives behind.”

  “I guess you’re right, boss,” Spalding said smiling as he was hidden behind another car’s hood.

  Not long after this, Dan went in and Spalding knew he wouldn't see him again until shutting up time. There was a good chance he wouldn’t see anyone else either and this suited him down to the ground. While he was alone here, Spalding was able to check in with a few things undisturbed. He checked some CCTV footage in a couple of his hideouts, kept up with his surveillance data and also made sure to keep up with the other news around the country.

  That afternoon, though, he didn’t get as much done as he would have liked. Someone did come into the garage. Spalding marked the car at once and when he saw Agent Delgado of the FBI getting out and looking around, Spalding was very surprised indeed. He listened for a moment for the sounds of any other approaching vehicles or the thrum of a helicopter on its way, but he didn’t hear anything else. He knew sound travelled a long way in these quiet environs, so he was sure nothing else was coming. This intrigued him, why was Delgado all the way out here in the middle of nowhere?

  “Hello?” Delgado called out peering into the dim garage. At this moment Spalding could see him very clearly but he knew Delgado couldn’t see him.

  “Be with you in a second!” Spalding called back in his good ol’ Lou voice. He looked himself over in a side mirror of the car he was working on and was happy with his disguise. At the sound of his steps coming out of the garage, Delgado turned to face him. Their eyes met and Spalding could see suspicion in those of the agent.

  “What can I do for you?” Spalding asked, looking past Delgado to his car.

  “I’m Agent Delgado with the FBI,” Delgado said, taking out his badge and showing it to Spalding who made a show of looking impressed at this. “Are you Lou?”

  “Yes?” Spalding answered like he was a dimwit.

  “I just wanted to ask you a few questions about your time in Edgarton,” Delgado said. Spalding recognized the name of the place at once and though he’d never been there before, he knew what had happened and how invested in it Delgado was, he’d done his research well.

  “Eh, okay,” Spalding said, shrugging his shoulders and still playing the dullard. “But do you mind if I keep working, we have a lot of cars to get done and I’m already behind.”

  “No, that’s fine,” Delgado said, and he followed Spalding into the garage where Spalding went back to the hood of the car he’d been at.

  “What is it you want to know?” Spalding said, “I worked there a long time ago and it was only for a few days really.”

  “Where did you work while you were there?” Delgado asked.

  “I helped some old dude build a wall in his backyard, I can’t remember what his name was. I couldn't get work at the mechanics there, they said they had enough people already.”

  “I see, and do you remember the dates you arrived in town and left?”

  “No, my memory ain’t that good,” Spalding said shaking his head like it was a joke everyone else was in on. Delgado nodded at this,

  “Well, I suppose it was a long time ago.”

  “I’d be able to find out though,” Spalding offered, and he delighted in Delgado’s eyes widening.

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah, I keep a diary. It’s at home right now but the dates will be in there.”

  “Do you live far away?”

  “No, only a couple of miles.” Delgado looked to be thinking on this now. He was probably weighing up the danger of going to another place with him seeing how big and strong looking 'Lou’ was. He felt sure that Delgado didn’t know who he really was but that someone had put him up to this, playing on the child murders case that would help suck him in. There was only one person he could think of who could have done this. Tyler Ford. How he had managed to find Spalding, though, that was another matter. “There was a journalist, Tyler somebody, up here a few days ago askin’ me the same things,” Spalding went on with his act. “Funny now you’re here askin’ too.” He smiled a buffoon's grin.

  “Really?” Delgado seemed genuinely surprised. “Did he ask you anything else?”

  “He was asking me about kids,” Spalding said, “But I tend to stay away from kids, my size frightens them, I think.”

  “Could be,” Delgado said and then after a brief pause. “Did you talk to any children while you were in Edgarton, maybe a neighbor when you were building that wall?”

  “I don’t think so,” Spalding said, “I wouldn’t have let a kid come near while I was building the wall, that's not safe.”

  “I see,” Delgado was nodding. Dwight stood looking at the agent. What kind of a message could he send back to Tyler? There wasn’t really anything he could say to Delgado that he was sure would get back to the journalist. One thing would though, and it would be another tantalising clue in the case against Spalding as one of his aliases was revealed at the same time. That would be quite a gift, would Tyler accept it? There was only one way to find out.

  Spalding leaned over and knocked a wrench to the ground letting it slide down to the opposite side of the car.

  “Dammit,” he said about to come around the car to get it.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll grab it for you,” Delgado said, he looked like a bored man, someone who had come a long way for something that turned out not to exist. He didn’t suspect ‘Lou’, Spalding was sure of that, but he also didn’t want to give up on him just yet.

  “Thanks,” Spalding said, taking firm hold of a tyre iron in his other hand as Delgado bent to pick up the wrench. The FBI agent retrieved it and stood back up with the wrench outstretched to Spalding.

  “Here you go,” he said. Just then their eyes met and Delgado froze in horror as he saw the evil intent in Spalding. The tyre iron was already in full motion before Delgado was even aware of it and it connected so hard with his temple that the crack could have been heard out in the street had there been anyone there to hear it.

  Delgado sprawled to the floor, and his body fought to get back up. There was a chance he wouldn’t die from this injury but even if he lived Spalding knew there would be long term brain damage associated with such an injury inflicted by a man of his strength. That was no way to live. Spalding came around the car and stood over Delgado a moment.

  “I don’t know why, but Tyler Ford sent you here to be killed, I thought you should know that before you go.” Delgado rolled onto his back, his legs still moving as though he were trying to stagger away on foot. Their eyes met once more, and Spalding felt Delgado had understood what he said. There was no fear in the fallen agent, and this pleased Spalding too, though he couldn't say why. He brought the tyre iron down again with even more force than before, the skull splitting open this time and the blood spraying the car doors behind Delgado.

  Spalding stood back and sighed.

  “Well, that’s the end of poor ‘Lou’” he said smiling and then he left the garage for the last time, giving only the briefest of thoughts to the mess Dan was going to walk into at closing time that day.

  Chapter 28

  It was late that evening when Tyler received a phone call from a blubbering Sarah. She had said a couple of things he couldn't make out before he finally heard her say ‘Delgado.’

  “What are you saying, Sarah, something about Delgado?” Tyler interjected. He listened carefully in case she was inaudible when she spoke again.

  “He’s dead!” she shouted down the phone, frustration getting the better of her in her emotional state.

&n
bsp; “Dead? How?” Tyler asked, though he felt he knew what she was going to say. The funny thing was, though, that he found himself hoping he was wrong. He wanted it to be a routine arrest gone wrong or a crazed gunman in the FBI building, but he knew this wasn’t going to be. Sarah sniffled loudly to clear her nose.

  “He was following up on an old case, way out in South Carolina,” she said. “He must have found who he was looking for, but they got the drop on him first. They killed him with a tyre iron!”

  “Who did? Who killed him?” Tyler asked.

  “A mechanic who we only know as Lou,” she replied and then bitterly, “He got away.”

  “I don’t understand any of this,” Tyler said, “He was following up on an old case, alone? What case?”

  “A child murderer from back when he was a detective. Someone sent him an anonymous letter fingering this Lou guy. Delgado went up there to check it out and now he's dead.” The tears she had seemingly just managed to get under control came flooding back suddenly and he heard her blow her nose hard away from the phone. Tyler waited, knowing now for sure that it was he who had killed Delgado with his letter.

  “I’m so sorry, Sarah,” he said after a short time. She would never understand this apology. “Do you want me to come see you, or do you want to come here to get away from things?” he asked.

  “No,” she said firmly, “I want to find this guy and arrest him.”

  “You’re out looking now?” he asked, she didn’t sound like she was in the car or outside.

  “I’m in the local police station in Tempus, that’s the town he was in.”

  “Do they know the man you’re looking for?”

  “Yes, everyone around here does,” she said, “None of them believe he could be responsible for this.”

  “Then where is he?” Tyler asked, backing her up.